Will of Richard Wyllowes, 1532

Herts RO 2AR220

In the name of god Amen The yere of o(ur) lord god MCxxxij the xxvjth day of septe(m)br(e) I Richard Wyllows of hoole memory thankyd be god make my last wyll in this man(ner) folowyng First I bequeth my soule to Almyghty god to o(ur) blessed lady & to all the holy company of hevyn and my body to be buryed in the church of saint laurence of Wynslow And for my burying in the myddell space in the body of the church before the Crucyfyx I wyll leyenen [or beyenen] x s It(e)m to the shryne of Saint Alban vj s viij d. It(e)m to the high autur for tythes forgotten iij s iiij d. It(e)m to bye an hersecloth w(ith)all x s. It(e)m to Richard Elyatt my daughters son vj s viij d. It(e)m to John Bostons chyldren ev(er)y oon of them vj s viij d. It(e)m to M(ar)gery Dey & to Margarett her syst(er) eche of them vj s viij d The Residue of all my goods not bequethed (my detts and legacies payde & p(er)formed) I gyve & Bequethe to Johan my wyff whom I make myn Executrice to dispose them as she shall thynke best for the welth of my soule & all cristen soules These be wytnes Richard Stratton priest (and) maist(er) Henry Watts

[Latin] Approbatum fuit prius testamentum per dompnum Thomam Kyngesbury Archdiaconum &c tercio die Januarii anno domini secundum cursum & computacionem ecclesie Anglicane m^o quingentesimo xxxij^o Commissaque fuit administratio &c Executrici &c

[translation] The previous will was proved by master Thomas Kyngesbury Archdeacon etc. on 3 January in the year according to the course and computation of the Anglican church 1532, and administration was entrusted, etc., to the executrix, etc.

Will of Joan Wyllowes, 1538

Herts RO 3AR8 & 4AR14 (two copies)

In dei nomine amen anno domini mvcxxxvij^o xj^o die mensis Junii I Joh(an)na Wyllows of hole mynd & memory mak my last wyll in this maner folowynge fyrst I bequeth my soule to Almyghty god to o(ur) lady seynt Mary & to all the Co(m)peny in hevyn & my body to be buryed in the church yard of Wynslowe Item to every Aulter in the church of Wynslow xij d Item to the torches xij d Item to the bells xvj d Item to the Rode lyghts xvj d Item to John Spurre the lesse of the malt myll w(i)th all the app(ur)tenanc(es) Item to the seyd John a fetherbed w(i)th all the app(ur)tenanc(es) the best brass pott & the best panne a basyng with v pecs of the best pewter Item to Wyllyam Spurr a fetherbed w(i)th all the app(ur)tenanc(es) my second best brass pott my second best panne w(i)th v pecs of pewter & a basyn Item to Thomas Spurr a fetherbed w(i)th all the app(ur)tenanc(es) a brass pott & a basyn Item to (Christ)ofer Spurr the featherbed in my chamber w(i)th all the appurtenances vj pecs of pewter & a basyn a pott & a q(uar)ter of malt Item to M(ar)gery Spurr a fetherbed w(i)th all the app(ur)tenances vj pecs of pewter a pott a basyn a ca(n)dellstyck a heyffer my best gyrdell & my best bedis Item to M(ar)gery Wyndelborowe ~~a payre of shetts~~ my best kyrtle Item to M(ar)grett Pakett my second gowne & a kercheff Item to Joh(an)na Bunberdue a peyre of shetts & a smok & a petycott Item to Syble More my black kyrtyll my best aprone & a kercheff Item to my godson George Boston a basyn & a ca(n)dylstyck Item to Joh(ann)a Atkyns a smock & an aprone. Item to Maryon Lane[?] a(n) aprone & a smock Item to Joh(an)na Boston a peyre of shets & a kercheff The Resydewe of all my goods my detts payd & this my Wyll fulfyllyd I gyve & bequethe to John Spurre my son whom I make myne executor & Mr Henry Watts sup(er)visor of this my last wyll havyng for his payne vj s viij d Hijs testibus Johanne Palmer Richardo Edmundis Thoma Sponer Johanne Wendleborow cum alijs.

