He was baptised at Buxhall on the 8th December, 1624, and was presented to the Rectory of Buxhall by his mother in 1662, being then in his 38th year. His name appears in a list of "foote arms" charged in the several towns within the hundreds of Bosmer Claydon and Stow, under the command of Captain Anthony Gandy, Esq., 1676."[1] He died in 1684, and was buried on the 4th March in the chancel of the Church of Buxhall, where on a flat stone is an inscription to his memory, now and for many years past illegible, but which was as follows:-
Memoriæ Sacrum
Gulielmi Copinger
stirpe antiqua et honesta nati
Literarum humaniorum Artiumq. Mri
Rem theologicam apprime callentis
Omni modoq. virtute
Humanâ sociali divinâ
eximie imbuti
Qui huic ecclesiæ annos circiter XXXVI.
prœfuit Rector
Officio, beneficio, consilio, exemploq. optimo
nec Reverendus
Inde cum santissimum illud Manus [sic]
Summa cum laude decorassit
Maturus cœlo, et amatus omnibus
Tranquille, ut vixit, obiit.
Cal. Martiis MDCLXXXIV.
Anno Œtat. suœ LXI.
Hoc monumentum Filii superstites
Gulielmus et Gregorius
Pietatis ergo posuere.
The arms on the tomb are Copinger, impaling Wood, a lion rampant.
The following is a copy of his Will:-
Will of William Copinger, 1687.
In the name of God. Amen. I, William Coppinger of Buxhall, in the city of Suffolk, Clerk, being sicke in body, but God be praised of perfect minde and memory, revoking all wills by me heretofore made, doe make and ordaine this my last Will and testament in manner and forme following. And ffirst I give and bequeath unto Thomas Copinger my eldest sonne and his heires all that messuage or tenemente situate, lying, and being in Ratelsden in the said county, now in the tenure or occupation of Thos. Davy, his assignee or assignees, together with all and singular the lands, tenements, and hereditaments, both freehold and copyhold, to the said messuage or tenement belonging or in anywise appertaining or thereto or therewith now or heretofore used, occupyed, or enjoyed as the same premises are situate, lying, and being in Ratelsden and Buxhall aforesaid. Provided allways and upon this condition notwithstanding that in case Mary, my loveing wife (who has lately suffered a ffyne of soe much of the premesis as are freehold to the intent that the use thereof shall be to the said Thomas my sonne and his heires) shall convey and assure the same premises unto him and his heires accordingly, and shall in due forme of law surrender soe much of the premisses as are coppyhold to the use of him the said Thos. my sonne and his heires, whereupon he the said Thos. my sone may be thereupon admitted accordingly, then I give and bequeath unto the said Mary my wife the sume of one hundred pounds of lawfull English money, to be paid unto her or her assignes upon makeing such assurance aforesaid of the ffreehold premises and surrendering and assuring the said coppyhold premises with the appurtenances unto him and his heirs, and in case the said Thos. my sone, his heires or assignes, shall refuse or neglect to pay the same according to the true intent and meaning of this my will, then and in such case it shall and may be lawfull to and for the said Mary my wife, her heires and assignes, to enter into all and singular the premises aforesaid, and the same both ffreehold and Coppyhold to have, hold, occupy, possess, and enjoy without giveing any accompt of the rents and profitts thereof untill the said one hundred pounds shall be full satisfied and paid according to the true intent and meaning of this my last Will and testament. Item, I give and bequeath unto the said Mary my wife and her heires and assignes for ever, all that my messuage or tenement coppyhold and hariotable holden of the mannor of Buxhall and ffour acres of land by estimation thereunto belonging or appertaining, now in the tenure or occupation of Elizabeth Sowgate, widow Mary Copinger, and Gregory Copinger my son, their assignee or assignees, scituate, lying, and being in Buxhall aforesaid. Item, I give and bequeath unto William Copinger my second sonne all my library to hold to him, his executors and assignes. Item, whereas I have in my hands in trust for the use of my poore kinsman Henry Copinger of Stowmarket the sume of eight pounds, and for the use of Mary the wife of Richard Darsey of Buxhall and her children, the sume of sixteen pounds, the which sumes my will and minde is shall be paid by my executrix hereinafter named. And I give and bequeath unto the said Mary my wife, all and singular my goods, chattels, and personall estate whatsoever, she paying my debts. And I doe nominate and appointe the said Mary my loveing wife sole executrix of this my will. In witness that this is my will and testament contained in a whole sheete of paper, and three lines whereto the said sheet is annexed I have hereto put my hand and seale and to the said whole sheete onely subscribed my name and have published and declared the same to be my last Will and Testament, the eight and twentieth day of August in the six and thirtieth yeare of our Soveraigne Lord, Charles the second, King of England, Scotland, ffrance, and Ireland, Defender of the ffaith, Anno Dm. 1684. WILLIAM COPINGER.
Signed, sealed, published, and declared
in the presence of us, Penelopy
Browne, the marke of Anne Layton
John Corksedge, Richard Browne.
Proved 3rd August, 1687, by Mary Copinger, wid.
[1] Davy MSS., B. M., Add. 19077, Stow Hundred.
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