John was buried on 19th September, 1670 and, as his Will is dated 16 September, 1670 and is in his own hand, he must have written it on his death-bed. It is a long document, on 4 sheets, each 12" X 16".

Like his father, John owned a considerable amount of land: the Great Close, an inclose of pasture called the Horse Close, tenements and lands in Sancroft (St. Cross, Southelmham), the inclose of pasture called Millclose with Millmount. (This property was left to him by Agnes, John's mother, to pay her debts and legacies; but John must have paid these by other means for he was able to retain ownership of the properties). He also had other property - house, buildings, lands, etc. not specified (likely including 'Butchers' - where likely he lived).

It is clear that John had great respect for Richard Sampson, the son of his sister, Sarah, as he made him his executor and also left him the bulk of his estate. Other properties were left to John's sisters, Sarah Sampson and Rebecca Burkenham, and to his nephew Henry Hutchenson, son of John's sister, Thomasin, deceased.

He also left property to Simon Hutchenson and to his servant, Ann Wilkenson. The Will contains very specific provisions for the well-being of Ann Wilkenson, until her death or marriage, and for cash legacies to all his living relatives. After the death or marriage of Ann Wilkenson, her half share of the Horse Close was to go to this Simon Hutchenson, who received the other half under the Will's terms. If Ann married, John's executor was to pay her 50 shillings a year for life.

On the deaths of Sarah Sampson and Rebecca Burkenham, the proceeds of the sales of the properties left to them were to be divided between John's nephews and nieces - Henry, Thomas and George Hutchenson, William and Sarah Sampson, and William, Sara, Rebecca and Thomas Burkenham.

The Will also states that if any persons be not satisfied with what has been left to them, that they then are to receive nothing.

From the point of view of my Family Tree, the most vital clause in the Will is that in which John gives 10 shillings to each of the 10 sons and daughters of his half-brothers, Nicholas and Simon Barber (sons of Simon Barber by his first wife) (i.e. Simon, Nicholas, James, William, Thomas, Francis, Robert, Ann, Rebecca and Elizabeth).

It is known from the Fressingfield Parish records that Simon, Nicholas and James were sons of Nicholas and Margaret Barber, but the other seven children could have been the issue of either Nicholas or Simon Barber. Notwithstanding, all ten certainly were the grandchildren of Simon Barber (1562 - 1637) and his first wife Anne (or Agnes, nee Aldous).

Baptisms cannot be found in the Parish records for the latter seven most probably because they were born during the inter-regnum period (from the late 1630's to ca 1660), when such records were either not kept or were destroyed.

It is, however, reasonably certain that the Robert Barber referred to in the Will of John Barber, is the Robert Barber in my line of descent. If one assumes that he was the youngest of the seven sons mentioned, his date of birth would have been about 1638, which would tie in with his marriage of 1663.

Very little has been found about the other 9 children of Nicholas and Simon Barber, except the dates of the baptism of Simon, Nicholas and James - and also that William Barber married Anne Edrich (Etheridge), that Francis Barber married Elizabeth (unknown) on 26 September, 1671, and that Rebecca Barber had a son out of wedlock, by John Watson. The child was christened 2 December, 1673.