Will of Jane Vnderhill nee Thrift - Crimscott, Warwickshire - 1647

The will of Jane Underhill (c.1575-1648) of the hamlet of Crimscote, Whitchurch, Warwickshire, my 9th great-grandmother, transcribed by myself.
Source: UK National Archives, PROB 11/207/219

A will listing much of the contents of the house and with locations.

In the Name of God Amen
I Jane Vnderhill of Crimscott in the countie of Warwick widdowe findinge
my self not well in bodie but of good and perfecte memorie doe make ordeyne and
appointe this my last will and testament the two and twentieth daie of October
in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred fortie and seaven in manner
and forme followeinge First I will and bequeath my soule unto Allmightie God my
Creator and redeemer by whose death and passion I hope to be saved And my bodie to be
buried within the parrishe Church of Whitchurch neere unto my deare he beloved husband
And for my worldlie goods I dispose them as followeth Inprimis I give to the Minister
that shall make my Funerall sermon ten shillinges Item I give unto the poore of Crimscott
as followeth To Timothie Caninge his wife and children five shillinges To Cornelius
Blackwell his wife and children five shillinges To Margarett Browne five shillinges
Item I give to my eldest sonne John Underhill the wainscott in the parlor, my greate barrells
in the Butterie The standards that all the barrells on, five shelves in the house where the
vessells stand, the Iron chaine that drawes water with the tumbrell of the well and the Iron
in itt, the wainscott in the Hall, the long table, and the forme that stands by itt, the benches &
the windowe ledds, the Irons in the Chimney that hang the potts with linkes, and pothookes
All the lockes belonginge to the dores that are mine, two bacon Fletches in the kitchen with
the greate pole to hange Bacon on A standard that beares the breweinge vate, another that
beares the bookeinge kowle, A cheese presse in the brewhouse, a Salting trough and the borde
that doth cover itt, the Maltmill, the mustard mill, a greate hennpenne, a saltinge trough in
the dari house five longe Cheesebords, a butter tubb, A flower tubb, a Candles tubb One
bedsted in the chamber where the children lye, two in the chamber where the men lye, one
in the chamber where the maides lye a Closestoole, and panne, a ragg gowne, six silver
spoones, and one greate brasse pan (Item) I give unto his sonne John two bedsteds
in my chamber, and the safe, Item I give unto my son Johns six younger children twentie poundes
to be paid to there Father for them within two yeares after my decease equallie to be devided
Item I give to my son Thomas Underhill, one Featherbed, two Featherboulsters, two paire of
blancketts which are all marked with G and V, a greate chest that standes by the truckle
bed in my chamber, one sett of curtaines blewe, and yellowe, and the greate Truncke that standes
upon itt with all that is in them both the truncks marked with J and V, the table borde
in the parlor and the forme that stands by itt, the double gardiner in the lamer howse,
the silver Jugge, my bible, and thirtie poundes in money Item I give unto Jane Vnderhill
the daughter of my son Thomas one little Truncke marked with J and V, and all that
is in itt Item I give to my sonne Thomas his children twentie poundes equallie to be
devided amongest them and to be paid within two yeares after my decease Item I give
unto my sonne Humfrey one Fetherbed, one Fetherbolster, one Flackeboulster, one downe
pillowe, my best coverlett, six turkie marke Cushions, the greate cogned chest, in my chamber
one truncke marked with F and C two chaires in my chamber, afforme, and a Cubboard
The pin chest, in the chimney in the Hall a presse in the chanber, over the Hall, a greate
Iron bound chest, in the same chamber and all that is in the Iron bound chest Item I give
unto my sonne Humfrey in money twentie poundes, and to his children twentie poundes
to be equallie devided amongst them, and both twentie poundes to be paid unto him within
two yeares after my decease Item I give unto my daughter Ems her children Fiftie pounds
that there Father oweth mee which Fiftie poundes I give to be equally devided betwixt
them, And I give to my daughters children my cogned chest, which standes without my
Chamber, and all thinges therein, one Truncke that standes under my bed, and all that
is in itt, the bigger truncke that is in my chamber wherein my weareinge Lynnen lyeth
Item I give to my daughter Ems her children twentie poundes more, which money I
appointe to remaine in my son Thomas his handes, till hee be dischardged of a bond

