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

STEPHEN THOMAS, OF LEE, ESSEX, 1417-18.

[Latin Testament. Chaplain to do Masses for a year for Testator's Soul, &c.; Poor of Lee to have 12d. each. Residue to Executors, to lay out for Testator's soul.

English Will. Executors appointed, and given 20s. each. Certain folk to have the 1st Option of buying goods: produce to go to the aisle of Lee Church. Wife to have her dwelling-place for her life. Debts sworn-to, to be paid. Lee poor to have 12d. each; 'Jankyn clerk' 12d. [Cp. Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Preamble, 1. 595, 628], others 6d.; Hadley poor 4d. each. Gifts to Relatives. Debts owing by and to Testator, named.]

(March (P. P. C.), lf. 358.

[lf. 358]

Latin Testament

[margin.] Testamentum Stephani Thomas, de la lye in Comitatu Essexie. [The Codicil made at Rouen, p. 40.]

In dei nomine Amen. Mensis Maij, die octauo, anno domini Millesimo CCCCmo xvijmo, Ego Stephanus Thomas, de la Lye in Comitatu Essexie, meum condo testamentum in hunc modum. In primis, lego animam meam omnipotenti deo, & beate Marie Virgini, ac omnibus sanctis; corpus que meum ad sepeliendum in noua Ela coram summo altar[i] ecclesie dicte ville. Item lego summo altari eiusdem ecclesie, xx s'. Item lego ad habendum vnum Capellanum ydoneum diuina4 in dicta ecclesia per vnum annum integrum celebratura pro anima mea, & animabus omnium benefactorum meorum, & omnium fidelium defunctorum. Item lego cuilibet

pauperi, tam homini quam mulieri, in predicta villa moranti, xij d̛. Item lego cuilibet capellano ad exequias, & ad missam altam venienti, xij d̛. Item lego clerico parochiali ecclesie predicte, xij d̛. Item lego cuilibet clerico ad dictas exequias & missam venientem, vj d̛. Residuum vero omnium bonorum & catallorum meorum, do & lego Matilde, vxori mee, Iacobo Triche & Iohanni Camp. Ipsos-que Matildam, Iacobum & Iohannem, facio executores meos, dicta bona & catalla ad disponendum prout anime mee salubrius sciuerint expedire. Item lego vtrique [? MS.] executorum meorum predictorum, xx s'. In cuius rei testimonium, presentibus'To these presents,' as to a Deed. sigillum meum apposui. datum die, loco & anno prescriptis.

English Will

Knowe alle men, þat .I. Stephyn̛ Thomas of̘ þe Lee [ Lee (St. Clement), a parish and sea-port in the hundred of Rochford, co. Essex, 17 1/2 m. S.E. by S. from Chelmsford.] , make þus my testament and my laste wyƚƚ: ferste, I. be-quethe my saule to gode and to our̛ lady seynt mary, and to alƚ þe Company of̘ Heuene, and my body to be bered̛ were þat god wyƚƚ. fordermore syn̛, þes men̛ of̘ þe Lee .I. make my seketowrs, ferst, Iacobbe Tryche, Ion̛ Campe, and my wyff̘ [&] Thomas Aluowe; and y pray hem þat þey be weƚƚ wyllet and forderyng̛ to here; and al-so I charge hem aƚƚ þat þey do for me as þey wolde þat I dede for hem, and as þey wolle answere to-for god; and þer-to yt ys my wylle þat euer-echeon̛ of̘ hem schele haue xx s' for her labor & for her besynesse; and eny goude þat schele be solde, yt ys my wyƚƚ þat Wyllyam Aluowe haue it, passynge eny oþer man, and Thomas hys broder, and ȝyfe þer-for lyke as a noþer man wylƚ; and next hem, þat Pole may be a beyer, saue Ellys þat y wiƚƚ þat Iacobbe Treche haue be-for aƚƚ oþer men̛, so þat he wyƚƚ ȝeve as a noder man̛ wyƚƚ; and it is my wyƚƚ þat aƚƚ þe goud̛ þat is Reysed̛, or Ellis, þat it go to þe Lee Cherche, to þe Eyle, and to [MS. to to.] aƚƚ oþer nessessarie thynge; and also it is my wyƚƚ þat my wyff̘ schele haue þe place þat sche dwelythe in, terme of̘ her lyff̘, and aƚƚ sayrys [MS. repeats 'and all sayrys.'] and aƚƚ þat euer longethe þat to, durynge her lyf̘ tyme. and ȝyf̘ þat I passe Rather þan sche, it ys my [wyƚƚ] þat aƚƚ appsspengold̛ & ffysscherys & bowdens be sold̛ a-non forthe-with; and

