Musings and Tangents on a Lease of 1630

 

After a little bit of a hiatus due to life, The Writ and Record is back. This time is covering a lease from 1629/30. This is outside the offical boundary for SCA period, but is in what, for heraldry purposes, is called the grey period. This means late period names can be documentented for registration in the period 1600-1650. The reasoning behind this is that a lot of people mentioned will actually have been born in period, and hence part of the period naming pool, and for the rest, that names  do not generally appear out of nowhere, and would have had some earlier precedent. That assumption that wouldn’t be applicable today. The same assumption in England can be applied to most aspects of life in England until we hit the big disconnect caused by Charles I’s increasing absolutism and the resulting Civil War.

A lease can appear to be, and in many cases are, quite dry documents, but they still provide a useful insight to explore the time and place in which they are written. They can illustrate some of the norms of the time, and period documents can connect you to the people of the time more intimately than the necessarily aggregate impressions that books on the period give.

Having said that, the contemporary scribe apparently subscribed to the dryness of the document. As it goes on, you can see areas where the handwriting visibly deteriorates before recovering. This used to happen to me when I got bored and started rushing. You can see why after the umpteenth repetition of the Executors Admisintrators and Assignes. Unfortunately, in one spot it goes so wonky, I can’t make out exactly why a hedge was to be removed.

Dates

So let’s start with the dating of the document: “made the Nyne & Twentith Daye of January in the ffithe yeare of the Raigne of our Sou[er]aigne Lord Charles by the grace of god king of England Scotland ffrannce & Ireland defender of the faith &c”

The first thing to note is there is no standardized date: nowhere does the document state the date in terms of Anno Domini. Whilst thos practice does exist, and is something we are completely used to, for most of period, in most places, the date will be described as the regnal year of the sovereign. The AD sustem was first used in the 7^th century and received limited ecclesiastical use in the centuries following. It started become more popular and spreading into secular documents from about the 13^th century. Whilst it is often described as the dominant system by the period of this document, it is certainlty not uncommon to find it omitted entirely, even in official state mandated records such as the parish registers. I suspect today very few of us could, without thinking, give our current date in terms of the regnal year of Charles III, and it isn’t really a system that would work within the SCA given that most reigns last less than a year.

But we can convert the year, and this would give us a date of 29^th Jamiary 1629/30 in modern terms, and the year 1629 in period terms. So what gives? Something that it is easy to overlook, and often gets standardized into the background in books, is that New Year’s day at this time was Lady Day, 25^th March.

This practice endured until 1752, although you can see increasing recognition of the 1^st January in records, even to them using the double year. When reading records of the time, it is important to remember that January, Febuary, and all but the runp if March actually occur after December in a given year. Oddly though, Lady Day was not a long standing tradition, only coming into use during the 12^th century.

Thus for the people in these final centuries of our period, Christmas did not herald the coming of the new year. It also leads to an interesting tangent about the end of the Tudor dynasty, as for her subjects, Elizabeth I died on 24^th March 1602, New Year’s Eve, something that would be far more portentious than we might think.

Another name for Lady Day is the Feast of the Annunciation, and this feast is referred to in the lease as one of the two days that the rent is due. So one lot of rent wasn’t just due on an important feast day, it was due on New Year’s Day, the start of the year.

The second date mentioned for the rent is that of St. Michael the Archangel, more commonly known as Michaelmas. This is the 29^th September, and falls all but 6 months after Lady Day.

Names

The first names in the document are not particularly notable. We have Charles, John, George, Johane, Thomas, Robert, and David.

The surnames provide a little more interest, being Malet, Beare alias Brembl{e}combe, Melhinshe, Badon, Wilkyns, Davyes, Farll, and Avery.

The Malets were a very prominent family in Somerset, and other counties, with the original Norman landholder, William, being part of the Norman Conquest. They were so influential that their name survives today in village names such as Curry Mallet and Shepton Mallet, and in earlier times Enmore Malet, modernly and in the documents, just Enmore (spelt Enmere here).

We also see the use of the term alias, something that is uncommon but still surprisingly frequent at the time. I’ve seen it quite a bit in Somerset, but that may be an artifact of the fact I’ve looked at Somerset a lot, rather than being something peculiarly common there. When used it can help make people more identifiable, which is useful when they have a common first name, but it also means they can appear in the records by either name alone. In this case the scribe initially got the alternative surname wrong, probably disacovering the mistake when the document was signed, and has inconsistently gone back and annotated some instances for correction.

Four parishes are mentioned, Charlnich (Charlinch), Spaxton, Enmere (Enmore), which create a little crescent of connected parishes, and Pitmister (Pitminster) a dozen miles south of Enmore. All are in Somerset. According to Google Maps, you can walk between Charlinch and Enmore, with the quickest route being via Spaxton, in an hour and a quarter. This makes this lease a very local affair, the Malets themselves being based at Enmore.

The property being leased isn’t given a name, being described as a “newe erected Cottage w[i]th a garden & orchard therunto belonging neare adioyning unto Currypole p[ar]k ... w[i]thin the p[ar]ishe of Charlnich”. So it seems likely the cottage itself. would not actually have existed within the SCA period.

Tangent on Population

The population was growing steadily at this point, being estimated to be in the region of 5 to 5.5 million in England. It’ worth bearing in mind that this is in the middle of the, admittedly rather wide estimates, of the population in 1348, immediately prior to the Black Death of between 4 to 6 million. This means it has taken nearly three centuries for England to recover from that devastating cull.

It’s also worth considering this against our own modern experience, with England’s population being about 55.5 million as of the 2021 census, pretty much exactly on order of magnitude larger. Even our smallest settlements are larger, and our cities are massive. London now holds nearly double the 1630 national population, and the three urban centres next in line each hold about half the 1630 population. London’s population in 1630 was about 350,000, and was geographically much, much smaller.