wherein she standes bonnd with their Father Anthony Emes to mr Henri Clerke, and
after that to remaine in the handes of my sonne Thomas till hee be paid such moneyes
as my sone Ems oweth him. and then to be disposed for the childrens good by him in placeing
of them or otherwise to hsinpleasure Item I give to my daughter Ems all my wearinge
Apparrell, one sute of Damas, one box, one deskem a box in the truncke wherein my wearinge
lynnen lyeth, which I desire to be buried in one silver bowle, one silver salt, and one gold
ringe, which I value att ten poundes, which sute of Damas, silver bowle, silver salte
and gold ringe I appointe to be kept by my sonne Thomas till hee be paid such moneyes as my
son Emes oweth him Item I give to my daughter Emes my dowle bed, whereon I lye marked
with A and E, my side sadle, my pillion, my rideing sute, and apparrell Item I give to my
sonne Georges two daughters tenn poundes apeece to be paid within one moneth after my
decease And if either die, the other to enioye the whole twentie poundes, And if both die before
they marrie or come to the age of eighteene yeares, then the said twentie poundes shall returne to
any executor, and in the meane time I appointe the same moneys be imployed by my overseers
for there good Item I give them more fortie shillinges to be bestowed upon them in necessarie
apparrell att my death And my will is that all the goods that I have given might bee
delivered within three monethes after my deathe, except such goods as I have appointed to
remaine in my sonne Thomas his handes for the secureinge of him, for such moneyes as my Son
Emes oweth him, or hee standeth bound for my Sonne Ems And whereas the moneyes that
I have given are in the handes of other men, my will is that my sonne John, and Humfrey
should ioyne together with my son Thomas in gaineing of the same, and bee sharers in
paieinge of the charges in the suite in lawe, and sharers in the lesse answeareable proportanably
to the money geven them, and theirs herein All the rest of my goods, and moneyes moveables
and unmoveables, not given nor bequeathed herein I give and bequeath to my sonne
Thomas Vnderhill, and make him my sole, and whole executor of this my last will, and
testament And I appointe my cozen Mr Edward Vnderhill of Over Ettington and
Richard Amge of Halford my overseers, and I give them five shillinges to buy them
gloves, And in testimonie that this is my last will and testament I have hereunto set my hand
and seale the daie and yeare above written The mark of Jane Vnderhill Sealed and
signed in the presence of us Will: Thornburgh The marke of Richard Smith The marke of
George Rawlins/

Probatum fuit Testamentum suprascriptum
apud London coram venerabili viro Domino Nathaniele Brent milite legum doctore
Curiae Prerogat[ive] magistro sive Custode legitime constituto vicesimo septimo die, mensis Januarii
Anno Domini (iuxta computacaem ecclesia Anglicana) millesimo, sexcentesimo quadra[gesi]mo
octavo Juramento Johannis Vnderhill filii dicte defuncte et executoris in huiusmodi testam[en]to
nominati Cuicomissa fuit administraco omnium et singulorum bonorum, iurium et creditoru[m]
dicte defuncte De bene et fideliter administrando eadem ad sancta Dei evangelia
vigore Comiss[io]nis in eaparte alias emanata Jurat/    Extur

The above written Testament has been proven
at London before the venerable Sir Nathaniele Brent doctor of laws
master or warden of the Prerogative Court lawfully constituted on the twenty seventh day, of the month of January
Anno Domini (calculated according to the Anglican church) one thousand six hundred and forty
eight By the oath of John Vnderhill son of the said deceased and the executor named in this testament
to whom was commited the administration of all and singular the goods, rights and loans
of the said deceased The same to be administered well and faithfully sworn upon the holy gospels of God
by the power of the commission on the part of another by the law.

On the SC 8 Series of Records at the UK National Archives

SC 8- Special Collections: Ancient Petitions, Henry III - James I

What the collection is

I'm just going to quote directly from the National Archives for this bit:

The series of Ancient Petitions draws together a large number of petitions addressed to the king, to the king and council, to the king and council in parliament, to the chancellor, and to certain other officers of state.

The earliest petitions date to the reign of Henry III, and the latest example has been identified as belonging to the reign of James I. The vast majority of the petitions date to the period between the late thirteenth century and the middle of the fifteenth century; there is a particular concentration of documents which date to the reigns of Edward I, Edward II and Edward III. The majority of petitions are written in Anglo-Norman French, although some early examples are written in Latin, and English was used increasingly as the fifteenth century progressed.

The majority of petitions were presented by named individuals (both men and women), singly or in groups. Although there are examples of petitions presented by members of the peasantry, most petitioners tended to be members of the gentry, the nobility, the urban elites and the higher clergy. In addition to petitions presented by individuals, a significant number of cases were presented in the name of communities and corporations: many examples exist of petitions presented by villages, towns, ecclesiastical institutions and mercantile associations. There are also petitions which claimed to speak in the interests of the whole realm, and were accordingly addressed from the 'commons' or 'people'. Most of the petitions came from individuals and communities within England, but a significant minority were from other lands, especially Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Aquitaine and other parts of France. 

Why is it useful?

The quick answer is that the entire set has been digitised and is freely viewable via the UK National Archives Discovery catalog. This means we can examine the original records easily and no charge.

