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Will of Thomas Fige of Barnard's Inn, gentleman, 1588
National Archives, PROB 11/72/502
In the name of God amen The eighte and twentith daye of Maye a thousand [five] hundred eighty eighte
in the thirtith yeare of the Quenes maiestye that nowe is I Thomas Fige of Barnards Inne in London in the County of Midd(lesex) gent being sick in bodye but wholle in sowle thancks be to Almighty God my maker doe make this my Last will and testament in manner and forme following First I bequeathe my sowle into the hands of Almighty God my savyour and doe trust to be saved by his passion and bloudshedding And my bodye to be buryed in the churche of Winslowe neere unto my parents. Item I give unto Jone Waker the wyfe of John Waker my sister the som(m)e of twenty poundes and twenty pounds to her children (that is to saye) Twenty pounds to her within one yeare next after my decease, and the other twenty pounds to be delivered to her children when they come to the age of one and twenty yeares or at the daye of theire mariages whiche shall first happen. Item I give unto John Waker my brother five pounds a yeare during the terme of the L(ett)res pattents of the Bayliweeke of Winslowe which is graunted by the Quenes Maiestye for the terme of one and twenty yeares Item I give unto the children of Thomas Kerne[?] whoe maryed my sister the som(m)e of twenty pounds and to be paide into the handes of my overseers, and they to putt it to the best use and com(m)oditye they can for the saide children and to paye it unto them equally amongest those that are nowe Living at the date hereof when they shall come to the age of one and twenty yeares or at the daye of theire mariage whiche shall first happen And if it fortune any of the saide children of the saide John Waker or Thomas Kerne to dye before they come to the age before named or to be maryed before the saide daye of payment That they his or theire partes so dying shall remaine to his or theire brethren or sisters that then shalbe Living Item I give unto the childe of Marye Fige my sister the wyfe of John Hyll the som(m)e of twenty pounds whiche som(m)e of twenty pounds I will shalbe delivered to his father within one yeare next after my decease for the behoofe of his childe and he to deliv(er) it to him when the childe cometh to the age of one and twenty yeares or at the daye of his mariage whiche shall first happen Item I give unto Izabell my sister threescore pounds that is to saye thirty pounds that my father Thomas Fige bequeathed her and thirty pounds I give her my selfe and it to be delivered to her at the daye of her mariage or at the age of one and twenty or whiche shall come first And if it fortune that she shoulde dye before the age of one and twenty yeares or before she be maryed That then I will the saide thirty pounds that I have given her be equally devided amonge her other sisters that are then Living Item I give unto Robert Kerbyes children the som(m)e of twenty pounds and it to be devided amongest them equally at the age of one and twenty or at the daye of their mariage whiche shall first happen And if it fortune that any of the saide children doe dye before the saide daye of payment That then his or theire partes so dying shall remaine to his or theire brethren or sisters then living equallly to be devided amongest them. Item I give unto the children of Anthonye Jackson the som(m)e of twenty six pounds thirtene shillings and foure pence to be equally devided amonge them when they come to the age of one and twenty or at the daye of their mariage whiche shall first happen And if it fortune that any of the saide children doe dye before the saide daye of payment That then his or theire partes so dying shall remaine to his or theire brothers or sisters then Living to be equally devided amonge them Item I give unto Mowlde my sister the Wyfe of Anthony Jackson the som(me) of five pounds within one yeare next after my decease Item I give unto Elizabeth Barbe(r) the daughter of John Barber of Hanslope the som(m)e of threescore pounds to be delivered to her within one yeare next after my decease Item I give unto Abimyleck Kerbye the sonne of Robert Kerby and his heires for ever my howse in Owney with thappurten(aun)ces uppon this condic(i)on that he paye to his brother John Kerby the som(m)e of tenne pounds of good and Lawfull money of England And to twoe of his sisters that is to saye Marye Kerbye and Alice Kerbye five pounds apeece of good and Lawfull money of England when they come to the age of one and twenty yeares or at the daye of theire mariages whiche shall first happen Item I give the Lease of my L(ett)res pattents of the Bayliweeke of Winslow unto my brother Peter Fige uppon these condi(i)ons that is that he paye unto my brother in Lawe John Waker John Waker [sic] Five pounds yearely during the Lease of the saide L(ett)res pattents And also that my brother Peter Fige doe permitt and suffer one Anthonye Jackson my brother in Lawe or his assignes quietly to have occupye and enioye my farme in Writtill for the terme of five yeares the saide Anthonye Jackson paying yearely unto my saide brother Peter forty pounds of Lawfull money yearely during the said terme And if it fortune the said Peter my brother will not suffer the said Anthoney Jackson to have the saide Farme in W\r/ittle aforesaid, quietly to him and his assignes during the saide terme That then I will that the saide Anthonye Jackson shall have and enioye the saide Letters patents of the Bayliweeke of Winslowe
