James Hacom is a 6 x great grandfather of me.

Not the most interesting will, James’ decision to leave everything to one person after a monetary sum to each of his children meant there was no need to described any of his clothes, household goods or furniture and (to my mind) it is these details which make a will most interesting. It is, though, useful in telling us James’ occupation at the time he wrote his will and in confirming that the children of a James and Mary baptised in West Tarring, in Parham and in Graffham were his.
Yeoman and husbandmen often left wills, but farm workers less often, so it is interesting to note that he had been described as a husbandman when his daughter Mary was married (some 34 years earlier). Possibly he had given up farming on his own account due to the difficult economic times, or maybe had semi-retired (he was, after all, aged about 84 when he wrote his will and subsequently died). If his economic status had declined it is not so surprising that he still wrote a will, whilst labourers rarely left wills I have found them doing so when they were the sons of farmers etc. and descended from will-making families; if the habit persists down to another generation it is less surprising that one who had had farmed on his own account should leave one.

(With thank to Martyn Haulkham, a descendant of James’ son John, for sending me a copy of the will)