It's usefulness within the SCA context is for English (mostly) naming patterns in a period before parish records. The only other commonly digitized record sets tend to be wills and they are relatively sparse even when they have been scanned, and not freely available, either charged at £3.50 at the UK National Archives or on sites like Ancestry requiring a subscription. 

The names available cover people, places, objects and some animals. Boats are well represented as there seem to be a lot of disputes regarding sharp practice and plain piracy. Inn names are poorly represented. I think it reflects a pattern that inns may not have been widely named at this point, but I haven't rigorously investigated this. You will find numerous variant spellings. As an example, the entirety of my documentation on compound locatives and double locatives was from this series of records (and this a decade ago).

Contributed Profiles on WikiTree

A list of relevant profiles (people born in 1600 or before) on WikiTree to which I have contributed:

Managed by myself:
Addams, Walter (1564 - Jul 1632)
Huckvale, Christopher (c.1505 - Jul 1577)
Huckvale, Cuthbert (c.1566 - Mar 1637)
Huckvale, John (c.1534 - Feb 1606)
Huckvale, William (1594 - aft. 01 Oct 1668)
Hyckes, Alice (1567 - aft. 19 Apr 1637)
Midwinter, Edward (c.1582 - May 1618)

Managed by others:
Hyckes, Richard (c.1524 - Nov 1621)

On sharing Genealogical Research

A perennial problem with genealogy is sharing research, both your own and knowing that other stuff you find online is accurate. Unfortunately a lot of online genealogy trees are just people sharing the same inaccurate and/or unsourced trees.

I keep my own tree local using Family Tree Maker, which isn't perfect but is quite powerful. I regularly export snapshot gedcoms from this and keep everything in multiple backups, both locally and in the cloud. The advantage of FTM is that it also allows synchronization within Ancestry, although I personally keep it all one way from local to Ancestry. My experience is that two way synchronizations can go badly wrong (not with Ancestry but in other systems) and I'm not trusting automatic imports into my 'source of truth' file. I keep my Ancestry tree private to avoid my data getting mixed into the background noise, but anyone who wants to view it should just ask me. You don't need to be a paid member to see trees, just have an account.

I looked at WikiTree many years ago, and back then it suffered all the same problems of indiscriminate copying. However, in the years since then, the editing process has changed and tightened up noticeably. These days entries must be manual and are tracked. Whilst you can upload a gedcom for ease, it can only be merged into the WikiTree on an individual by individual basis. There is also now a requirement for sources to be recorded. There is still some clearly dodgy data from its early days, but it is being tidied up and there are further restrictions on people adding data for people as you go back in time. As a result this has the potential to be a valuable resource with its intention being to create one common tree.

I don't have the time to dedicate much of myself to it, so I don't have the pre-1500 editor access which does require some time to acquire. This means I can't create new profiles for people born prior to 1500, which is a useful restriction generally. However, I, and others, can propose changes which existing editors can make or merge. There is a less rigorous restriction for people born prior to 1700.

As a result, I have started copying some of my data across to WikiTree. I strongly suspect I will never get the time to copy even the majority of my data across, but it does seem to be a useful resource of itself and a good pointer for new avenues. As such it only seems fair to add back the data I have on the lines that I have used WikiTree for, as far as I'm allowed. I may well add people going back before 1500 as entries in this blog at various times.

Will of Cuthberte Huckvale - 1635

The will 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 


Original Will:

In dei nomine amen The foure and twenteth day of June in the Twelfe yeare of the Reigne of our
Sovereigne Lorde Charles by the grace of god of Englande Scotlande France and Ireland kinge defender
of the Fayth etc. and in the yeare of our Saviour Christe one thousande sixe hundred thirty and five I
Cuthberte Huckvale of Overnorton, within the parishe of Chippingnorton in the County of Oxon gent beinge
Sicke in body but yett of perfett memory thanks be geven to almyghty god for the same, doe make and
Ordayne this my laste will and testamente revockinge all former willes by me heretofore made In
maner and forme folowinge Firste I comende my sowle unto Almigty god my creator amd Redemer
hopinge amd assuredly fru?tinge to be saved, by the merites of the death and passion of his sonne our
Saviour Jesus Christe, and my bodye, I will to be buryed in suche semely sorte & maner in the church as
By my executrixe shalbe thought fytt and convenyente Itxd I doe give & bequeth unto my sonne Thomas
Huckvale, all suche my goods, that nowe I have att Brayles in the County of Warwick Itm I doe give
And bequeth unto my sonne Richarde Huckvale the some of five pounds, the which I doe stande
Joyntly bounden with hyme unto Bayliffs and Burgesses of the burrowe of Chippingnorton, and the use
Of the sayde such beinge eighte shillings att the daye I doe paye for hyme Itm I doe give & bequethe
unto my sonne in law Richarde Busbye and to his heyres for ever after my decease & my wyffes, all suche
parte of a certayne diche quicke sett hedge & grounde, lyinge & beinge, one the northe syde of sevenhill
By the grounde, of the sayde Cuthberte Huckvale, the which I boughte of his Father John Busbye and
payde, for the same thirty shillings of lawfull monye of Eglande Itm I doe give and bequeth unto my
Godddaughter Judeth Sheephyrde Alias Langhton the some of Five pounds of lawfull monye of
Englande, to be payde and sett forthe to her use, within sixe monethes, after my decease, into sure
menes hands untill suche tyme, as she shall accomplishe, the full adge of xxi years, and yf that
She, shall fortune, to dye, before that she be of the adge of xxi yeres, that then my mynde & will is
That the sayde some of such shall remayne and come, to her two systers Alice & Marye, equally to
Be devided betwne them bothe, Itm my mynde and will is, And I doe give and bequethe unto my
Lovinge wyffe Alice Huckvale, my debts beinge payde, and my Funerall expencs discharged
All my goods and cattalles moveable and unmoveable whatsoever, whom I doe make my sole and
Full executrixe of this my laste will and testamente, for her better preferment of as?mge In Wyttnss
wheareof I have wytten this my presente laste will and testamente, with my owne hande & sales
the same the day and yeare above wrytten in the presents of            x me Cuthberte
                                        Huckvale mann
                                        xia

