A Man of Substance: The Will and Legacy of Sampson Crapp
This story is fourth story of my Hancock family line that lived in Cornwall until Samuel Hancock and Elizabeth (nee Menear) migrated to Australia in 1876- the story of the man whose legacy has echoed down through the centuries to reach us today.
Finding the Key to Unock the Past
Have you ever had one of those moments when a puzzle you've been turning over for years suddenly clicks into place? That was the feeling when I stumbled upon a discovery that would transform our understanding of the Hancock family tree.
For geneologists who were tracing this family, Grace Hancock's maiden name remained a mystery. She appeared in the records as Grace Hancock, wife of Thomas, and nothing more. But when I searched the online archives of Kresen Kernow—Cornwall's magnificent archive centre in Redruth—I found what I had been hoping for: a will and probate record for both Grace and Thomas Hancock.
I paid for the scans and waited for them to arrive in my inbox. When they finally appeared, I opened the files and descended on the first page.I realised the task before me might be more challenging than I had imagined. Reading 17th-century Cornish handwriting is not for the faint-hearted—the loops, the flourishes, the archaic and phoenetic spellings that seem to dance across the page.
I could not read Thomas's will, but fortunately, the scribe who wrote Grace's will had remarkably neat penmanship, so I tackled her's first. With the help of a couple of AI transcription tools, I began the painstaking process of deciphering each word, spelling it as it appeared, slowly making sense of the document as I got familiar with the handwriting.
Eventually, I had a list of potential names of the witnesses. In 17th-century wills, witnesses were almost always family members or close associates—people the testator trusted implicitly. I knew that if I could identify them, I would unlock Grace's family connections. I took the names I had uncovered and searched the Cornish parish records, building a theoretical family tree for Grace based on the connections I could trace. I believed that her father was either Sampson or Peter Crapp.
Then came the moment of truth. I searched Kresen Kernow for a will for Peter or Sampson Crapp. When I found there was one for Sampson Crapp, yeoman of St Austell with the same date of death of the Sampson I thought was Grace's father, I couldn't quite believe my good fortune. I requested the scan, waited again, and when it arrived, I held my breath as I opened the file.
And there it was—the proof I had been seeking. My hypothetical family tree with Sampson as her father was correct. The will of Sampson Crapp confirmed everything: his daughter Grace, his other children, and the family connections I had pieced together from scattered records. But that was only the beginning.
What I found in Sampson's probate inventory took my breath away. His assets revealed a man of extraordinary wealth and influence—a man whose life story was far more remarkable than I could have imagined. The discovery of his will did not just solve a genealogical mystery; it opened a window into a world of tin mining, land ownership, and financial acumen that would rewrite our understanding of this branch of the family.
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| The final clause and attestation section of Sampson’s will. |
"I give unto Jane Harris my servant maid one cow, if she do live and continue with me until my death."
Sampson Crapp's Will and Probate of 1676
On a spring day in April 1676, in the parish of St Austell, Cornwall, a wealthy yeoman named Sampson Crapp lay on his deathbed. He could not write his name—when the time came to sign his will, he made only a simple mark. Yet behind that mark lay a life of extraordinary achievement. Sampson Crapp had built a fortune from tin, land, and the trust of his neighbours. He had raised a family that would prosper for generations and accumulated wealth on a scale that placed him among the most substantial men in his parish.
His will, proved in 1676, reveals a man of quiet generosity and careful provision. His probate inventory, a remarkable document listing every item he owned, paints a portrait of a household that was comfortable, well-equipped, and deeply connected to the rhythms of Cornish life. But the inventory also reveals something more: a man who was not merely a farmer or a tinner, but a financier, a lender, and a pillar of his community.
Sampson Crapp's story is one of quiet endurance and remarkable success. It is also the story of a family's foundation—a legacy that would pass through his daughter Grace to the Hancocks, and eventually, across oceans and centuries, to us.
This is the story of a man of substance.
A World Forged by Tin and Turmoil
Sampson Crapp was born around 1628, at a time when Cornwall was still reeling from the upheavals of the English Civil War. Cornwall had been a fiercely Royalist stronghold, and the conflict left deep scars on the county's social and economic fabric.
The defining event of Sampson's mature life was the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. When Charles II returned to the throne, he moved swiftly to undo the work of the Commonwealth regime. Among his earliest actions was the restoration of the Stannaries—the ancient legal system that governed Cornwall's tin industry. The Stannaries were a source of considerable funds for the national exchequer, a fact probably not unconnected with their speedy reinstatement.
