Transcription by Elaine Barker January 2023

Test[amentu]m Joh[ann]is Webbe de Estm[er]sey

Abstract
In this pre-Reformation will, John Webbe of East Mersea commends his soul to Saint Mary and all the company of heaven and expresses a wish to be buried in the churchyard of East Mersea Church. He bequeaths money to the high altar and to Paul's Pardon in London (a medieval churchyard that lay within the precinct of St Paul's). He leaves money to maintain the light to St. Katherine. He makes bequests to the churches of West Mersea, Langenhoe, Brightlingsea and Ardleigh, and to the Grey friars and Cross Friars [Crouched Friars] of Colchester and the friars of Sudbury. He also bequeaths a 'pipe' to East Mersea Church.

He makes a money bequest to Robert his son and his wife, Margaret, is to remain in the house, Arnolds, for life. Following her decease the property will go to his son, John (a minor).

Webbe makes provision should his son John, or indeed, any of his children, die for them to share the property and failing their survival his son Robert is to buy the property.

He bequeaths cows and sheep to his wife, son Robert and daughters Agnes and Alice and a ewe sheep to each of his (unnamed) godchildren.

He leaves his household stuff between his wife, Robert and two daughters.

He calls in a £10 debt owed him by Robert for land called 'Estfyld' and 'Swetmothes'. £1 is to be paid annually to the poor men's box at East Mersea Church for ten years and £10 used for buying a vestment at the end of ten years.

Robert is to inherit two tenements and land called 'Hame' and 'Mylfyld' making payments to his brother, sisters Agnes, Alice and Maud. Robert is also to have 'Maydays' in West Mersea and is to arrange for priests to sing mass for the deceased's soul. Money is also to be used to mend the highway between East Mersea and Colchester.

Webbe requests his son John, observe an 'obit' (a mass of remembrance) annually for his father's soul as long for life and to assign a piece of land to generate money to make the obit permanent.

Webbe makes his wife, Margaret, and his son Robert his executors. Thomas Webbe and Alisander Kyde are appointed supervisors. The witnesses are Alisander Kyde, John Brome, John Myller, John Steete and Thomas Bromhin.

Transcription
In dei no[m]i[n]e amen the viij ti [28th] day of marche the yer of our lorde
god m l v c & x [1510] I John Webbe of Estm[er]sey in the dioce of london
hole of mynde thankyd be almyghti god orden & make this
my p[re]sent testame[n]t conteynyng my last will in man[er]
& forme folowyng First I bequeth my soule to almyghti
god to oure lady saynt mary & to all the holy company
of hevyn & my body to be buried in the churchyard of
mersey afor said It[e]m I bequeth to the hie awte [high altar] of the said
church for my tithes & offryng[es] forgoton & not paide vjs viijd [6s 8d]
It[e]m I bequeth to paulis p[ar]don viijd It[e]m I bequeth to saynt
kateryn light vjd It[e]m I will that my dett[es] be paide to
the church & all other that I owe It[e]m I bequeth to the church
of westm[er]sey vjs viijd It[e]m I bequeth to the church of lang[en]ho
iijs iiijd It[e]m I bequeth to the church of Briklynsey [Brightlingsea] iijs iiijd
And to the church of Ardlegh iijs iiijd It[e]m I bequeth to the
grey Fryers in Colchest[er] xxs Also to the crose Fryers
of the same towne xs and to the Fryers of Sudbury xs
It[e]m I bequeth toward the byying of a pype to the churche
of Estm[er]sey vjs viijd It[e]m I bequeth to Roberd my brother
vjs viijd Also I will that margaret my wif have my
howse called Arnold[es] [Note 1 ] and the lande lying on the North p[ar[te
of the same howse duryng her lif And after her decese y
will it shall remayn to John my sone when he comyth
to lawfull age And if he decese or he com to lawfull
age levyng the saide margaret my wif then y will the
saide howse & lande shall remayn to my doughters then
beyng a life equaly to be devydid among them and if ther
be none a live I will that Robert my son shall bey [buy] it
xxs w[i]t[h] in the p[ri]ce of any other man It[e]m I will that marga
ret my wif shall have xx ti kyne & iiij xx (4 score, i.e. 80) shepe goyng at
bowrs hall to be delyv[er]d to her at Mighilmase next after
my decese It[e]m I bequeth to Agnes my dought[er] vj kyne
& xxti shepe to be delyv[er]d to her in likwise at mighilmase
It[e]m I bequeth to Alis my dought[er] iiij er kyne & xx ti shepe

