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

RICHARD DIXTON, ESQ., OF SISCETRE, [ Cirencester: it used always to be pronounst 'Ciseter' till the name was printed in Railway Time-tables, and the Ry. Porters had to speak the name as it was spelt, to enable strangers to identify the place. It's 88 miles W. by N. from London.] GLOSTERSHIRE, 1438.

[To be buried at Cirencester. Bequests of Vestments to Trinity Chapel there, and its Priests; also to the Convent at Usk, the Friars of Gloster and Hereford, the Abbots of Tewkesbury, Evesham, Malmesbury, &c.; Gifts of best Horse, Armour, coverd silver Cups, Gold Chain and Bracelet, Money, blue Cloth, furd Gowns, silver Arse-girdle, household Stuff, Horses, Clothing and Bedding, &c.]

(Luffenam, lf. 191 back.)

[lf. 191 back]

Dyxton̄. [In margin.]

In the name of oure Lord Ihesu, Amen̛! The Viij day of August, the yere of the regne of our̛ soueraigne lord kyng̛ Harry the sixte after the conquest, the xvj^e. [1438.] I Richard̛ Dixton̛, squyer, hauyng̛ gode and resonable witte & discrecion, make, ordeyne, and dispose my last testament in this maner̛: Furst, I bequetℏ my sowle vnto god almygℏty, vnto the Blessyd Virgine his moder sainte Marie,

& to aƚƚ the compaigne of heuene, & my body to be buryed witℏyn the new Chapeƚƚ of the Trinite at Siscetre. Item I bequetℏ to the saide chapeƚƚ of Siscetre a clotℏ of Siluer, and a blak clotℏ of Damask [leaf 192] sengiƚƚ, & a gowne of Goldsmythes werk̘, for to make vestimentes & a C gertiers. Item I bequetℏ vnto iij prestes for to synge and pray for me duryng̛ the space of a yere yn the saide chircℏ of Siscetre, xx ƚi. Item I be-quethe vnto the Prioresse & Couent of the House of Vsk, [ Usk, in the co. of Monmouth, 13 miles S.W. from Monmouth, and 144 (W. by N.) from London.—Lewis.] for to pray for me, x markes. Item I be-quetℏ vn to prestes and clerkes for to doo my seruice & exquies, & for almes for poure men̛, xx ƚi. Item I bequetℏ vnto the frere prechours of Gloucestre, for to fynde iij prestes of the same house duryng̛ a yere for to synge for my moder & for me, xx ƚi. Item I bequetℏ to the Grey Freres of Hereford̛ for to doo semblably for my moder and for me, xx ƚi. Item I bequetℏ vnto Maistre Thomas Radnore, x markes. Item I bequetℏ to the Abbot of Teukysbury [Tewkesbury, in Glo'stershire, 10 miles N.N.E. from Gloster, and 103 W.N.W. from London.] an couuered cuppe gilt. Item to the Priour and Couent of the same house, xx ƚi. Item to the Abbot of Siscetre a couered cuppe of siluer gilt. Item to the Priour and Conuent of the same hous, xx ƚi. Item to the Abbot of Euesham [Evesham, in Worcestershire, 13 miles N.E. from Tewkesbury, and 96 N.W. by N. from London. Evves, a swineherd in the service of Egwin, third bishop of Huicca, is said to have seen the Virgin Mary on the spot where the Abbey was built 702—709.—Lewis.] a couuered cuppe of siluer gilt. Item to the Couent of the same hous, xx ƚi. Item to the Priour of Brade-stoke [This priory stood in the Deanery of Malmesbury, co. Wilts. See Bacon's Liber. Regis.] a couuered cuppe of siluer gilt. Item to the Conuent of the same hous, xx ƚi. Item to the Abbot of Malmesbury [Malmesbury, in Wiltshire, 42 miles N. from Salisbury, and 94 W. from London.] a couered cuppe of siluer gilt. Item to the Couent of the same hous, xx ƚi. Item I bequetℏ for my mynde day, xx ƚi. Item I bequetℏ to my Lord of York̘ iij of my best hors, to be chosen̛ either at Vsk̘ or at Wotton̛, [Wotton under Edge (or under Ridge: is situated beneath a range of wellwooded hills) is in Glostershire, 19 miles S.S.W. from Gloster, and 108 W. by N. from London.—Lewis.] x& aƚƚ my armeure. Item I

