This is the transcribed will of William Buckner of Abbots Langley, Herts., 1607 (UK Public Record Office Catalogue Reference: Prob/11/110).
William Buckner of Abbots Langley is one 17th century Buckner I know very little about, despite a reasonable amount of identifying information in the will. I suspect he's related to the Berkshire Buckners. Leonard Buckner of London named a Jane Allen as a cousin in his will (1654). If this William is any of the Buckners I have otherwise documented, he's most likely to be the son of William and Dorothy Buckner of Pleasant's Farm in Cumnor, Berks. (d. 1558 and 1585 respectively). The younger sons of that family seem to have scattered as the estate was too small to provide for more than one of the four brothers (Richard, William, Thomas, and John) to remain on the family farm in Cumnor, and Richard was the one who inherited it. We do know from Dorothy's will that all four survived to adulthood and had children of their own, and this William of Abbots Langley seems to fit in terms of age and profession. By 1607, he seems to have only had one child surviving (Alice), though there were probably others who died young, and he was old enough that providing for his grandchildren seems to have been the priority. It's unclear to me why this will ended up in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury though.
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.
Date of will: 19 Jun 1607
Probate: 29 Jun 1607 in London
People named in the will:
In the name of God Amen the xixth day
of June in the yeare of our Lorde god 1607 I William Buckner of the parish of
Langley in the Countie of Hertford yeoman being of good and perfect rememberance but
sick in boide make and ordaine this my last will and Testament in manner and forme
followinge, That is to saie, Firste I commende my soule into the hands of god my
maker and Redeemer, And my body to be buried in the church-yarde of Abbotts
Langley Item I give unto Ellino{r} my wife All the housholdstuff apparell lynnen
and woollen that she had before I married her And I further will that the
saide Ellinor shall have the use of all my other houshouldstuff that was myne
before I married her, And to enjoy and occupie the same at her pleasure duringe
the tyme of her naturall life, Item I will that Katherine Allin my daughters
daughter shall have the best bed and all the furniture thereto belonginge after the
decease of my wief And that Lydda Allin my daughters daughter shall have after
the decease of my wife the cupboard, Item I give unto Ellinor my wife all the fire
woode felled for fire And all the loppes of all the trees growinge on the grounde I give
unto her to fell and use for her firewoode in due time and season duringe her naturall
life Item I give unto my saide wife all the washed wolle in a bagge And the Towe
and yarne in the house, And the best pigge And the best flitch of bacon and two
hennes, And I will that she shall keep two hennes in the house at her owne charge
during her life Item I give unto Ellino{r} my wief the half of the pightell of
peason [i.e. field of peas] from the longer end of the house upwarde nowe growinge on the grounde Item
I give to my saide wife all the wheate growinge in the furthermoste pightell And I give
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her haulf a quarter of oates to be paid her immediatly after harvest next to come And
I will that my saide wife shall have roome to lay her said corne before to her bequeath
ed in the barne untill she may conveniently thrash out the same, And my will is
That she shall leave the strawe of the saide corne to the use of Isaak Rolf Item I
give unto Ellino{r} my wife all the money that John Cogdell of the woodsyde within the
parish of noutf:[?] doth owe unto me by obligacon or otherwise, Item I give unto my
said wife three bushells of the wheate that is in the loft in the house, Item I give
unto all the children of John Allin my sonne in lawe which he had of my daughter
Ellin his wief exceptinge Thomas Allin his sonne) the somme of tenn poundes
a peece of lawfull English money to be paied them at their sevrall ages of xxj{?i}
yeres Item I give unto all the children of Izaacke Rolf my sonne in lawe which he
hath by Alice my daughter his wief the like somme of tenn poundes a peece to be
paied them at their seaverall ages of xxj{?i} yeres Item I ordaine and make John Allin
and Izaack Rolf my sonnes in lawe my full and whole Executors of this my testament
witnesses of this my testament Richard Dallinge Henry Dalling Alice Rolf the wife
of Richard Rolf Margaret Grover widdowe.
Probatum fuit suprascriptum testamentum apud London vicesimo nono die
mensis Junij Anno Domini millesimo sexcentesimo septimo coram venerabili viro
? Willimo Birde legum dcore[?] curie prerogative Cantuariense ? Custode
sive ... Juramento Johis Allen et Izaaci Rolf Execu
....