The majority of what we now consider London, would have just been surrounding rural villages, and so a completely different experience than we have today. My mother was born and grew up in Eltham, in a street built in 1837 called Colepits Wood Road. At the time the end of the street opened into fields and farms, essentially the bery edge of the rapidly expanding metropolis. By the time I knew the place, 40 years later, the city had completely swallowed Eltham and continued outwards. If you ook at maps from the close of the 19^th century, Eltham is still just a rural town, albeit one that contained Eltham Palace. The difference is even starker 250 years before that.

The netropolitans area of London in 1630 (including Wetsminster etc., distinctions which were more important then) was about 6 square miles: today it covers about 600 square miles, ahundred times more.

However, what these numbers show, perhaps counter-intuitively, is that what there was of London was far more densely populated in 1630, with about 60,000 people per sqwaure mile. Today, London averages about 15,000 per square mile, with the most densely populated area of Tower Hamlets only reaching about 41,000, even with all the high rises. Given the lack of vertical space in 1630, for most of the population the city would have been cramped  and unsanitary. It is not hard to see why fire and pestilence would both spread rapidly in such conditions.

People in the Lease

The lease is a standard one for 99 years, or for the lifetimes of three named people. It is unusual in my experience in that the person taking the lease, George Beare alias Brembl(e)combe is not one of those three people. Nor is it immediately apparent that there is any familial relationship between the three that are named.

My initial thought was perhaps we are seeing relationships through daughters or siblings. I took a quick look through the Ancestry records, but with the patchiness of surviving registers (Enmore’s, for example, only start in 1653), damage to to some of the registers, and the utter direness of Ancestry’s indexing, I couldn’t establish much, but there doesn’t appear to be an obvious familial connection, and at first glance they seem quite scattered.

In the parish records for Spaxton, there is “George Beere of Charlinch” who was buried there on 8^th January 1640/1. This seems a solid match.

The only likely looking marriage for Johane is that of “Will[ia]m Baddan” and “Johane Frual” on 18^th October 1624 in Stogursey, a village 5 miles, about 2 hours on foot, to the north of Charlinch. Frual looks like the result of a non-local scribe doing their best to transcribe the local accent. It does make me think though, that there is probably a relationship with the David Frall who witnessed the lease. However, I haven’t found a burial for William (there certainly isn’t one in Stogursey) to confirm her status as a widow by the time of the lease.

George Davyes is most likely the “George son of George Davies”, baptized at Road on 10^th August 1622, a village 5 miles to the west of Spaxton. I haven’t been able to identify his mother yet.

I couldn’t find anything definitive on the Wilkyns. Geograhically they are the most distant, Pitminster being a dozen miles south of Enmore, and 14.5 from Charlinch. That would still only be ablout 5.5 hours on foot though, so less than a day.

John Malet is far easier, being an MP for Bath from 1624 until his death in 1644, despite residing primarily at Enmore.

Terms of the Lease

The rent was two shillings per year, paid every six months, with an up front payment of £5, the equivalent of 50 years worth of rent. That rent is fixed for the 99 years. Given that the three people whose lives were specified as completing the term of the lease were already living, it is highly unlikely that the full 99 years would pass before the premises would revert back to John Malet. (I have seen instances where the third person is the yet unborn child of one of the other two.) This makes the up front payment something of a bet, in favour of John Malet if the term ends sooner, and in favour of the tenants if they eke out long lives.

The tenants were also able to sublet the property, but only on a year by year basis, unlike the long term nature of this lease. The only specified way the tenant could be evicted is for non payment of the rent, and even then there’s a caveat in the event of “sufficient distres in or uppon the p[re]misses”. However, the last clause hints that there are other legal means.

The tenant of the property was expected to attend the Court Baron of Currypole Manor twice a year and swear homage, and presumably be involved with other business held there.

The tenant is the one who must maintain the property. Permission is also granted for the removal of a hedge as long as it is replaced by a wall built from earth or stone. I would assume that earth would mean brick in practice. The reason given is for the enlargement of something, unfortunately illegible, but presumably related to the garden or orchard. This would suggest that the hedge was probably of substantial width, and perhaps not well maintained. Given the cottage is new, it is certainly possible it was built adjacent to a previously unkempt boundary.

 

