Transcription of the will. Transcription, abstract etc by Trevor Hearn (November 2021)

Abstract
George Thornback, yeoman, of West Mersea, Essex
Date of will: 1 November 1617
Date of death: unknown
Date of Probate: unknown

Married to Elizabeth to whom George bequeaths:
Land and property called Suddams for life; should she die before son George reaches the age of 21, then property goes to Elizabeth's brother, William Gyll [Gill], until George attains age of maturity. George inherits Suddams upon attaining the age of 21.

Land and property called Nichols aka Churchmans until daughter Johane [Joanne] attains the age of 18 to whom the property is transferred.

Part of property known as Nickoles [Nichols] aka Chapmans until daughter Elizabeth attains the age of 18 to whom the property is transferred.

Should either or both Joanne or/and Elizabeth should die before the age of 18 then the respective property reverts to daughter Abreas.

Monetary bequests to daughters as follows: Marie [Mary] £10; Abra [Abreas] £10; Elizabeth £5; Johane [Joanne] £5. All to be paid within 4 years of the death of George senior.

Mary and Abreas are also bequeathed £20 each when they respectively attain the age of 18; Joanne and Elizabeth are also bequeathed £5 each when they respectively attain the age of 18.

Various items of furniture and personal property are also bequeathed to all five children and all unbequeathed items pass to the wife, Elizabeth.

Wife Elizabeth is appointed sole executrice.

Will signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of witnesses Thomas Hearne, Robert Elmer alias Tyler, William Wyett and John Ram

Transcription of the will

1   In the name of god Amen the first day of November in the
2   xvth yeare of the Reigne of our soveraine lord James by
3   the grace of god of Inglande Fraunce and Ireland kinge
4   defender of the faith e[t]c and of Scotlande the liti in Anno 1617
5   I George Thornback of Westmersea in the Countie of Essex
6   yeoman, beinge sick in bodie but p[er]fect in minde & memorie
7   thankes be to god therefore, Doe make and ordeine this
8   my last will and Testament in manner & forme followinge
9   first I bequeath my soule into the handes of almighti god
10   and my bodie to be buried where it shall please god to
11   appoynt and for my worldly goods I despose as followeth
12   It[em] I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth my wife all that
13   my Tenement wherein I dwell Called Suddams with
14   all the landes and appurtenances thereunto belonginge
15   lyinge in Westmersea aforesaide, for and dureinge the terme
16   of hir natureall lyfe to that use & purpose that she shall
17   pay my detts bringe up all my Children and also pay and
18   discharge all suche legacies as shalbe given & bequeathed
19   in this my Will provided alwayes and my will is that
20   if the saide Elizabeth my wife doe dep[ar]te this life before
21   suche time as George my sonne shall accomplishe the age
22   of one and twentie yeares <....> that then my will & meaneinge
23   is that my wives brother Willi[a]me Gyll shall have all the
24   forenamed Tenement and landes w[i]th th[e]apurtenances untill
25   my sonne George shall accomplishe th[e]age of one and twentie
26   yeares and he the saide Willi[a]me Gyll to pay suche of my
27   detts & legacies as shall be unpaide at the death of my wife
28   and to bringe up my Children as my wife should have done
29   It[em] I give and bequeath unto George Thornback my sonne
30   all my saide Tenement Caled Suddams w[i]th the landes and
31   apurtenances thereto belonginge to him & his heires after
32   the decease of Elizabeth my wife or at his age of one
33   and twentie yeares if his mother be deade before, provided
34   alwayes and my will is that the saide George my sonne
35   shall paye out of the same the sume of Theirtie poundes of
36   good and lawfull monie of Inglande in manner & forme
37   followinge vi[de]l[i]c[e]t unto Marie Thornback my daughter tenn
38   poundes, unto Abra Thornback my daughter tenn pounds
39   unto Elizabeth my daughter five pounds, and unto Johane
40   my daughter five poundes all of good and lawfull monie of
41   Inglandes to be paide unto everie one of them by the saide
42   George my sonne by his heires or assign[s] w[i]thin fower yeares
43   next after that he or his heires shall cume to the saide Tenem[ent]
44   and landes, provided alwayes and my meaninge is that if
45   he the saide George my sonne or his heires doe refuse and
46   doe not pay the saide sumes of monie unto his <....> sisters
47   in manner and forme aforesaide that then it shalbe lawfull
48   for my saide daughters & everie of them or thwir assign[s] to