[Page 2]
to be delyv[er]d at her mariage It[e]m I bequeth to Roberd my
son viij kyne & iij xx shepe It[e]m I bequeth to ev[er]y of godchildern
a shepe called an Ewe It[e]m I will that all myn hostilme[n]tes [furniture]
& stuff of howsolde shalbe dep[ar]ted in iij part[es] that is to
say the onn half to margaret my wif & a quarter to
Roberd my son & the other quarter to Alis & Agnes my
doughters that is to say bras pewt[er] latyn [Note 2] beddyng nappy [Note 3]
pu.hill? [Note 4] w[i]th all other howsold except the maser [Note 5] the doser [Note 6]
Salttrewes [salt troughs] the quern the lede that longeth to the house
It[e]m I will that Roberd my son pay the x li[bre] [£10] that he owth me for
the vj acres land called Estfyld & the iij Acres land called
Swetmothes ev[er]y yer xxs to the box of the church of
Estm[er]sey and at the ende of x yer then I will that myn
executo[ur]s with the councell of the p[ar]ish bey [buy] a vestment
w[i]t[h] the saide x li[bre] Also I will that Roberd my son have my
ten[emen]t & lande called the hame & my ten[emen]t & lande called
mylfyld paying x marke therfor that is to say ....[line crossed out]
....to John my son xxxiijs iiijd to Agnes
my dought[er] xxxiijs To Alis my dought[er] xxxiijs iiijd & to
maude my dought[er] xxxiijs iiijd to be paide at ther mariage[es]
If any of them die or thei be maried the levers to have ther
parte Also I will that Roberd my son have my ten[emen]t and
lande called Maydays liyng in westm[er]sey paying therfor
xx li[bre] that is to say at the Fest of saynt mighill tharcan
gell twelmonth after my decese v marke to a prest to syng
for my soule half a yer And at mighilm\a/se ij yer aft[er] that
other v marke to a prest to syng for me And at mighill
mase ij yer next after that x marke in mendyng of
fouleweys [i.e. foul ways] betwext Estm[er]sey and Colchest[er] Also to John
my son xxxiijs iiijd at the age of xx ti yer & the other v li[bre] I
will he kype myn obet yerly while he levys and that
he a sygne a pece of lande to kype the saide obet p[er]petuall
The residue of my good[es] & catell[es] above not bequethed
I gyve & bequeth to myn executo[ur]s to pay w[i]t[h] my dett[es]
whome I make margaret my wif & Roberd my son and
Thomas Webbe & Alisander Kyde sup[er]visors Thes beyng
witnes Alisander kyde John Brome John myller John
Strete & Thomas Bromham w[i]t[h] other moo

Note 1: Arnoldes: this property appears in the 1562 will of Roose Webbe. [MARG Ref?] She is the widow of John Webbe, who was likely to have been the young son of this John Webbe.
Note 2: latyn/latten = copper alloys such as brass or bronze
Note 3: nappy = probably from the French "nappe" meaning tablecloth. [If there were a cross bar on 'p' this might transcribe as napp[er]y - eg napery (household linen) in OED] 
Note 4: pu.hill = word/meaning not found
Note 5: Masor / mazor: this is a bowl, cup or goblet without a foot, originally made of mazer wood (Maple wood) sometimes ornamented with silver; it could be wholly of metal
Note 6: doser = possibly a version of 'dout/douter' - an implement for snuffing out candles?

MARG - Mersea Archive Research Group
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