The following Last Will and Testament for Geo. Hooper was found at the
      Family Records Centre in London, England (July 4, 1997):

      IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN                                George Tm Hooper
      the thirteenth day of July Anno Domini one thousand six hundred
      ninety and eight  I George Hooper the elder of Froom Sellwood in the
      county of Somerset  Cardmaker  being weak in body but of sound and -
      perfect mind and memory do hereby make and ordaine this my last -
      Will and Testament in manner and forme following Imprimis  I -
      commit my soul to Almighty God And my body to the earth to be -
      buryed at the disc[retion] of my Executrix, hereinafter named Hom I
      give will devise and bequeath unto my loving wife Joane Hooper all my -
      Lands tenements and hereditaments Scituate lying and being in Westcombe
      in the parish of Batcombe in the county of Somerset  To have and to
      hold to my said wife Joane her heirs and assigns forever  Also I give
      and bequeath to my said wife Joane the Dwelling house which I now
      live in with the Garden Lands and appurtenantts thereto belonging
      and all other lands which I purchased of Mr Cabell To hold to her -
      my said wife Joane her Executors and Assigns sureing all the
      ressone(?) and remainder of the tor--- and estates whith I have therein
      Hom   whereas my sonn George Hooper borrowed of me the summes
      of Seaventy five pounds eighteen shillings and four pence and the
      summe of forty five pounds  I doe hereby give the same unto my said
      sonn George Hooper  And also I give unto my said sonn George Hooper
      the farther summe of fifty pounds to be paid him by my Executrix -
      And also I give and bequeath unto my said Sonn George Hooper the
      tenement or dwelling house now in his possession with the appurtenets
      to hold to him his Executors and Assigns dureing all the Residue -
      and Remainder of the terme and Estate whith I have therin Hom
      I give to each of my said sonn George Hoopers children /to wit/ George
      Hooper  Mary Hooper and Joane Hooper five pounds apeice Hom.
      I give to my son Hugh Hooper the summe of five pounds and to -
      each of his children /to wit/ John Hooper  Joseph Hooper  Benjamine
      Hooper  Mary Hooper and George Hooper five pounds apiece Hom
      I give to each of my daughters /to wit/ Joane Rundell  Susanna Allen -
      Elizabeth May  Sarah Hooper  and Racheall Cabell five pounds apiece
      Hom  I give to my said daughter Elizabeth May's children /to wit/ -
      Elizabeth May   William May   Mary May  and  Joseph May five -
      pounds apiece Hom.  I give to my Sonn in Law John Allens children
      /to wit/ Joane Allen  Mary Allen  John Allen  and Joseph Allen five -
      pounds apiece Hom  I give to each of my Sonn in Law ------ Dunn alt(?)
      ----stones children to wit  Susanna and William tenn pounds apiece
      Hom  I give twenty pounds to be distributed and disposed of by my
      Executrix hereinafter named and her Assigns to charitablenses /to wit/
      forty shillings per annum for tenn years Hom  all the rest and residue
      of my goods tha heffs debts and credits whatsoever not before given and
      bequeathed  I give and bequeath unto my said loving wife Joane Hooper
      whom I --- hereby make and ordaine my whole and sole Executrix
      of this my last Will and Testament in witnesse whereof I have hereunto
      set my hand and seale the day and year above written  And my will -
      and meaneing is that the Logaryes given my said Grandchildrens hall
      not be paid them till they attaine to their severall and respective
      ages of one and twenty yeares or their Severall and respective dayes -
      of marriage whith shall first happen   George Hooper ^ signed sealed
      and published in the presence of us and attested by us in the presence
      of the said George Hooper the elder   
Jo. Butt   William Sweetland  Israell Forward 

      PROBATUM   fuit humoi Testamentum apnd London coram ------
(continues in Latin) 

In his Will, George the Elder described himself as a "Cardmaker".
    The primary industry of Somerset during his lifetime was Clothmaking from
    sheeps wool. Donald Sage describes Cardmaker as follows:
    CARDMAKER; Makes hand cards for carding the wool. (Two wooden hand boards
    from which a bed of nails protruded with which the women would tease the
    wool before spinning to make the mass of fibres lie at all angles for a
    stronger, softer spin.) 

The following descriptions of Batcombe and Westcombe were found at the
     Public Library in Frome, England on 5 July 1997. Book entitled
     "Somersetshire Parishes" by Arthur L. Humphreys, London - 1905:
     Pgs.37/38  Batcombe (situated, as its name implies, in a narrow valley)
               In the road betwixt the towns of Frome and Bruton (nine miles
               from Frome) in the Whitestone Hundred. (Shepton Mallet Union).
     Pgs.771/772 Westcombe (-- hamlet containing thirty houses, lies a mile
                towards the west.)

     More details can be found in the Somerset County Council - Library
     Services', "Local Studies Pack for the Parish of Batcombe".