Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Burial: 21 February 1585/6.
Place of Burial: Challock, Kent.
The burial is recorded in the parish register.
Relationships
Father: unknown.
Mother: unknown.
Spouse: Annes Cocke.
John named his wife Annes in his will. Annes was buried 10 December 1592 in Challock. Sampson Cocke named his sister Agnes, wife of John Peers of Challock, in his 1567 will.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Margaret Peers married Thomas Farbrace.
Elizabeth Peers (buried 28 April 1566 in Molash, Kent) married Richard Vidian married 18 June 1558 in Molash, Kent.
Mary Peers (buried 8 January 1624 in Elham, Kent) married Gyles Brett.
Christian Peers
Rabige Peers (buried 30 November 1580 in Challock, Kent)
Richard Peers (buried 19 August 1621 in Challock, Kent) married Margaret Watts 17 July 1588 in Kingsnorth, Kent.
Sampson Peers (buried 7 February 1615/6 in Stalisfield, Kent) married (1) Ann Craft 21 September 1579 in Challock; married (2) Agnes Gyles 5 March 1600/1 in Sheldwich, Kent.
Thomas Peers (possibly buried 13 April 1610 in Sheldwich, Kent)
James Peers
Evidence
from the parish register for Challock, Kent:
[1580]
Rabyge Pyerce Buryed the 30 of Nov[m]br
[1585]
John Pierce Buryed the 21 of February
[1592]
Agnes Pyerce widd: Buryed the 10 of dece[m]br
John’s will:
Regr’at 1586
In the name of god amen the xxxth day of December in the xxvjth yere of the reign of our sovereyn lady Elizabeth by the grace of god quene of England Fraunce & Ireland defender of the faithe etc. In the yere of our lord one thousand fyve hundreth fowrescore & three I John Peers of the p[ar]ysshe of Challock in the County of Kent yeman beyng sike of body but of good & p[er]fect remembraunce lawde & prayse therefore be to almyghty god do ordeyne & make this my last will & testament in maner & forme followyng that is to say fyrst I bequeth my sowle to almyghty god my maker hopyng to be saved by the merytes & passion of Jesus Chryst this only sonn my redemer & my body to be buryed in the Church yard of Challock aforesaid Itm I will to the poore people of the P[a]ysshe of Challock aforesaid xs to be bestowed att the discretion of my executors Itm I will to the childeren of Magarett Farbrace my daughter three pounds sixe shillynges & eight pence equally to be devyded amongest them Itm I will to the two daughters of Elizabeth Vidyan’ my daughter iijli of lawfull mony of Ingland equally to be devyded amongst them & I will to John Vidian’ my godson vjs viijd of lawfull mony of Ingland Itm I will to the Children of Mary Bratt my daughter iijli vjs viijd equally to be devyded amongest them Itm I will to Edward bratt the son of mary bratt my daughter sixe good ewes Itm I will to Nicolas Warsiter my servaunt xs Itm I will to Thoms Wodland my servaunt one good ewe all which severall bequethes I will shalbe payed within one yere after my decease Itm I will to Christian Peers my daughter thirty pounds of lawfull mony of Ingland to be payed to her within one yere after my decease/ or in the day of her maryage which fyrst shall come All the residue of my moveable goodes & Catteles unbequethed my Dettes & legacyes being payed I will to Annes my wife & to Richard my son equally to be devided amongest them with Annes my wife & Richard my son I make executors of this my last will
This is the testament & last will of me the said John Peers made the day & yere abovewriten concernyng the disposicon of all my lands & tenements that is to say fyrst I will that Annes my wife shall have the proffyt of all my lands & tenements in the county of Kent duryng her naturall lyfe & after the decease of the said Annys my wife I I will my prinipall tenemt wherein I nowe dwell with all the lands & woods thereto belongyng (except fowre p[ar]cells) to Rychard my son & to the heirs males of his body lawfully begotten Itm I will the fowre p[ar]cells before referred that is to say bramble craft cowe lese stone roke & teryes to Sampson Peers my son & to his heirs for eu[er] Itm I will that if Rychard my son shall dye withowte heirs males of his body lawfully begotten then I will my said princypal tenemt with all the land thereto belonging to Sampson Peers my son & to the heirs males of his body lawfully begotten Itm I will that if Sampson Peers my son dye with owt heirs males of his body lawfully begotten then I will the said princypall tenemt with all the lands & wodes thereto belongyng & first bequethed to Rychard my son unto Thomas Peers my son & to his heirs for eu[er] Itm I will to Thomas Peers my Son my anuyty of thre pounds by the yere which I have goyng owte of his tenemt in Upper Hardres which anuyty I will to Thomas my son & to his heirs for eu[er] Provided alwayes & my will is that if Richard my son or his heirs shall att any tyme or tymes after the deceas of Annys my wyfe clayme or demaund any of the lands of the same Anneses then it shalbe lawfull for my sones Thomas & Sampson & there heirs to enter in my lands before bequethed to the said Rychard & the p[ro]fytts thereof to take tyll such tyme as the said Rychard make a generall release of all the lands of the same Annes to the said Thomas & Sampson & to her heirs
[The digital images I accessed seem to be missing the last page.]
References
Parish registers of Challock, Kent. Digital images on Findmypast.co.uk accessed 26 May 2025.
Will of John Peers. Proved 1585 in the Consistory Court of Canterbury. Digital images on FamilySearch.org accessed 24 May 2025.
Will of Sampson Cocke of Leveland, Kent, husbandman. Proved 1567 in the Archdeaconry Court of Canterbury.