Will of Nicholas Brinsall, shoemaker, 1662

National Archives, PROB/11/309/231

In the name of God Amen
I Nicholas Brinsall of Winslow in the County of Bucks shoomaker
being at present in good health of body and of sound and perfecte
memory prayse to give unto Almighty  god, doe make ordeyne and
declare this my last will and testament in manner and forme following.
That is to say first and principally I commend my soule
unto Almighty god my creator hoping and asuredly trusting through
the merits and mediac(i)on of my dear and only saviour Christ Jesus
to be made partaker of eternal life my body to the earth to be decently
buried And for such worldly goods wherewith it shall please god
to blesse me withall at the time of my decease I give and dispose
thereof as followeth  First concerning my Funerall. I give unto
Mr John Pownall rector of the Parish of Winslow the somme of
tenne shillings for a sermon that I intreate him to preach at my
funerall.  To the poor to be bestowed in bread twenty shillings for
my coffin and to the Clerk as hath bin accustomed to the ringers
to be bestowed upon them tenne shillings  For the entertainment
of those that shall attend my body to the grave twenty shillings
And I give unto my grandchild Jasper Brinsall my blacke Brancht
suite of clothes my suite of blacke broad cloth and my great black
coat which John Robinson made me of a cloake my Bible and my
booke of presidents of myne own writing All other my wearing
apparell I give unto my daughter Anne Nashe to be bestowed
upon her self and \her/ children at her discrec(i)on  All which said goods to
be delivered unto them aforsesaid within one weeke next after my
decease and whereas Richard Hodgkins of Winslow in the County of
Bucks yeoman by Indenture bearing date in and about the eighth
and twentieth daye of September One Thousand Six Hundred and fiftie
Eight did demyse and grant unto me all his parte of the Baylywick
of Winslowe then in the occupac(i)on of Michael Norman w(i)th
obligac(i)ons in twenty pounds for the peaceable inioying of it and for
the pay(men)t of fifteen pounds of lawful English money at severall
payments  And whereas John Deverell the sonne of William
Deverell of Swanbourne in the County of Bucks yeoman as by our
obligac(i)on bearing date in and about the second day of January in the
yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred sixty one is and standeth
obliged and bound unto me in twenty pounds for the true payment
of terme unto me myne attorney executors administrators

[page 2]
or assignes upon demaund of us or any of us  And whereas Richard
Barton and John Barton of Little Horwood in the County of Bucks
yeoman are and standeth jointly and severally bound unto me in &
by one obligac(i)on bearing date in and about the first day of May in the year
of our Lord one thousand six hundred sixty two in the somme of tenne
pounds for the true payment of five pounds of currant English money
unto me my attorney executors administrators or assignes upon demaund
And whereas Henry Smith and John Illinge of Little Horwood in the
Countie of Bucks yeoman are and standeth jointly and severally bound
unto me in the somme of eight pounds as by one obligac(i)on bearing date
the one and twentieth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand
six hundred sixty two for the true payment of fower pounds of cur-
ant English money unto me my attorney executors administrators
or assignes upon demaund And whereas John Illinge of Little Horwood
in the County of Bucks yeoman is and standeth obliged and bound
unto me in the somme of fower pounds for the true payment of forty
shillings of currant English money as by the said obligac(i)on bearing
date the one and thirtieth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand
six hundred sixty two unto me my attorney executors administrators
or assignes upon demaund all which said severall somme and
sommes of money I give and bequeath unto my grandchild Jasper
Brinsall and to Sarah his sister to receave presently after my decease
The said Jasper to have two parts thereof and the said Sarah to have
the third part to be paid unto eyther of them when they come to the age
of one and twenty years if they shall soe long live And if eyther
of them decease before the respective tyme the survivor of them to have
the whole somme and their grandmother with whom they live
to have the considerac(i)on thereof if she soe long live untill they come
to the said age, but if she decease before the said respective tyme that
then the said money towards their maintenance to be ordered by my
Executor and overseers and if eyther of them shall have occasion to use
money to the placing of them in service that then my executors and
overseers to call in soe much money to furnish them not exceeding the
somme of five pounds and to abate it when the [sic] come to age  All which
money to be receaved and paid presently after my decease And whereas
Henry Smith of Little Horwood in the county of Bucks yeoman by
his lease bearing date the first day of March in the year of our Lord
one thousand six hundred fiftie seaven is to pay me money at
several payments as \in/ the said lease is declared during the terme
therein specified And whereas John Snowe and Edward Ingram of
North Marston in the county of Bucks husbandmen are and standeth
joyntly and severally bound unto me \in/ one obligac(i)on bearing date the first
day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred sixtie
one in the somme of tenne pounds for the true payment of six pounds twelve
shillings of currant English money at severall payments And whereas
Phillip Bayly and William Hogson of Winslow are and standeth jointly
and severally bound unto me for the payment of forty shillings upon
demaund  Also Thomas Glenister and John Glenister his brother are and
standeth jointly and severally bound unto me for the payment of fortie
shillings upon demaund  Alsoe Michaell Stoppe of East Cleadon is and standeth
bound unto me in fower pounds for the true payment of fortie shillings
upon demaund  And whereas  Mary Shilbourne of Winslow standeth

