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DEVON NAMES - COMMISSARY COURT OF LONDON 1374-1649 & 1661-1700

Extracted by Jean E. Harris from:

The Index Library, British Record Society, has many volumes of wills proved in various church courts and we must acknowledge and thank them for this long and tedious work of indexing these wills from their original sources. These Devon references recorded here have been extracted from the following Index Library volumes:

Vol 821374-1488 
Vol 861489-1570 
Vol 971571-1625 
Vol 102(1626-1649   )A -G
 (1661-1700) 
Vol 108          (1626-1649)H - S
 (1661-1700) 
Vol 111(1626-1649)T - Z
 (1661-1700) 
(Vol 111 has an Index of Places)

These wills were proved in the Commissary Court which should not be confused with another church court viz: the Consistory Court. To better understand these church courts named Consistory and Commissary I turned to Mark Heber's book Ancestral Trials and here is what he says (page 183):

"If a deceased's property was in more than one archdeaconry (but all in the same diocese) his will was proved in the Bishop's court (a Diocesan or Consistory Court). During some periods, an archdeacon might decide not to exercise his jurisdiction, so that all the wills would have to be proved in the bishop's court. There were also periods of inhibition, when a bishop was undertaking a visitation to an archdeaconry. During a visitation the arcdeacon's court would be closed and all legal busines was conducted in the bishop's court. A bishop's court was called a Commissary Court when it was exercising the jurisdiction that had not been exercised by an archdeacon."

VOL 82 (1374 - 1488)
 
BEAUFREREJncit(izen) & brewer   
 b. Malborough, Devon 1464   5359
 (All Hallows the Less) 
BURGYNGeoffreycit(izen) & vestment maker 
 b. Doddiscombleigh, Devon 14635341
 (All Hallows, Barking by the Tower of London) 
HOUGHTON (HOWTON)Emma 1380172
 Exeter, Devon 
 (St John Zachary) 
KELCOMMargt.wid. rel. of J. CORVYN14343395v
 Ashburton, Devon 
 (St Mary Aldermanbury) 
KNAPPRobtcitizen & cordw(ainer)14454163v
 legacy to Buckland, Devon - to be buried St Paul 
 (St Paul's Cathedral) 
POLTONJnprob only1405260v
 Plymouth 
 (St Andrew) 
 
VOL 86 (1489 - 1570)
 
BYSSHOPERdQueen's Yeo(manry); cook15561389v
 "Holbyton" "Bowdysthorne" in Buckland Brewer, Devon 
 Manor of Blisland, Cornw [Kensington, Mdx)  [1185v 94v]
DENHAMJncit(izen) & draper153210193v
 b.Lyston (sic Lyfton), Devon 
 (St Dunstan in the West) 
HILL or HYLLJane als Jhonedau of Giles H.156415217
 Stepney, Mdx; Exeter, Devon <O.W.>[12126]
LITTLE [LYTTYLL]Jn 153310218v
 N'hants; Lincs; legacy to Tynmouth (Teignmouth} Devon 
 (St James Garlickhithe) 
LOVLEY Tho.clothman 153910327
 Kerton (Crediton), Devon  [929v]
 (St Lawrence Jewry) 
STANDYNGFORDRdprob.1512381v
 Exeter dioc(ese) d. St Bot. Aldes. 
 (St Botolph, Aldersgate) 
 
VOL 97 (1571-1625)
 
