The 1634 Visitation of Sussex (p. 156) states that William was of Shipley, Sussex. His surname there is given as "Wells."
Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Death: between 10 December 1573 and 2 February 1573/4.
William made his will 10 December 1573 and it was proved 2 February 1573/4.
Relationships
Father: unknown.
Mother: unknown.
The will of Hugh Weller suggests that William's mother was still alive in 1573.
Spouse: Joan.
William mentions his wife, Joan, in his will.
(probable) Brother: Richard Weller of Shipley, Sussex.
Richard Weller of Shipley mentions his brother William Weller in his 1565 will.
(probable) Brother: Hugh Weller of Shipley, Sussex.
Hugh Weller of Shipley mentions his brother William Weller in his 1573 will.
Sister: Alice.
Sister: Margaret.
William mentions two of his sisters in his will.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Isabel Weller (buried 28 May 1603 in Warminghurst, Sussex) married Richard Bridger.
Bridget Weller.
Joan Weller.
Evidence
The will of William Weller's brother, Richard:
In the name of god Amen in the yeare of our Lord god 1565 / in the xxjth day of march I Richard Weler of the p[ar]ishe of Shipligh beinge sicke in bodie But hole & p[er]fecte in mynde & memorye; thanks be geven to almyghtie god do ordaine & make this my last will & testamente in man[er] and forme followinge first I bequeth my Soule to the mercie of Almyghtie god my saviour & redemer / And my bodye to be buried earthe from whence it com Itm I bequethe to the mother church of Chechester iid Itm I bequethe to my Sonne Henrye a fetherbed & a boulster a [...]bed and a blanket a paire of shets a brasse pote & iiijs in money Itm I bequeth to Isabel my daughter three pounds of Lawful money of Englande Itm I will that theye shall receave my bequets at theire age of xviij yeares And if any of them shall fortune to die before they com to thage of xviij yeares then I will that my bequets shall [...] to the other that shall [...] Lyve / the resydewe of all my goods in whose hands soever they shalbe founde or knowne my debts paid & my will p[er]formed I geve and bequethe to Joane my wife whom I make myne executrix Itm I make my brother Willm̄ Weller & John Frentch myn ov[er]seers of this my Last will & testamente In witnes whereof. Willm̄ Weller & John Frentch wth others
[proved 30 April 1566]
The will of William Weller's brother, Hugh:
In the name of god amen the syxte day of March in the yere of or lorde god A thousand fyve hundreth saventie two I hugh Weller of the parishe of Shepley in the Countie of Sussex of good and p[er]fecte memorie thankes by to god do make and ordeyn this my last will and testament in manner and forme folowing / First I bequeath my soule to Jesus Christ my savior trusting through his onelie merites to be saved And my body after this life ended to be buried in the Churcheyarde of Shepley Item as touching the disposing of my Lands and tent:s First I give and bequeath unto Margery my wife all my Lands and tenements being in Shepley called by the name and names of Mawle Landes Prestes mede Kennels[?] als Whitemans and Hadue[...] during the naturall life of the said Margery And I will that she mayneteyne and kepe almanner rep[ar]acons aswell aboute the Dwelling house barnes stable and other houses as also paling and hedging aboute the p[re]misses as it is at this p[re]sent tyme And so to leave it at the tyme of her death/ Item I will that all the said Lands and tenements after the death of the said Margery my wife shalbe and remayne unto Hugh Weller my eldest sonne and to the heires of his body lawfullie begotten And for lacke of suche yssue I will and bequeath all my said Lands and tenements to William my sonne and to the heires of his body lawfullie begotten and for wante of suche yssue to remayne to Thomas my sonne and to the heires of his body lawfullie begotten/ Item I will that Margery my wife shall pay unto my mother six and twentie shillings and eight pence by the yere as longe as she lyveth to be paied out of my landes in recompence of suche title and right as she had to the same, and if my brother William chance to die before my mother then I will that my mother shall have of sufficient and convenient lodging and rome in the house where I now dwell and the said Foure [...bles] a yere to be paied unto her half yerelie Item I will unto my said mother all suche proffitts as I pay or might have taken of the lease of stocke parke after thende and terme of eight yeres next after the death of John Gratewicke my father in law during her life condicionallie that she suffer my wife quietly to enioye the said lands before gyven unto her [...] I will all the said proffitts of the said Lease of Stocke parke to remayne to the said Margery my wife towards the bringing up of her said children Item I will unto the said Margery my wife the custody & the Lease of the wardship of the bodies and Lands of