1538-1544 William Knyghte of Holdenby sued the mayor and bailiffs of Northampton in the court of Chancery, . [1]
Knyghte v The Mayor of Northampton.
Plaintiffs: William Knyghte of Holdenby, husbandman.
Defendants: the mayor and bailiffs of Northampton.
Subject: Action by Richard Knyghte and John Estwike on a forged bond for a larger sum than was due from complainant for price of sheep. Certiorari. Northampton.
Date: 1538-1544
1558 William Knyght of Holdenby wrote his will on November 4. [2]
In dei nomine amen the iiijth daie of November in the yere of our lord god m vc lviij I William Knyght in ye parishe of all Saincts in Holdenbie wthin the countie of Northampton husbandman sicke in bodie and whole of mynde and of good perfect remembrance thankes be geven unto almightie god do orden and make this my last will and testament in manor and forme folowinge First I bequethe my sowle unto almightie god & to our blessed ladye Sainct Marie and to all ye holy company of heaven and my bodie to be buried in ye churcheyard of All Saints in Holdenbie aforesaide. I bequethe to ye mother churche of peterboroughe ijd Itm bequethe to ye bells xxd Item bequethe Frannces Knight my sone a cubborde Itm bequeth to Robert Knight my sonne a counter table Itm bequethe to John Knight my sonne a fetherbed and a bolster Itm bequethe to William Knighte my sonne my whole teame of horses and a shode carte with all thinges belonging to the same if the said William be councelled and ruled by my wiffe Agnes Knight, or els the foresaid Wm shall have vj li xiiijs iiijd & goo his waie from his mother and I will yt Robert my sonne shall have the said teame of horses and shode carte with all thinges therto belonging if he wilbe rulid and councelid by my said wiffe or els he to have for his part v li as is abovesaid And than I will yt els foresaid teame and horses with a shode carte and all thinges thyrto belonginge if the said children will not be rulid & councilid by my said wiffe shall remayne to John Knight my sonne and to have the said teame of horses and shode carte with all thinges thereto belonginge And if fortune the saide teame of horses & shode carte with all thinges therto belonginge do not come to him than I will that he shall have v li as is aforesaide for his childes parte. Itm I bequethe to Dorathie my Daughter xli to be delyvdid vnto her at the day of her mariage Itm bequethe to Ales Knight my daughter iiij li to be delyvdid vnto her at the daie of her mariage Itm bequeth to Agnes my daughter iiij li to be delyvdid vnto her at the day of her mariage The Residew of my goodes not gyven nor bequethid I gyve and bequethe to Agnes my wiffe whom I make sole executrix of this my last will & testament and she to bringe me honestley to ye grownde & to paie my detts and legacs as my truste is in her Also I make Edmonde Horne and John Knight my oversears of this my last will and testament And thei to have for theire paynes takinge ijs a pece and thei to se this my last will performed & kept these beinge withnesses Nicholas Smythe and Thomas Molton with other mooe.
1559 The will of William Knyght was proved on March 9 in the Archdeaconry Court of Northamptonshire. [3]
1560 Agnes Knyght of Holdenby wrote her will on July 29. [4]
In the name of God amen the xxviiij day of July in the yere of our lord god 1560 I Agnes Knyght of Holmebie in the countie of North'ton sicke in body & perfect in remembrance make this my last will and testament in manor and forme Folowynge fyrst I Bequeth my soule vnto the hands of almightie god and my body to be Buryed in the church yard of Holmebie Item I give to the mother church of Peterborowe ijd Item I Bequeth to Dorothye Knyght a pootte a posnet & ij Brasse pannes iij pewter platters and iij pewter Dishes iij sawcers of the newest the beest candelsticke iij pewter poringers, a materes a bolster and x payre of shets & one ode shete ij blankets ij hillings, a cubberd, a coffer, ij borde clothes iij towells iij pelewbeares a cheare, a tubbe, a paille a Rounde Kymnell, xv ewes and v lambes, ij myltches kyne a heifer of ij yeres olde, a yerelinge. Item I Bequeth to my daughter Alis viij payre of shetts & one ode shete ij towels ij pelowbeares a flaxe borde clothe, a matteris a bolster & ix pece of pewter, ij blanket, grene couerlitt, a brasse _ pan, a Read cowe & a Red Calfe and x sheepe and the said alis to receve at the day of he maryage xls of her iij brethern to be geven her of them in Equall portons. Item I Bequeth to Frances the teame of horses and a carte & carte geares plowe and plow geares Item I Bequeth to my iij sones Francis Robt and John Knyght all the Residewe of my goods to be devyded amongest them in equall porcons and to have there mothers bequest at xvj yeres old to there owne use & those iiij children ij of them to be kept wth uncle John Knyght & the other ij to be kepte wth thiere brother in lawe Richard Lucke I Bequeth to Edmonde Horne a browne heifer & a Russet I geve to John Knight a wolstid dubblit I bequeth to John Ifyld a fusstyan Dubblet & a Russet Jerkyn I bequeth to Richard Lucke ij lands of barly I do ordayne and put to be true and lawfull executors John Knyght of Holmebie & Richard Lucke of Molton and I do make Edmunde Horne Henry Palmer & Nicolas my oversears of this my last will and Testament.
