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

WM. HANYNGFELD, ESQ., [William Hanyngfield of Claydon's in East Hanningfield, Chelmsford Hundred.—Inquisitiones post mortem, 5 Hen. VI.—H. R. ] OF ESSEX AND SUFFOLK, 1426.

[To be buried at Bikinacre, Essex. Small sums of money to its priests, and poor, and Church; to his Suffolk tenants, and the Church of Lawshall. Much of his land to be sold; and out of its price, 2 Priests to be got to sing for 40 years for Testator's and others' souls; alms to be given; 4 lepers to have 4 marks yearly for 10 years; Obit to be kept yearly in 3 churches; poor of 3 Essex hundreds to have 20 marks a year for 10 years; 6 marks (£4) to be spent on Laffar bridge, and 500 marks on Eastford bridge. Household goods to go to children. Testator to have a tomb like Sir Thomas More's [This was Thos. More (or Moor), Dean of St. Paul's, who rebuilt the Chapel in Pardon Cloister, and was buried there in 14 .. See p. 104, note 1.— J. H. R.] , with a broad stone and 4 pillars; and on the stone, a Brass of his wife and 7 children, &c. Bequests to priests, clerks, poor, and poor tenants. Legacies to Executors, &c. Servants to be rewarded. P. Dene to have an annuity out of land. Feffees (trustees) to convey land as Executors direct. Children to have £100 each, and be governd by Executors.]

(Luffenam, P. P. C., leaf 45.)

[leaf 45]

Testamentum.

Testamentum Willelmi Hanyngfeld̛. [In margin.]

In nomine sancte & indiuidue Trinitatis, patris et filij et spiritus sancti, Amen. In festo sancti Egidij Abbatis, Anno domini Millesimo CCCCmo xxvjto, Anno regni Regis Henrici sexti post conquestum Anglie quinto, Ego, Willelmus Hanyngfeld̛, Armiger, in mea libera et spontanea voluntate, ac in bona et sana memoria mea existens, videns & precogitans in mortis periculum, Ideo hoc presens

testamentum meum, voluntatem meam in se continens, condo, facio, & ordino in hunc modum. In primis lego et commendo animam meam deo omnipotenti, creatori meo, beatissimeque & gloriosissime dei genitrici, virgini Marie, matris sue, & omnibus sanctis interlined by another hand.; corpusque meum ad sepeliendum in ecclesia sancti Iohannis Baptiste de Bykenare,Bicknacre Priory, adjoining East Hanningfield.—J. H. R. Bikinacreor in Bitacre in the hund. of Chelmesford, co. of Essex.—Carlisle. in Capella sancti Nicholai. Item lego cuilibet sacerdoti ad exequias meas existenti, vj d̛. Item lego cuilibet clerico interessenti ibidem, iiij d̛. Item lego cuilibet pauperi ij d̛, et si necesseMS. ncce.fuerit causa paupertatis, iiij d̛. Item lego pauperibus meis tenentibus ibidem per viam, xx s'. Item lego tenentibus meis in Comitatu Suffolkie, xl. s'. Item lego fabrice ibidem pro factura ecclesie, si non deueniat ad manus prioris, sed per visum Iohannis Borham, C. marcas, videlicet pro reparacione capelle ibiem vbi corpus meum sepultum fuerit. Item lego pro factura ecclesie de LawseƚƚLawshall, in the hund. of Baberg, co. of Suffolk . . . 7 miles S. by E. of St. Edmund's Bury.—Carlisle. in Comitatu Suffolkie, ad orandum pro antecessoribus meis, xl. ƚi. Residuum vero omnium bonorum meorum non legatorum, do et lego Roberto de Teye,Robert de Tey of Mark's Tey in the Lexden Hundred, Essex: d. 1426-7.Armigero, in Comitatu Essexie, Iohanni Basset John Basset of Basset's Hall, in Great Chishall, Essex.—J. H. R. de Chishuƚƚ, Iohanni Whetley, ciui ciuitatis Londonie, et Philippo Dene. Huius autem testamenti mei, Robertum de Teye, Armigerum, Iohannem Basset predictum, Iohannem Whetley, ciuem ciuitatis Londonie, & Philippum Dene, ordino, facio et constituo Executores meos. In cuius rei testimonium, sigillum meum presentibus apposui. Datum Londonie, die & Anno supradictis.

Codicil.

Codicillus eiusdem Willelmi. [In margin.]

[Will of his Real Estate.]