 This Indenture made the Nyne & Twentith Daye of January in the ffithe yeare of the Raigne of our Sou[er]aigne Lord Charles by the grace of
god king of England Scotland ffrannce & Ireland defender of the faith &c Betwene John Malet of Enmere in the Countie of Som[er]set Esquier of thone
p[ar]te and George Beare al[ia]s Bremble^combe of Spaxton in the Countie aforesaid husbandman of thother p[ar]te witnesseth that the said John Malet as well
for & in consideracon of the release & surrender of the estate of one Charles Melhinshe of & in the the p[re]misses hearafter menconed, As alsoe for the
some of ffive poundes of lawfull englishe money unto the said John Malet by the said George before thensealing & deliu[er]y hearof well & trulie
paide With demised grannted & to farme letten & by theis p[re]sents doth demise grannte & to farme lett unto the said George Beare al[ia]s Bremble and his
Assignes All that newe erected Cottage w[i]th a garden & orchard therunto belonging neare adioyning unto Currypole p[ar]ke late in the tenure
of the said Charles Melhinshe scituat lying & being w[i]thin the p[ar]ishe of Charlnich & nowe in the tenure or occupacon of the said
George his Assigne or Assignes. To have and to hold the cottage & p[re]misses aforesaid w[i]th thapp[ur]tenncs unto the said George Beare
al[ia}s Bremble his Executors Administrators & Assignes Imediatlie from & after the day of the date hearof unto thende & terme & for & during the
whole terme of ffower score & nynteene years from hence fourth next ensuing fully to be complete & ended yf Johane Badon widdowe Thoms Wilkyns
son of Robert Wilkyns of Pitmister & George Davyes son of George Davyes of Spaxton or any one of them shall fortune soe longe to lyve Yeldyng and paying
therefore yearlie unto the said John Malet his heires & Assignes the yearlie Rente of Two shillings of lawfull englishe money at two of the
moste usual feasts or dayes of payment in the yeare (That is to saye) at the feasts of Thannunciacon of our Blessed Lady Mary the virgin
& S^t Michaell Tharchangell by even & equall porcons during the terme aforesaid, And shall & will doe sure & service unto the Courts
of the said John Malet his heires & Assignes from tyme to tyme to be holden & kepte att & for his or their mannor of Currypole twise in
the yeare uppon reasonable som[m]ons or warning & theare shalbe sworne & present w[i]th other the ten[a]nts & homagers of the said mannor and
shall likewise be theare ordered ruled & instifyed at all tymes by the Steward & ten[a]mts of the said mannpr for the tyme being in all things
inquireable & determinable in a Court Baron for or in respect of the p[re]misses And shall & will well & sufficientlie repaire sustayne mayntayne
upholde & kepe the p[re]misses in all needfull & necessary repacons whatsoeu[er] when & as often as need shall require during the said tenure
provided all ways & yt is neu[er]theles agreed by & betwen the said p[ar]ties That the said George Beare al[ia]s Bremble^combe his Executors
Administrators or Assignes shall not Alyen sett demise grannt or to farme let the p[re]misses or any p[ar]te therof to any p[er]son or p[er]sons for any longer
terme then from yeare to yeare at any one tyme or in any other manner other then & excepte as the estate interest & terme of yeares of
the said George of & in the p[re]misses unto the said Johane Badon Thom[a]s Wilkyns & George Davyes
or either of them w[i]thout the speaciall lycence of the said John Malet his heires or Assignes first had & obteyned. And yf yt shall
happen the said yearlie Rente of two shillings to be behinde & unpaide in p[ar]te or in all by the space of Twentie dayes next after any of the
feasts aforesaid in the w[hi]ch it is in & by theis p[rese]nts lymitted to be paid being lawfully demanded & noe sufficient distres in or uppon the
p[re]misses in the meane tyme can or maye be fonde for the levying therof, That then & from thence fourth yt shall & may be lawfull to &
for the said John Malet his heires & Assignes in to the p[re]misses to reenter & the same to have agayne reposseede & enioye as in his or their
former estate This Indenture or any thing hearin contayned to the contrary noyw[i]thstanding, And the said John Malet doth Covenant
promise grannt & agree for himselfe his heires & Assignes to & w[i]th the said George Beare al[ia]s Bremble^combe his Executors Administrators and
Assignes & to & w[i]th eu[er]y & either of them by theis p[re]sents That he the said George his Executors Administrators & Assignes shall have & take
the benefit of taking downe a hedge in the north side of the demised p[re]misses belonging unto Currypole p[ar]ke for the inlargeing of the ?
soe as the said George his Executors or Assignes shall erecte and set up a sufficient wall of earth or stone in steede & place of the said hedge And
that he the said George his Executors Administrators & Assignes shall or maye by & under the Rents Covenants clauses Condicons & agreements in theis
p[re]sents speacifyed & conteyned for & during the terme aforesaid quietlie & peceablie have holde occupie possesse & enioye all & singular the
demised p[re]misses w[i]th thapp[ur]tenncs w[i]thout the lawfull lett sute trouble eviccon expulsion or denyall of him the said John Malet his heires or
Assignes or any other p[er]son or p[er]sons whatsoeu[er] lawfully clayming in from by or under him or any or either of them In witnes wherof
the p[ar]ties aforesaid to theis p[re]semt Indentures interchangeablie have sett their handes & seales geven the daye & yeare first above written / - -

                                                                     the mark of        +
                                                                     George Beare al[ia]s Bremblcombe

 

 

Signed sealed and delivered
in the ‘resents of
David T [mark] Farll
John & [mark] Auery

 

 

 

 

Will of Margarete Bruc - Hayford at bridge, Oxfordshire - 1599

The will of Margarete Bruce, wife of Thomas, sister-in-law of Richarde Bruce my 11th great-grandfather. Transcribed by myself.
Source: Oxfordshire Wills Index, 1516-1857; 190.344; 3/4/50; Original Will; Oxfordshire Archives

 In the name of god Amen September .3. Anno domi[ni] 1599. I margarete Bruc of hayford at bridge in the
Countye of oxforde widowe, do make, and institute this my last will and testame[n]t in maner
and forme folowing, first I give and comend my soule into the hands of god who gavest
me, and with the bloud of his only sonne redemed me; and my body to be buryed in the
p[a]rish church yerde of hatford aforesayde; as for those goods that god hath given me in this world
I give, and bequeath them in maner, and forme folowing, first I give and bequeath to my eldest
sonne Thomas Bruce, my lead and the bedstead in the chamber, It I give and bequeath
to my yongest sonne Thomas Bruce, a Cowe, the bedstead in the little parlor, the broch and the
Cobbe Irons, and the bedding that I have, my will is that it be equally divided betwixt
him, and his sister Janne, It I give and bequeath unto my sonne Ryc. Bruce, one yerling,
It I give and bequeath unto my sonne John Bruce a bushell of barley, It I give and bequeath
unto my sonne Ralf Bruce, ij bushelles of feed + mashling, It I give unto my daughter fris-
with white, ijs. It I give unto Betone Hart my daughter, a bushell of feed barlye, It I give
unto Elizabeth painton my daughter a bushell of mashling, It I give unto Ellin Jordan my
daughter, a bushell of wheat, and to her daughter Elizabeth Jordan an ewe shepe, It I
give unto margarete Bruce, the daughter of my sonne Ralf Bruce, one platter, my
husbands will being fulfilled, these legacies by me given being payd & my funarall exspences
discharged, my will is that the rest of my goods, unbequeathed be divided amongst these
my children spoken of in my husbands will, I appoint to be executors of this my last will
And Testament ioyntly together, my sonne Thomas Bruce the elder, and my sonne Rychard
Bruce his brother witnesse here unto

    his            his
Thomas T Guye    Thomas T Bayley
          marke                 marke