1560 The will of Agnes Knyght was proved on September 26 in the Archdeaconry Court of Northamptonshire. [5]
Research Notes:
Agnes Knyght refers to Alice but not Dorothy as "my daughter" in her will, suggesting the possibility that Dorothy's mother was a previous wife of William Knight. The will also suggests that Alice and the three sons Francis, Robert, and John were under age 16, but that Dorothy was age 16 or older. Daughter Agnes, mentioned last among the daughters in their father's will, is not mentioned by in the will of widow Agnes, suggesting that Agnes had died. Son William is not mentioned by Agnes suggesting that he may have died or have come of age and received his portion. Perhaps the children's brother-in-law Richard Lucke was a son of Agnes by a previous marriage.
A Richard Luke of Moulton wrote his will on January 4, 1565/66 but did not mention the Knight children. [6]
Testamentum Richi Luke de Moulton def. anno dni 1566
In the name of god Amen anno Dni 1565 the iiijth daye of Januarie I Richard Luke of Molton husbandman being sik in body and hole in mynd make this my Last will and testament in manner and form folowing first I begueth my soule to Almighti god my maker and redeemer and my body to be buried in the church yard of Molton Itm I bequeth to Henry my son vjli xiijs iiijd and showed carte the price xls and brasse pott wth Long feete a paire of shetes Itm I bequeth to Ales my daughter iiijli the best brasse panne and brasse pott vj peces of pewter ij peire of shetes and ___ & __ering one cowe and a heivar Itm I bequeth to Ales Fuller one Weining clafe Itm I bequeth to Emme Dunkley one Towell Itm I bequeth to Anne Dunkley one platter Itm I bequeth to Ales Fuller one platter Item I will that Henry Luke my brother shall have my shepe so that he shall paye for them xxxli that my wife shall pay to Thomas Gibson Itm I bequeth to John crawley a poke of corn It I bequeth to John Caudell a poke of corne Itm I bequeth to Isabell King a poke of corne Itm I bequeth to mother goodman a poke of corne Itme I bequeth to Niclas wiss(?) a poke of corne Itm I bequeth to the bells xxd Also I will that my children shallbe one anothers heire and that they shall have there stokes deliuered at the ages of xvj yeares The rest of my goods unbequethed my detts paide my body honestly brought to the ground I give to Dorothie my wife whome I make my full executrix Also I will that Thomas Luke thelder and Henry Luke my brother shalbe my supervisors of the my Last will witnesses Thomas Lucke thelder John Fuller Henry Lucke Thomas Darie & John __les wth others (probate date not stated, but based on heading, during 1566)
Possibly, Richard Luke's wife Dorothie was the daughter of the William Knyght who wrote his will in 1558, and thus not the Dorothee Knight who married Richard Clark in 1659.
[1] The National Archives of the United Kingdom Catalog, C 1/1018/31, Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Early Proceedings, Richard II to Philip and Mary, [UKNationalArchives].
[2] Church of England, Archdeaconry of Northampton Court, Register copy wills, v. Q, 1558-1559, 1559-1562, FHL film 187585, fol. 114d-115f, [FHLCatalog], [FamilySearchImage].
[3] Church of England, Archdeaconry of Northampton Court, Register copy wills, v. Q, 1558-1559, 1559-1562, FHL film 187585, fol. 114d-115f, [FHLCatalog], [FamilySearchImage].
[4] Church of England, Archdeaconry of Northampton Court, Register copy wills, v. P, 1560-1566, FHL film 187584, fol. 78f, [FHLCatalog], [FamilySearchImage].
[5] Church of England, Archdeaconry of Northampton Court, Register copy wills, v. P, 1560-1566, FHL film 187584, fol. 78d, [FHLCatalog], [FamilySearchImage].
[6] Church of England, Archdeaconry of Northampton Court, Register copy wills, v. P, 1560-1566, FHL film 187584, fol. 120, [FHLCatalog], [FamilySearchImage].