Transcription by Maggie Anderson, checked by Sue Howlett. February 2023

Transcription
1.   In the name of god Amen The last daie of Auguste in the yere of o[u]r lorde
2.   god a Thousand five hundreth fourtie and eight. In the seconde yere of the reigne of o[u]r sov[er]aign
3.   lorde Edwarde the Sixte by the grace of god of Englande Fraunce and Irelande kinge
4.   defender of the faithe and in Earthe of the Churche of Englande and Irelande supreme
5.   hedd I Raffe Brykenhedd of Estmersey gentilman of the dioces of london being of hoole
6.   mynde and p[er]fitte memorie (thankes be unto god) ordayne and make this my p[rese]nt testame[n]t
7.   concernying my last will in maner and forme followinge/ First I bequeathe my soule to
8.   Almightie god & c /And my bodye to be buried where yt shall please god Item I give and
9.   bequeathe to Anne my wyfe the lease of my Ferme callyd Abbott[es] in Layermarney with the
10.   Stocke of Cattall therunto belonging that ys to saye fourtie Kyne a Leaven store and a xj
11.   Ewes with all and singuler com[m]odities proffytt[es] and advauntages therunto belonging to
12.   her and to her yeires Executours and assynes forever / Item I give all my lands leases and
13.   ten[emen]tes w[i]t[h] their appurten[au]nces in Erles Colne to Anne my Wyfe aforesaide for terme of her lyfe/ And after her
14.   deathe to John Newton and Grace his wyf and to theyres (ie the heirs) and assignes of the said Grace/ Item I
15.   give and bequeathe to the saide Anne my wyfe all my freelande with thappurten[au]nc[es] in Erles Colne
16.   for terme of her lyfe. And after her decease the remaynder to the said John Newton and Grace his
17.   wyfe and to theyres (ie the heirs) and assignes of the saide Grace for ever/ Item I give and bequeathe to Robert
18.   Preston and Elizabethe his wife all that my tenement in Colchester w[i]t[h] thappurten[au]nc[es] called the
19.   Boreshedd (Boar's Head Inn?) for term of their lyves and to the longest lyver of them/ And after their decease the Remainder
20.   thereof. I give and bequeathe to Bertilimew Preston and to theyres of his bodie laufully begotten &
21.   for lacke of such issue the Remaynder therof to the heyres of the saide Elizabethe Preston. And yf
22.   the saide Robert and Elizabethe do not kepe the howses in good and sufficent rep[ar]ac[i]ons duringe the
23.   saide terme then I will that myne Executours or the executours of them shall enter into the saide
24.   tenement wf thappurten[au]nc[es] and so kepe the same in their handes and to se the rep[ar]acions donne
25.   Tenant lyke (ie like a good tenant) and the over pluse to the saide Robert and Elizabethe Item I give and bequeathe
26.   to Elizabethe Strutte the wyfe of Roger Strutte Tenne pound[es] to be paide w[i]t[h]in two yeres after my
27.   deathe Item I give and bequeathe to Grace Strutte Margerie Strutte Anne Strutte & Joane
28.   Strutte the foure doughters of the saide Elizabethe and Roger Tenne poundes to eich of theym
29.   when they come to their Ages of xviij yeres the one to be others heyre Also I will that yf it happen
30.   the saide Elizabethe Strutte to have another Childe then I wil yt shalhave Tenne poundes what
31.   soever name yt shall have or be callyd/ And also I wille that myn Executours or thexecutours of
32.   them shall sell my Copieholde landes lyinge in Sowth Peete holden of the Mano[ur] of Petehalle
33.   to the p[er]formance of my will / Item I give and bequeathe to Joanne Bradshawe my kinneswoma[n]
34.   fourtie mark[es] at the daie of her mariage and she to be rulyd after the Counsell of myn Executours
35.   Item I give and bequeathe unto Aubery Veer vi li xiii s iiii d at his age of xxiiij^ti yeres/ Item I give
36.   and bequeathe to the said Anne my wyfe all my freeland[es] lyinge in Peldon with their appurten[au]nc[es]
37.   for terme of her lyfe and after her decease the Remaynder thereof to John Motham and Agnes his
38.   wyfe and to theyres of the saide Agnes Item I give and bequeatheeto William Browne a Cowe
