ID: MARG_207

TitleWill of Abraham Fokes of Peldon 1597 D/ABW 15/49
AbstractThe Will of Abraham Fokes [ Foakes ] 14 November1597 transcribed from Essex Record Office D/ABW 15/49

Transcriber Elaine Barker January 2020

Foakes Abraham [Rgr, probably an abbreviation of 'Registered']
1.   In the name of god Amen the xxiiijth day of Novembre in the Fortithe yere of the Reyne of o[ur]
2.   most gracious sov[er]eigne Lady Elizabeth by the grace of god of England Fraunce and Ireland Quene
3.   Defender of the Faith &c[etera]: in the yere of o[ur] Lord god one Thousand five hundred / nynety and seven
4.   I Abraham Fokes of peldon in the County of Essex and Dioces of London yeoman: beinge
5.   sycke in body and yet nevertheles of p[er]fit mynde and memory thankes be to god doe make
6.   this my p[rese]nte testament conteyning my last will in manner and fourme followinge: / First
7.   I comende my sowle into the mercifull hand[es] of almightie god: my Greate Redemer and
8.   Sanctefier: And my bodye to the earth from whence it cam to be buried in decent sepulture
9.   Item I give and bequeath unto the poore people of Peldon twenty shilling[es] of lawfull mony
10.   to be Distributed by the Discretion of myne executors w[ith]in Sixe monthes next after
11.   my decesse: Item I give and bequeath unto margery my wiffe The Tenement I Dwell in
12.   called Hayward[es], w[i]th the yard[es] gardens orchard and other land[es] belonging to yt, and the m[ar]she
13.   or meadowe called Haywardes meadow, two closes called Wodmans and to Croftes w[hic]h I houlde of
14.   the p[ar]sonage of peldon by copie of Courte Rolle / And within frelandes w[i]th a m[ar]she
15.   adioyning to the same called parlett[es] and one Close called olde fielde and my Lande called
16.   Barries lande: all w[hic]h Land[e]s and Tenement[es] are situate Lying and beinge in the p[ar]ish of
17.   peldon in the County of Essex: / to have houlde and enioye the same Tenem[en]t[es] and land[e]s to the
18.   said Margery my wiff and her assignes from the day of my decesse unto the ende and During
19.   her naturall liffe upon condit[i]on that she the said m[ar]gery shall not clayme Recover or have
20.   any third or dower oute of any other my Land[e]s or hereditament[es]: /And after the decesse of
21.   the said M[ar]gery my wiff I will that all & sing[u]ler the said Ten[em]ent[es] Landes & Inheritaunc[es] both
22.   Fre and Copie shall Descend remayne and come unto my sonne Abraham Fokes his heires &
23.   ssignes for ever: Item I give and bequeath unto the said Margery my wiff Twenty Kyne at her
24.   choice to be delivered unto her by myne execut[ou]rs out of my catell: and Twenty Ewes and one
25.   Rame w[ith]in fourtene daies next after my decesse: Item I give and bequeath unto the saide
26.   M[ar]gery my wiffe one Aker of wheate and two Akers of Rye growing upon my grownde at Fingringho
27.   one graye nagge and that w[hi]ch she calleth her owne sorreled Mare: / and all my swyne & poultry
28.   Item I give unto the said M[ar]gery my wiff my Bible and thre semes [Note 1] of wheate, Sixe semes
29.   of otes and all the cheese and buttere that is made before my decesse for her Relief and Mainten[a]nce
30.   after my decesse: Item I give and bequeath all that my Tenement and Land[es] w[i]th the app[ur]tyn[au]nces
31.   called Jeffry Heardes to my sonne Abraham Fokes: to have and to hould the same to him and the heires
32.   of his bodie lawefully begotten forever And for default of suche Issue I will and devise the same
33.   to remayne to Elizabeth Whiting the daughter of my sonne in Lawe Thomas Whitinge and of
34.   my daughter Elizabeth his wiffe: Item I give and bequeathe All that my Tenement and land[es]
35.   called Mathewes Lying in peldon unto my saide sonne Abraham Fokes, to have and to hould the
36.   same unto him and his heires forever upon condic[i]on following that is to say that he the saide
37.   Abraham his heires or Assignes shalle paye unto Elizabeth Ennis the som[m]e of Nyne pound[es] of
38.   lawfull Money of England w[i]thin Twenty and eight daies next after that the said Elizabeth
39.   shall lawfully require the same after she shalbe of her full age of Twenty and one yeres, & she
40.   makinge and deliv[er]ing unto the said Abraham his heires or assignes a sufficient
41.   acquitance of the recept thearof: And f.... upon condicon that he the said Abraham Fokes his
42.   heires or Assignes shalle paye unto my half Brother John pilgrim or to his Assignes yerely during
43.   the naturall liff of the said John pilgrim the som[m]e of thirtene shillinges and Foure pence at
44.   two tearmes of the yere usuall that is to say the Annunciation of our lady and Saint Michaell the
45.   Archangell or w[i]thin Twenty daies next after eyther of the said sev[er]all feaste daies beinge laufully
46.   Demaunded, and the said John pilgrim deliv[er]inge a sufficient acquitaunce for the recept therof
47.   And if it fortune the said Abraham my sonne or his heires or Assignes to mak default
48.   of payment of the said sev[er]all som[m]es that is to say of nyne pound[es] to the said Elizabeth Eannes
49.   and Thirtene shillinges and Foure pence to the said John pilgrim in p[ar]te or in all contrary to the
