Click the arrow to go up a level to the Cullen Will Transcriptions.

Follow the above link to the directory for the will transcriptions or click the graphic below to visit the Homepage.

Will of Susanna Cullin Widow of Upton 1652 Warren McKay, Jim Cullen

---

Warren McKay of New Zealand, a descendant of the Cullens of Maungaturoto, has located the will of Susanna Cullin, widow of Upton, Nottinghamshire, in the UK Public Records Office. The will was proved 29Sep1653. Susanna's will was dated 18Dec1652 and she was buried in Upton on 19Dec1652. Susanna (Susan Saman) was the wife of Thomas Cullen, Yeoman of Upton (c1573-1628). They were married in November of 1611 in Upton. This document is particularly useful as it provides the documentation needed to sort out the first few generations of Cullens known to have lived in Upton. The transcription of the will provides some new family details which lend support to the idea that Thomas Cullen , son of Richard Cullen ( who died 1579/80 in Upton ), and Thomas Cullen, grandson of Richard, are actually one and the same. We'll first compile a list of the sons of Thomas & Susanna Cullen from their respective wills; Thomas in 1628 and Susanna in 1652:

Thomas Cullen - 1628	Susanna Cullin - 1652
Sara - £20 - ch04Oct1612 John - 40/- ch10Apr1615 William - £20 - ch30Mar1617 Thomas - inherited farm - ch06Mar1618 Richard - £5 - ch03Feb1621 George - £10 - ch09Jun1625	John - oldest son Thomas - son Richard - son George - no relationship stated Jervas - son ( all the above received two shillings ) William - son, executor, received what was left of her possessions

Note that the first-born, Sara, is mentioned in Thomas' will but not in Susanna's. The reason may be that the Sara Cullen, spinster, buried in Upton 13Jun1647, was the 35 year old daughter of Thomas & Susanna. Gervase, son of Thomas & Susanna, is not mentioned in his father's will; he was barely four months old at the time. Margaret is not mentioned and would not be born for another eight months. She had just been conceived when her father Thomas died. Compare these lists to the known sons of both Thomas Cullen ( son of Richard ), and Thomas Cullen (grandson of Richard ), with baptismal dates, compiled from Parish records, Thomas Cullen's will of 1628, and other sources:

Sarah Cullen - 04Oct1612 John Cullen - 10Apr1615 Thomas Cullen - 06Mar1618 Richard Cullen - 03Feb1621 George Cullen - 09Jun1625 Gervase Cullen - 02Apr1628 William Cullen - 30Mar1617

Note that William has been pulled out of order and placed at the end of this list since William Cullen is listed last due to holding the special honor of being Executor of his mother's will. We can draw further family information on these sons by noting the details concerning the daughters of the sons of Susanna Cullin mentioned in the will:

Katherine Cullin daughter to William Cullin my sonne Elizabeth Cullin daughter to John Cullin my sonne Sarah Cullin daughter to Richard Cullin Susanna Cullin daughter to Thomas Cullin my sonne Susanna Cullin daughter to Jervas Cullin my sonne

What this new information confirms is that Thomas Cullen ( d05Aug1628 ) is the father of the sons listed for both generations. The year of birth for this Thomas ( abt1573 ) is assumed by estimating his age at the time of his marriage to Agnes. There is however still the possibility of two generations of Thomas Cullens. Thomas Cullen, son of Richard (d1579/80), married Agnes Kitchen on 17Nov1593. He was married to her for about eighteen years before she died on 06Aug1611. There are no known recorded children at all during these eighteen years. It is then presumed that this same Thomas Cullen remarried to Susan Saman a few months later on 19Nov1611. Both marriages taken together cover a span of about 35 years; about 18 years of marriage to Agnes Kitchen and about another 17 years of marriage to Susan Saman.