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bound unto me in three pounds for the true payment of thirty shillings
upon demaund  all which the said leases  bonds bills and obligac(i)ons doe I give
unto Thomas Kerbie the elder of Winslow shoomaker to his owne proper use
and behoofe to receave presently after my decease condic(i)onally that he shall
pay unto my grandchild George Kerbie the somme of tenne pounds of lawfull
English money when he cometh to the age of one and twenty years if he shall
soe long live  All which said money to be paid and receaved presently after my
decease And whereas John Webster and Dominicke Pleasted of Quinton in
the county of Bucks yeoman are and standeth jointly and severally bound unto me
in our obligac(i)on bearing date\d/ the second day of February one thousand
six hundred sixty one for the true payment of six pounds twelve shillings
at severall payments  And whereas Michael Norman of Winslow aforesaid
Shoomaker is and standeth bound unto me for the true payment of fortie
shillings upon demaund dated the second day of January one thousand
six hundred sixtie one  And whereas John Poores of Middle Claydon in
the county of Bucks carpenter is and standeth bound unto me for the
payment of forty shillings upon demaund dated the second day of January
one thousand six hundred sixtie one all which said severall leases doe I
give unto my daughter Alice Smyth with all my moveable goods whatsoever except
before excepted to have and receave presently after my decease whom I doe make
my full executrix of this my last will and testament dated the seaven
and twentieth day of September in the year of the reign of our Sovereigne
lord Charles the second by the grace of god of England Scotland France
and Ireland king defender of the faith & c the fourteenth one thousand
six hundred sixty two  Item what money soever my executrix cannot receave
she shall not stand lyable for the payment thereof   Item I give unto my
daughter Mary Robinson one shilling Item I give unto my daughter
Anne Nashe one shilling And I doe intreate my loveing friends Benia-
myn Leach and Andrew Stutsbery to be my overseers to see this my
last will and testament to be performed Nicholas Brinsall Witnes here
unto Beniamyn Leach William Whitehall

[Probate at London 26 Nov 1662 to Alice Smyth daughter and executrix.]

Inventory of Nicholas Brinsall, 1662

National Archives PROB 4/2057

A true and perfect Inventary of all and singular the goodes Chattells and debts of Nicholas Brinsall late of Winslow in the County of Bucks Deceased taken and valued the sixteenth day of October Anno Domini 1662 by William Hirte and Mathew Bishop as followeth viz

[The original uses mainly Roman numerals, with zeros]

 
£
s
d
Imprimis money in the house
4
10
6?
Item his wearing Apparrell
5
0
0
Item In bonds and bills
30?
14?
6
Item In desperate debts
2
0
2?
Item some books
0
10
0
 
------------
Summa totalis
43?
15?
2?

[signed] Edm(und) Seare

[Latin] Presented 27 November 1662 by Edmund Seare proxy for the Executrix

Notes

Nicholas was baptised at Winslow on 13? Feb 1576/7, the son of Francis Brinsalle (d.1626). He was therefore 85 when he died. His marriages and children were as follows:

m1: Margaret Pursell, 8 July 1604. She was buried at Winslow 6 March 1605/6

m2: Alice Jakeman, 12 Feb 1607 at Aston Abbots. She was buried at Winslow 18 July 1646

Brancht = branched: adorned with a figured pattern (OED, s.v., 2b)

presidents = precedents. As Nicholas was not a lawyer, presumably it was used in the sense of “an example to be followed” (OED, s.v., 4).

Baylywick: the office of bailiff. Michael Norman was one of the co-lords of the manor 1657-60.

National Archives C5/594/111

A Chancery case is summarised below. Only the complaint survives and we don't know what the outcome was.

14 July 1674. Complainant: Sarah Brinsall of London spinster, grandchild and legatee of Nicholas Brinsall.  Nicholas about 12 years ago had a very good personal estate of goods, plate, gold rings, silver and gold money, arrears of rent, money at interest, pewter, brass, linen, woollen beds, bedding and furniture with hangings and other household stuff and goods, “Debts Statutes Recognizances Bonds Bills and other Writeings & specialties manifesting great summes of money to be due oweing and payable to him”, leases unexpired, messuages, lands, hereditaments and tenements to the value of £2,000 and upwards. 

On 27 May 1672 he made his will and devised several legacies of great value [recites legacies to Sarah and her brother Jasper; list of debts from Richard Hodgkins, John Deverell, Richard Barton and John Barton, Henry Smith and John Elling, John Illing]

Their grandmother, with whom they then lived, to have the consideration thereof until they came of age, but if she died before then, the money to go to their maintenance to be ordered by the executrix and overseers.  If either of them should have occasion to use money “to the placing of them in service” the executrix and overseers to “lay out soe much money to furnish them not exceeding” £5, to be abated when they came of age.

Alice Coates wife of Christopher Coates was appointed executrix by the name of Alice Smith his daughter.  On 26 Nov 1662 she proved the will in the PCC. Sarah and Jasper were presently put out unto service without any charge to the executrix & overseers.  Jasper soon died and Sarah became entitled to his share.  Their grandmother died about the year [blank].  Sarah is now 22 and since her grandfather’s death “Lived in service soe that she hath not put them to one penny Charges”.  She and her friends have often demanded the legacy “laying before them the necessity that she was in & how it might advance her fortune” but they refused to pay any part of the legacy or sue the debtors or yield any account.

Christopher Coates and his wife sometimes pretend they have not received the debts, other times that they have not assets in their hands and Nicholas owed more than he was worth, sometimes that the obligers were insolvent and not able to pay.  Sarah has been informed that the debtors have paid Christopher and Alice.

[signed] Lanc. Johnson

Copyright 15 November, 2022