From Registered Will:

Probatum erat hoc testame[n]tu[m] cora[m] nobis
Will[ia]mo Marten archid[iacono] mag[ist]ro Substituto m[agistr]i
Anthonij Blincow legum doctoris Custod[is]
Sp[irit]ualit[is] C[om]ini[tatis] ac Dioces[is] Oxon necnon
Achi[deacon]tus Oxon Offi[cia]lis l[egi]time constituti
Apud midlton Stony viz xviijo die mens[is]
Septembris An[n]o D[omi]ni 1599 Ac p[er] nos app[ro]batu[m]
et insumatu[m] ac p[ro] vero valore eiusdem
l[egi]time p[ro]nu[n]ciatu[m] comissaq[ue] fuit et est p[er]
nos admi[nistrand]o o[mn]ium et sing[u]loru[m] bonoru[m]
d]i]cti def[uncti] et eius test[amentu]m qual[ite]rcu[m]q[ue] con:
cernen[tium] Executoribus in eodem no[m]i[n[at[e]
in forma iuris iurat[e] Saluo iure
cuiuscu[m]q[ue]

This testament was proved before us
William Marten master archdeacon Substitute for master
Anthony Blincow doctor of laws, Warden
of Spirituality of the County and Diocese of Oxford and also
the Archdeanery of Oxford, legally appointed Official
At Midlton Stony that is to say the 18th day of the month
of September Anno Domini 1599 And through us approved
and registered and for the true value of the same,
lawfully declared, through us the administration was and is
committed of all and singular the goods
of the said deceased and concerning her testament by
whatever means necessary, to the Executors named in the same
sworn in the name of the law, preserving the right
of anyone.

Inventarij sum[m]a    _    _    xijli xs ijd
 

Inventory for the Probate of Thomas Bruce - Nether Hayford, Oxfordshire - 1585

The inventory for the probate of Thomas Bruce the eldest (- Oct 1585), the husbandman, brother of Richarde Bruce my 11th great-grandfather, husband of Margarete. Transcribed by myself.
Source: Oxfordshire Wills Index, 1516-1857; 186.383; 3/2/9; Original Will; Oxfordshire Archives

An Inventorie of the goods and cattells of Thomas Bruce the
Eldest late of Nether Hayford in the Cownt[y] of Oxon husband=
man deceassed, Seen, valwed and prised by Robert Samon,
Jeams Myn, and William Tredwell the xxthe daye of
November An[n]o D[o]m[ini] 1585, Regni D[omi]ne n[ost]t[a]e Elizabethe
Dei gra[tia] Anglie ffranc et Hiber[nie] Regine fidei defensor &cee
xxviijvo

Imp[ri]mis iij horses    _    _    _    _    ls
Item one Cowe    _    _    _    _    _    xxiiis iiijd
It xj sheepe    _    _    _    _    _    xvs
It iij hoggs and one pigg    _    _    _    _    xiis
It iiij Ducks    _    _    _    _    _    viijd
It x hens    _    _    _    _    _    iijs ijd
It an owld Iorren bownd Cart and the furnitu[re] A }
ploughe & ye furniture for the same    _    _   }    xxxs
It All the woode abought the howse    _    _    xs
It the Crop in the barne    _    _    _    _    vjli
It Six Ac[res] and an halfe of wheat sowed    _    xxxvjs
It A table and A forme    _    _    _    _    xviijd
It A cubbard    _    _    _    _    _    xviijd
It A Gryndleston withe the Spindell    _    _    ijs
It An Ioren barr    _    _    _    _    _    xvjd
It all the Ioren wares    _    _    _    _    iijs
It all the pewter and brasse    _    _    _    xviijs
It all the Cowperie wares    _    _    _    vjs
It an owld Lead    _    _    _    _    iijs iiijd
It an owld heare clothe    _    _    _    _    xxd
It one Coffer    _    _    _    _    _    xd
It iij bedsteads    _    _    _    _    _    ijs
It all the beddinge withe the sheets    _    _    xxxvijs iiijd
It his apparrell    _    _    _    _    _    xiijs iiijd
It three Table clootheis    _    _    _    _    vs
It Sixe Table napkyns    _    _    _    _    ijs
It ij towelles    _    _    _    _    _    ijs
It iij Stocks of Beers    _    _    _    _    iijs
It ij Sacks    _    _    _    _    _    xvjd

    Sum[m]a totalis bonor[um] et }
    Catal[lorum] dicti defuncti       } xxli vs iiijd
    The sum total of the goods and
    chattels of the said deceased

Debts w[hi]ch the seid Thomas Bruc ought at
the tyme of his deceasse

Imp[ri]mis to Gefferie Hart his soon in lawe, [that] he     ]
asswered him in Marriaidge w[i]th his daughter Beton      ]    xli
It to Mr Marteb of Rowsham    _    _    _    _    xviijs
It to Christofer Gye the Burger    _    _    _    _    vjs
It to Water Halle the Sheepherd    _    _    _    vijs
It to Richard Bruc[e] his Soon    _    _    _    xls
It to Thomas Bruc[e] his eldest soon of [that] name    _    xls
It to the Churche wardens of Nether hayford    _    _    iijs iiijd