[p.2]
whiche was before given to my brother Peter for the saide terme of twenty one yeares The saide Anthony Jackson paying five pounds yearely unto the saide John Waker during the Lease of the saide L(ett)res patents Item I give unto my brother John Waker my litle[?] sorrell nagg whiche I kepte with John Barber of Hanslope Item I give unto John Carter my uncle[?] forty shillings within one moneth after my Decease Item I give unto my Aunte Emerye a starre Riall of golde Item I give unto Myns wyfe of Northm(ar)ston twenty shillings to be delivered to her within one moneth after my decease Item I give unto Bolsis wyfe of Cublington forty shillings to be delivered to her within one moneth after my decease Item I give unto Robsons wyfe of Northmarston twenty shillings to be delivered to her within one moneth after my decease Item I give to my brother John Waker my best suite of fustyan apparrell as hosen and dublet Item I give unto Mr Daunce vycar of Winslowe my best dublett of Bumbaste Item I give to ev(er)ye godchild I have twelve pence apeece within one moneth after my Decease Item I give to a preacher to preache at the time of my Funerall six shillings eighte pence Item I give unto the poore people of the parrishe of Wrytle forty shillings to be distributed amonge them one yeare after my decease Item I give unto the poore people of the parrishe of Winslowe twenty shillings to be distributed amonge them Item I give towards the casting of the fore bell of Winslowe whensoever it be cast twenty shillings Item I give to the poore people of Grandborowe parryshe tenne shillings to be paide presently after my deathe Item I will that my executo(r) shall not suffer at any time any of my overseeers to be at any charge if it shoulde fortune at any time they to take any paynes in and abowte the promisses but allwayes my executor to discharge any thing and he to see them to be allowed for theire charges And I make my sole executor of this my Last will and testament my brother Peter Fige gentleman And I make my overseers Thomas Cowlands gent Edmond Pawmer gent and John Hopper of Grandborowe gent And Anthony Jackson yeoman And I give them for theire paynes taking six shillings and eighte pence These being wittnesses hereunder written
Robert Daunce Clerk Thomas Cowlands m(ar)ke gent John Hull Anthony Jacksons marke John Wakers marke
Debts that I Thomas Fige gent did owe at the howre of my death Item I owe to Thomas Cowland gent nine pounds Item For as muche as there is a certein Accompte to be made betwene the saide Thomas Fige gent and the saide Thomas Cowlands gent to be accompted betwene them as a Debte as by certen writings dothe appeare betwene them bothe Item there is in the hands of one Joane Bolles the wyfe of James Bolles of London the som(m)e of twenty pounds as by a bill obligatory dothe appeare And whereas there is a certein Accompte to be made betwene the saide Joane Bolles and the saide Thomas Fige gent as appeareth in her booke the some of six or seaven pounds And I will that it be allowed owte of the saide debts of twenty poundes And besides she oweth me for a Lute twenty five shillings And I will that she have delivered unto her a Ringe of golde and an angell of golde and a duckett of golde Item I owe unto John Hull my brother Five pounds Item I owe unto one Richard Dixson one of the Clerks of the Pipe Office sixtene pounds thirtene shillings foure pence
Debts owing unto me the saide Thomas Fige gent at the hower of my deathe Item Robert Tomlyns Late of Winslowe as by a Bill obligatory dothe appeare thirty shillings Item Mr Emmory[?] of Danbery in the county of Essex Fifty pounds Item Lewys of Winslowe as by a bill obligatorye dothe appeare three pounds Item Thomas Blankinsopp of Mursley oweth fourtene shillings Item William Finche of Eaton oweth fiftene shillings Item Thomas Bolls of Drayton oweth five poundes Item Richard Higgs of Winslowe oweth tenne shillings Item John Trappes six shillings eighte pence Item Robert Daunce vycar of Winslowe forty shillings Item John Coker[?] of M(ar)son twenty shillings Item my ten(ant)e at Writtle oweth me five pounds Item William Broughton of Cublington tenne shillings Item Mr Raphe Bryan of Barnards ynne oweth me nine shillings
These being witnesses of this my Last will whose names are hereunder written.
Robert Daunce clerk Thomas Cowlands gent John Hull
Anthony Jacksons marke John Wakers m(ar)ke
[Probate at London 8 June 1588 on the oath of Peter Fige, natural and legitimate brother, named executor in the will.]
Notes
Thomas was a lawyer at Barnard's Inn, and also held the office of bailiff ("bailiwick") of the manor of Winslow, which he had apparently sub-let to his brother-in-law John Walker. With a house at Olney and a horse at Hanslope, he had interests across North Bucks, and had also inherited his father's property in Essex. See the Fige family for more information.
starre Riall: A coin depicting the sun, worth 15s (later called spur-royal)
Bumbaste = bombast = cotton (OED)
Danbery = Danbury near Chelmsford