BURGESRdboatswain [Stepney, Mdx]161422344v
 Tavistock, Devon. <O.W.>[16203]
 ship "Trades Increase " E(ast) I(indies) bound 
 (signed @ Poolperian?) 
COUMESEllismar(iner) [Stephney, Mdx]161322221
 ship "Hector" <O.W.>[16182v]
 bro's at Plymouth & Budleigh, Devon) 
DIER (?DYER)Hugh[Leyton, Essex]161322184
 b. Huntshaw nr Torrington, Devon <O.W.>[16173]
GUILLINGHAMJn[Stepney, Mdx]161422368
 ship "Trades Increase" at Poolenian <O.W.>[16212v]
 (late of Plymouth in attestation of attorney) 
HAYMANRobtmar.[Stepney, Mdx]161422278v
 ship "Hector" <O.W.>[16191v]
 bequests to person at "Penton: (?Paignton Devon) 
LAINETho.mar.[Stepney, Mdx]161322219
 ship "Hector" <O.W.>[16181v]
 (wf & family in Plymouth) 
PETTArthur[Stepney, Mdx]161021235v
 master of ship "Unitie" of London <O.W.>[16207]
 lying sick in ship "Blessing" of Plymouth in 
 St James Town, Virginia 
 admon. to rel; other exors renouncing 
ROWEJnmar. [Stepney, Mdx]161322232
 (ship probably "Thomas") <O.W.>[16180v]
 d. at sea 
 (bequest to poor of Sidmouth, Devon) 
SQ(U)OBLEPasquellmar. [London]161422377v
 ship "Trades Increase" <O.W.>[16215v]
 (bequest to Plymouth, Devon) 
SIMONSRobt. 161422316
 ship "Dragon" d. overseas <O.W.>[16198v]
 (bro.a schoolm(aster) in Exbridge, Mdx 
 f. in Barstable (Barnstable) Devon) (no exor named) 
TAILORRogermar. [Stephney, Mdx]161522494v
 Broadnedge (Bradninch) Devon <O.W.>[16237]
 
TOUCKERJn [Jun]mar(iner) [Stepney, Mdx]161422349v
 ship "Trades Increase" <O.W.>[16205v]
 (f. living in Brayton or Bastable, Devon 
 Braunton nr Barnstaple, Devon) 
WICKSRobt[Stepney, Mdx]160620193
 ship "Teager" of Pamouth <O.W.>[1631]
 (Plymouth) Devon 
 bound for South Seas(power res(erved)) 
YESNich.mar. [Stepney, Mdx]162324257
 Barnstaple, Devon  [17144v]
 
VOLs 102, 108 & 111 (1626-1649 & 1661-1700)
 
ATKINS als WHITBEARDMargtAdmon1642  
 d. Cullompton, Devon  [1975v]
BARTLETTJonathanmar bach.169042160v
 Plymouth, Devon <O.W.>[2644v]
 H.M.S. "Hampton Court" 
 sick at St Bart(holmew) Hosp(ital) 
 (Admon./Wdur(ing) abs(ence) of rel.) 
BATTENSampson, gentStepney, Mdx.168338326
 Plympton St Mary, Devon <O.W.>[24107v]
BEARETho.carp.(enter) Stepney, Mdx163326486
 Townstal by Dartmouth (Devon); <O.W.>[18195]
 ship "Charitie" (has 160 lbs tobacco due to him from 
 a planter & other goods "for myne owne adventure" 
BLACKBO(U)RNEThomazine, wid. 168338224
 Dawes la., North East Fulham, Middx <O.W.& cod.>[2477]
 (h.bo(rn) St Mary Savoy, Strand 
 she bo(rn) Barnstaple, Devon) 
BURDETho.mar.(iner)16262525v
 Plymouth, Devon d. overseas <O.W. dat 1619>[17262v]
 ship "Heart" bound for E(ast) I(ndies) 
 d. overseasadmon/W 
 [wrongly entered in Act Book as Walford] 
CLARKEWmmar. [Stepney, Mdx]167736130
 Sidmouth, Devon <O.W.>[2312]
 d. in Wapping 
 
