ROGER ELMESLEY, A WAXCHANDLER'S SERVANT, LONDON, 1434.
[To be buried outside the Porch-Door of St. Margaret Pattens, L. Tower St., with his name on his Tomb-stone. Gifts of money and a Torch to the Church. Gifts of Coals, Gown, Hood. To a Godchild, a Feather-bed, Blankets, Sheets, Pillows, Coverlets, Table-cloths, Towels, Napkins, Pewter Dishes and Sawcers, Cups, Silver Spoons, Basins, Candlesticks, eard Brass Pan, Banker, Cushions, Salt-cellar, Beads, Gilt Silver Crucifix, Ring with graspt Hands, Rack for roasting Eggs, Covercles, Table, Jointstools, a Primer to serve God with, and a Coffer. To others, Peacock Flivers (? feathers), Chests, Staff, Towel-roller, Chair, and Sconces. Symkyn Brownyng to look after the Godchild.]
(More, 3 Comy. Court of London, lf. 431 bk.)
In the name of the Fader̛ and the sone & the Holi goost, Amen! At the fest of seynt Nicolas & the translacion̄ of seynt Andrewe, of bothe translacion̄, that is to sei, the ix dai of Maij, the yere of owre lord a thousand̛ iiij hundred & xxxiiij / And the reyn̛ of our̛ lege lord̛ the kyng̛ Harre the sexte of his conquest, the xj yer, I, Roger Page 101Elmesley, seruant sumtyme with Iohn Bokeler̛, wexchaundeler̛ of London, I the foreseyd Roger̛, in good hele of bodi & soule, & in good mynde, as y wiƚƚ answere a-fore god, make my testament in this wise / first y bequethe my soule to god almygti of heuene, & to his blessed moder seynt Mari, & to seynt Katerine, & to seynt Margrete, and to aƚƚ the holi compani of heuene, and my body to be beried vnder the ston with-oute the Dore of the porche,*. [Of St. Margaret Pattens, in Little Tower Street (p. 137), in Billingsgate Ward. (p. 228) one other Lane, called S. Margaret Pattens, because of old time Pattens were usually made and sold: but of later time this is called Roode lane, of a Rood there placed, in the Churchyard of S. Margaret, whilest the old Church was taken downe, and againe new builded; during which time, the oblations made to this Rood, were imployed towards building of the Church.—
Stow's Survey, ed. 1633 A.D.]& my name wreton̄ ther-on̄ when y am ded̛. Also y bequethe to the werkes of the same churche of seynt Marget Patyns, iij s' iiij d̛, to haue my beryyng̛ ther, & the ston fre / Also i bequethe to the hi auter, of offerynges foryeten, xx d̛; Also to the klerk̘ of the forseyd churche, xij d̛ // Alsoo the foreseyd̛ churche, a torcℏ of my terment, for to brenne euery Sondai at the leuacion̄ at the hie masse // Also I bequethe to Iohn Wodrof & Alison his wyf̘, v quarteres of coles; & to Iohn Woderof my beste goune & my beste hod, & the forre in the same goune, if so be that he leue that time; & elles, seƚƚ hit, & do hit for the loue of god̛, & yeue to pore housholders in coles. More-ouer y bequethe to Robert Sharp goddis-child̛, a liteƚƚ fetherbed̛ & ij peire smale shetes, & a peyre of large shetes goode, & a peire *. [MS. a peire a peire.] of blankettes, & ij goode pelewes, on large, & another lasse and feire ybored̛, & a whit couerlit & a red couerlit, & a good bordclotℏ with crosse werk, & another bordclotℏ with mylyngis*. [? millings, like those on the edge of a coin.]at the ton̄ ende, in lenkethe ij ȝerdes; & on halfe large, & I toweƚƚ of parys werk̘, viij yerdes of lenkethe; also too the beste sanapes,*. [Sanape, manutergium, hand-napkin. Nominale, in Hall.'s Gloss.] also a plate of peautre & ij disshes of peautre, & ij sauseres of peautre & ymarked with .R. and̛ .S.; moreouer a litil maser̛ coppe, & I white coppe, & a spone of siluer̛ with-out mark̘, & a liteƚƚ basyn knopped̛, & iij candelstikes of latyn̛, & a litiƚƚ panne of brasse y-ered,*. [With ears or handles.] and a chaufur of bras, & a lytil posnet̘ of bras, & a
Page 102
bankar of blewe & blak̘, & iij quisshonus of the same colour vn-stopped̛; also a feir̛ salt saler of peautre with a feyre knoppe; also a peyre of̘ bedes of siluer with a crucifix of siluer and y-gilt; also a payre bedes of blak̘ gaudys of siluer & gilt, & a ryng̛ ther-on with clippyng̛ of ij handes, siluir & gilt; also a rake of yren̄ forto rost on his eyren, also a litiƚƚ couerkeƚƚ*. [Fr. 'Couvercle: m. A Couer, or Lid.'—Cotgrave. A.D. 1611.] for his coppe ygilt̘; also a whit couerkeƚƚ with roses & flourdeluces / also a litil tabel peynted̛ trestelwise; also a litil Ioyned stoƚƚ for a child, & a nother Ioyned stoƚƚ, large for to sitte on, whanne he cometℏ to mannes state; also a prymmer̛ for to serve god with; aƚƚso a litel cofur to putte in his smale thynges. Also i bequethe the same Robard̛, to Symkyng̛ Brownyng̛, Klerk̘, to goddis woshup & soule hele / And also if the foreseyd Robard̛ die with-ynne age, that the foreseyd̛ [lf. 432] goodes thet he shulde haue, [ben] I-sold̛ & I-yeuen̄ to pore pepeƚƚ in coles, as secoutors wil answere afore god // Moreouer y bequethe William Osberne the fliueres of pecok̘ // more-ouere y bequethe Maut Cokkeman my wyves forcet, & a staf̘ with an handeƚƚ // More-ouer y bequethe my roller for a toweƚƚ to Margery Bokeler̛; Also to Alison̄ Oxyn̛ my chayre, and to Robard Sharpe my peynted chest / Moreouer, sir Ioℏn Russhebrok̘ a skonce*. [A light to hang against the wall.] / an other̛ skonce to Symond̛ Brownyng̛. Here-oppon y make my seketoures, sir Ioℏn Russhebrok̘, chauntre prist of seynt Marget Patens, and Symond Brounyng̛, Clerk̘ of the same churche / I bequethe Iche of hem, for here trauayle, x s'. To this wittenesse thet this testament ys my ful wiƚƚ, Iwreten the dai a-fore seyd̛ that these neyboures wil bere witnesse theropon, thet is to sey / Ioℏn Hardynge, Grocer; William Ferroure, Brewer, and Thomas Colman, Talvchaundeler̛; Thomas Oxyn̛, hosier // And y pray yowe loki thys marke and thys Seeƚƚ, acorde as y Roger wyl answere afore god̛{illustration}
Probatum fuit testamentum supradictum coram Nobis, Iohanne Chichele, in Decretis Bacallario &c̘, xviij die Mensis Maij, Anno domini Miƚƚesimo CCCC tricesimo quinto & c̘ / commissa-que fuit administracio omnium bonorum & [c̘] executoribus superius nominatis & c̘.
