John Epps

Events

Date of Birth: unknown.

Place of Birth: unknown.

Date of Death: 1526/7.

Place of Death: probably Old Romney, Kent.

John made his will 15 January 1526/7 and it was proved 1 February 1526/7.

Relationships

Father: John Epps.

John mentions his son in his will.

Mother: uncertain.

The wills of John (II) and his father John (I) make clear that the Joan that John (I) was married to at the time of his death was not John (II)'s mother. John (II)'s mother was possibly the Margaret named in an undated inscription in St Clement, Old Romney as the wife of a John Eps.

Spouse: Alice.

John names his wife in his will.

Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)

Joan Epps (died 1556) married Peter Godfrey 24 April 1540 in Old Romney, Kent.

William Epps (died 1581)

Allan Epps (died 1551) married Agnes, the widow of someone named Harley.

John Epps the elder (buried 9 November 1544 in Old Romney) married Joan Brown 27 June 1540 in Old Romney.

Thomas Epps (buried 22 October 1580 in Old Romney) married (1) Ellen Brown 26 January 1543 in Old Romney; married (2) Joan Leigh 7 August 1570 in Old Romney.

John Epps the younger

Evidence

John's will:

In dei noie amen the xv^th daye of Januarij in the yere of oure lorde god a m^li ccccc xxvj^ti I John Epse of the p[ar]ishe of Seynt Clement of Olde Romeney wyth an hole mynde and good Remembraunce thankyth be gode make & and [sic] ordeyn this my testament and laste will man[er] and forme folowyng Fyrst I bequethe my soulle to almyghty god to oure lady seynt mary and to all the holy company of hevyn and my body to be buryid in the cherch of Seynt Clement forsaid at the fote of my Father Itm I bequethe to the heght alter ther for my tytes neglygently forgotton iij s iiij d Itm I bequeth to the rode lyght iij s iiij d Itm I bequeth to eu[er]y of the lyghts of oure lady Saynte Margarett & Saynt Kateryn iiij ewes Itm I bequeth to the rep[ar]acions of the same cherch xx s Itm I bequeth to the hegh ault’ of Saynt Marten of Newromeny v s Itm I bequeth to the high aulter of Seynt lawrens of Newromeny xij d Itm I bequeth to the celyng of the rode lofte of olderomeny xiij s iiij d Itm I bequeth to the byeng of a newe crosse for the same cherch of Saynt clement xiij s iiij d Itm I bequeth to the byeng of a newe seluer py’x for the same cherch vj li xiij s iiij d to be payde within the space of ij yeris next immediatly after my discece Itm I bequeth to Johan my doughter xx marcs to be payde to her at the age of xx yeris and if it shall happe the same Johann to dye be fore the same age of xx^ti yeris hayvng Issu of her body lawfully be gotten then I will the same xx marcs remayn to her said Issu and to be payde to the same Issue at the age of xx^ti yeris and if it fortune the same Johann to dye be fore the same age of xx yeris without Issu of her body lawfully begotton or els her seide Issu to dye before the same age of xx yeris then I will the same xx marke shall equally be devyded betwene Alys my wyfe and all my Chyldren then beyng a lyve and if it fortune the same Alys my wyff to dye or it shall happen the same xx marke to be devyded then I will it shall remayn holey to my seide Chyldren Itm I bequeith to Alys Roger my suster a Cowe Itm I bequeth to Johann Hever late my servant vj s viij d Itm I bequeith to John Hever her son vj s viij d Itm I geve to Agnes Roger iiij Ewes Itm I bequeith to John Roger the son of John Roger iij Ewe Itm I geue to Sysceley Roger vj ewes Itm I bequeith to Elsabeth Roger ij Ewes Itm I bequeith to John Garrard my susters son xiij s iiij d Itm I bequeith to John Epse of Ivecherch a Cowe Itm I bequeith to the amendment of the fowle ways betwene Northeny[?] gate and olde Romeny bytwene my owne lands and the lands of Willm Quyls & bresynden vj s viij s Itm I bequeth to eu[er]y of my Godchildern a lambe pryce xij d Itm I bequeth to Alys my wyff vj li xiij s iiij d Itm I geue to the same Alys x of my best kene & x cawlves with them Itm I geue to the same Alys a wene and a plough wyth ther apparell a Copull of my beste oxyn and ij mares next the best to be delyu[er]yd at mychelmes next comyng Itm I geue to the same Alys halfe my howsold stuffe iij acr of the best whete vj acr of barley j acr of benys & j acr of Ots Itm I will she shall take the p[ro]fetts of the same kene betwen this & mychelmas Itm I geue to the same Alys halfe my bakun and halfe my pultre and v quart’ of whete and vj quart’ of malte to fynde with all the housold Itm I will ther be don for me in the cherch of Saynt Clement foresayd in dyriges and massis and other charitable deds at my buryeng xxx s iiij d and so in lyke man[er] att eu[er]y of my monethis mynde and yeris mynde xxxiij s iiij d Itm I will that I maye haue don for my soulle my Father and mother Sowlls and all xren soules eu[er]y yere duryng the time of xx^ti yeris diriges & massys and other dedis of Charyte in the seide cherch of Saynt Clement xx s after the Fyrst yere endyd The Resydue of all my goods and catells my detts and bequests Fyrst payde I geue to Willm Epse Aleyn Epse John Epse Thomas Epse and John Epse my sonnes the whiche of this my p[re]sent Testment I make and ordeyn to be myne executors and I ordeyn to be myne ou[er] searys Willya’ Mershe Edward clarke & John Whatma’ to whome I geue to either of them for ther bysenes & labour xl s Itm I bequeth to the wiffe of John Garrard the yonger an haffer pr’c viij s or viij s in mony Itm I geue to John Roger the elder my blewe cote and my fustya’ dobelet Itm I geue to Gregory Jonson my wosted doblet Stokkyd with Fustya’ Itm I geue to Willya’ my sonne my best gowne my chablett doblet & my wosted Jakett Itm I geue to Alyn my son my best cote Itm I geue one of my other gownes to myne other sonnes to make them cotys and the other cown I geue to Robert lowes my s[er]vant ./.