For working tinners like Sampson, the Restoration was a double-edged sword. During the 1650s, under the Commonwealth, the Stannaries had been abolished and the tin industry had boomed, with both production and prices increasing. The return of the Stannaries meant the return of regulation, taxation, and the authority of the Lord Warden. On 22 June 1660, less than a month after the King's return, John Grenville—son of the "Cornish hero" Sir Bevil Grenville—was made Lord Warden of the Stannaries, a lucrative sinecure worth about £3,000 per year. The Restoration may have been good for the Crown and its supporters, but for the working tinner, it meant the end of a brief period of unregulated prosperity.
Yet Sampson thrived. His probate inventory, with its total value of £268, reveals a man who had navigated these political and economic currents with considerable skill.
The Tinner's Craft: Ancient Skills in a Changing World
Sampson's occupation as a tinner placed him at the heart of one of Cornwall's oldest and most distinctive industries. The mining customs and practices of Cornwall, as one historian noted, "antedate, in many cases, all printed records". The methods Sampson would have used were essentially those of the Middle Ages, passed down through generations.
But Sampson's lifetime also saw significant technological change. By the late Stuart period, tin mining had become easier than it had ever been. A crucial innovation was the use of gunpowder with quill fuses, which revolutionised the industry by allowing the equivalent of six days of pick work in hard granite to be cleared with a single blast. Sampson may have witnessed—or even used—this new technology in his later years.
His inventory also reveals the scale of his mining operations. He owned a "horse stamp in mill with apparatus", valued at over £6—a horse-powered mill used for crushing tin ore. And he had "five foot of black tin" valued at £18. "Black tin" was the un-smelted ore concentrate, the raw material of the tinner's trade. Five foot was a substantial quantity, representing weeks or even months of labour.
Sampson was not merely a labourer. He was a "privileged tinner" who came within the jurisdiction of the Stannaries. This status brought certain rights and protections: he could only sue and be sued in Stannary Courts, and warrants from non-Stannary courts were not valid against him. The Stannaries also extended over the whole of Cornwall, giving tinners a unique legal status that set them apart from other workers.
The Yeoman's Life: Land, Livestock, and Legacy
Sampson was described in his probate records as a yeoman—a term that in 17th-century Cornwall denoted not a labourer but a man of independent means. Yeomen were the backbone of rural society: they owned or leased land, employed labourers, and held positions of trust in their communities. A yeoman would typically farm a holding of perhaps 80-100 acres, employing agricultural labourers while also working the land himself.
Sampson's inventory reveals the full extent of his agricultural wealth:
- Five cows and three calves (£13) — a substantial dairy herd, providing milk, butter, and cheese
- Two young bullocks (£2) — raised for beef or as working oxen
- Two horses (one a colt) (£4) — essential for transport, ploughing, and carrying goods
- Four pigs (13s 4d) — vital for self-sufficiency, providing meat, lard, and bristles
- A foal (2s) — a young horse, valued modestly until it could be broken and trained
- Three pack saddles (5s) — used for carrying heavy loads, such as sacks of tin ore
This was not a subsistence farm. It was a productive enterprise, generating surplus for sale or trade. The diversity of livestock—cattle, horses, pigs—reflects a classic Cornish yeoman's strategy of economic diversification, spreading risk across multiple income streams. In a region where tin prices and harvests could fluctuate unpredictably, this was a wise and prudent approach.
Sampson's household goods further confirm his comfortable status. He owned eleven pewter dishes, four flaggons, and five porringers (£1 10s)—a substantial collection of tableware for a household that entertained guests. He had five brass pans, brass candlesticks, and a posnet (£5), along with three brass crocks (£3). Brass was expensive and durable; owning such a quantity marked him as a man of means. And he possessed a feather bed and two furnished beds (£3)—a feather bed was one of the most valuable items in any 17th-century home, a large mattress stuffed with goose or duck feathers offering warmth and comfort unknown to poorer households.
The Twilight of Cornish Identity
Sampson Crapp lived at a fascinating cultural crossroads, when Cornwall's unique identity was gradually being absorbed into that of England. The 17th century witnessed a steep decline in the Cornish language. By 1700, only about 5,000 people could still speak it fluently, and it was largely confined to the far west of the county.
Sampson and his family were likely among the last generation for whom Cornish was a living language—a mother tongue spoken in the home and among neighbours. The imposition of English on church services, following the Act of Uniformity, accelerated the decline. By 1678, Sir Francis North was already regretting the decay of Cornish.
Yet Cornwall's geographical isolation—the River Tamar formed a natural boundary with England—meant that the county remained culturally distinct. The Stannary system, with its own courts, laws, and even Parliament, gave Cornwall a legal identity separate from the rest of England. Sampson would have grown up in a world where Cornwall felt like a separate country—a sense that was slowly fading during his lifetime.
