George WELLER of Southwick, Sussex

[Richard Weller]

I have obtained and transcribed the will of George WELLER of
Southwick, Sussex, written in 1610. I hoped that it would contain
information about Agnes the wife of Richard WELLER of Frant - see A
Tale of Two Richards - and who was widow of John THOMAS of Southwick.
It doesn't.

George was a man of very considerable wealth and property but
unusually his occupation is not mentioned in the will. Nor is he
described as 'Gentleman' or 'Esquire.' Brad suggests it might be
because his wealth was ill-gotten, probably by smuggling, bearing in
mind that Southwick is on the coast. Another possibility is that he
had married a wealthy woman. I have not yet found who she was but her
children are mentioned.

The following details may interest other members, and as I have not
yet researched George I would welcome anything anyone else has
discovered about him. The will mentions:
Property in the Counties of Sussex and Surrey.
Bequests to the poor of the parishes of Poynings, Wickley, Nenfield,
Westmeston and Southweeke [Southwick.] I have not discovered a
village called Wickley or similar name, although there is a hamlet of
Wickley in Kent. Nenfield also presents a problem. There is Henfield
a few miles north of Southwick, but the initial letter used in the
will is not like the Hs for Harry HALL, also mentioned. It could be
Ninfield, which is about 27 miles to the east.

Names mentioned are Henry BARKER son of Robert BARKER.
The two sisters of John HARTE.
[blank] WELLER son of Gregory WELLER.
John WELLER and Richard WELLER the sons of Richard WELLER.
Elizabeth BRAY daughter of John BRAY.
Jane BRAY daughter of Thomas BRAY.
Timothie DAWES or DAVEE [DAVEY] my wife her sister's daughter [sic.]
Mary SLUTTER [?], Goddaughter.
Elizabeth SCRACE my first wife's daughter.
George and Edward SCRACE the sons of William SCRACE of Poynings.
Widow EASTWARD of Brightelmstone [now called Brighton.]
Mary BRAY the daughter of Thomas BRAY of Chichester.
Elizabeth, Jane and Mary WELLER the daughters of my son Richard
WELLER.
Joan my wife.
'My loving brother' Thomas ELFICKE.
My loving cousin Thomas ELFICKE the younger.
My daughter HALL and my son Henry HALL and their children.
Abraham EDWARDES of Portslade.
John PORRETT of Nenfield.
Witnesses: Cornelius TINLEY, Henry HALL, Richard BUTCHER, Francis
BISHOPPE.

I have had a quick look for these people on the IGI website
FamilySearch. The only Gregory WELLER in the appropriate time frame
was baptised at Ninfield in 1552, which supports the interpretation of
the 'Nenfield' mentioned in the will. A Gregory WELLER married Jone
CHATFIELD in Framfield near Uckfield in1585.

Note, terms like brother/sister and son/daughter also referred to what
we would now call brother/sister-in-law and son/daughter-in-law or
stepson/daughter.

Can anyone help?
Thanks, Richard