also it ys my wyƚƚ þat þe plase þat sche dwelythe in, and aƚƚ sayres, ant aƚƚ þat euer longeth þer-to, and aƚƚ þat sche schele haue, after þe sesse of̘ her̛, þat it be sold̛ and̛ do for [leaf 458, back] owre sawles and for aƚƚ owre ffrende. and ȝyf̘ þat y passe rather þan̄ scho, þat it is my wyƚƚ þat I haue a prest syngynge a-non after þe terme of iij ȝere & more, ȝyf̘ ȝe may, in þe Cherche of þe Lee. and ȝyf̘ þer be eny man or woman þat wil say þat I howgℏt hem eny goud̛, and swere vppon̛ a boke by record̛ of goud men, y wyl þat dey be payd̛. and also it is my wyƚƚ þat euere pore man of þe Lee, & woman, schal haue xij d̛; and al-so ȝyf̘ þat y haue eny goude mysty [ mighty, big. ? MS. may be iuysty.] det, it ys my wyƚƚ þat heye auter haue xx s', and euere preste þat syngethe þat day for me, .I. wyl þat euery man of̘ hem haue xij d̛. and I. wyl þat Iankyn̛ clerk̘ haue xij d̛, and euere clerk̘ þat syngethe þat day for me In þe cherche vj d̛. and also it is my wilƚ þat Hadley [appsHadley and Eastwood are both in the hundred of Rochford, Essex.] chirche haue xl s', and euere pore man of̘ þe toune iiij d̛, and þat þe chirche of Estwode3 schel haue xiij s' iiij d̛. and also it ys my wiƚƚ þat Larance my neese, & Annote her suster, haue xl s'. and al-so it is my wyƚ þat Ione my Broder schel haue x. markes. and it is my wiƚƚ þat Iorge my Cosyn̛ schel haue oþer x. markes; and euere god̛-chyld̛ þat y haue in the Lee schele haue xij d̛. and also it is my wyƚƚ þat Thomas Alvowe haue .v. marces, and William Alvowe oþer .v. marces. and also I wiƚƚ þat Annote Hadley þat es with me, haue .xƚ s'.; and aƚƚ the Ostelmentes schele be sold̛, and þat aƚƚ þat goud̛ and aƚƚ oþer þat schulde beleue in ȝour Haunde, þat it be do so os may be moste mede for her̛ saules // Also þes betℏ þe detteȝ þat I howe. xv. ƚi to Eyon̛, to be paid at Esteren next commyng̛, for I Howe Him at aƚƚ bot .xxv. ƚi, and þer-of he schele Haue, as I sayde þer-a-fore .xv. ƚi. at Esteren next̘, and .x. ƚi. at Esteren come twelmonthe, and þan es he aƚƚ paid̛. And also I Howe to Iamys Skynner̛ of Bemflet̘, at Mychaylemesse, for Colys doun—vj. marces, and þan̛ es he aƚƚ payd̛. and I Howe to Hopkyn̛ Crestyndom at London̛ for Richard Row — vij s'. vj d̛; and also I Howe Ioℏn Campe of the Lee .xƚ. s'; and also I Howe to a man of Burdeux xƚvj. s'. viij d̛, His name is Peter de Lobered̛. and also þis es the dettis þat

es Howynge to me: Rychard̛ Haddoke of the Lee .vij. ƚi to be Paid̛ at Esteren, and also Water Burnam an .C. s'. that schuld̛ Haue be Paid̛ at Esteren; and William Hylbyƚƚ .xx. s'. and Her-to I sett̘ my Sele, wytnessynge, Stephen̛ Ellys, Thomas Chesse, William Ellyot̘, Lyteƚƚ Iohn̛ Spoteƚƚ, Richard Smythyot, and oþer gode men I-now./ I-wret at Sandwyche, the .vij. day of may, þe Reynge of Kynge Harry þe .v. ye anno quinto. [1417 A.D.]