39.   Item I give and bequeathe to Elizabethe Preston a cowe and she to have the beste Item I give
40.   and bequeathe to John Barret my s[er]vante one quarter wages and a Cotecloth Item I give and
41.   bequeath to Robert Gale one quarter wages and a Coteclothe Item I give and bequeathe to
42.   Richard Bayman one quarter wages and a Cotecloth Item I give and bequeathe to Katheryn
43.   Strutte xxs (20 shillings) at the daie of her mariage and a petticote clothe Item I give and bequeathe to
44.   William hoope vj s viij d and to George hoope vj s viij d Item to William browne vj s viij d Item
45.   I give and bequeathe to the poore people of the p[ar]ishe of Erlis Colne twentie shilling[es] Item in
46.   Like maner to Estmersey twentie shillings Item in like maner to merk Tey vi s viii d/ Item
47.   in like maner to --ssinge tenne shilling[es] Item in like man[er] to Peldon vj s viij d Item in like
48.   maner to Westmersey vjs viijd Item in lyke maner to leyrmrney[?] five shilling[es] / Item in
49.   Like maner to moche (ie Great) Wigboroughe five shilling[es] Item I give and bequeathe to my brother R[o]b[er]t
50.   Cammock[es] children that ys to saye Thomas Dorothe Mary and Ann & eche of them Twentie
51.   shilling[es] at the daye of theire mariages eche of them to be others heyre/ Item I give and
52.   bequeathe to Elizabethe Cammocke the wyfe of Robert Cammocke xx s item I give to every
53.   one of my god children xx d Item I give and bequeathe to John mothins[?] wyfe one litell silver
54.   Salte Item to Josoway Newton five shilling[es] /Item to mystres Clare twentie shilling[es]
55.   Item I give and bequeathe to william Jermyn Porter vj s viij d Item I will that myn Executo[ur]s
56.   shall sell the lease of my p[ar]sonage at messinge And also my lease of my ferme at Peldon
57.   called Butlers with stocke of Cattall there that is to saye xxi^ti kyne and fyvescore Ewes to the
58.   p[er]formance of this my present Testament and last will Item I give to the saide Anne my Wyfe
59.   all the ymplement[es] of my house and plate / Item I give and bequeathe to Marion Prentyse xx s
60.   Item I give and bequeathe to S[ur]Thomas Darsy knight (his family were lords of the manor of West Mersea) my best bay gelding/ Item I bequethe
61.   to my saide wyfe two greye gelding[es] and one Colte whiche she will The residue of all my good[es]
62.   and Cattall[es] moveable and unmoveable not given nor bequethed I will shall be at the discretion
63.   of myne Executours or thexecutours of them or Eny of them Whome I do ordeyne and make
64.   John Clare gentilman and Robert Cammocke And they to have for their Labors and paynes
65.   eche of them fyve mark[es] to se this my p[rese]nte testament and Last Will performyd in every condition
66.   According to the confidence and truste that I put in theym Witnes Nicholas Busshe
67.   Mr John Phesmon[?] George hoope and John Andrewes Wryter herof

Probatum fuit huici test[amentu]m Coram d[omi]no Cant' Archie[pisco]pe Apud london xxvo Novembris
Anno d[omi]niMill[es]imo quingentesimo xlviijoJuramento David Clapham no[tarij] pu[blici] procuratoris &c
in huic testamento no[m]inator[is] Ac approbatu[m] et insiuatu[m]. Comissa q[ue] fuit ad[m]inistrac[i]o om[n]i[um] bonorum &c
d[i]c[t]i def[uncti] De bene &c Ac de pleno In[ventario] exhibend[um] Ad s[anc]ta dei Evangelia in debita iuris forma Jurat[ur]

(This testament was proved before the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury at London on 25 November in the year of Our Lord one thousand five hundred and 48 [1548] on the oath of David Clapham, notary public and attorney named in this testament, and approved and adopted. And administration of all goods of the said deceased was granted, to well [adminster etc], and to present a full inventory, sworn on the holy gospel of God in due form of law.)

MARG - Mersea Archive Research Group
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