JOHN CREDY, ESQ., OF LONDON, DEVONSHIRE, ETC., 1426.
[To be buried in London. Bakehouse in Wood St., and land in Surrey, to Wife for life; Half the Cock and Garland in Coleman St. to brother Richard for life; remainders to R. Burdon. A Middlesex house to keep a priest at Weston to pray for Testator, &c. A Devonshire place, at Lee, to brother John for life, then to nephew William, &c. Spensers place, Devonshire, to nephew Thomas for life, and then to nephew William. Other Devonshire and Somerset property to R. Burdon and wife for their lives, and their son John in tail male. Surrey land to nephew William for life, and then to be sold for Testator's soul. Everchurch*. [Ever Church, or Everach, Somerset, W. of Bruton.—Walker.] land, in Somerset, to nephew John for life, and then for Testator's soul. To Alison Burdon 40 marks as a portion. Priest to pray in Newton for 10 years. A perpetual Chantry in St. Alphage, to be founded out of the Cock in Grub St. Priest of the Charnell to have 2 marks out of the Cow-Head in Chepe. The City Chamberlain and Town-Clerk (Jn. Carpenter) to see to this. Gifts of Mass-Book, Chalice, Cruets, Money, Armour, Beds, Sheets, Pots, Pans, Basins, Cups, a Gold Chain, &c. Wife to have half household goods. Residue of personalty to Brothers, Sisters, and next of kin.]
(Luffenam, lf. 46 back.)
In the*. [? MS. ther] name of god, so be hit, the iiij day of Iuyn̄, the ȝere of oure lord̛ Mlcccc' xxvj, I. Ioℏn Credy, squyer, being in my good mynde, make my testament in the maner suyng. ffirst I bequethe my soule to god almyghty, my maker, to þe blisful Mary, moder of ihesu, and to alle þe company of heuen; my body to be beried in þe chircℏ of seynt Ioℏn Ȝacarie*. [Aldersgate Ward. 'Then is Engaine Lane, or Maiden lane, and at the North-west corner thereof, the Parish Church of Saint Iohn Zacharie, a faire Church' . . .—
Stow's Survey, 1633, p. 321, col. 2. This Church was burnt in the Great Fire of 1666, and not rebuilt.] where my children be beried̛. Also I bequetℏ my wyfe my londes and tenementȝ the whicℏ I haue in Eldmede in þe shire of Surre, and my bachous in Wodestrete in Londen, the terme of her̛ life; And after þe decesse of hire, þat hit Page 74
turne to Richard̛ Burdon̄, skynner, of Londen. Also I wiƚƚ þat Richard, my brother, haue half þe Cok and þe garlond̛ in Colmanstrete, þe terme of his life, and þe Reuersion̄ to Richard̛ Burdon̄, skynner, the terme of his life; and after þat, be sold̛ and do for my soule. Also .I. wille þat my wife haue my place called Childerhous in Middelsex' þe terme of here life, to susteyne a preest in the Chapeƚƚ of Weston̄; And after þe decesse of here, to Richard̛ Quatremayns, and to his heires and assignes, in þe same kynde that sheo hatℏ hit. And ȝef þe preest be not susteyned to pray for me, my wyfe, and alle my freendes, þat hit be sold̛ and do for alle oure soules. Also I wiƚƚ þat Iohn̛ my brother haue my place atte Lee in Deuenshire*. [There are 4 Leighs,—East, West, North, South,—near Colyton in Devonshire.] þe terme of his life; and after þe decesse of him, þat Iohn̛ my godson̄, his sone, haue þe same place þe terme of his life; and after þe decesse of him, þat William, Adam, my brother sone, haue þe same lond, to him and to his heires males of his body laufully begeton̄ for*. [ ? MS. far.] euermore. And ȝef the same William dye withoute issue male of his body laufully begoton̄, þat hit be sold̛ and disposed for my soule and aƚƚ christian̄ soules. Also Spensers place atte Newton̄ in Deuenshire, I wiƚƚ þat Thomas, Adam Credy son̄, þat dwelletℏ witℏ me, haue hit þe terme of his life; And after the decesse of him, þat William his brother haue hit for euer. Also I wiƚƚ þat Richard Burdon̄ and Denys his wife haue my part of þe Maner Enwarle in Deūen*. ['shire' follows, underdotted for omission.] witℏ þe voursone of þe chirche, And also my part of þe maner of Thorn̄coffyn̄ in Somerset, witℏ þe vourson̄ of þe churcℏ, And also my part of þe maner of Morston̄ in Deuenshire, the terme of both here lifes; And after the decesse of hem, þat hit turne to Iohn̄ here sone, and to his heires males. And if it so bee þat he die withoute issue male, I wiƚƚ þat Richard his brother haue hit in fee euer more. Also I wiƚƚ þat William my neuew, William my brother son̄, haue aƚƚ þe lond̛ whicℏ þat Weston̄, Draper, and I purchased in Frankyngham and other places in Surre, terme of his life; and after his decesse, þat hit be solde and disposed for my soule and alle cristen soules. And also I wiƚƚ þat Ioℏn my neuew, Iohn̄