Thys is the last wyll of me the seid John Epse made the daye and yere a boue wryten of and uppon a feoffament made unto Willia’ Epse Aleyn Epse John Epse Willia’ Mershe John Whatma’ & Edward Clache Fyrste I will that Alys my wyffe shall haue immediatly after the t[er]me endyd of my mother in lawes yeris the same ten’t & lands the wyche my seide mother nowe holdyth by the last will of my Fader as holy as now my saide mother then holdith unto tyme that any of sonnes shall happe to be maried she doyng and payeng all man[er] of charges as my mother dothe pay and discharge and if it fortune all my sonnes to dye be fore they shall happen to be maried then I will my seid wyfe hall haue for t[er]me of lyff the seide ten’t and lands wyth thapp[ur]tenances kepyng it without screpe or waste and if it happe any of my sonnes to be maryed then I will that Alys my wyff shall haue for t[er]me of her lyff owte of all my londs yerly iiij li lawfull mony of Ynglond and my gretest tene’nt and kechen with the ij closys and ther app[ur]ten’nces whiche I late purchasid of the heyers of Harry Husbarne Itm I will that all my lands and ten’ts shall equally be devyded betwene all my seide sonnes to be had to them ther heyres & assignes for eu[er] when they and eu[er]y of them comyth to the age of xxj yeris and if any of them fortune to dye be fore the same age of xxj yeris without Issu of ther body laufully begotton then I will it shall remayn unto them that then shall survyve Itm I will that my seide ou[er]sears shall take and receyve the p[ro]fetts of my seide ten’ts and lands to helpe to discharge my detts and bequests and other necessary charges and to be accomptannt of the residue of the mony therof comyng to eu[er]y of my chyldren as they and eu[er]y of them comyth to the age of xxj yeris and that neither my seide wiffe nor myne ou[er]sears make therin any screpe or waste Itm I will that my ij sonnes Thomas Epse and John Epse the yonger shalbe sett to scole and thei to be found therto with the p[ro]fetts of ther p[ar]ts of ther lands as moche as shall nede and the same p[ro]fytts wylnot fynde them then I will the rest to be levyed oute of the moveables goods Itm I will that ther may be bought for me a Stone to be layed uppon my graue of the p’ce of xl s to be inputorid[?] with me my wyffe and all my chyldern Itm I will that the bequests gevyn to John Rogers chyldern of the Ewes or ony other catall gevyn to any other p[er]sons shalbe delyu[er]id at Mychelmas next comyng Itm I will that x s shalbe delyu[er]ed & payd to the amendment of the chalys in Saynte Cleme’ts cherch aforesayd Itm I will that Master Baron hales shall haue my best geldyng to be good frend to my wiff and chylderne Itm I will that John Epse the elder shall haue a mare of the age of iij yeris to be delyu[er]ed unto hym when he comyth to the age of xij yeris this byn wytnes per Robert brachia Curatt Aleyn Dyster Henry Smyth John Gerrard Senio’ and John Mores

[Proved (day and month missing) 1526]

References

Kent, England, Tyler Index to Wills, 1460-1882. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 2 May 2020.

Parish registers of Old Romney, Kent. Digital images on Findmypast.co.uk accessed 2 May 2020.

Will of John Epse. Proved 1526 in the Archdeaconry Court of Canterbury. Digital images on FamilySearch accessed 12 July 2021.