[Codicil, made at Rouen.]

[A Trental of Masses to be said for his Soul. Beer to be brewd, and Loaves bak't, for the Poor. Gifts to T. Chesse, if Testator dies in his boat; and to a Cousin, of goods in a ship at Southampton.]

¶ And also I wiƚƚ þat my wyƚƚ be fulfillyd̛ lyk als I ordeynd̛ when̛ I went̘ from̛ home, and aƚƚ þat es contend̛ in this Codiciƚƚ / that es to say, my wiƚƚ es, to haue a Trentale of masses ȝef̘ that I dyd̛ er þane I come home / and also I pray ȝou þat ȝe wald̛ Brewe .x. buschellys of malt̘ forto ȝef̘ pore men of my paryche; and also that ȝe wald bake .vj. buschellys of whete of smale Halpeney Loves, and ȝefe euere man̛ and woman̛ a Love [ Love = loaf.] and a galon̛ of ale, als fer als it wiƚƚ go. and also I pray ȝou and charge ȝou in goddes name that ȝe gar send̛ a man to the Holy priour of Brydlyngton̛ to offer for me, and for any thing̛, that this way to Bridlington̛, and the Trentale, be do [MS. to.] both be-for̛ Estren̛, ȝyf y dye ore y come home. and also y do ȝow to wyt þat yt is my wiƚƚ þat Thomas Chesse schel haue me ȝyf̘ þat y dey in hys bote with hym̛; and also þat he schel haue my best gowen̛ of þe kynges liuere þat is at home at my hous, and my golde rynge and my whysteƚƚ. and also I do ȝow to wyt þat yt is my wiƚƚ þat Thomas Albwe schel haue þe best gowen̛ next þat is at home after þat, and a houd̛. and also y do ȝow wyt þat it is my wiƚƚ þat George Thomas my Cousyn̛ schel haue aƚƚ þe gude and þe harnesse þat y haue att Hampton̛ in þe chippe, and be-syde; and þis þat is of̘ þe see with me att̘ Roon̛ [MS. rubd.] he schel haue, aƚƚ to-gedyr̛, saue þat Rychard̛ Smytheot schel haue my Russet gowen̛ þat y wered̛, and my blac houd̛, and a nold̛ bassenet. More wryt y nogℏ[t] vnto yow, bot þe holy trinite kepe ȝow now, dere and trusty wyf̘. here I make an̛

hende. wer-for I pray ȝow, as my trust es [MS. as.] hely in ȝow, ouer alle oþere creatures, þat this last wiƚƚ be fulfyllet, and alƚ odere that I ordeynd̛ atte [leaf 359] home, for aƚƚ þe loue þat euer was be-twen̛ man̛ and woman̛. y-wrete atte Roon̛ þe Sonday next to-fore þe fest of̘ purificacioun of̘ oure laydy. [February 2, ? 1418-19.]

Probata fuerunt supradictum testamentum & Codicillum coram Magistro Iohanne Estcourt xxmo die Mensis Iulij, anno domini MoCCCCmo xixno. Et comissa est administracio omnium bonorum &c dictum testamentum & codicillum concernencium, Matilde relicte & Executrici dicti defuncti / Iacobo Triche & Iohanne Campe, executoribus in dicto testamento nominatis, administracionem supradictam coram dicto domino Comissario expresse recusantibus, ac xxvjto die eiusdem Mensis acquieta fuit, et c̘.

Notes

• p. 38, l. 32. Bowdens, Sayres, Spengolds, &c.—'

  I am quite sure that Mr. Round's answer to your query in Notes and Queries (Oct. 1882) about these names, is the correct one. The names are those of tenants of certain farms. A curious coincidence is to be found in the municipal business of Derby, just over. The two successful candidates for Babington ward were Boden and Sayer!

  '—Alfred Wallis, Friars Gate, Derby.

  'I have found a singular confirmation of my view of Bowdens, which I told you I believed to be the corruption of an owner's name. The Irish named their townships as we do our farms, after the owners, adding "ton" after the name. I found a 'Bowdenston' in hunting through some Irish Chancery Records at the Record Office. Sayer was a well-known Essex name.'

  —J. H. Round.
• p. 39, note 3. Hadley and Eastwood adjoin Lee.—J. H. R.