bequetℏ to Iane Barre a cuppe of siluer couuered̛. Item to Elizabetℏ Mortymer̛ a cuppe of siluer couuered. Item to dame Anneys Leucℏ a cuppe of siluer couuered̛. Item to Elizabetℏ Bowers a cuppe of siluer couuered̛. Item to Agas Flegge a cuppe of siluer couuered̛. Item to Robert Greyndoor, squyer, my Serpe [? Fr. 'Serpe, Serpentine, Serpent, couleuvre; d'où serpentelle petit serpent.' —Roquefort. Hippeau also gives 'Serpe, serpent.'] of siluer and my cheyne of goold̛. Item to Iane Greyndoor̛ his wyf, a couered̛ cuppe of siluer, the wich I was wont to drynk of, and a Bracelet of Gold. Item to the new chapeƚƚ at Siscetre xx ƚi. Item I bequetℏ vnto the Abbot of Lanternam & his monkes, x markes. Item to the Priour of Golcleve [? Goldcliff, a parish in Monmouthshire, 4 1/2 miles S.E. from Newport. A prior and 12 black monks were placed here from the abbey of Bec in Normandy, to which the Church was given, at Henry I's desire, by Robert de Chandos, who founded and endowd it in 1113. 'In 1442, after the suppression of Alien priories, it was made a cell to the abbey of Tewkesbury, and at the Dissolution possessed a revenue of £144 8s. 1d.'—Lewis. Lanternam, co. Monmouth.] & his monkes, xx markes. Item to euerycℏ of my lordes iij chapeleyns xx s'. Item to sir Iohn̛ Trebeƚƚ my confessour, xx markes, to synge for me ij yere in an honest place, where so euer he wooƚƚ, and iiij yerdes of blew clotℏ. Item to the yomen̛ of my lordys chambre, xx ƚi. Item to the officers of my said lord̛ haƚƚ, pantrie, Seler, Boterie & Kechyn̛, xx ƚi. Item to maistre Robert Beaumont a cuppe couuered̛, chased̛ witℏ Rosys, beynge at the Fasterne. [? One of Testator's houses, or my Lord of York's.] Item to my saide lord̛ seruantes of his stable, x mark̘. Item to A Ientiƚƚ woman̛ called Ionet Hawys, xx ƚi. Item to William Reueƚƚ a gowne of Blake, furred witℏ ficheux [See p. 34 abuv, note 3.] beyng̛ at the Fasterne, & xl s'. Item to Iohn̛ Mody a gowne of grene Damaske lyned̛, & a nother gowne of Russet furred witℏ blak, & xl s'. Item to ij prestes for to synge & pray for me yn the chircℏ of Wotton̛ durynge a yere, xx markes. Item to the werk of the saide chircℏ of Wotton̛, x mark̘. Item to the chircℏ of Lydyerd̛ [? Lidiard Millicent, or Lidiard Tregose, near Swindon, Wilts.] x mark̘. Item to Edmond of Cornewayle an ersgerdyƚƚ [Compare Fr. 'Ceincture à crouppière. A belt, arming girdle, or sword girdle of the old fashion.'—1611. Cotgrave.] of siluer. Item to Ioℏn Russeƚƚ, squyer, a gowne of Rede Damaske furred witℏ martrens, &

