Fifty earliest English wills in the Court of Probate, London : A. D. 1387-1439 : with a priest's of 1454 / copied and edited from the original registers in Somerset House by Frederick J. Furnivall

descriptionOpen pageSIR WM. LANGEFORD, KNIGHT, 1411.

[Gives household stores, chattels, and growing crops, to his Wife, with a coffer. To his son Robert, a bed, and armour. To sons William and Henry, armour, &c.; £100, and the money from land sold, as a marriage portion (in Executors' hands), to his daughter Isabel. Small sums to the Poor, to mending of Ways, and to Servants. A manor and advowson to son William. Another advowson, and a rent-charge, to son Henry. No benefit to any devisee disputing the will. Wife to manage sons' estates till sons are 18 years old. Residue to Wife. Feoffees (Trustees) of land to carry out the Will.]

Book March, leaf 187 (in quire 24). Prerogative Court.

[leaf 187]

In dei nomine Amen, vicesimo quarto die Mensis Augusti, Anno domini Mo. CCCCmo. xjmo. Anno regni Regis Henrici quarti post conquestum, duodecimo. Ego, Willelmus Langeford, Miles, compos mentis quamuis egrotus corpore, condo testamentum meum in hunc modum. In primis lego animam meam deo, corpus que meum ad sepeliendum in ecclesia de Bradfeld̛, videlicet in Capella sancti Andree. Item lego fabrice ecclesie Cathedralis Sarum .vj. s. viij d̛. Item lego ad reparacionem Capelle predicte quadraginta solidos. Also y be-qweythe to lucye my wyfe, alle my store and cataƚƚ quykk̘ and ded̛ in Bradfeld̛ and Compton, with alle þe vtensyƚ of myn̄ hows, þat ys to say, in halle, in Chambre, in Pantrie and Botrie, in larder and Kechyn, with alle hire apparure, þat ys to say, in cloþing̛, rynges, and alle oþer ornamentes, what so þey be, with alle þe hay and corn̛ of þis ȝhere growyng̛, reseruynge þe hold̛ greynys to myn̛ executours to performe my wylle. Also y be-queythe a cofere with þe godes þer-in in warde of laurens dru in Soutℏcote, to þe forseyd lucie my wyfe,

vn-to hire propre vse. Also y be-queythe to descriptionOpen pageRobert, myn̛ heldest son̄, a reed̛ bedde of worsteyd, with costers þat langytℏ þere-to, enbrawde with whyte fete, with a canvase, a materas, a pare of Blankettes .ij. pare of schetys; Also a basynet with a ventaile, a pare of vambrace and rerebrace, a pare of legge herneys, an holle brest-plate, a paunce of stele, a pare glovis of plate white. Also to Elyzabetℏ, wyfe of þe forseyd Robert, a boorde cloþe with .ij. towelles of deuaunt of oo sute. Also y be-queytℏ to William my son̄, an aburioun̄ of stele with a pallette couerte with reede velwette, a pare of glovys of plate blacke. Also to Henre my son̛, an aburioun̄, a ketil Hatte. Also y be-queytℏ to ysabeƚƚ my dowter, an .C. pounde to hir mariage, of whiche somme ys owynge to me, to be payd, an .C. Mark̘ by þe handes of descriptionOpen pagemy lady loueƚƚ, and by the handes of William Tanner of Ersgarston̄ .xxvj. Mark̘. vj .s'. viij d̛, and þe remnaund̛ to be payid of my godes þat leuytℏ. Also y wylle þat be gevon̄ to pore men, in almes, to pray for me, .iiij. Mark̘, and in emendynge of weys lyand̛ a-bowt þe manere of Bradfeld̛, .ij. Marc̘. Also y be-queytℏ to Thomas Eyre my seruaunde .vj. s'. viij. d̛. Henre .Soon̄ .xl. [d̛]. William Hereward̛ .ij. s'. Ioℏn Oxerd̛ .xl. d̛. Peris Smytℏ þe yongar, .xl. d̛. Ioℏn Sceperd .v. s'. Ioℏn of þe Kechyn .xl. d̛. Robert Cokeneƚƚ .ij. s'. Ioℏn Goky .xx. d̛. William Chesc .ij. s'. Robert of þe Stabul .xx. d̛. Huge Parmay .xl. d̛. Ioℏn Turnour, Carter .v. s'. Ioℏn hayward̛ .vj. s'. viij. d̛. William Burgeys and ys wyfe .xl. s'. Thomas Boteler .vj. s'. viij. d̛. Wylliam of Chestirshire .v. s'. Thomas Capenter .xl. d̛. Mawde my seruaunt, to hire mariage .xx. s'. Ioℏon. Oxerd̛. xl. d̛. Beatrice my seruaunde .vj. s. viij. d̛. Also y wille þat alle þe londes and tenementes in descriptionOpen pageSchyffeld̛, Burfeld̛, Sulhamstade Abbis, with þe mede clepyd̛ Tybbeney in Oston̄, of my purchas, stondynge in feffies handes, be sold̛, and þe Siluer þere of spendyd to þe avauncement of lucie, my dowter, and yf she be conably a-vaunsyd with les somme, y wille þat þe surplus be don̄ for my soule. Also y wille þat þe forseyd sale of my londes and tenementes in Scheffeld̛. Burfeld̛. and Sulhamstade Abbis, be made principaly to my wyfe and myne heiris, geuynge þer-fore os an oþer man wille. Also y wille þat William myn̄ son̛ haue þe maner of Chale, with alle þe purtenaunce beynge in fefyes handes, with

