This is the transcribed will of Lawrence Bucknor of Soulbury, Buckinghamshire, England, 1635 (Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies DAWf/31/18)
This will is fairly important in that it identifies Lawrence without a doubt as the father of John Buckner, salter of London, who was the father of John Buckner Jr. salter of London who married Deborah Ferrers. For many years, John Buckner and Deborah Ferrers have been considered to be the founders of the colonial Buckner family of Virginia. In my opinion, this identification is incorrect, but if it is correct, this will at least firmly identifies John Buckner's ancestry. Of the three sons mentioned in this will, two, John and William, left wills of their own which are available from the UK Public Record Office. The persons and places named in these three wills overlap sufficiently to establish the identity of the testators relative to each other. They also provide a sketch of three generations of these Buckners, which can be supplemented by a few parish records, comprising 4 children and 10 grandchildren of Lawrence Buckner. Barnard had at least 5 children, and his eldest son Lawrence appears to have had descendants who can be found around Soulbury into the early 1700s. There is some evidence of a line in Suffolk persisting after John Buckner as well, but it is as yet unclear who they're descended from.
There is in the 1599 Lay Subsidy Alien Returns (https://archive.org/stream/returnsofaliensd1031hugu#page/72/mode/2up) a listing for Laurence Buckner as an "alien" residing in Bell Alley, Surrey, charged 8 shillings. It is unclear if this is the same Lawrence Buckner though, since otherwise no evidence suggests that he was a foreign immigrant.
I've tried to preserve the line arrangement so anyone who wants can compare this to the original image. I don't claim perfection, and there are some things that can be interpreted different ways. The notation {ER} and such indicates a superscript abbreviation. These are common in period documents, though sometimes they can be a little idiosyncratic.
This will is a little unusual in tht it appears to be an original rather than a willbook copy, so it does seem to have Lawrence's actual signature.
Date of will: 21 Oct 1635
Probate: 11 Feb 1636
People named in the will:
In the name of God Amen the one and Twentith Daie of October in the
Eleaventh yere of the raigne of our most gracious sou{er}aigne Lord Charles by Grace of God of England Scotland
France and Ireland Kinge Defendo{r} of the Faith et Anno Dni 1635. I Lawrence Bucknor of Sulbur[ie]
in the Countie of Bucks yeoman beinge in health and of sound and p{er}fect memorie (praise be given unto god therefor[)]
observinge by exsperience the mortallitie of mankynd, And consideringe the sentence of Almightie God maker of heaven
and yearth, against man for synne (that is to saye) that ev{er}ie man shall Die, but the place where and the tyme when
are of all thinges least knowen unto man Therefore Desireinge rather, in health then sicknes, to settle that small
estate whereof God in his Mersie hath byne please to blesse me by a tymely Desposenge thereof (annihillateinge
and annullinge all former wills and bequestes Doe make this my last will and testament in writeinge. first I
bequeath my soule unto God, who gave yt me, in full and suer hope of the resurrection thereof to glorie
at the last Daie in and through the sole and only merritts of Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer
who dyed for my synnes and the synns of all mankynde and rose agayne for my iustificacon into whose
handes for ever(as beinge a most faithfull keeper) I comend my Sperritt And my body I Desire to be buried in such
Decent and Comely manner as shalbe fittinge a Christian of my estate. And concer[n?]ynge the Distribucon of
my worldly estate. first I give unto the poore of Sulburie aforesaid five shillinges to be Distributed
amongst them on the daie of my buryall. Item I give unto John Buckno{r} my sonne and unto Thomas Stevens
my sonne in laweunto each of them the some of fyve shillinges Item I give and bequeathe unto my
sonne Barnard Bucknor the some of twentie pounds of lawfull money of England, to be paid unto him
in manne{r} and form followeinge (that is to saie) ten poundes thereof wth in sixe monthes next after my Decease
and other ten pounds thereof wthin one month next after the Decease of Alice my nowe wife my executrix
hereafter named or the Daie of her Marriage, wch shall first happen for the true payment whereof accordi[nge?]
my will is that my said wife shall become bound wth good securitie wth in one month after my Decease, But
if my said wife shall refuse and Doe not enter into bond unto my said sonne Barnard to paie the said tewntie
pounds before bequeathed, in manner and forme aforesaid then my will is that the whole some of twentie pounds
shalbe paid unto him wthin one monthe next after my Decease Item I give and my will is That my
sonne William Bucknor shall have all that moitie or one half of my goods heretofore granted unto him
on marriage wth Elizabeth Shorte his now wife accordinge to the agreeement betwene us, for his porcon the wch moitie
or one halfe my will is (for peace sake) shalbe Devided and sett out by Robert Kennell John Brackley Barnard
Hart and William Stevens or three or twoe of them from the otherp[ar?]t or one halfe of my goodes and chattles
wth as much indifference as may be wthn one weeke after my Decease All the rest of my goodes Cattell
and Chattles unbequeathed (my Debtes beinge paid and fun{er}all expences Discharged) I give and bequeath
unto my said loveinge wife Alice whom I ordayne and make the sole Executrix of this my last will and
testament Desireinge her to have a speciall care of my said sonne sonne Bernard and his children And I no{min}ate
and appoynt the said Robert Kennell and Barnard Hart Overseers of this my last will Desireinge
them to be Aidinge and Assistinge -unto- my said Executrix in seeinge my said last will Duelie
p{er}formed And I give unto each of them for their paines therein one shillinge to buy each of them
a paire of gloves. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand & seale the saide
yere first above written.
Sealed subscribed published & declared by
the said Lawrence to be his last will in the
p{re}sence of Francis Wynton
the mark of Lawrence Buckn[er] [signed]
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Thomas Harrys
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Probatum fuit ... Laurentij Buckner def undecimo die
mensis Februarij Ano Dni ? ? millesimo sexcentesimo Tricesimo Sexto
coram...