I have an oldish ( 1820's ) copy will of the abovenamed presumably extracted by the Executors during the course of their administration of the estate or perhaps by one of the beneficiaries. Who knows. In any event, although the document is badly water-damaged I have been able to decipher bits of it and perhaps these may be of some interest to list members. 1. The will is that of John COOPER of ? in Wilts., Yeoman? 2. There is reference to property in Hillsley ( Parish of Hawkesbury ), Parish of Kingswood ( Wilts.), Hawkesbury, Parish of Wickwar, Parish of Gate ( all of course in Glos.). 3. The Executors are his nephews Joseph DAVIS of Hawkesbury and John COOPER ( son of "my brother Thomas COOPER", cooper, of Castle Combe, Wilts. ). 4. Beneficiaries include Giles THOMPSON ( a nephew? ) his wife Mary and their children; Mary BALL ( a neice ), her husband and their children; Martha LEWIS ( neice ), her husband and their children; Thomas THOMPSON ( nephew ), his wife Betty and their children; Thomas, John, Hannah and Ann DAVIS ( the children of "my late sister Hannah DAVIS" ); Joseph, Isaac, Edward, Thomas, James, Mary and Elizabeth COOPER ( the children of "my brother Thomas COOPER" ); Joseph, Thomas, John, James, William, Mary, Harriet and Ann COOPER ( the children of "my brother Joseph COOPER" ); Mary ALLWAY ( sister ); Mariah WEBB of Charfield ( Glos.); Elizabeth PULLIN ( housekeeper ). 5. The witnesses to the will were William WICKHAM, Richard BRACEY and ? BRACEY. 6. The will is dated 28 September 18?? 7. I think the following were tenants of the testator: John RICHINGS, William FORD, John ?, Jeremiah ? and ? FLETCHER ( all I think in the Parishes of Wickwar and Gate. There may well be errors in the above as I'm typing this as I read. Certainly a more legible copy would yield further particulars. I've had the document for years but it was only after looking at it once more following receipt of some very helpful information from Geoff Brightman and Rob Lawrence that things started to fall into place. I had thought the COOPERS confined to Glos. but there would seem to be a trail to Wilts. Regards to all, Roderick Cooper