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Will of Joan Mitchell of Stony Stratford, widow, 1621
National Archives, PROB 11/138/88
In the name of God amen I Johane Michell of Stony Stratford in the Countie of Buckingham widowe beyng sicke of bodye but whole in mynde (thankes be given unto Almightie god) doe make and ordayne this my last will and testament in manner and fourme folowing vizt that is to saye \Imprimis/ I referre my soule into the hands of god the father my maker and to Jesus Christe his deere sonne my Savyoure and Redemer by whose precious death and bloud shedding I trust to be saved and by noe other meanes and my bodie to the earth. Item I give to the mother churche of St. Albanes fyve shillinges. Item I give to the Churche of Winslowe fyve shillinges. Item I give to the poore of Winslowe fortie shillinges to be set fourthe every yere by the Churchwardens of the sayed Towne for the tyme beyng and the use thereof every yere beyng fower shillinges to be bestowed every good frydaye after evening prayer in breade as farre as yt will goe uppon the poore of the sayed towne that have most neede so long as the worlde doth endure. Item I give unto fower poore widowes of the towne where I doe dye yf they can be fownde suche as have ben wyves to one husband a peece eache of them twelve pence a peece and either of them a smocke to carry me to Churche. Item I give to William Poole the Clarke of Winslowe whersoever I dye twoe shillinges sixe pence Item I give to all my godchildren twelve pence a peece. Item I give to my sister Emme Stutsberye my best gowne. Item I give to my servaunt and prentise Thomas Burgis fortie shillinges to be payed to hym by my executors within three quarters of one yere after my decease. Item I give to my sonne Edward Michell tenne poundes to be payed to hym as before. And to his three children twentye shillinges a peece. Item I give to my sonne Nicholas Michell my sonne [sic] thirtie poundes to be payed hym as they before are to be payed. Item I give to my daughter Fraunc(e)s Collins fifteene poundes And to her sonne \sonne[?]/ fyve pounds which is called Richard Collins Item I give to her husband Richard Collines fortie shillinges,. Item I give to the Childe which my sayed daughter doth nowe goe with all be yt sonne or daughter fortie shillinges. Item I give to my daughter Alice Foster tenne shillinges. And to John and Johane Foster theire children twentie shillings a peece to be payed them within halfe a yere after my decease. Item I give to the sayed Frauncis and Alice my daughters each of them a greate Chest. Item I give to my daughter Elizabeth Michell fortie sixe poundes thirteene shillinges fower pence besides her fathers guifte which somme of fortie sixe poundes thirteene shillinges fower pence my will is that
[p.2] my Overseers shall have the disposing thereof to let yt out to her use and behoofe untill she is marryed. Yf she chaunce to departe this worlde before she is marryed Then my will is that yt shall remayne to the Rest of my Children to be equallie devided by my Overseers amongest them. Item I give her a Featherbed a greate Chest a Bolster feathered a Coverlett Rugg a blanckett and allso my Cubberd Table frame, three payer of sheets a Christening sheete one payer of pillowbeeres a Tablecloath halfe a dozen of napkyns one brasse pott a kettle Item I give to my daughter Mary Rawbon a featherbed a greate Chest and twoe payers of sheetes. Item I give to my sonne James Michell Tenne poundes to be payed hym within three quarters of a yere after my decease. It(e)m I give to Johane Michell his daughter twentie poundes to be payed to my Overseers and they to place her and set fourthe the money towards her keeping untill she be able to use her money and not marryed Yf she should chaunce to die before she have the money Then my will is her father shall not have yt but the children of my Executors to have yt. Item I give to my sonne in Lawe Thomas Rawbon tenne poundes. Item I give to Mary Rawbon my daughter twentie poundes to be payed them within three quarters of a yere. Yf yt happen my selfe and my daughter before the money is due to be dead Then my will is that the money shall remayne unto Arthur John and Johane Rawbon theire children and the money to be let and set fourthe by my Overseers to theire \best/ use and commoditie of the sayd Children untill they be of the age of one and twentie yeres and they to be releived with the profit thereof as they or any of them shall have neede. Item I give to Arthur Rawbon sonne of the sayed Thomas sixe pounds thirteene shillinges fower pence. And to Johane John and Mary Rawbon his Children either of them fyve pounds to be