[Latin] Thomas Kyngysbury &c honeste mulieri ~~Johanne~~ Marione Spurr de Wynslow nostre iurisdictionis exe[..] p(ar)t’ [?] vidue salutem &c Johanna Wyllows vidua de Wynslowe predicta defuncta dum vixit suum reddidit testamentum in quo quidem testamento ordinavit & fecit Johanemm Spurr maritum tuum [deletion] \executorem/ ipsius tamen Johannes ante approbacionem dicti testamenti diem suum clausit extremum. Nos vero volentes ut bona & debita dicte Johanne defuncte bene & fideliter administrentur ac in proprios usus ad anime sue salutem convertantur ad administrand’ omnia bona &c debita huiusmodi ac debite & fideliter disponend’ de eisdem necnon debita quecumque dicte defuncte petend’ colligend’ servand’ & recipiend’ que ad eandem mortis[?] sue tempore pertinebant[?] in quorumcumque manibus existant ac ad solvend’ es alienum in quo eadem defuncta mortis sue tempore exstitit obligata atque ad perimplend’ ipsius defuncte testamentum sive ultimam voluntatem presentibus annex’ quatenus bona & debita sua huiusmodi ad hoc se extendant. Tibi de cui(us?) fidelitat’ in hac parte confiden’ primitus ad sancta dei evangelia iurat’ de pleno & fideli inventario omnium & singulorum bonorum & debitorum dicte defuncte conficiend’ ac nobis & officio nostro citra festum sancti michaelis prox’ futurum post dat’ presentium vel in ipsa die si petatur exibend’ necnon de pleno & vero compoto calculo sive racionis in ea parte reddend’ plenam tenore presentium committimus potestatem teque administratricem bonorum & debitorum huiusmodi deputamus ordinamus & constituimus per presentes sigillo officii nostri sigillat’
dat’ in mon(asterio?) nostro predicto iiij^to die mensis Junij anno domini 1538

[translation] Thomas Kyngysbury etc. to the honest woman ~~Joan~~ Marion Spurr of Wynslow of our jurisdiction, widow, greetings. Joan Wyllows widow of Wynslowe aforesaid deceased while she lived rendered her will, in which will she ordained John Spurr your husband her executor. However, John died before the proving of the said will. We in fact, wishing that the goods and debts of the said Joan deceased should be well and faithfully administered and put to proper uses for the salvation of her soul, to administer all these goods and debts and duly and faithfully dispose of the same, and also to seek, collect, save and recover whatever debts pertained to the said deceased at the time of her death, whoever’s hands they are in, and to pay the money owed by the same deceased at the time of her death, and to fulfill the deceased’s will or last wishes annexed to the present documents, as far as these goods and debts of hers suffice, to you, whose fidelity in this matter we trust, having first been sworn on God’s holy gospels about making a full and faithful inventory of all and singular the goods and debts of the said deceased, and to present it to us and our office before next Michaelmas after the date of the present documents or on that very day if it is sought, and also to render a full and true account or reckoning in that matter, we grant full power by tenor of the present documents, and we depute, ordain and appoint you administratrix of these goods and debts through the present documents sealed with our seal. Given at our monastery aforesaid on 4 June 1538

Notes

Richard and Joan both had children from previous marriages. Richard was predeceased by his daughter Elizabeth, wife of John Boston, and apparently by another daughter who married into the Eliot family. Joan's son John Spurr died soon after her, and his will was proved at St Albans in 1538. The other Spurrs mentioned in her will were presumably her children or grandchildren; Christopher was John's son.

Richard seems to have been bailiff of Winslow when he witnessed the will of Walter Palmer in 1521. He had the most valuable goods of anyone in Winslow according to the Certificate of Musters, 1522.

Richard's death led to a case in Chancery between Joan and her stepson-in-law John Boston, in which she claimed that he had taken £100 in gold coins from Richard. John Boston claimed to be the executor of Richard's will, suggesting that there was some dispute about whether the above will was genuine. See Willous v Boston (1533-8).