This is the last wiƚƚ of me William Hanyngfeld̛ Esquier̛, of aƚƚ my londes and rentes witℏynne [ the þ is that of the MS. all thru.] þe shire of Esex' and Suffolk, I-made þe iiij. day of Septembre, the ȝere of oure lord̛ M^l CCCC xxvj. First, I woƚƚ þat þe Maner of Chardacre and Valans yn the shire of Suffolk

þat þay be sold̛ by myn Executours to as hie prys as hit may, withoute fraude or male engyne, and þe money therof resceyued̛, be dispended̛ for my soule, after þe discrecioun of myn Executours. More-ouer I woƚƚ þat þe maner icalled̛ Bonylys maner, Frankelensmonday lond̛ and Smythislond̛, be sold̛ by þe same Executours, and witℏ þe money þer-of resceuyed̛, and more, ȝef nede be, be founde ij. prestes. singyng̛ continuellicℏ during̛ þe terme of .xl. winter in þe Priory of Bykenacre, in þe Chapeƚƚ of seint Nicholace, for þe soules of me, þe forsaid̛ William, Agnes, Iohan, Cisily myn wyfes, William, Nicholas, Martyn, Alienore, Elisabetℏ, Roger and Margery, and for aƚƚ þe soules þat I am bounde to do for̛, after þe discrecioun of myn Executours. Also I woƚƚ þat þe maner icalled̛ Piriesmaner [ Perie in Tillingham, which he held of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's.] be sold̛ as hastly as hit may, and þe money therof resceyued̛, be dispended̛ in dedes of almes by þe discrecion of myn Executours. And as touching þe maner and lond̛ I-called̛ Aiottes, Bartlottes, Pathislond̛, Gardyns, and Estlond̛, [? East Hall Manor.] in Bradweƚƚ [Bradwell juxta mare, on the Blackwater, and in Dengey Hundred.] , I woƚƚ þat þay be sold̛ by my Executours; and witℏ þe money ther-of resceyued̛, that ther be I-founde iiij. pore men lepres, during̛ þe terme of x ȝere, and þat euery of ham haue ȝerly iiij marc̘ during̛ þe same terme. Also I woƚƚ þat myn obite be kept Ȝerly atte Bikenacre, Bradweƚƚ, and Canwedon̄, [Canewdon near Rochford.—J. H. Round.] and þat þay haue to þe werkes of Canwedon̄ chircℏ, x markes. Also I woƚƚ þat among̛ þe powremen of Richefordhundred̛, [ Rochford Hundred.] Dunchehundred̛, [ Dengey Hundred.—J. H. Round.] and Chelmysford̛ hundred̛, be deled̛ by myn Executours breed and herynge to þe valu of xx marces during̛ þe terme of x ȝere. Also I woƚƚ þat on appsLaffarebrugge [A bridge of one of the three Lavers in Essex, between Harlow and Ongar.] be spendid̛, to make hit aƚƚ of stone, vjc markes, in esement of þe comyns, if hit so be þat no man be bounde by his lond̛ to make hit. Also I woƚƚ þat my reuercion of Tootham [ Totham, adjoining Langford; or, possibly, Scottys in Canewdon, which he held of John Tyrell, Esq.—J. H. Round.] I-called̛ Skottes and Westnewlond̛, and þe rente of Alflednasse be sold̛ by myn Executours, and þe money be dispendid̛ to parfourme my wiƚƚ. And also I woƚƚ þat aƚƚ maner howshold̛ be kept, and let þe children̄ haue hit, or þe prys. And þat þe forset [A casket, little chest or coffer.] that Thomas