a-vowson̄ of þe Chyrche in þe Ile of Wygℏt, to him & to hys heirs of ys body lawfully be-goton̄; and yf he deie wytℏ-owte heire lawfully of ys body begeton̄, þanne wille y þe forseyd maner with appurtenaunce, remayne to Henre ys broþer, and to þe heirs of ys body lawfully goton̄; and yf þe forseyd̛ Henre deie with-owt issue leful of ys body goton̄, thanne wille y þat þe forseyd maner with appurtenauns, remayne to me and myne heirs. Also y wille þat Henre my sone have .x. Marcis wortℏ londe ȝhely to hym and to ys heirs leful of ys body, of þe londes and þe rentes in þe Counte of deuon̛-schire, beynge in fefees handes, with a-vowsoune of þe chirche of Mounkcocamton̄; and̛ for defawt of issue comynge of þe forseyd henre, y wille þat yt remayne to william ys broþer, and to ys heirs of ys body. And for defawte of issue of þe forseyd̛ William, y wille þat þe remaynder̛ be to my ryte heirs. I pray yow also þat ben my Feffees, þat ȝe make estate vn-to my forseyd chyldre, lucie, henre, and william, lyke as my wylle ys be-fore conteynyd. Also y wille þat Thomas Rawfe, my seruaund, haue .ij. Marces ȝhely durynge ys lyfe, takynge yt of þe londes and rentes in deuen̛-schyre beynge in fefees handes, takynge a distresse in defawte of payment. Also my wille ys, þat yf my wyfe or my chyldre askun̄ here resnable part of my godes aftur cours of lawe, þan wille y þat þey be excludyd of alle þe avauntage of þe ordinauns of my wylle above y-seyd. Also my wille ys, þat þe siluer þat schal be reseyvyd for þe londes & tenementes þat y haue be-fore asyngnyd for þe avaunscement of lucie my dowter, þat hyt a-byde in þe handes of myn̛ executours to fulfyl my wille. Also y wille, tochaunde þe londes þe weche y haue asynyd to william my sone, þat lucie my wyf have gouernauns þer-of, and þe profete, vn-to þe forseyd william be of age .xviij. ȝhere. And also of þe londes þat ben assyngnyd to henre, þat my wyfe have þe governauns and þe profyte of, vn-to þe forseyd henre be of age .xviij. ȝhere. Also y wylle þat þe .C. ƚi. wyche y have assyngnyd for ysabeƚƚ my dowter, to hire a-vaunsement, and it falle þat sche deie or scheo be a-vauncyd, þan wille y þat þe forseyd .C. ƚi. be don for my sowle. þe residue of alle my godes, my dettes furst payd, and my wille holly fulfyllid as ys by-fore wreton̛, y wylle þat yt remayne to þe

forseyd lucie my wyfe. and y pray alle ȝow þat bene enfeffeed̛ in my londes forseyd by me, þat ȝe fulfylle my forseyd wylle os ȝe wylle answere a-fore god. Ad execucionem vero huius testamenti mei faciendam, ordino et constituo executores meos, laurencium dru, willelmum Stookes, Robertum Clerke, Rectorem ecclesie de Bradfeld̛, et Iohannem Iacob. Datum die et Anno supradictis.

probatum fuit hoc precedens testamentum coram Magistro Iohanne perche, Commissario &c primo die Mensis Octobris, Anno domini M^o CCC. xj. et quibuscunque, probacione &c, per dominum Robertum Sarum Episcopum cassata &c, et commissa est administracio omnium bonorum dicti defuncti, quibusdam Roberto Clerk, Rectori ecclesie parrochiane de Bradfeld̛, Sarum diocese, & Iohanni Iacob, Executoribus &c.; laurencio dru, Executori eciam in ipso testamento nominato, coram dicto Commissario personaliter comparenti, onus administracionis &c expresse recusavit &c Reseruata potestate cuidam willelmo Stokes &c Et subsequenter, viz. x die Mensis decembris Ao domini predicto, prefatus Commissarius acquietavit prefatos Robertum Clerk & Iohannem Iacob, &c.

Notes

• 'Sturgeon'' is in the margin.
• Bradfield (St. Andrew), a parish in the hundred of Theale, co. Berks, 8 miles W. of Reading. Rectory in archdeaconry of Berks, and diocese of Salisbury.—Lewis.
• ? Compton-Beauchamp, in the hundred of Shrivenham, co. Berks, 6 1/2 miles S. by W. from Great Farringdon. Rectory in the archdeaconry of Berks, and diocese of Salisbury.—Lewis.
• Southcot, a tything in the hundred of Reading, Berks, 1 1/2 miles W.S.W. of Reading.—Lewis.
• yearly.
• yearly.