Page 2

1   Enter upon the saide Tenement & lands and to take up the <..>
2   profits therof untill they be fully Contented and paide
3   their saide legacies foremerly to them given: It[em] I give
4   and bequeath unto Elizabeth my wife that my house with
5   the yarde Called Nichols ali[a]s Churchmans wherein John Ram and
6   George Parrie now dwelleth untill suche time as Johane
7   my daughter shall come to hir age of Eighten yeares and then
8   the saide house & yarde to remaine to the saide Johan Thornback
9   my daughter and to hir heires for ever, It[em] I give & bequeth
10   unto Elizabeth my wife that my house w[i]th the yarde Caled
11   p[ar]te of Nickoles ali[a]s Chapmans ar new house wherein Richarde
12   Cooke now dwelleth untill suche time as Elizabeth my daughter
13   shall come to hir age of Eighten yeares and then the saide house
14   and yarde to remaine unto the saide Elizabeth Thornback my
15   daughter and to hir heires for ever provided alwayes and
16   my will & meaninge is that if eyther of my foresaide twoe
17   daughters Johane or Elizabeth dye w[i]thout heires of their bodies
18   lawfully begotten then the house & yarde so to them or eyther
19   of them given & so dyinge, shall remaine to Abrea my daughter
20   & to hir heires, It[em] I give and bequeath unto Marie Thornback
21   my daughter the sume of Twentie poundes of good & lawfull
22   monie of Inglande to be paide unto hir at hir age of Eighten
23   yeares by Elizabeth my wife, It[em] I give & bequeath unto
24   Abrea my daughter Twentie poundes of good & lawfull
25   monie of Inglande to be paide unto hir at hir age of
26   Eighten yeares by Elizabeth my wife; It[em] I give and
27   bequeath unto Johane Thornback and to Elizabeth Thornback
28   my daughters to eyther of them five poundes a pece to be
29   paide at their severall ages of Eighten yeares by Elizabeth
30   my wife, provided alwaayes that if anie of my daughters
31   dep[ar]te this life before the receite of their legacies given
32   to them in this my will and to be paide eyther by my wife
33   or by my sonne then the p[ar]te or p[ar]tes of hir or them so dyinge
34   to be equally devided amongste the other of my daughters
35   that shalbe then liveinge, It[em] I give and bequeath unto
36   George Thornback my sonne on[e] longe Joynd Table w[i]th a
37   frame standinge in the haule w[i]th twoo Joynd formes, and
38   one short Table of planke w[i]th a short forme one greate brasse
39   <..> pott one longe spete one pewter basone twoo pewter platers
40   with all the shelves that are nayle fast about the houses all
41   which thinges I will he shall have p[re]sently after the death
42   of my wife, It[em] I give and bequeath unto Maria
43   Thornback my daughter one Joynd Cubborde in the p[ar]lour
44   three pewter platters and one Joynd hutch after the death
45   of Elizabeth my wife. / It[em] I give & bequeath unto Elizabeth
46   Thornback my daughter one Joynd bedsteade in the p[ar]lour
47   w[i]th one fether bed & a fether boulster one payer of blanket[es]
48   one payer of shets one Coverlet one little Joynd hutch
49   and three pewter platters after the decease of my wife

Page 3

1   Item I give and bequeath unto Johane Thornback
2   my daughter one halfe headed bedsteade in the p[ar]lour
3   with one fether bed one fether boulster one payer of
4   blankets one payer of shetes & a Coverlet and three
5   pewter platters and one hutch all after the decease
6   of my wife. It[em] I give and bequeath unto Abrea
7   Thornback my daughter one little brasse pott one
8   pot three pewter platters and one hutch and one
9   little Joynd table in the p[ar]lour. And I ordaine &
10   make Elizabeth my wife sole Executrice of this
11   my last will and testament \and I give to hir the rest of my goods unbequeathed/ to pay my detts & legacies
12   and se[e] my my bodie decently brought to the grounde
13   and my Children brought up and this my will and
14   Testament well & faithfully p[er]formed & kept accord-
15   inge to my true intent and meaninge therein specifyed
16   and for the wittnesinge thereof I have hereunto
17   put my hande and seale the day and yeare first
18   above written

Modern English Translation of the Will

Page 1

In the name of God, Amen. 1st November 1617 in the
15th year of the reign of our sovereign lord James, by
the grace of God, king of England, France and Ireland,
defender of the faith etc, and of Scotland.
I, George Thornback, of West Mersea in the county of Essex,
yeoman, being sick in body but in perfect mind and memory,
thanks be to God for it, do make and ordain this
to be my last will and testament as follows:

First, I bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God
and my body to be buried where it shall please God to
appoint. I dispose of my worldly goods as follows:

I give and bequeath to my wife Elizabeth the
house where I live in West Mersea called "Suddams"
with all the lands belonging to it for the rest of her natural life,
for the use and purpose of paying of my debts, raising my
children and disbursing the legacies contained in this will.
If Elizabeth should die before my son George reaches the age
of 21 then I desire that my brother-in-law William Gill shall
inherit the aforementioned house and lands until
my son George reaches the age of 21. The said William Gill
is to pay the debts and legacies that remain unpaid following
the death of Elizabeth, and to raise my children as my wife
would have done.

I give and bequeath to my son George Thornback, and to his heirs,
the house called "Suddams" together with all the lands belonging to it
after the death of my wife Elizabeth, or upon him reaching the age of 21
should Elizabeth die beforehand, provided always that the said George
shall pay out of such property the sum of £30 as follows:
a) £10 to my daughter Mary Thornback
b) £10 to my daughter Abreas Thornback
c) £5 to my daughter Elizabeth Thornback
d) £5 to my daughter Joanne Thornback
Such payments to be made within 4 years of George, or his heirs,
inheriting the aforesaid property and lands. If George, or his heirs,
refuse to make the payments as detailed above, then my daughters,
or their delegates, shall be lawfully entitled to enter the aforesaid
property and lands and reimburse themselves for such unpaid amounts
from the profits generated by the lands.

I give and bequeath to my wife Elizabeth the house and lands
called "Nichols" (also known as "Churchmans") where John Ram and
George Parrie currently reside as tenants, until my daughter Joanne
shall attain the age of 18 whereupon she, and her heirs, shall inherit
the property for ever.

I give and bequeath to my wife Elizabeth our new house and lands
forming part of "Nichols" (also known as "Chapmans") where Richard
Cook currently resides as tenant, until my daughter Elizabeth shall
attain the age of 18 whereupon she, and her heirs, shall inherit the
said property for ever. PROVIDED always that, if either my two daughters
Joanne or Elizabeth Thornback die without producing heirs then the
house and lands inherited by such daughter dying without issue
shall be transferred to my daughter Abreas, or her heirs.

I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Thornback the sum
of £20 to be paid to her when she shall attain the age of 18 years.

I give and bequeath to my daughter Abreas Thornback the sum
of £20 to be paid to her when she shall attain the age of 18 years.

I give and bequeath to each of my daughters Joanne Thornback and
Elizabeth Thornback the sum of £5 to be paid to them when they each
respectively attain the age of 18 years. PROVIDED always that, should
any of my aforementioned daughters die before they the legacies detailed
above are paid to them by either my wife or my son George, then the
share of the legacy or legacies of the deceased daughter or daughters
shall be equally divided and paid to the surviving daughter or daughters.

I give and bequeath to my son George Thornback one long table and bench
standing in the hall; two benches; one short trestle table and bench; one large
brass pot; one long spit; one pewter basin; two pewter platters; and all
the shelves from all the houses. All property to be received by George
shortly after the death of my wife Elizabeth.

I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Thornback one cupboard in
the parlour; three pewter platters; and one wooden storage box, all
such property to be received shortly after the death of my wife Elizabeth.

I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Thornback one bedstead
in the parlour; one feather bed; a feather bolster; one pair of blankets;
one pair of sheets; one coverlet; one wooden storage box; and three
pewter platters, all such property to be received after the death
of my wife Elizabeth.

I give and bequeath my daughter Joanne Thornback on bedstead
in the parlour; one feather bed; one feather bolster; one pair of blankets;
one pair of sheets; a coverlet; three pewter platters; and one wooden storage
box, all to be delivered after the death of my wife.

I give and bequeath to my daughter Abreas Thornback one small brass pot;
one pot; three pewter platters; one wooden storage box; and a small table
in the parlour.

I appoint my wife Elizabeth to be executrice of this my last will and
testament, leaving her the residue of my unbequeathed goods. She is
to pay my oustanding debts and the legacies contained in this will,
arrange for my internment, raise my children and faithfully perform
the terms of this will.

In witness whereof I have today set my signature and seal on the day
and year above written.

Signed, sealed and confirmed
to be the last will and testament
of George Thornback in our
presence:

MARG - Mersea Archive Research Group
Go to list of transcribed documents