COTTLEAgneswid. W. Smithfield16402896v
 St Sep(ter), Exeter <O.W.>[1925v]
DENN(E)YJncooper164429311
 Dartmouth, Devon <O.W.>[19147v]
 shop "Royal Mary:; d. overseas 
 in Bantam; (admon/W; exor decd.) 
EATONRdmar. Ratcliff [Stepney] Mdx169648246
 d. at Dartmouth (Devon) <O.W.>[2847v]
EDWARDJnWestbury, Wilts164429340v
 d. in Plympton, Devon <O.W. nun. cup.>[19152v]
FORDRd.mar. [ St Mary Mal.}164329172v
 Ilsington, Devon 
 d. overseas(admon/W; exor ren.)<O.W.>[19125]
 (St Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel) 
FOKEEliz.spin. [St Bot. Bpg.]166633115v
 Boothwood <O.W.>[2169v]
 Plympton, Devon 
 (St Botolph, Bishopsgate) 
FUBESTERJasmar. bach, Stepney, Mdx16972875v
 d. at Plymouth in ship "Endeavour"admon 
GUVHybach, Wapping, Mdx164619189
 d. in Plymouth, Devonadmon 
HEALEAnd.mar. Stepney, Mdx16302684v
 Plymouth, Devon d. overseas <O.W.>[18113]
HOGGJnmar.169648228
 Plymouth, Devon d. overseas <O.W.>[2842v]
 H.M.S. "Northumberland" 
HUNNEYVILLEdm.mar. bach, Shadwell, Mdx16613142
[HONEYWILL]Barnstaple, Devon 
 ship "Agreement" of L(on)d(o)n, bound for Barbados, power reserved <O.W.>[2044]
HUNTEliz. spin.Whitechapel, Mdx169345188
 Manor of Dunton, Essex; Dorking, Sufrr; 
 Sampford Courtney, Devon <O.W.>[2761]
JOHNSAnd.mar. Shadwell, Mdx.163827439v
 late of Revelstoke, Devon <O.W.>[18349v]
LUKEJnSt Paul, Shadwell, Mdx169026.39
 d. in Torbay  
 (Abigail LUKE rel. ren. admon dur. abs. of exor. 
 relict renounced administration during (absence) of executor) 
MARTINRogermar. Limehouse [Stepney] Mdx164429321
 (bequests to Westingmouth <O.W.>[19149v]
 & Eastingmouth, Devon) 
MOODYTho.St Sepulchre, Newgate admon16922736v
 d. in Exeter 
ROGERSJnWapping, Mdx169026397
 d. at Teignmouth Poarr (sic), Devon 
 (Eliz. ROGERS rel. ren. admon) 
 (relict renounced administration) 
SHAPLYWmStepney, Mdx16291877
 Torrington, Devon; Stephney, Mdx 
 d. overseasadmon 
SPEEDEJnmar. Wapping Wall, Mdx16302683
 late on voyage to E(ast) I(ndies) <O.W.>[18112v]
 (m. of Dartmouth, Devon)  
STEVENSHy., sen.St Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel168941495v
 St Mary the Moore, Exeter (?St Mary Major)  [2623v]
STRETCHLYHardingeSt D.W.166231163
 formerly of Culliton in Devon; Manors of Marlinge Pike Ash <Mortock>, Som;  [2067]
 Gabrells in Whitchurch, Dorset; Luscombe 
 Bowrings Leigh, Pyksmarsh, Dawin in Dartmouth; 
 Larkbeare [Exeter], Devon; Penzance, Cornw. 
TARRENich.gunner Whitechapel, Mdx162725146v
 Penton (Paignton), Devon; ship "Antony" <O.W.>[185]
 d. overseas 
TREVEHANHughmar. Limehouse [Stepney] Mdx164429282v
 Nazeing, Essex; interest in ships "Charles", <O.W.>[19141v]
 "Sun" & "Unity" all of L(on)d(o)n,  
 (bequest to Ratchliff, Mdx & Plymouth, Devon) 
YOWE [?YEO]Edwmar. Stepney, Mdx163126142v
 ship "Jonah" <O.W.>[18128]
 d. overseas 
 (m. of Kingskerswell, Devon) 
 
NOTE:
1.First number after the year is the register; second is the folio number. 
2.The church name in brackets is the London parish. 
3.Square brackets [ ] info is derived from the Probate and 
 Administration Act Books 
4.Angle brackets < > is derived from Original wills. 
5.h - husband; w - wife; wid. - widow; bro - brother; f - father; 
 m. - mother; spin - spinster; mar. - mariner; rel - relative 
 b - born; d - died; decd - deceased 
 exor - executor; nun. cup. - nuncupative.