The Will of Sampson Crapp
Sampson's will, proved in 1676, carefully distributed his substantial wealth among his family:
- To the first Church of St Austell: four shillings
- To the poor of the said parish: four shillings
- To his daughter Grace Hancock: five pounds
- To his daughter Jane Rabins: five pounds
- To his grandchildren, Thomas Pearse and Thamson Pearse (a correction crossed out "Hancock"): five pounds
- To his son Peter Crapp and his grandson Sampson Crapp: all his goods and chattels not otherwise bequeathed, and appointed them as executors
- To his servant maid Jane Harris: one cow, on condition that she "do live and continue with me until my death"
The bequest to Jane Harris is particularly revealing. In an era when servants were often invisible in legal records, Sampson's will acknowledges her loyalty and provides for her future—but only if she remains in his service until the end. It was a practical arrangement that ensured he would be cared for in his final days, and it speaks to a relationship of trust and mutual benefit.
Sampson signed the will with his mark, a simple cross. The witnesses were Jane Harris (who also made her mark), Humphry Cundy (who signed with a flowing, confident signature, indicating he was the scribe who wrote the will), and John Rosbearo.
The Probate Inventory: A Man of Extraordinary Wealth
The probate inventory, taken after Sampson's death on 11 April 1676, provides a remarkable snapshot of his household, his livestock, and his financial affairs. The total value of his estate was an astonishing £268 1s 4d—a fortune that placed him among the wealthiest men in St Austell.
Below is the complete inventory, reconstructed from the original document:
| Item | Value (£ : s : d) | Historical Context & Family Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Purse, girdle, and wearing apparel | 5:00:00 | Sampson's personal clothing and accessories. The £5 valuation suggests quality garments befitting a wealthy yeoman. |
| Eleven pewter dishes, four flaggons, and five porringers | 1:10:00 | A substantial collection of pewter tableware. Pewter was a valuable tin-lead alloy, and this quantity indicates a household equipped to serve family and guests. Porringers were shallow bowls for porridge, broth or stew. |
| Five brass pans, brass candlesticks, and one posnet | 5:00:00 | Brass cookware was expensive and durable. A posnet was a long-handled cooking pot with three short legs, used over an open fire. |
| Three brass crocks | 3:00:00 | Large brass cooking vessels, essential for preparing food for a substantial household. |
| One feather bed and two furnished beds | 3:00:00 | A feather bed was one of the most valuable items in a 17th-century home—a large mattress stuffed with goose or duck feathers, offering warmth and comfort. |
| Two table boards, one cupboard, and two forms | 0:10:00 | Table boards were removable oak tops placed on trestles. Forms were long benches without backs. This was the standard dining setup of the period. |
| Little barrels and other timber stuff | 0:05:00 | Barrels for storing ale, cider, butter, or salted meat, along with spare timber for repairs and firewood. |
| Pair of hand irons and one spit | 0:03:04 | Fireside tools: a poker or tongs, and a roasting spit for cooking meat over the hearth. |
| Five cows and three calves | 13:00:00 | A substantial dairy herd, providing milk, butter, and cheese, as well as breeding stock. |
| Two young bullocks | 2:00:00 | Young male cattle, raised for beef or as working oxen. |
| Two horses (one a colt) | 4:00:00 | Horses were essential for transport, ploughing, and carrying goods. A colt was a young, unbroken horse. |
| Four pigs | 0:13:04 | Pigs were vital for self-sufficiency, providing meat, lard, and bristles for brushes. |
| Three pack saddles | 0:05:00 | Used for carrying heavy loads, such as sacks of tin ore, on the horses' backs. |
| A foal | 0:02:00 | A very young horse, valued modestly until it could be broken and trained. |
| One horse stamp in mill with apparatus | 6:06:08 | A horse-powered mill used for crushing tin ore (a "stamping mill"). This was essential equipment for a tinner of Sampson's standing. |
| Five foot of black tin | 18:00:00 | "Black tin" was un-smelted tin ore concentrate[reference:32]. Five "foot" (a measure of quantity) valued at £18 represents a substantial amount of ore ready for sale or smelting. |
| Cart/wagon and harness equipment | 2:00:00 | A cart or wagon for transporting goods, along with the necessary harness and tackle. |
| Good debts upon books and specialties | 103:03:00 | Loans recorded in account books or backed by formal written bonds. These were recoverable debts—Sampson's performing assets. |
| More bad desperate debts | 100:01:00 | Debts that were considered unlikely to be recovered—borrowers who had died, fled, or become bankrupt. Nevertheless, they were legally required to be listed as part of the estate. |
| Things forgotten and unappraised | 0:05:00 | A standard catch-all for small items overlooked during the appraisal. |
| TOTAL VALUE | 268:01:04 | An extraordinary fortune for a 17th-century yeoman, reflecting a lifetime of industry, trade, and financial acumen. |
This inventory reveals a man of remarkable wealth and diversity. Sampson Crapp was not merely a farmer or a tinner—he was both, and he was also a financier. The largest portion of his estate was in the form of debts: £103 in good debts, backed by written bonds, and a further £100 in "desperate" debts that were unlikely to be recovered. This indicates that Sampson was actively lending money in his community, a role that required significant capital and the trust of his neighbours.
