1492 Willyam Smyth of Stratford wrote his will on October 29. [1]
In dei nomine Amen the xxix day of October the yere of our Lord Ml CCCClxxxxij
I Willyam Smyth of Stratford in the Dioc' of Norwich in my hole mynde and good Remembrance being make my testament in this manner of wise First I bequeith my soule to allmyghty god and to our blessed Lady Saint Mary and to all the saintes of Heven And my body to be buried in the church of Stratford aforesaid by my father Also I bequeith unto the high Aulter of the same church for my thits forgoten xl s Also I bequeith unto our holy fader the pope of Rome toward the mayntenyng of his warres ageynst the hethen people x li. Also I bequeith to the guylde of the Trinite and to the gulyde of Seint John the Baptiste of Stratford beforeseid to maynteyne wt the preests f__ce xl li to be bestowed vpon bond to the forseid gilds Also I bequeith to the foresais church of Stratford a hole fute of Vestments vnto the value of L marcs Also I will that myn executors fynde an honest prest forto sing Dunne ___ in the foresaid churc of Stratford for my soule and my frendes soules and all xpen soules by the time of v yeres goinyng hym for his h__ aevery yere x m'ce During the said v yeres A;so I bequeith vnto the iij ordres of Fryers in Ippiswich and to the house of friers of Colchestre vnot ech of theym xx s. Also I bequeath to the amending of the high wayes betwixt Colchestre and Stratford aforesaid v marcs and betwixt Stratford and Ippyswych aforesaid v marcs also I bequeith vnto the amending of the high way betwixt my house that I dwell in and Stratford church beforesaid v marcs Also I bequeith vnot the nunnys of Brose ord abbey xl s Also I will that every prest being at my buring day the viith day and the xxx day have at the eche of theyme iiij d And in likewise every clerke ij d and every other man woman and childe j d Also I will have vj powre men bavyng vj gownes of black Also I will the foresaid vj poure men shall duly and truly com to the foresaid church of Stratford aforename gaving masse and saying our Lady Father and ageyne at afre noue saying our Lady sale contynnyng the xxx dayes that they for to have for ther labours every day everch of thryme iiij d Also I will have a grave stone of marble to be laid apon me sone aftre my decess to the value of v marcs Also I bequeth x li for to bey marble for to path with the same Aley that I shall lye in Also I will have a cros of silver and gilt bought vnto the said church of Stratford of the value of xx li Also I bequeith vnto Kateryn my wif my tenement in Erwarton called Brownes wt Marlerys an Sparawkys with C li in pens and penyworthys during her life whether that she be maried or not with this condition that she kepe the said tenements in good Reparacion Also I bequeith vn the said Katryn myn house that I dwell in she keping in the same house her household that ys forto say hir children and myn with cc li in pens and penyworhes and movables vnto the tyme that William my sonne be maried and longre yf they can agre with this condition that she kepe her still a widowe and vever forto be maried And if the said Kateryn my wif hap' tobe maried that than she shall have my place in Erwarton above rehersed wt the C li in pens and penyworthes and she for to be discharged of my place that I dwell in and of the CC li Also and she never forto have a peny therdof nor for to medle no longr as executrix of mynyscring of no manner of the goodes the shich that be longing vnto me. or to myn Also I will that William my sonne shall have my place that I dwell in afore as he be maried wt Gatemannys and Briggfeld to hym and to his heres for to geve and sell for evermore and C lin in pens and peny worthys. Also I bequeith to Robert my yongist sonne aftre the descease of his modre my tnement in Erwarton called Brownys whit Marlerys and Sparwiks to geve and to sell and C li in money the which C li I will that it shall remayn in the handes of my wif she kepeing the child aslonge as she is a widdow and unmaried And if she be maried then I will that the sid C li and the child to be delyverd vnto John Smyth my eldest sonne And he forto have the gylding of the child and the C li vnto the tyme the child be xxti yere of age And than the said Robert to be delyvered by the said John his C li in Redy money for to rule it and guyde it at his own rule and guyding And if the said Robert decess within xx yere of age I will that the saide C li be departed and dyvydet vnto his iij susters that is to say Johann Ann and Jane afore this rehersed Also I bequeith vnto the same Robert my tenement in Langham called Byberys with Londys medowes and woodes therto belonging to geve and to sell Also I bequeith vnto Thomas my sonne my tenement called Clarkes with the home Clos Cokks Crost and the copy cloos with a Roode of medow called Wiwners medow to geve and to sell with C li in pens and penyworthys. Also I will that the said Thomas my sonne shall have his easment for his own occupying of the dyehous with the saide William his brother helping Repayring and fynding for his parte all such thynges as shall longe vnto