    Sum[m]a hor[um] que dictus defunct[u]s te[m]pore }
    vit[ae] et mortis sue debuit    _    _    _    }    xvli xiiijs iiijd
    The sum of these which the said deceased owed
    at the time of his life and death

    ? xxli vs iiijd su[m]ma scil[?] bonor[um] et
    catall[orum] ademptis remanebut iiijli xjs iiijd

    Sic Allocat[ur] prius allocandis, et deductis
    deinde deducendis Restat Sum[m]a total[is]
    huius Inventorij bonor[um] scil[?] dicti defuncti
    Thus the allowance previously to be allocated, and
    after deducting the deductions the residual Sum total
    of this Inventory of the goods of the said deceased
            iiijli xjs iiijd

Will of Thomas Bruce - Nether Hayford, Oxfordshire - 1582

The will of Thomas Bruce (- Oct 1585), husbandeman, brother of Richarde Bruce my 11th great-grandfather, husband of Margarete. Transcribed by myself.
Source: Oxfordshire Wills Index, 1516-1857; 186.383; 3/2/9; Original Will; Oxfordshire Archives

Will d. 4 June 1582
Invt. 20 Nov 1585/

Bruc Thomas de
hayford infer senior

In the name of God Amen. The ffowrthe Daye of June: In the yeere of o[ur] Lord God One Thousand ffyve hundred
ffower scoore and twoo: I Thomas Bruce of Nether Hayford in the Cownt[y] of Oxon Husbandeman doo make this my
last will and testament in man[er] and forme followinge. ffirst I bequethe my sowle to the hands of Allmightie God trustinge
only by the blude sheddinge of Jesus Christ his Soon my redeem[er] to be saved and receave remission of my syns and not
other wayes. And for my worldly substanc I take this order. I geve and bequethe to my p[a]rishe churche one busshell of Barlie
And to the bridge of the same towne an other b[usshell] of barlie. Also I geve and bequethe to Raphe Bruce my Eldest Soon
my table and foorme in my Halle and one Land of Wheate and an other of Barlie but not to receave eine thinge untill
my wives deceasse. Also I geve to John Bruce A land of Winter coorne and one of Barlie to be receaved like wise. Also to
Clement Jordayne my soon in Lawe, A land of winter Coorne, and an other of Barlie. And to Elizabethe his daughter one
sheepe: an Eowe sheepe: And to Receave the same at my wyves deceasse: but the chyld hir sheepe p[re]sently upon my demise.
I Also geve to Thomas my eldest soon of that name my Iorren bownde carte, which he shall have at the deceasse of his
moother. Also to Richard my soon my great pott, likewise to receave the same. And also to my youngest soon Thomas my
gryndleston and spindell, withe my Iorren Barr: he to receave the same likewise. Nowe Conc[er]ninge my daughters.
ffirst to ffridiswithe I geve hir o xj S: to be receaved after my wyves deceasse. Also I geve Jane my daughter one black heaffor
iij sheepe and my woort pan to be receaved at my deceasse. Also I geve to Elizabethe my daught[er] A yeerling Calfe and two
sheepe, likewise to be receaved at my wives deceasse. And for the rest of all my goods moovable and unmoovable not bequethed
I geve them whollie to my wife Margaret, to enioy them durring this hir naturall lyfe and aft[er] hir deceasse from this lyfe
I geve and bequethe them equallie to be devided emonge theis my chyldren nowe sett downe. As ffirst Thomas my Eldest
Soon of that name: And Richerd his brother and Thomas the yonger and to theis my daught[er]s Jane and Elizabethe.
And as towcheing this my last will and testam[en]t I constitute and appoynt Margaret my wife to be my full and whole
Executrix, and she to fullfill this my last will in all poynts as neere as God shall geve his grac/
                                    By me Thomas Bruc


Probat[um] erat hoc Testament[um] coram
ffrancisco Bevans L[egum] doct[ore] Substitut[o]
Ven[erab]lis viri Griffini ffloid L[egum] doct[ore] Custoe
sp[irit]ualitat[is] C[o]mitat[is] ac dioc[esis] Oxon L[egi]time
constituti Apud Oxon viz vicesimo septimo
die mens[is] Novembris Anno d[omi]ni 1585
ac p[er] nos app[ro]bat[um] et Insumat[um] ac
p[ro] vero valore eiusde[m] L[egi]time p[ro]nu[n]ciat[um]
Comissaq[ue] fuit et est p[er] nos Administra[nd]o
omn[iu]m et sing[u]loru[m] bonoru[m] dict[i] defunct[i]
et eius test[amentum] qual[iter]cu[m]q[ue] concernen[tium] executrici
in eode[m] no[min]ate In p[er]sona Thome Bruce
eius p[er] iurat[e] iurat[e] Saluo iure cuius=
cu[m]q[ue] ac p[er] eande[m] admiss[e] et accept[e] ./

This Testament was proved before
Francis Bevans doctor of Laws substitute
of the Venerable Griffin Floid doctor of Laws, Lawfully appointed
spiritual sacristan of the County and diocese of Oxford
At Oxford, that is to say, the twenty seventh
day of the month of November Anno domini 1585
and through us it was approved and registered, and
for the true value, Lawfully declared,
the administration was and is commited through us,
concerning all and singular the goods of the said deceased
and his testament by whatever means, to the executrix
named in the same This sworn in person by Thomas Bruce
as per the law Preserving the right of anyone
and through the same admitted and accepted ./

Will of Richarde Bruse - Hayforde ad pontem, Oxfordshire - 1570

The will of Richarde Bruse (-Oct 1570) of Hayforde ad pontem, Oxfordshire, husband to Jane. Richarde is my 11th great-grandfather. Transcribed by myself.
Source: Oxfordshire Wills Index, 1516-1857; Original & Registered Wills; 188.119; 3/2/78; Oxfordshire Archives

Testamentum Ricardi Bruse de hayforde
ad pontem ./.