Essexie [A line of contraction is over the 'x', whether to mark a Latin genitive or not (Thomas of Essex), I can't say.] wot where is, be delyuered̛ to myn Executours forto dispende þe goudes þat is ther-yn, for my soule, and þat þe same Thomas Essexie [A line of contraction is over the 'x', whether to mark a Latin genitive or not (Thomas of Essex), I can't say.] haue v marces in honde, and also xx s' terme of his lyf. And þat myn Executours pay for þe costes of his qwytaunce of his enditement. And also I woƚƚ þat on þe brigge betwixt Esteford̛ [? Easterford (now Kelvedon).—J. H. R.] [leaf 145 back] and Chelmysford̛, Ȝef nede be, be spended̛ Vc marces, if hit so be þat no man be bounde by his londe to make hit. Also I woƚƚ þat I haue appsa tumbe like sire Thomas More, and ther-vpon, a brode ston with iiij pilers, and þe brode stone grauyn with Laton̄, of Cisiſly [Cicely his wife: see abuv, p. 70, l. 7.] and vij children, þat is to sey, a son̄ and vj doughtren, Iohan and iij children, Agnes and ij children, pris of .L. marces. Also I woƚƚ þat euery preest being̛ atte my dirige, haue vj d̛, and euery Clerk iiij d̛, and þat euery pore man haue ij d̛, and if gret nede be, iiij d̛. And also I woƚƚ þat ther be delyuered̛ ther̛ to þe pore peple of my tenaunttes xx s'. Also I woƚƚ þat Iohn̄ Borham ouerse these ij preestes and þe pore men, and haue for his labour̛ xl. s'. Also I woƚƚ þat Rolf Baynard̛ and Darsy, if þay be witholde truly witℏ ȝow, þat euery haue xl. s'. Also I woƚƚ þat Roberd̛ of Teye, myn Executour, haue for his labour, xxx ƚi; Iohn̛ Basset of Chishuƚƚ, xx ƚi; Iohn̄ Whetley, xx ƚi; Phelippe Dene, for he is pore, xx ƚi; And also to William Babyngton̄, forto be good helper̛ and counceillour̛ to myn Executours in aƚƚ matiers of lawe touching̛ hem and þe execucion of my testament and last wiƚƚ, xx marces. Also I woƚƚ þat sire Ioℏn, my preest, haue xx s', and a gowne of my weryng̛. Also I woƚƚ þat Wiƚƚ my man haue xx s'. And I woƚƚ and pray ȝow þat Phelippe be kept on seruice stille, and haue as goud wages as he hadde of me be-forne during̛ þe terme of ij. ȝere. Also I woƚƚ þat my seruaunttes be rewarded̛ after ȝoure discrecioun. Also I praye my feffours þat þay wolde enfeffe Philippe Dene on .vj. marces of rente during̛ þe terme of his lif̘, where þat he woƚƚ chese of aƚƚ my londes best reysid̛. And also I praye, and in goddisbyhalf require, þat alle þe feffes þat ben enfeffyd in my londes, þat in what tyme þat þay ben duly required̛ by myn Executours to make a-state to any person, þat þay perfourme

hit in discharge of my soule, as þey woƚƚ onswere a-fore god. Also I pray my feffours þat þay wold suffer myn Executours to selle Stanlehalle, and to enfeffe what man þat euer myn Executours require hem to. Also .I. woƚƚ þat my Maners of Welsham and Brethenham [Brettenham, Suffolk, N. W. of Bilston.] be sold̛ by myn Executours, and þe money þerof be disposed̛ by myn Executours. Also I woƚƚ þat my Children̄ haue C ƚi, and þat þey, and þer goudes þat longetℏ to ham, be gouerned atte aƚƚ tymes by þe discrecion of myn Executours. And þat aƚƚ þe reuenuys and profitys comyng̛ of my londes þat ben not assigned̛ by my last wiƚƚ and testament for to be sold̛ ouer þe sustenaunce of þe seid̛ childrun, be disposid̛ and dispendid̛ for my soule by þe discrecion of myn Executours.

Probatum fuit presens testamentum, cum codicillo, coram Magistro Iohanne Lyndefeld̛, Commissario &c̘, xxij die mensis Septembris. Anno domini supradicto; et commissa est administracio bonorum &c̘ Philippo Dene, Executori &c̘, Reseruata potestate &c̘. Et postea exhibito Inventario bonorum &c̘, dictus executor acquietatus est. ac die martis, videlicet xiiijto die mensis Maij, Anno domini Mocccc xxx vijto Iohannes Basset, executor &c̘, coram Magistro Iohanne Lyndefeld̛ Commissario &c̘ personaliter comparens, & iuratus ad sancta dei euaungelia, administracionem bonorum dicti defuncti, recepit in forma iuris &c̘.

Notes

• p. 70, l. 25. Laffarebrugge. "

  Laver, the name of 3 contiguous parishes in Essex, lying between Harlow and Ongar, and distinguished by the appellations of High, Magdalen, and Little. They are about 21 miles N. by W. of London.

  "—Walker's Gazetteer, 1801.
• p. 71, l. 7. A tumbe like sire Thomas More: Dean of St. Paul's, p. 71; p. 104, note 1; p. 105, note.
  Thomas Moor, fellow of Pembroke Hall, Cambr. Treasurer to Anne, queen of Richard II, Preb. of Shipton in Salisbury Cathedral, 9 Nov. 1389; Preb. of Newington in St. Paul's, 6 June, 1391; Archdeacon of Colchester, 3 Nov. 1398. Dean of St. Paul's, Jan. 1406; d. 1421. Buried in a cloister on North side of St. Paul's, called Pardon Churchyard, where formerly stood a chapel said to have been founded by Gilbert Becket, who was buried there. (See p. 105, note, above.) It was rebuilt by this Thomas Moor, who obtained a License from Henry V to found a Chantry of Three Priests, but died before it could be accomplished. His executors, however, carried out the foundation, and his Obit was regularly kept on 23 December.—J. Horace Round.