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my brother son̄, haue, whenne it falletℏ, my parte of place in Euerchurcℏ in Somerset, to him and to his heires for euermore. Also I wiƚƚ þat my part of þe maner of Staunton̄ in Somerset, and also alle my londes and [leaf 47] tenementȝ which I haue in Exettur in Deuenshire, þat þey been solde by myn Executours. And also I. woƚƚ þat Alison̄ Burdon̄ haue xl. marc̘ to her̛ mariage. Also I wiƚƚ þat a preest be founde in Newton̄, x ȝere, to pray for my fader and my moder, me, my wyfe, Richard̛ Forster, aƚƚ my kyn & aƚƚ my gode freendis whicℏ I am bounde to, and for aƚƚ christien̄ soules. And þer I woƚƚ þat þer be sette C. marc̘ to pay his wagis. And also .I. woƚƚ þat þere be founde a perpetueƚƚ chaunterie of þe tenement cleped þe Cok in Grubstrete, witℏ cotages annexid þerto, and oþir his appurtinaunce, to finde a perpetuel preest to singe for my soule, my fader soule, my moder soule, and for all christien̄ soules, in þe chircℏ of seint Alpheies*. [St. Alphage Church is situate at the N. W. angle of Aldermanbury, one door opening to London Wall .. and the S. door opens into the garden of SionCollege .. The Church upon its 1st building was dedicated to St. Alphage, who was Archbishop of Canterbury .. was stoned to death by the Danes at Greenwich in the year 1012 .. He is in old Authors called Alfege and Alphy.—
Hatton, New View of London, 1708, i. 113, 114. The Charnel is St. Al.'s dead-house.], atte Auter of our̛ lady seint Marie. Also I woƚƚ þat sir Iohn̄, preest of þe charneƚƚ, haue ij marc̘ out of my part of þe rente called þe cowe heed in Chepe*. [? A shop with the sign of a Cow's Head.]ȝerly, & alle his successours, prestes of þe same charneƚƚ, þat come aftir him, to pray for me Iohn̛ Credy, my wife, my fader, my moder, Richard Forster, and for alle christien soules. Also I woƚƚ þat Ioℏn Biderenden, þe Chamberleyn þat now is, and Iohn̛ Carpynter, comon̄ clerk̘,*. [ This was the famous John Carpenter, the learned town-clerk of the City of London (elected April 20, 1417), the compiler of the Liber Albus, &c. On a bequest of his, the City of London school was afterwards founded. See Thos. Brewer's Life and Times of Carpenter, 1856.—
T. Cooper, Biogr. Dict.
1882, Daily News, Oct. 19, p. 2, col. 7.] and her either successours, haue ȝerly comyng oute of þe same rente, eche of hem, vj. s'. viij d̛, Page 76 to se þat þis prest, and his successours of þe same charneƚƚ, do diligently her̛ deuer, as hem owetℏ to do. Also I woƚƚ þat þe chircℏ of Newton̄ haue my masseboke, my portus,*. [A portable Breviary.] my chaleys, my vestmentȝ, and my cruettis,*. [ Jugs or vessels to hold the wine and the water separately before they were consecrated. The Chalice held them when mixt for consecration, and consecrated.] þat I haue her-Inne. Also I woƚƚ þat Alison̄ my doghter, of Halyweƚƚ*. [The priory of St. John the Baptist, in Bishopsgate, outside the City walls, surrenderd to Henry VIII in 1539. See Stow's Survey, 1633, p. 470, col. 1. In or near the grounds of this, Jas. Burbage's Theatre stood, where Shakspere probably first acted and wrote.] , [haue] x. marc̘ and þe hous, perpetuelly to prey for me, [&] my gret bolle of seluer. Also I bequetℏ to þe stepul werk of seint Alpheies by Crepulgate, x mark; to þe persone, xx s'; to ech of þe prestes, xl. d̛; to þe clerk, xl d̛, to pray for me / Of aƚƚ my meuable godes whicℏ I haue, except my cloþing & harneys, I wol þat my wife haue half̘. Also I woƚƚ þat William my Neuew haue x marc̘, and Aueys my nece, othir x marc̘ to her̛ mariage. Also I woƚƚ þat Ionet my Cosin haue xl s'. Also þat Richard Burdon̄, Skynner, haue x mark̘, a habergeon, a swerd̛ harnesed̛, a wodeknyf*. [? MS. wadeknyf.] harnesed, and a Dagger. Also I woƚƚ þat Alison̄ Burdon̄ his sister, haue a blewe bedde of Tapecery, a peir̛ blankettis, ij peir̛ shetys, & a selour*. [canopy: see p. 36, note 3.] witℏ curteyns of carde. Also I woƚƚ þat Richard Burdon̄, skynner, haue a white bedde witℏ roses, I peir̛ of shetis./ Also þat eche of hem haue a pot and a panne, a basin and *. [MS. and &.] an ewer̛, and ecℏ of hem half a dosen of peutre vesseƚƚ, and either of hem a coupe couered witℏ seluer. Also I woƚƚ þat Richard Quatremains haue my cheyne of gold̛, & my lesse swerd̛ harneised. And þe Residue of aƚƚ my other godis and cateƚƚ, after my dettes paid, I wol þat it be disposid be my executours a-boute my brethren̄ and my sustren̄ and next of my kyn. And I make myn executours, William Frye of Deuenshire, my wife, Iohn̛ Carpinter, comoun clerk̘, & Iohn̄ Spore, ferroure; And I woƚƚ þat ecℏ of hem haue C s'. for her trauaiƚƚ. In witnes of whicℏ þing, to þis my present testament I haue sette my seel. Yeuen atte Londen þe day and þe ȝere a-boue seid.//
Probatum fuit presens testamentum coram Magistro I. Lyndefeld̛, Commissario &c̘, viij die mensis Iunij, Anno domini supradicto; et commissa est administracio bonorum &c̘ Iohanne, Relicte dicti defuncti, & Iohanni Spore, executoribus & c̘, Reseruata potestate &c̘: & xxiiijto mensis Iulij, acquietati fuerunt executores &c &ctee.