In the name of god amen the xijth of October in the yere of o[ur] Lorde god
a thowsande fyve hundred threeskore and ten I Richarde Bruse off
Heyforde sycke of body and whole in memorye thanks be to god doo
make my Testamente and last wyll in maner and forme following
ffyrst I bequeth my sowle to allmyghtie god my creator and
redemer and my body to be buryed within the parisshe churche
of Dadington yf yt so please god that I shall ende this transitorye
lyffe there, Itm I bequeth and gyve to Elin my daughter twentye
pounde to be payed to her at the age of xxi yeres, Itm I bequeth
and gyve to Wyllyam my sonne twenty syxe pounde thirtene
shillings four pence to be payed to hym in lyk maner Allso I gyve
to my brother Thomas my best russett cote my seconde russett hose and my
buckskynne dublett, Itm I Gyve to my brother Wyllyam my black-
hose my canvas doublet and my best russett girkynne And where
my brother John owith me aleven pounde nyneteene shillings nyne
pence I wyll that he paye my wyffe eight pounde thereof, the rest
I gyve unto hym, I gyve to everye of my godchildren xiid apece,
Allso I gyve to everye of my brothers and systers children iiijd
apece, Itm I gyve towards the mayntayning of Hayforde
bridge halffe a quarter of barley Allso I gyve to George
Becke my worst russett cote and a parre of hose Itm I gyve
to eny poore howsholder in Heyford aforesaid iiijd Itm where
my brother Kynge owith me xxxiiijs I wyll that he paye to my said wiffe
xxs and the rest I gyve to hym, Itm gyve to eny one of my servants
now beyng with me xijd Allso I gyve more to Anne Baker my
mayde one cowe and syxe sheepe Itm I gyve to Richarde Bruse
my kynsman the sonne of Wyllyam Bruse nowe beyng with me
one cowe and twentye sheepe to be delyvered hym at the age off

xxi yeres, Itm I gyve to the poore people of Dadington iijs iiijd Allso I
gyve to my coson Cocks wedowe halffe a quarter of malte, Itm
I gyve to the poore people of Myddleton and Byssiter to eny of
the said Townes xxd, Itm I Gyve to Henry Raffbon my kynsman
of Byssyter halffe a quarter of malte, Itm I wyll that my wyfe
have my farme duryng her lyfe and after her deceasse to remayne
to Wyllyam my sonne and to the yssue of his body, And for lacke of
suche yssue to Elin my daughter. The resydue of my goods moveable
and unmoveable not bequeathed my detts and legacies p[er]formed,
and payed I bequeth and gyve to Jane my wyffe whom I ordeyne
and make my sole executrixe, and to be overseers John Byllinge
esquyer and Anthonye Yate, they and eny of them to have for
their paynes syxe shillings eight pence, In wytnesse hereof
the said John Bylling Anthonye Appultryne and Anthony Yate
Detts owing by the Testator To Owen Valens xli Philippe
Valens xxvli Henry Lamley xli Jane Lamley xli Jone
Lamley xli Alice Lamley x li Wyllyam Endale xs/
Detts owing to the said Testator Griffyne Reade gent xiijli
John Bruce viijli Thomas Kynge xxs/

Dicesimo septimo die mens[i]s Octobris Anno d[omi]ni
millesimo Quingentesimo Septuagesimo Et KRS [carissimus]
Elizabeth Anno duidecimo in Ecc[le]sia parochiali
o[mn]i[u]m Sanctoru[m] C[o]mitatis oxon inter horas decimaus
et undecimaus antemeridiem eiusdem diei coram ven[er]abili
viro Mag[ist]ro Joh. Kennall legum doctore Archi[deacon]tus
oxon Arch[idiac]ino comparint p[er]sonal[ite]r Jana Bruse
executrixe in Testamento Ricardi Bruse de
Hayforde ad pontem nup[er] def[uncti] no[m]i[n]ata et propter [a]es
alienu[m] in quo prefatus de tempore mort[i]s sue obnoxius
et indebitatus fuit renuncianit oneri et execuco[ri]
eiusdem petiitq[ue] l[ite]ras administraco[n]is bonoru[m] dicti
Ric[ard]i eius mariti def[uncti] sibi comitti ad cuius petico[n]em
Idem ven[er]abilis vir Archidiaconus antedictus ad
specialem rogatum dicte Jane renunciant[i]s hui[ism]o[d]i
decreuit dictas l[ite]ras administracois bonoru[m] antedicti
Ricardi def[uncti] eidem Jane committend[is] pro ut statim
easdem commisit de bene et fidel[ite]r administrando
eadem ac soluendo debita et legata eiusdem
def[uncti] ac dictu[m] Testamentu[m] p[er]implendo iuxta vires
Inventarij bonoru[m] iuriu[m] catalloru[m] et creditoru[m]
dicti Ric[ard]i Bruse def[uncti] fidel[ite]r confecti ac predictam
Janam administratricem exhibiti ad Sancta dei
evangelia primitus iurat Saluo iure cuiuscu[m]q[ue]
ac per eandem Janam admiss et accept ./.