Other family details clarified by the will of Susanna Cullin:

• "Katherine Cullin daughter to William Cullin my sonne": This would be the Katheren Cullen, baptised in Upton on 22Jun1649, to parents William & Katheren Cullen. William & Katheren are a bit of a mystery. There is no known marriage but there is a string of children listed from before 1645 to May of 1655 in the Upton registers. Katheren, wife of William Cullen, died and was buried in Upton on 27May1655. William probably followed in 1665 as William Cullen, Wheelright of Upton, buried that year. I have also been reminded that there is another possibile marriage for this William; to Mary Ward in Rolleston 27Aug1635.
• "Elizabeth Cullin daughter to John Cullin my sonne": This seems to confirm that this is the John Cullen who married Francis Wilson in North Muskham about 26Aug1641. Their children all seem to have been baptised in Upton. Among them is a daughter Elizabeth baptised in Upton on 18Oct1645. John died in 1681 and Frances his wife in 1700.
• "Sarah Cullin daughter to Richard Cullin": Finally we have shed some light on the identity of Richard Cullen, son of Thomas. There is a daughter of Richard & Jane (Wilson) Cullen, Sara Cullen, baptised in Upton on 10Nov1650. Sara would have been just two years old at the time of the will. Parents Richard & Jane were married on 26Dec1649 at Upton.
• "Susanna Cullin daughter to Thomas Cullin my sonne": This grand-daughter is an unknown but is new information that will certainly be useful when the family is identified.
• "Susanna Cullin daughter to Jervas Cullin my sonne": Here we have a confirmation on the identity of Gervase, son of Thomas. There is a daughter of Gervase Cullen, Susanna Cullen, baptised in Upton on 05Mar1649, to parents Gervase Cullen and Katherine Robinson. Daughter Susanna would have been three years old at the time of the will.

The below transcription and image of the will of Susanna Cullin is also included here as an example of a handwritten will from mid 17'th century England.

Will of Susanna Cullin, widow of Upton, Nottinghamshire (proved 29 Sep 1653) In the name of God Amen I Susanna Cullin of Upton near Southwell in the county of Nottingham widdow do make and ordaine this my last will and testament in form and manner following First I commit my soul to God from whom it came and my body to be decently and orderly buried in the Churchyard of the parish Church of Upton aforesayd First I give unto John Cullin my oldest sonne two shillings for a full satisfaction for his part or portion Item I give unto Thomas Cullin two shillings for a full satisfaction for his part or portion Item I give unto Richard Cullin my sonne two shillings for a full satisfaction for his part or portion Item I give unto George Cullin two shillings for a full satisfaction for his part or portion Item I give to Jervas Cullin my sonne two shillings for a full satisfaction for his part or portion Item I give unto Katherine Cullin daughter to William Cullin my sonne one pillowscase? Item I give to Elizabeth Cullin daughter to John Cullin my sonne one pillowscase? Item I give unto Sarah Cullin daughter to Richard Cullin one Towell Item I give unto Susanna Cullin daughter to Thomas Cullin my sonne one Towell Item I give unto Susanna Cullin daughter to Jervas Cullin my sonne Shiffe? Curtains for a bedd All the rest of my goods I give and bequeath unto William Cullin my sonne whom I make full and sole Executor of this my last will and testament to see my debts dischargded my body decently interred in the Churchyard of the parish Church of Upton aforesayd In witness whereof I have sett my hand or mark to this my last will and testament the eighteenth day of December in the year of our Lord God One Thousand Six hundred fifty and two Susanna Cullin her mark Witnesses George Eliot Robert Eliot his mark This will was proved at Westminster the nine and twentieth day of September in the year of our Lord God One Thousand Six hundred fifty and three before the judges for probate of wills and graunting Administrations, appointed by an Act of Parliament entitled an Act for probate of wills and graunting Administrations, by the oath of William Cullin the natural and lawful sonne of the sayd deceased and sole Executor in the sayd will named to whom was comitted the Administration of all and singular the goods chattells and debts of the sayd deceased he being first sworn by Comission truly to Administer the same according to Law

---

This is a just a portion of the image of Susanna Cullen's will from 1652 and is an excellent quality reproduction of what mid 17'th century English wills looked like. The reference is The Prerogative Court of Canterbury: PROB 11/226/718. Written December 18, 1652 and proved September 29, 1653. This particular will was obtained from The UK National Archives and the image here is simply a screenshot from the PDF that contained the image - with no image processing applied. With a better image capture and a little fiddling, I'd imagine Susanna's will would be suitable for framing if you so desired. If you'd like to see Susanna's will yourself, the link within The National Archive's website is right here.

---

Click here or use back button to go to the Cullen Will Transcriptions