50.   condic[i]on and forme aforesaid: then I will the said Abraham my sonne & his heires shall tak
51.   no benefit of the same my gift of any said Tenem[e]nt and Land[es] called Mathewes: But then I will
52.   bequeath and devise the said Ten[em]ent and landes called Mathewes shall remayne be
53.   and come unto my sonne in Lawe Thomas Whiting and to his heires forever he the said Thomas
54.   Whiting his heires & assignes paying the said Nyne pound[es] to the said Elizabeth Eanis
55.   her executors or Admi[ni]strators: and also paying to the said John pilgrim or his Assignes
56.   the said Thirtene shillinges and Foure pence yerely during his liff in manner and
57.   forme aforesaid. Item I will and bequeath that myne Executors shall pay or cause to be paid
58.   unto Elizabeth Eannes before named or to her Assignes the som[m]e of Fifty and one poundes of good
59.   and lawefull money of England w[i]thin Twenty and eight daies next after that the said Elizabeth
60.   shall lawefully demaund the same and that she shall deliver A lawfull acquita[u]nce to the
61.   said myne executors for the recept thereof w[hi]ch saide Fifty and one pound[es] I am indetted and
62.   owe unto the said Elizabeth: Item I will and devise that myne executors shall have occupie and
63.   take the p[ro]fit[es] and use my lease or Ferme w[hi]ch I have of the Manno[ur] of Fingringho in the County of
64.   Essex toward[es] the payment of my dett[es] & p[er]formaunce of this my testament together w[i]th my stock of
65.   Cattell and Corne theare from the Day of my decesse to the feast of Saint michaell the
66.   Archangell next ensuing. And from \the/ same Feast of St michaell the Archangell unto the
67.   full end and during the tearme of Sixe whole yeres: the next ensuinge: And after thend
68.   of the said Sixe yeres I will and devise my said lease and resedewe of my tearme of yeres
69.   that they shalbe to name in the same Lease unto my saide sonne Abraham Fokes his executors &
70.   assignes, to have hould and enioy the same for the Rent and under the Coven[au]nt[es] graunt[es] and
71.   provises mentioned in my said Indent[ure] of lease of the same: Item I will and devise that all my
72.   Cart[es] and plowes w[i]th all my Carte and plowe geere shalbe to myne executors. Item I will devise
73.   and give unto my sonne Abraham all that my houshould stuffe Implement[es] & necessaries
74.   as they nowe are and bene standinge in my p[ar]lor w[i]thall the furniture theare w[i]thout any dyminishinge
75.   to be deliv[er]ed in their p[ro]per kinde ymediatly after my decesse: Item I give unto my said sonne Abraham
76.   my two Rack[es] of yron and two greate spitt[es] w[hi]ch are used to be turned[?] withe, one Copper hanging
77.   in the kichin one greate brasse pott one Counter table in my chamber halfe a dozen of my beste
78.   pewter, half a dozen of pewter dishes half a dozen of fruit dishes and all my bookes
79.   except my bible before mentioned: Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth the
80.   wiff of Thomas Whitinge one Fetherbedd in her keaping and all the houshould stuff nowe being of
81.   myne in her house or keapinge. Item I give and bequeath unto the said Margery my wiffe all
82.   the residewe of my necessaries ymplement[es] househould stuffe and furniture of house what
83.   soever and husbandry not before given and bequeathed of what nature qualitie or kinde soever
84.   it be together Also w[i]thal my plate and ready mony unbequeathed and not before given or bequeathed
85.   by this my testament and last will: The residewe of all my good[es] chattel[es] moveables and unmoveables
86.   not bequeathed I give and bequeath to myne executors toward[es] the payment of my dett[es] and p[er]formance
87.   of this my last will and Testament. Item I doe name ordeyne and appointe my saide sonne
88.   Abraham Fokes and my said sonne in Lawe Thomas Whitinge to be myne executors of this my
89.   last will and testament to se the same faithfully p[er]formed as my trust is in the[m]: And I doe by thes p[rese]nt[es]?
90   enounce and adnichilate all other and former willes or Testament[es] by me before the daie of
91.   the date hereof made published and declared In wytness wheareof I have hereunto
92.   sett my hand and Seale at peldon aforesaid the daie and yere first above written:
Sealed published and declared           Abraham Fokes
To be his veary trewe and last will and
Testament in the p[re]sence of the witnesses
whose names here[e] under[?] written
          mei Will[el]mi[?] R[..?] not[ar]ij pu[bli]ci
          By me Robert westbrome xxi
          By me Georg Flingant xxii           probatum fuit hoc testamentum
                    ..................Rob[er]te........Comissio
                    Xxvii die February A[nn]o
                    1597 [Note 2]

Note 1 A seme is an obsolete term of dry measurement, in this case of grain, equivalent to 8 bushels. Originally Anglo-Saxon.
Note 2 The gist of this abbreviated Latin is 'This testament was proved in the presence of [or at the court of] Master Robert Whettell, Commissary, 27th February 1597 [1598] .... '

Published24 November 1597
SourceMersea Museum
IDMARG_207