the Reparions of such an house Also I bequeith unto John my yongest sonne my tenement in Erwarton called Dyperys with all such Landes and medowes as therto belonging as sone as he is xxti yere old with a cloos called Maryelles clos and also a nother cloos called Naylerys Clos Also I geve vnto Also I geve vnto the said John the younger my tenement in Stoke called Hacches with all the landes and medowes therto Longing to geve and to sell and C li in pens and penyworthes Also I will that if Robert my yondest sonne above rehersed die that I will that the foresaid John the yonger shallhave my place in Erwarton called Brownys with the Landes afore rehersed to hym his heres and assignes Also I geve vnto the foresaid Joh thelder my sonne xl li in money with this condition that he dele truly and kendely with his moder and with his brethern and sustren seying every thing of this my last be performed And if he dele not truly and curtynsly with his modre and with his brethren and sustren be the Report of Sir John Golding person of Stratford beforesiad than I will he shall neither have his xl li nor medle no more with none of my goodes above rehersed in no manner of wise but them by my Las will I discharge hym. Also I bequeith unto Johanne myn eldes Doughter C li in pens and penyworthes to be paied at the day of her marriage And if shee hap' never for marie yet I will that she shall have the sail C li within ij yere folowing forto dispose it where as she thynkyth best. And also I will that she have a getherbed a paire of blanketts and ij paire of shetys and a Covering such as the said Katyn my wif thinkyth most honest and mete for hir Also I geve vnto Anny my Dought C li to hir mariage and if she happ' noever to mary yet I will that she shalhave the said C li be than she be xxti yere of age And if she hap' for to dey or she be xxti yere of age I will yet this shall make hill of the said C li to dispose it where she thinkith best Aslo I geve vnto the said Anne a fetherbed with a paire of blanketts ij paire of shets and a couering as the said Kateryn my wif thinketh best and most honest Also I geve to Johanne my yongest doughter C li in money the which C li I will it be in the handes of the said Kteryn my wif and the chyld to gydre vnto the tyme that she be maring worthy yff so be the said kateryn be still a widowe and els she forto be delyvered vnto one of hir brethern with hir C li wher as the foresaid person her godfather thinketh most for hir profite and her advayle ANd if the said Jan hap to dey within xiiij yere of age that than the sadi Thomas and William to everone the said C li brewys theym both in egall portions Also I will that the profittes of the mill the Reparations and the Rentes paid the overplus to go to the fynding of Robert my sonne and of Jane my yongest Daughter beforesadi unto the tyme that they be xvj yere of age and than I will that the said mylles shalbe at the giding and rule of my eldest son John vnto his own vehof for evermore forto geve and to sett sufficiently he for to kepe the Rparation as he shuld do his own Also I will that ther be sprided at my buring day vij day and xxx day L marcs also I bequeith vnto William Femother x li Also I geve vnto Joh Jokys my servent xl s Also I geve vnto Rober Nymylton my servent xl s Also I geve vnto Alsy Kyng my servent xx s Also I geve vnton Ingeberd my servent xx s ALso I geve vnto William childe xl s Also I geve vnto Robert A hoo xl s Also I geve unto Cloe my servent xl s Also I geve unto Leecy xxx s Also I geve unto Thoms Warner xx s Also I geve vnto Meff my ___ xx s Also I geve unto John Slad xx s Also I geve unto ech of my maidyns now being with me x s Also I geve vnto William Dedowe myn old Resset gown with furr and xx s Also I geve unto John Smyth of Aston a shorte gown and x s. Also I geve vnto Agnes Northon x s Also I geve unto Johane Lege x s Also I geve vnto everch of my godsonnys and gsodoughters vj s viij d The Residue of all my goodys more over not geven nor bequethed I geve and bequeth vnto the desposition and distrietion of myn executors that they dispose it fro the helth of my soule and duly and truly so that this my testament and Last will be performed and in all things fulfillid And of this my testament I ordeigne and make the foresaid Sir John Golding Kateryn my wif John Smyth the elder Thomas Smyth and William Smyth my sonnes myn executours to the which Sir Joh Golding I bequeith for his labour v marcs And also I make Sir John Bareface vicar of Dedham supervisor of this my testament and Last will forto se that it be well and truly fulfilled as my trust is in hym And he forto have for his Labour v marcs In witnes wherof to thys my present testament I putte my seale There bering Wittness John Churchawe Robert _raveley John Goodman and John Woodhous Willaim Freman and other yeven the day and yer above said
1492/93 The will of Willyam Smyth was proved on February 6 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. [2]
[1] Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858, [AncestryImage].
[2] Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858, [AncestryImage].