The seventeenth day of the month of October Anno domini
one thousand five hundred seventy And the most beloved
Elizabeth the twelfth year in the Church of the parish
of All Saints of the County of Oxford, between the tenth
and eleventh hours before noon of the same day, before the venerable
Master John Kennall doctor of laws Archdeacon
of the Archdeanery of Oxford, Jane Bruse appeared personally,
named executrix in the Testament of Richard Bruse of
Hayford at bridge, recently deceased, and because of the debts
which the aforesaid owed and was owed at the time of his death,
requested renounciation of the burden and execution
of the same and the letters of the administration of the goods of the said
Richard her deceased husband were comitted to herself on account of which petition.
The same venerable Archdeacon aforesaid on account of
the special request of renounciation by the said Jane likewise
declared the said letters of administration of the goods of the aforesaid
deceased Richard, which are to be committed to the same Jane, in order that she properly
committed at the same time, the same to be well and faithfully
administered and the debts and legacies of the same deceased
and the said Testament to be paid by virtue
of an Inventory of the goods, rights, chattells and loans
of the said deceased Richard Bruse having been prepared and presented
by the aforesaid administratrix Jane, sworn in the first place
upon the Holy gospels of god, Preserving the right of anyone and
admitted and accepted by the same Jane ./.


Inventariu[m] _____ Cxxiiij iijs xd

Will of Jane Bruce - Nether Hayforde, Oxfordshire - 1589

The will of Jane Bruce (-c.1589) of Nether Hayforde, Oxfordshire, husband to Richard Bruce, maiden name currently unknown. Jane is my 11th great-grandmother. Transcribed by myself.
Source: Oxfordshire Wills Index, 1516-1857; Original & Registered Wills; 188.119; 3/2/78; Oxfordshire Archives

ye will of Jane
Bruce ye elder
 
In the name of god Amen the thirtieth day of Junij in the yere of the lord 1589, I Jane Bruce of nether hayforde in the Countie
of Oxon widow, being in good health and perfecte remembrannce (I give most hartye thankes to god my heavenly father for it)
do mak and ordeyne this my last will and Testament in maner and forme folowing, first I give and bequeath my soule in to
the handes of god who gave it me, and by the death, and bloudshed of his sonne only hath redemmed me, from all my sinnes
And purchased me eternall life, after death, And this my weake, and frayel body to be buryed with in the parish church
of hayforde at bridge afore sayd,; I give and bequeath to the church of the same p[ar]ish vs - and towardes the reparing of the
Belles there, halfe a quarter of barley, It I give to every poor body dwelling in the same parish and having no plough going
or any corne growing of his owne; xijd, It I give to every one of my god childrene, vid It I give and bequeath to every
one of william Bruce his children, xiid, It I give to Jane Bruce the daughter of Thomas Bruce one parre of
shetes, It I give and release to John Bruce my husbndes Brother all the debtes and especyalityes that are betwixt him and
me, It I give and bequeath to henry lamleyes children sixe shepe to be equallye devided amongest them, And I give to
henry lamlye himselfe l s, It I will that these sixe shepe which I have given to henry lamleyes children shalbe
to those children w[hi]ch nowe he hath by this wif; It I give unto the children of Jane Crose which she now hath by
this man, sixe whepe, at the distcretion of my exe[c]utor, and my will & pleasure is that these shepe given to the children
of henry lamley and Jane Crose be delivered unto them after my departur when they be new shorne at the discretion
of my executor, It I give unto Jane Samon one fether bede two parre of shettes a boulster and a Coverlit and a
great worte pane, It I give unto Thomas Samon iiij shepe to be delivered within one yere after my death It I give
and bequeath unto Abigale Samon ij shep and ij parre of shettes, the third fether bede one boulster and a Coverlit,
the same to be payd unto here at the daye of her mariage or at the age of xxi yeres which of them shall first happen
It I give unto henry Samon ij shepe my second poote one pare of shetes, and ayerlinge calfe, It I give to Ryc Samon one
parre of shetes; It I give to John Samon ij shepe and unto Robert Samon ij shep and my will is that yf any of
my sonne Robert Samons Children to whom I have givene any thinge dye before they have received my giftes that then ye
giftes by me givene and bequeathed unto them shall remayne and be given unto the longest liver of him her or them,
It I give unto Abigale the Daughter of my sonne william Bruce, x shep, one terlinge Calfe, and a Cowe the same
to be delivered unto her at the daye of her mariage or when she shall come to the age of xxi yeres yf that shall first
happene but yf she dye before either of these tymes then the legacyes shall redonnde to my executor , It I give to
William Bruce the sonne of my sonne william Bruce, my part of the best fether bede in the house being a bed of downe
one boulster, one bedsteade, one great poote, one parre of rackes, the great spite, the Bringe leade, one basine
with an uyer, the table and Cubbard w[hi]ch stand in the haule, provided alwayes; that non of those thinges w[hi]ch I have
given to william Bruce my sonnes sonne, being thinges in the house, and necessary for the house, him and his, as the lead, the
the table & cubard in the hale, the rackes spitte the potte & bedstead or any other thinges w[hi]ch I have given unto
him, and nedfulle for him; shalbe du unto him nor yet removed out of the house before he come to the age of xxi yeres,
But yf he dye before he come to that age, then these thinges to him given and bequeathed shall redonnd unto my exe=
cutor It I give towardes the reparring of the Bridge halfe a quarter of barleye, It I give to phillipe vallance ij
strick of malt, & ij strickes of barleye, It I give unto ralfe Bruce ij strickes of malt, & ij strickes of barlye, It I give unto
william Samon ij shepe, all the rest of all my goodes and Chattelles both moveable and unmoveable, my debtes being payd
my funarall expences discharged and these legacies truly payd. I give and bequeath unto Robert Samon my sonne in law
whom I make my whole and alone executor of this last will and testament datted the daye and yere first above writen
I apoint to be overseeres. for the du p[er]formance of this my will, John martin the elder of Rowsham, and henry lamley, and
for their paynes I give them ijs vjd apesse, witnesse here unto,
                                Robert Boulton Clarke        By me Jane Bruce
                                Gabriell Merry                               her
                                Christopher Guye                  Jane _|_ Bruce
                                                                                      |    |
                                                                                      |    |
                                                                                    marke


Probate from Registration:

Probatu[m] erat hoc Testamentu[m] Cora[m] ven[erab]li viro
milone Leighe in L[egibus] Bacc[alari]o Substitut[o] ven[erab]lis viri
Joh[ann]is Drewry legu[m] doctoris vicarij in Sp[irit]ualibus
gen[er]alis et Officialis Principalis Reverendi in
[Christ]o p[at]ris ac d[omi]ini d[omi]ni Joh[ann]is p[er]missione d[ivi]na Oxon
E[pisco]pi auc[torita]te L[egi]tima C[o]ns[tituto] Apud Oxon viz: Tertio
die mensis Novemb[ris] Anno d[omi]ni 1590 ac p[er] nos
app]ro]bat[ur] ac Insumat[ur] ac p[ro] vero valore eiusde[m] L[egi]time
p[ro]nu[n]ciat[um] Comissaq[ue] fuit et est p[er] nos administra[ndo]
om[n]ium et singulor[um] bonor[um] dict[i] def[uncti] et eius
test[amentum] q[ua]l[ite]rcu[m]q[ue] concernen[tium] execut[oris] in eode[m] no[min]at[ur]
In forma iuris iurat[e] Saluo iure cuiuscu[m]q[ue]

It was proved, this Testament Before the venerable
Miles Leighe Bachelor of Laws substitute for the venerable
John Drewry doctor of laws vicar general in Spiritual
matters and lawfully appointed
the warranted Principal Official of the Reverend
father and lord in Christ, lord John, by divine permission, Bishop
of Oxford At Oxford that is to say the Third
day of the month of November Anno domini 1590 and through us
approved and registered and for the true value of the same, lawfully
declared, and the administration was and is commited through us
of all and singular the goods of the said deceased and concerning her
testament by whatever means to the executor names in the same
Sworn in the form of the law and preserving the right of anyone

Inventory for the Probate of Cuthberte Huckvale - Overnorton, Oxfordshire - 1637

The inventory of Cuthberte Huckvale (c.1566-1636) of Over Norton, Oxfordshire, transcibed by myself. Cuthberte is my 9th great-grandfather. Unfortunately the tabs from my original transcription are ignored, which screws up the type-setting a bit.
Source: Oxfordshire Wills Index, 1516-1857, Oxfordshire Archives, 31/4/28 


The Inventory of the goods and 00Cattalls of Cuthbert Huckvale of Overnorton in the parishe of Cheppingnorton in
the County of Oxon Gent late decessed as heard after followeth, vewed seene & prayssed by Wm Fletcher
& Rd Busbye of Overnorton aforesayde, the 25 daye of the month of March in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand
five sixe hundred & thirtie seven, & in the 12 yeare of the Reigne of ouer Sovereigne Lord Charles By the grace of god kinge

    Inprimis three horsses prayssed att                    7    0    0
    Item five kine prayssed att                        10    0    0
    It three heavy foos prayssed att                        4    0    0
    It five Akars & a land of Wheate prayssed att                5    0    0
    It five akars of Barlye & hayssed att                    2    10    0
    It fowre akars of pease att                        2    0    0
    It three akers & three yeares of Oats prayssed att            1    5    0
    It three quarters of Barlye & ahalfe for feede prayssed at        3    10    0
    It grist Corne prayssed att                        1    6    8
    It one yron bound Carte one ploughe three harrows & horsegeares
    & one donge Carte & other Implements prayssed att            2    10    0
    It haye prayssed att                            2    13    0
    It one Sowe & piggs & fowre fluhinge of Backon prayssed att        2    0    0
    It fire woode & Cart timbber & plough timber prayssed att        1    0    0
    It one Scaffoulde with a littell fearne onit prayssed att            0    6    8
    It one furnes one malte mill & other Implements att            1    13    4
    It in the Chamber ouer the Buttrie one olde garner one dowgze
    kiuer & one shinninge wheele & olde yron n& other Implements    1    0    0
    It one morter & pestell & other brase prayssed att            1    10    0
    It two poots & three posnets prayssed att                1    0    0
    It one Wassor & kawer & other pewter prayssed att            0    5    0
    It three silver spoones prayssed att                    0    15    0
    It two peare of flaxen sheets & pillows prayssed att            0    13    0
    It eight peare of Coorse sheets & halfs a dossen of napkins &
    two table Clothes prayssed att                        1    10    0
    It one Cubberd in the hall one table one Cheyer one forme
    & two stooles with other Implements prayssed att            1    6    8
    It one yron barr & one olde yron beame for weighte three
    Spitts undievrs & other Implements prayssed att            0    10    0
    It Coopperie ware prayssed att                        0    6    0
    It two fether bedes two flaxbeds fowre pillowes fowre bowsters
    with Cowlids blankets & two bedsteeds prayssed att            5    0    0
    It two Chests two Coffers & a warmeinge pann att            0    10    0
    It his wearinge aparrell & boots & other Implements att            6    0    0
    It att Brayfes one table borde one beinh & waynescott & two
    joyne fooles one littell fettell & one shelfe & other Implements
    prayssed att                                0    6    8

                                Some is    67    7    0

                                Ex[ecutum] erat huioi[s] In[ventu]ri apud
                                Chi[p]pi[n]g[nor]ton in visitaco[n]e ib[ide]m dict[i] decimo
                                nono die mensi Aprilis 1637 p[er]
                                Alicia Huckvale Rel[i]c[t]am et Ex[ecut]rem &c
                                pro vero ac pleno In[ventu]rio &c sub p[ro]testat[one]
                                tamen de addendo &c q[uo]d si &c

                                It was executed, this Inventory at
                                Chipping Norton, in a visitation to the said place, on the
                                nineteenth day of the month April 1637 through
                                Alice Huckvale Widow and Executor etc.
                                for a true and full Inventory etc. under protestation
                                nevertheless about which is to be added