ID: MARG_259

TitleWill of William Wode [Woode] of West Mersea 1511
AbstractWill of William Wode [Woode] of West Mersea 1 May 1511 transcribed from ERO D/ACR 1/183/21

Transcription by Jill Waters and Jools Hoyle December 2021
There is a translation to Modern English further down the page

Abstract
Will of William Wode of West Mersea, dated 1st May 1511. He declares that he wishes to be buried in the church yard at West Mersea.
He leaves his best sheep to be his fordrove (see Note 2) and the property that he lives in, known as Tybnams, to his wife Margaret for the rest of her life, on condition that she pays his funeral expenses, clears any debts outstanding and provides for his son Harry until he reaches the lawful age to take possession of his own inheritance.
When Margaret dies, Tybnams is to go to Harry. If Harry dies before Margaret, then William wills the property to Rose Taylour (daughter of Harry Taylour) after Margaret's death, with a condition that Rose should pay for prayers to be said for William and for vestments or ornaments to be purchased for the church.
If both Harry and Rose predecease Margaret, then the property is to be sold and the bequests to the church, together with charitable deeds, funded from the proceeds.
A further property called Northend is to be sold, but the use to which these proceeds are to be put is not known, as it appears there may be a second page to this will, which we don't have.

Transcription
Test[amentu]m Will[elm]i Wode de Westm[er]sey
1.   In dei no[min]e Amen the first day of the monyth of Maij the yer[e]
2.   of ou[re] lorde god Ml VC xj I Willia[m] Wode of Westm[er]sey in the countie
3.   of Essex of good & hole mynde dredyng the uncertayn[e] ou[re]
4.   of deth make & orden[e] my laste will & testame[n]t in the man[er]
5.   folowyng First I bequeth my sowle to god almyghti to ou[re]
6.   lady saynt mary & to all the saynt[es] in hevyn my body to be
7.   buryed in the church yarde of westm[er]sey aforsaid Also
8.   y if [Note 1] for my fordrove [Note 2] my best shepe It[e]m I will that Margaret
9.   my wif have my teneme[n]t [Note 3] that y dwelin called Tybnam[es] [Note 4]
10.   w[i]th the p[er]ten[au]nc[es] [Note 5] for the terme of her lif upon this condic[i]on
11.   that she pay honestly all my fun[er]all charges & also pay
12.   all my dett[es] whatsoev[er] they be and Also fy_te [Note 6] harry my
13.   son[ne] alman[er] of necessarys to hym belongyng till he be of
14.   lawfull age to take possession in his herytance And aft[er]
15.   the decese of my saide wif y will that the said harry my
16.   son[ne] have the said tene[men]t w[i]th p[er]ten[au]nc[es] to hym & his heyr[es]
17.   for ev[er]mor[e] And if so be the said harry decese afor[e] the
18.   saide Margaret my wif then I will the said tene[men]t w[i]th
19.   the a p[er]ten[au]nc[es] remayn[e] to Rose Taylo[ur] the daught[er] of harry
20.   Taylo[ur] & to her her[es] for ev[er]mor[e] after the decese of the
21.   the saide Margaret my wif The said Rose paiyng therfor[e]
22.   w[i]thin the space of iiijer [Note 7] yer[es] next ensuyng after the decese
23.   of the said Margaret my wif x marke [Note 8] of lawfull mony
24.   of yngland to an honest prest to celibrate devine s[e]rvice
25.   for my soule & all cristen soules by the space of an hole
26.   yer[e] in the church of westm[er]sey aforsaid And also x marke
27.   to bye a cope [Note 9] or su[m] other ornament to the said church
28.   by the advice of the said p[ar]isshon[er]s And if so be the said
29.   harry & Rose both decese afor[e] the said Margaret my
30.   wif then y will that the said tene[men]t after the decesse of
31.   the said Margaret my wif be sold by myn[e]
32.   executo[ur]s or ther executo[ur]s and therof the said prest fou[n]d
33.   & the said orname[n]t bought aft[er] the forme above said
34.   & the Residue of the mony dissposed in ded[es] of Charyte
35.   w[i]thin the said p[ar]ish by the said executo[r]s Moreov[er] y will
36.   that my ten[emen]t w[i]th the ap[er]ten[au]nc[es] called the Northend [Note 10] besold
37.   videt[e] ~ s[e]c[un]da folia xx [?] sequin' [?] [Note 11]


Note 1 this word may be yif, ie give
Note 2 an animal driven before the corpse at a funeral; a gift to the clergy from the deceased's estate, often in lieu of forgotten/missed tithe payments
Note 3 Land or real property which is held of another by any tenure; a holding
Note 4 a property known as Tybbenhams, aka Denotts, was left to William Wood in the 1501 will of Henry Taillour ( MARG_102_011 ). See also MARG_312_011 , which lists a place name "Tybnams", alias Loves" in West Mersea
Note 5 appurtenances is a term used to cover rights and duties attached to the land-holding, such as grazing rights or the payment of dues to the lord
Note 6 this word isn't clear but may be "fit", meaning furnish or provide
Note 7 four
Note 8 One mark was worth 13s 4d
Note 9 a liturgical vestment, usually a long cape or cloak, open at the front and fastened with a band across the chest
Note 10 A property of this name was also directed to be sold in the 1501 will of Henry Taillour MARG_102_011
Note 11 Latin, possibly "see the second folio 20? following"


Translation to Modern English
Testament of William Woode of West Mersea
1.   In the name of God, Amen, the first day of the month of May in the year
2.   of our lord God 1511, I, William Woode of West Mersea in the county
3.   of Essex, being of sound mind but dreading the uncertain hour
4.   of death, make and ordain my last will and testament in the manner
5.   following: First, I bequeath my soul to God almighty, to our
6.   Lady Saint Mary & to all the saints in heaven; my body to be
7.   buried in the church yard of West Mersea aforesaid. Also
8.   I give for my fordrove my best sheep. Item: I will that Margaret
9.   my wife have my tenement that I dwell in, called Tibbenhams
10.   with its appurtenances for the term of her life, upon this condition:
11.   that she pay honestly all my funeral costs and also pay
12.   all my debts, whatsoever they may be and provide for Harry, my
13.   son, everything that he needs until he reaches
14.   the legal age to take possession of his own inheritance. After
15.   my wife's death, I will that the said Harry, my
16.   son should have the said property with its appurtenances, for him and his heirs
17.   for evermore. and if the said Harry should die before the
18.   said Margaret, my wife, then I will the said property with
19.   its appurtenances should go to Rose Taylor, the daughter of Harry
20.   Taylor, and to her heirs for evermore after the death of the
21.   said Margaret, my wife. The said Rose to pay
22.   within the space of 4 years after the death
23.   of the said Margaret, my wife, 10 marks of lawful money
24.   of England to an honest priest to celebrate divine service
25.   for my soul and for all Christian souls for one whole
26.   year in the church of West Mersea aforesaid, and also 10 marks
27.   to buy a cope or some other ornament for the said church
28.   as advised by the parishioners of the same. And if the said
29.   Harry and Rose both die before the said Margaret, my
30.   wife, then I will that the said property, after the death of
31.   the said Margaret, my wife, be sold by my
32.   executors or their executors and from the proceeds the said priest be found
33.   & the said ornament be bought in the way described above
34.   & the residue of the money used in deeds of charity
35.   within the said parish by the said executours. Moreover, I will
36.   that my property called Northend, with its appurtenances, be sold
37.   see the second folio 20? following

Keywordswood, tibbenhams
SourceMersea Museum
IDMARG_259