The presence of the horse-powered stamping mill and the five foot of black tin confirms his active involvement in the tin trade. The livestock—cows, calves, bullocks, horses, pigs, and a foal—reflects a substantial agricultural operation. And the household goods—the feather beds, the brass cookware, the pewter tableware—speak to a comfortable and well-appointed home.
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| Partial list of his estate’s assets |
The Witnesses: A Community of Trust
The probate inventory was witnessed by three men, each of whom played a role in confirming the accuracy of the appraisal:
William Vivian — made his mark
Joseph Horky — signed his name
John Rosbearo — signed his name
These men were not random neighbours. In 17th-century Cornwall, probate responsibilities were entrusted to trusted members of the community—often relatives or close associates. Their presence on Sampson's inventory confirms his standing and the network of trust that surrounded him.
The will itself was witnessed by Jane Harris (who made her mark), Humphry Cundy (who signed with a flowing hand, indicating he was the scribe), and John Rosbearo. The contrast between Sampson's mark and Cundy's signature illustrates the social and legal norms of the time: a mark was a legally valid signature for those who could not write, but the presence of a literate scribe ensured the document's accuracy and credibility.
Humphry Cundy, the scribe who wrote Sampson's will, is a figure of particular interest. A record exists of a Humphry Deacon marrying Michel Clements on 24 June 1682 in St Austell. Given that Sampson's granddaughter, Prudence Clements, would later marry Robert Hancock (Grace's son), it is highly likely that the Cundy and Clements families were connected through marriage or kinship.
This is a connection I intend to investigate further. If you have any information about the Cundy or Clements families of St Austell, I would welcome your insights.
Sampson Crapp's Legacy
Sampson Crapp died in April 1676, leaving behind an estate of extraordinary value and a family well-provided for. His daughter Grace, who would die three years later, inherited £5—a sum that, combined with her husband Thomas's legacy, would help secure the future of the Hancock family. His son Peter and grandson Sampson were appointed executors, inheriting the bulk of his goods and chattels, ensuring the continuity of the Crapp name and fortune.
His servant Jane Harris received a cow—a practical bequest that would have provided her with milk, butter, and the means to breed calves, offering her a path to independence. It was a thoughtful gift, conditional on her loyalty, and it speaks to Sampson's character as a man who valued those who served him faithfully.
Sampson Crapp's life was one of quiet achievement. He built a fortune through a combination of tin mining, farming, and lending. He raised a family that would prosper for generations. He left behind a will that cared for his children, his grandchildren, and even his servant. His estate secured his place not only in the records of St Austell but in the story of his descendants—a story that would eventually cross oceans and centuries to reach us today.
Through his daughter Grace, Sampson Crapp's legacy passed to the Hancocks. Through his son Peter, it continued in the Crapp name. And through his careful stewardship of wealth and community, he ensured that his family would not merely survive but thrive.
Sources, Notes, & Further Reading
Will and probate inventory of Sampson Crapp (1676) — Kresen Kernow records AP/C/1720;Will and probate inventory of Grace Hancock (1679) — Kresen Kernow records AP/H/1952;
Will and probate inventory of Thomas Hancock (1671) — Kresen Kernow records AP/H/1708;
Cornwall parish registers (St Austell);
Duchy of Cornwall lease records and legislation (1672, 1700);
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 7th Edition — entry on Cornwall, Duchy leases, and land tenure;
WikiTree entries for Peter Crapp and Grace Hancock;
FreeREG — Holy Trinity, St Austell parish registers;
Victoria County History: Cornwall (1906) — tin mining methods and coinage towns;
Penwith Local History Group — John Grenville and the Restoration of the Stannaries;
University of British Columbia — Course materials on 17th-century Cornwall.
My ancestry family tree for genealogical sources is also available to view:
https://www.ancestry.com.au/invite-ui/accept?token=2NQi6YrG-SmftSXLJLZQV1w-gTbxWAqNrkWQa0xBCuM=
The next story will relate to the hancock generation after Thomas and Grace.