a cuppe of siluer couuered̛. Item to Thomas Barnaby a cuppe of siluer couuered̛. Item to my seruant Iohn̛ Buelt, vj markes, & I gowne of Russet medley furred witℏ blak. Item to my wyf, aƚƚ my stuff̘ beyng̛ at the Fasterne, except a sangwen̛ gowne furred witℏ martres, and the thyngys aboven̛ rehersed̛. Item my fuƚƚ wyƚƚ & entent is, that the saide Iohn̛ Russeƚƚ haue & reioyce [enjoy.] for euer more aƚƚ the lyuelode that meuetℏ of his moder after her̛ deces. Item aƚƚ myn̛ owne lyuelode to remeyne to my next heires. Item I woƚƚ that Edward Blundeƚƚ, squyer, of Worcestreshire, haue .L. mark, & vj cuppes of syluer, euery cuppe weynge a mark & a half of Troye, for to dispose the same gode for his sone Richard̛ Blundeƚƚ, of whos sowle god haue mercy. Item to Thomas Cleuche [? Clenche.] xl s'. Item to Richard of the Warderobe, xl s'. Item to Iohn̛ of Pantrye vj mark̘. Item to William Wasteƚƚ xl. s'. Item to William Estynton̛ vj mark̘. Item to Watkyn Hardyng̛ vj mark. Item to Hewe Dawesy .vj mark̘. Item to Harry Meyre vj mark̘. Item to Ibex, C s'. Item to Iohn̛ Hewys xl s'. Item to Iohn̛ Danyeƚƚ xl s'. & a litiƚƚ bay hors. Item to Edward xl s'. Item to Iohn̛ of Nokys xl s'. Item to Water Parker̛ xl s. Item to Liteƚƚ Pers xl s'. Item to Elizabetℏ Belliers a scarlet gowne furred witℏ foynes. [ 'Fouinne: f. The Foyne, wood-Martin, or Beech-Martin.'—Cotgrave. 'Marte: f. The beast called a Martin. Martes sabellines . . . Sables.'—ib. See p. 36 abuv, note 6.] Item to Richard of the warderobe, the fourthe best hors that I have. Item to the saide Watkyn̛ Hardyng̛ a gowne of scarlet witℏ slyt slyues y-furred, and my cuttyd [gelded.] hors. Item to the saide William Estynton̄ a scarlet gowne & a hors. Item, aƚƚ my clothynge & werynge harneys and beddynge at Vsk, I woƚƚ that the saide Watkyn̛ and William departe by-twene hem & here felawes, as they seme that goode ys, & that they delyuery to Hew Dausey an hoby & a gowne of grene damaske, and to euery of myn other men̛ an hors, whiles ther ben eny. Item y woƚƚ that my howke [? hooke, huke, hamus. Pr. and Cath.] of siluer [leaf 192, back] be sold̛, and do for my sowle. Item to Iohn̛ Clerk, & Iohn̛ Cook, seruent to the saide Robert Greyndoor̛, xiij s' iiij d. And that this my last wyƚƚ & testament be fullfilled & acomplesshid of aƚƚ my goodys & catelles

not bequethyn ne specefied̛, I make & ordeyne Gyles of Brugge, [Giles Brugge, alias Bruges (i. e. Brydges), of Coberley, now Cubberley, Gloucestershire, 4 miles from Cheltenham, afterwards knighted.—H. Round.] squyer, sir Water Bagge, person̛ of Brynkewortℏ, [Brinkworth, a parish in the hundred of Malmesbury, county of Wilts, 4 1/4 miles (W.N.W.) from Wootton-Basset.—Lewis.] Richard Warneford and William Prelett of Siscetre, my trew and lawfuƚƚ executours; and to euery of hem for her̛ labour x mark̘, to ordeyne and dispose for my sowle yn the best wyse that hem semetℏ to be doon̛ / as they woƚƚ answere be-fore god. In witnesse of wicℏ thyng̛, to this my present testament I haue put to me seale.

Probatum fuit istud testamentum coram Magistro Iohanne Lyndefeld̛, xxjo die mensis Octobris, Anno domini Millesimo ccccmoxxxviijo. Et commissa fuit administracio Willelmo Prelet, executori, &c̘; Reseruata &c̘; ac vicesimo Nouembris tunc proximo sequenti acquietatus [fuit].