FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
RICHARD AND MARGARET COK (COKE)
Richard Cok (Cooke) was born in about 1490 of Cleobury Mortimer. He
married Margaret.
Richard is found on the Tax Subsidy list for Cleobury in 1525, with
the value of his taxable assets:
Richard Coke iiii.Li on g. - ii.s
Richard was listed in a tax assessment in 1543:
Ricardo Coke xls iiiid
A footnote is found for this entry in Shopshire Taxes in the
Reign of Henry VIII: "Died in summer 1545; goods and money
due valued at £9 9s.0d.
Richard died in 1545 and left a will written 21 January 1544:
In the name of God Amen, the xxj day of Januariy in the yere of
owre Lorde God MCCCCCXLIIIJ, I Rychard Cok of Cleburie Mortymer in
the countie of Salop within ye diocis of Herford beying sek in
bodye & hole of mynde do make my last will & testamentt in
thys manner folowyng, furst, I bequeth my soule unto Allmyghty
God, owre blessyd Lady Sent Marie Virgyn & unto all the
blessyd company of hevyn and my bodie to be buryed within ye
churcheyarde of the seyd Cleberry Mortymer. Also I do geve &
bequeth all my oxen, kyne, corne & hay within the berne or
wythout beyng or growyng in ye fyldes or pastures & all manner
of howsehold stof, beddyng, raymentt & all other of my
moveabull goodes unto my wyff Margaret Cok
& unto my son Rychard Cok for the kepyng
of my seyd wyfe Marget Cok & mayntenance of my pore howse wold
& tenement & forthymore I wyll that the lengger levar of
my seyd wyfe Marget Cok and Rychard Cok shall have & injoy all
my seyd goodes moveabull above expressyd to them & theyres for
there labur & for there kepyng of me beyng so long byfor &
lackyng of my syght. Also I wyll yt they shall pay off my dettes
& bryng me to church to be onestly puryed as a pore man after
ye manner & costom of the contray. Also I do geve &
bequeth my son Thomas Cok my stone yt I was
usyd to grynde berk & also I do geve & bequeth my seyd son
Thomas Cok & my son Humfrey Cok a nacar
of corne to be equally devydyd betwene them at harvyst. Also I
wyll yt my sonelaw John Newall beyng wone of
my executores shall have for every day yt he takes peyne,
conferming my wyll for every days labur hys days wages & I do
constytute, orden & mak to be myne executores my seyd son
Rychard Cok & my sonelaw John Newhall to assyst, ayde, comfort
& concell my seyd son Rychard Cok & my pore wyfe
Margaret Cok wych do lack worldly wesdam & polece in ys world
to defende them in theyre rygth. Wytnes unto thys my last wyll -
Sir Wyllyam Brodocke, vicare off Clebere & my gostly fader
John Coke of Dudnyl, Roger Smyth alias Neyner & Thomas Kyng
with others.
Richard and Margaret had the following children:
1. Rychard
2. Thomas
3. Humfrey
*4. Elizabeth, born about 1520 of Cleobury Mortimer; married
John Newall.
SOURCE: Will of Richard Cok of Cleobury Mortimer, 1544; Shopshire
Taxes in the Reign of Henry VIII, by M.A. Faraday .