her children Margaret Emilie and Margery So as the said Margery shall do [..che] as in her lieth to procure a mariage betwene her eldest daughter and hugh weller my eldest sonne yf god sende them life together/ And if thone like not to marry withother when they come to yere of Discretion/ Then I will that Margery my wife shall pay unto ever one of my said children now lyving twentie pounds at their severall ages of one and twentie yeres or at their severall mariags which shall first happen/ Item I will that hugh my sonne shall pay unto my other thre children William Thomas and Bridget tenne pounds a pece when they shall accomplishe the full age of one and twentie yeres oute of my said lands in Shepley and I will that my said wife shalbe abated of the money aforegyven tenne pounds a pece/ Item I will that if Margery my wife and hugh my sonne do refuse to pay the said legacies unto my said children and will not put in sufficient surety to my overseers then I will that my overseers shall enter upon all my Lands and tent:s and take the proffitts thereof with the wardship of my wives children with the Lease in as lardge and ample manner as my said wife shoulde have had it/ and they to be bounde unto my said wife to take the proffitts of the same to thuse of my said children/ Item I will unto hugh weller my sonne my best wyned bedstedle Two fetherbedds a boulster a coverlet a paire of blanketts fyve paire of the best shetes the best carpet the table on the frame all the Joyned stoles and all the sealing of the p[ar]lor a furnes a brasse pot the new close presse and ij of the best chestes Item I will that my wife shall have thoccupacon of all the said goods gyven unto my said sonne as longe as she lyveth/ Item I will unto Mary Gratewicke her mothers best gowne a golde ring one paire of shetes and a silver spone Item I will unto Bridget my daughter two paire of shetes two silver spones two platters Two Disshes Item I give unto william my sonne a greate kitle one brasse pot a fetherbed a bolster a coverlet a paire of blanketts and two paire of shetes/ Item I make my wife my sole executrix to pay my debts and legacies and Mr John Apsley mylnr and Mr william Apsley his sonne myne overseers and I will to either of them twentie shillings for their paynes/
[proved 27 April 1573]
Williams' will:
In the name of God Amen the x daye of the monithe of Dessember in the xvj yere of the Raine of our soueraine Lady Ellizabethe viz Quene I Willm Willar [“Weller” written above] of the parrishe of Shippllie being sike in body and yet in parfitt and sound memorie praysed be to god doe ordayn and mak this mi tistimint [contayning] hir in my veri parfet and last will in manar and form folling // Fyrst I bequief mi solle to all miti god and mi body to be berid in the chirche yerth of Shipplli // All soo I will geve to the mother Chirche of Chichestar iiij d allso I will & geve to the p[?] in thi… hir named also to Hari Jopp ij s to Watar Koope x ij d to Gats[?] widooe x ij d to Phillip March x ij d to John Shippard x ij d to Longs widoo x ij d to thornden[?] x d to John a gat iiij d to Havery iiij d Allsoo I will & geve to thre of mi god chilldarn Willm Jopp Isbill Aden Isbill Willar yeueri on of thim x ii d and yevery god chill be pid iiij d Allso I will & geve to iamis Willar my god chille a Cowe all so I will & geve to Jane Hamane my maid on five [...]monthing bollok allso I will & geve to two of my sisters Aylles and Margatt yeche of thim vi s viij d also I will & geve to thre of my daffters Isbill Brigate and Jone yeche of thime x pound to be paid to thim whin they com to the ayge of XX yers or be for if thiy mary all so I will that yf anye of my childarn do dy be for they ar marrid or bie for thiy com to the aig of xx yers thin his stoke to Remain for the Riste and all the Rist of my goods in whos hands so yever thiy be fond as known I will geve and be quief to Jon my wif whom I mak my wholl exseketer // all so I pot in trost to be my over sears Edward Penfolld and Thomas Willar witnes to the making of this will
Edward Penfold Thomas Willar Richard Shippard and John Hattar
[proved 2 February 1573/4]
References
Bannerman, W. Bruce (ed.), The Visitations of the County of Sussex, made and taken in the years 1530 by Thomas Benolte, Clarenceux king of arms, and 1633-4 by John Philipot, Somerset herald, and George Owen, York herald, for Sir John Burroughs, Garter, and Sir Richard St. George, Clarenceux (London: Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, 1905).
Will of William Weller, in Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT, Sussex Consistory Court Wills, 1570-1589, Folder F 156 (Film # 1068591)
Will of Richard Weller, proved 1562, Consistory Court of Chichester registered wills, Volume 10, page 256. FHL film 194564, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Will of Hugh Weller of Shipley, Sussex, 1573, Prerogative Court of Canterbury.