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Herts RO 2AR166
In the name of god Amen The seconde day of marche the ixth yere of the reign of Kyng Henry the viijth I Thomas Palmer being of whole mynde thanked be god make & ordeign this my testament & last wyll in man(ner) & forme following First I gyve & bequeath my soule unto the blessed Trynyte o(ur) lady saint Mary & all the holy co(m)pany of hevyn and my body to be buryed in the parysse churche of Wynslowe before the image of o(ur) blessed lady in o(ur) lady chapell and for the brekyng of the grounde w(ith)in the same churche I gyve & bequethe toward the repa(ra)cons of the same churche vj s viij d. Item I bequeath to the high ault(er) of Wynslowe for my tithes & oblacions forgoten xij d. Item I bequethe to ev(er)y house of the iiij orders of Fryers w(ith)in the p(re)cincts of London for a trentall of masses tobe said for my soule & all christen soules in ev(er)y of their said churches immediately aft(er) my decesse x s. Item I bequeth to ev(er)y of the pryson houses w(ith)in the p(re)cyncte of London certeyn brede tobe distributed amongs the poer prisoners there in man(ner) & forme folowyng, that is to sey to the p(ri)soners in Newgate five dosen of brede. To the p(ri)soners in Ludgate five dosen of brede. To the prysoners in the kyngs benche three dosen of brede. To the prysoners in the Marescalsye twoo dosen of brede. To the poer prysoners in the Flete one dosen of brede. To the prysoners of ev(er)y of the Countres in London two dosen of brede. Item I bequethe & gyve to ev(er)y of my sonnes in money tobe delyv(er)ed unto them when they shall come unto their full age of xxj yeres ten marks and to my doughter toward her mariage twenty marks tobe delyv(er)ed unto her at the tyme of her mariage. And if it happen any of my said sonnes to dye before they shall come to their full age of xxj yeres or if it happen my doughter to dye before she be maryed that then I wyll that his or her porcion so diyng tobe egally disbributed amongs the other of my children ov(er)lyvyng. Item I bequethe to my Father Walter Palmer a long gown furred w(i)t(h) blake lambe. Item I bequethe to my brother John Palmer a dowblett of chamlett & a cote w(i)t(h) slevys lynyd w(i)t(h) white lynyng & also twenty shepe to be taken as they shall renne out of the folde and furthermore I pardon & forgyve hym all suche detts & dewtes as he shall owe unto me at the tyme of my decesse. Item I bequethe to ev(er)y of my brothers children a shepe and to ev(ery) s(er)vant that I have a shepe to pray for me. Item I bequethe to John Boston all my beddyng & app(ar)ell of my chamber in London & all my boks & other stuff beyng there excepte a coffer bownde w(i)t(h) Iron and all that contente w(i)t(h) in. All the residue of my goods not bequethed my detts payde & legacies p(er)formed I gyve & bequethe to Johane my wyffe & to my syngler good maister Thomas Pygott to order & dispose at their plesur whom I make & ordeyn myne Executors to execute the p(re)mysses requyryng them in the wey of charyte to doo for my soule as they wold I shuld have doon for them as my speciall trust is in them above all other creatures and thus almighty Jh(es)u have m(er)cy upon my soule & all christen soulls amen.
This is the last wyll of me the said Thomas Palmer as touching the ordering & disposicion of my londs & ten(emen)ts. Imprimis I will that Johane my wife have & take thissues & p(ro)fits of my londs & ten(emen)ts in Barkhampsted and Northchurch in the countie of Herts without eny estrepament or wast doyng from the tyme of my dethe unto the tyme that my eldest sonne which then shall be shall come to his full age of xxj yeres and then I will that the same eldest sonne shall entre into the seid londs & t(enem)ents in Barkhampstede & Northchurche and take thissues & p(ro)fites thereof to hym & to his heyres for ev(er) yeldyng & payng yerely to the seid Johane my wyff duryng her lyff iiij marks of lawfull money of Englond tobe paide to her or her assignes at the fests of Pentecost and all seynts by even porcions and for the same rent if it happen tobe behynde unpaid or any part thereof I wyll that my Feffees of the londs aforesaid suffer the seid Johane & her assignes to distreyn in all the seid londs for the seid rent so being behynde and the distresse so taken to reteign tyll she be therof satisfied w(i)t(h) her reasonable costs & damags susteyned by reason of the same and the seid Feffees to doo & suffer tobe doone all thyngs for the recov(er)ee of the seid rent as her Counsell lernyd shall advyse. And as to the ordering of my londs & t(enem)ents in Wynslowe & Swanbourne in the countie of Buk I will that the said Johane my wyff have & take theissues & p(ro)fites therof unto the tyme that the seconde of my sonnes which they shall be in lyffe shall come to his age of xxi yeres and after that he come to his age of xxi yeres of xxi yeres Then I will that he entree in to all the seid londs & t(enem)ents and have & take thissues & p(ro)fites thereof to him & his heyres forev(er) after the custome of the maner yeldyng & payng yerely from then Forth to the seid Johane my wyff during her lyff xiij s iiij d of lawfull money of Englond to be payde to her in maner & forme aforesaid and at lyke days w(i)t(h) lyke penalties for lakke of payment.
[Probate on 19 May 1518 to Joan the executrix with powers reserved to Thomas Pygott]
Notes
Thomas Palmer was the son of Walter Palmer (d.1521), brother of John Palmer (d.1558) and father of Thomas Palmer of Tring (d.1559). He also had sons called Ralph and Roger who were alive in 1558. His lands in Northchurch and Berkhamsted which were inherited by his son Thomas appear to have been acquired by Thomas Palmer in his own right, not through his wife.
Thomas' full legal career can be found in Sir John Baker, The Men of Court 1440 to 1550 (Selden Society Supp.Ser.18, 2012), ii 1191.
Thomas's wife Joan later married Henry Watts. Thomas was given substantial property by his father Walter in 1511, probably a marriage settlement.
Countres: The Counters were debtors’ prisons in London (OED)
chamlett = camlet: costly fabric made from the hair of angora goats
estrepament = estrepement: wasting of lands by a tenant (OED)
John Boston: this is the first reference to him in a Winslow document; his friendship with Thomas Palmer may have led to his marriage to Elizabeth Willows
Thomas Pygott: This must be Thomas Pigott of Whaddon and Doddershall, treasurer of the Inner Temple, counsel to the Duchy of Lancaster, serjeant-at-law (b.c.1460, d.1520; see http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/PIGGOTT/2007-09/1188882689). In 1556, Thomas Palmer’s former lands in Winslow were held by Robert Pigott, gent., probably Thomas Pigott’s son or grandson.