payed to them within three quarters of a yere after my decease. Yf they be not of the age of one and twentie yeres, then my will is, then my will is [sic] that theire father or some other of theire freindes shall with the consent of my Overseers shall let yt out for them to theire best advauntage untill they be of that age And then they to yealde accompte unto them and to make payment of all that shalbe found due to them. Yf any of them decease before they have theire portions Then yt to remayne to theire owne mother. Item I give to my Sonne in lawe Thomas Witmell fortie shillinges. Item I give to my \unto my/ [sic] daughter Annys his wife twenty poundes. I give unto Edward Finche her sonne fyve poundes. Item I give Silvester Will(i)am and Johane Wyttmell her children either of them fyve poundes a peece. To be payed them or to theire father or mother within three quarters of a yere after my decease. Yf any of them chaunce to departe this worlde before they have theire portions Then his or theire parte or partes to remayne to my sayed daughter Annis her other Children that be living. Item I give to my sonne in Lawe Richard Collins fortie shillinges. Item I give to Nicholas Davies my Sister Emmes sonne fortie shillinges. Item I give to my Brother William Spooner Tenne poundes to be payed hym within three quarters of a yere after my decease. Item I give to the poore of the parishe of Stony Stratford twentie shillinges to be devided amongest them that have moste neede by the discretion of Edward Michell and Thomas Rawbon. Item I give to the preacher that preaches at my Buryall tenne shillings. Item I give to Richard Robards my servaunt fortie shillinges to be payed hym within one yere after my decease. Item I give unto my sonne Silvester Michell Fiftie poundes in considerac(i)on that I have surrendred unto John Foster my sonne in Lawe and to Alice his wife my daughter and to theire heires my howse orchard and yarde with theire appurt(enan)ces in Winslowe which money my will is that my Executors shall paye to the sayed Silvester or his assign of the first money that my Executors can provide of my goodes. Item I give to Silvester Michell his children John and Elizabeth either of them \of them/ [sic] twentie shillinges. Item I give to my Sonne Edward Michells children namelie Edward Michell Grace Michell and Eliza Michell either of them fortie shillinges. I doe desire Henry Wendover of Winslowe gent William Spooner my Brother and Nicholas Overing the elder of Wynslowe and Peter Hale Edward Penn and Thomas Rawbon to take the paynes to be Overseers of this my will and testament. And I give to either of them twentye shillings a peece for theire
[p.3] paynes And allso I doe and will allowe them all manner of chardges whatsoever they shalbe as in theire travells and or expences that they shall either paye for theire owne chardg(e)s or for any manner of Fees. Item I give to my Sonne Silvester Michell fiftie shillinges. And to my sonne in Lawe Richard Collines fiftie shillinges in Consideracion that they shalbe my Executors unto this my last will and testament. The Rest of all my goods moveables and unmoveables Cattells Chattells (my debts owing me) my Legaceys payd and my Funeralls dischardged I give unto my Children to be equallie devided amongst them by my Overseers share and portion every one alike. In witnesse hereof I have hereunto set to my hand and marke the fourthe day of Julie in the Nyneteenth Yere of the raigne of owre Sovraigne Lord James by the grace of god of England Fraunce and Ireland Kyng Defender of the faithe &c. and of Scotland the Fiftie fower 1622 [=1621].
The marke of Johane Michell. Signed and read in the presence of William Poolle Se(nio)r John Eves Arthur Carne.
Memorandum that before the signing hereof the above Testator Johane Michaell hath given unto Anne Meade her Sister fyve shillinges.
[Probate given at London before William Bird of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 7th August 1621 to Silvester Michell the natural and legitimate son of the deceased and executor named in the will. Power reserved to Richard Collins to be admitted.
Notes
Joan was born in Winslow in 1564, daughter of Nicholas Lunt alias Spooner, smith (d.1591). She married Edward Mitchell (d.1600) who was born in Winslow c.1560 and took the family's bakery business to Stony Stratford. See Mitchell family for more information about their children. Joan must have remained very attached to Winslow despite living in Stony Stratford for half her life. Legacies to the "mother church" of St Albans had died out at the Reformation. The arrangement for four widows to carry her coffin seems to have been very unusual too.