The Will of "William Clerke" is listed in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills (available via Ancestry.com), and was written on 12 May 1591 and Probated on 10 June 1591. The Will (proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury) contains the following information: "William Clerke" was a "Yeoman" of "Bennington", Hertfordshire, England; his wife, ""Cicely" or Ciceley" was alive at the time his Will was written--and to whom he gave "all [his] lands, tenements etc in Walkern and Bennington"; he had two sons: "George Clerke"--to whom William gave "All my Manor of Chifield", and "John Clerke"--to whom William gave his "goodes and Chattels at Thaxted"; he had one grandson: "Philip Clerke son of the George Clerke aforesaid"; he stated that he wanted his "body...to be buried in the parish church of Bennington near the place where my father George Clerke was buried"; and his Will was probated by "Cicely relicta [widow]" and "John Clerke son".
The burial of "William Clarke" is listed in the parish register of Bennington, Hertfordshire (via FindMyPast images), which states that he was buried on 26 May 1591 in Benington, Hertfordshire.
A brass inscription to "William Clarke" is described in British History Online (published in 1912)
(http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/herts/vol3/pp73-77)
and is described as being displayed in the church of St. Peter in Benington, Hertfordshire, England, as follows:
"The parish church of St. Peter [in Benington, Hertfordshire, England], which stands to the west of the village, is built of flint with stone dressings. The nave, which is covered with ivy, is plastered externally. The chancel and south porch are roofed with tiles and the nave with lead. The tower, which is of two stages, has an embattled parapet and a pyramidal roof. The present church, which dates from the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th century, originally consisted of a chancel and nave only, built, it would appear from the shields of arms that decorate them, by Sir John de Benstede (ob. 1323). The north chapel and the south porch were added about 1330, apparently by his widow, Parnel Moyne, and early in the 15th century the west tower was built by Edward Benstede (ob. 1432), and an additional arch was inserted with his monument below it between the chancel and the north chapel. The raising of the clearstory dates from somewhat later in the 15th century. The modern work upon the fabric consists of the rebuilding in 1889 of the south and east walls of the chancel and the recent restoration of the tower. ...In the nave on the east wall, to the north of the chancel arch, are two brasses, with inscriptions to William Clarke, 1591, and John Clarke, 1604."A brass memorial to "William Clarke" is mentioned in the book "Memorial Brasses in Hertfordshire Churches", by William Frampton Andrews, 1903, page 37, which states that the following brass inscription appears in the Bennington church:
"William Clarke the 4 soone of George Clarke Chaunged his liffe the xxiiii. day of May 1591 Who was as thou art, t is as thou shal be." (Online source: https://books.google.com/books?id=cMgOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=memorial+inscription+at+Benington,+Hertfordshire,+england&source=bl&ots=buYBZHmC7u&sig=lOEzwAGGGGaxMbxC8Bx05eMTevY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjphuuzm5XOAhVQxWMKHZlCDlMQ6AEIXzAM#v=onepage&q=memorial%20inscription%20at%20Benington%2C%20Hertfordshire%2C%20england&f=false)The brass memorial (mentioned above) was apparently on the "Nave floor" of the Benington church in Hertfordshire, England, "until 1889", as follows:
"There are three brasses near the Rood Loft stairway; the upper is part of a scroll which may be related to the priest's brass in the Chancel. George Clarke mentioned in the middle of the brass took the farm on the Walkern Road by force in 152l while the owner, John Norreys, was in France. Both this brass, and that of his grandson below, were on the Nave floor until 1889." (Source: http://ubbw.org.uk/Churches/StPeters/StPeters.htm)2016 Research Note:
During the 1500’s and 1600’s, a number of Clark family members lived in and near Benington, Hertfordshire, England. These included William Clarke (died 1591) and John Clarke (died 1604) who are mentioned in two brass inscriptions that are still visible on a wall inside the parish church of St. Peter, Benington, Hertfordshire. These two brass inscriptions read as follows:
Top brass inscription: William Clarke the 4 soone of George Clarke Changed his life the xxiiii day of May 1591 Who was as thou art & is as thou shal be
Bottom brass inscription: HERE LYETH THE BODIE OF JOHN CLARKE OF THIS TOWNE OF BENINGTON COVNCIL AT LAWE WHO MARIED EDITH ONE OF THE DAVGHTERS OF ROBERT COLE OF BARGEHOLD IN THE COVNTY OF SVFFOLCK GENT WHO HAD ISSVE BY HER ONE SOONE NAMED WILLM & THREE DAVGHTERS NAMED ANNE EDITH & ELIZABETH. HE DIED YE XITH DAY OF JVNE 1604, AGED L.
The burial of "Elizabetha Clerke" is listed in the parish register of Benington, Hertfordshire (via FindMyPast image), which states that she was buried on "duo decimo" or "10th" of December 1558 in Benington, Hertfordshire.
Research Note: "Elizabetha Clerke" was possibly the first wife of "William Clarke".
The christening of "Jona Clerke" is listed in the parish register of Benington, Hertfordshire (via FindMyPast image), which states that this individual was christened on 1 January 1545/1546 in Benington, Hertfordshire. Also, the christening of "Jona Clarke" is listed in FamilySearch (FHL Film # 991329), which states that this individual was christened on 21 January 1545 in Benington, Hertfordshire, England. Note: The gender and parents of this individual are not mentioned in this christening record.
"John Clerke" is mentioned in the Will of his father, William Clerke, as follows: The Will of "William Clerke" is listed in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills (available via Ancestry.com), and was written on 12 May 1591 and Probated on 10 June 1591. The Will (proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury) contains the following information: "William Clerke" was a "Yeoman" of "Bennington", Hertfordshire, England; his wife, ""Cicely" or Ciceley" was alive at the time his Will was written--and to whom he gave "all [his] lands, tenements etc in Walkern and Bennington"; he had two sons: "George Clerke"--to whom William gave "All my Manor of Chifield", and "John Clerke"--to whom William gave his "goodes and Chattels at Thaxted"; he had one grandson: "Philip Clerke son of the George Clerke aforesaid"; he stated that he wanted his "body...to be buried in the parish church of Bennington near the place where my father George Clerke was buried"; and his Will was probated by "Cicely relicta [widow]" and "John Clerke son".