Probate from the Registered Will:

Probatu[m] erat hoc Test[ament]um apud
Chiping Norton in Visitaco[n]e d[omi]ni
Archi[diaco]ni Oxon[iensis] ib[ide]m tento 13 Aprilis
1637
coram ven[erab]li viro Egidio Sivert L[egum]
d[o]c[t]ore ac d[omi]mi Archi[diaco]ni Archi[deaco]nato oxon[iensis]
Offi[cia]le princ[ipa]le l[egi]time constituto &c
Commis[a fuit] ad[ministrac]e &c eiusq[ue] Test[ament]um qual[ite]r
cu[m]q[ue] conc[er]nen[tium] Alicie Rel[ict]re et Ex[ecu]t[r]is &c
in forma Juris iurat[e] saluo Jure cuiuscu[m]q[ue]

It was proved, this Testament, at
Chipping Norton in a Visitation of the lord
Archdeacon of Oxford held in the same place 13 April
1637
before the venerable Giles Sivert doctor
of Laws and legally appointed principal
Official of the Archdeacon of the Archdeanery of Oxford etc.
Administration was committed etc. and concerning his Testament
by whatever means, to Alice Widow and Executrix etc.
sworn in the form of the law, preserving the right of anyone

William the tapster of the Hart - Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire - 1595

Whilst searching for Carricks in the Chipping Norton parish registers, Oxfordshire, I found a most unusual entry for late 16th century England: the burial of a man identified not by a surname, but by his occupation alone:

1595 Itm the xxist of Januarie was buryed william the tapster of the hart

On the use of compound place-names and double locatives in English bynames

Back in 2009 the College of Heralds had a precedent in place which disallowed the use of compound locatives in English bynames. From my experience I knew this was wrong, and did some research to overturn this precedent on the submission for the name of Avelyn Wexcombe of Great Bedwyn, using the SC8 series of records in the UK NAtional Archives, which were an early set of digitised records, allowing copies of the originals to be checked.

Despite the examples below, it is far more usual to find contracted locatives, so Greats and Littles would be dropped, and places like Hampton en la Vaale would be referred to just as Hampton. 

This first set relates to the immediate pattern of the submission, that of Great X.
SC 8/91/4521 Gilbert de Grte. Chyshull [Great Chishill] c.1330
SC 8/45/2222 Robt. Elys de Grant Yernemuth [Great Yarmouth] c.1302
SC 8/61/3016 William le Moigne de Grannt Ravele Chivaler [Great Raveley] c.1341
SC 8/71/3549 Johan Salman de gnde. Lyvmere [Great Livermere] 140

Then I went hunting for some examples of a more generic pattern for compounded names across the board.
SC 8/176/8756 Johan fil Andrew de Pett Bamton [Little Bampton] 1333
SC 8/12/595 & SC 8/12/596 John fit Johns de Sutton sup. Trenta [Sutton on Trent] 1348
SC 8/270/13465 & SC 8/185/9212 Richard le fitz Robt. de Walton en la Dale [Walton-le-Dale] c.1350
SC 8/251/12509 Merand Gay de Cheping Toryton [Chipping Torrington] 1390
SC 8/224/11163 Margaret Shephard de Hampton en la Vaale [Hampton in the Vale] 1388

Compounded place-names were often conjoined as a single word, and this pattern also shows up when used within personal names:
SC 8/13/616 Robt. Bruton de Chepyngnorton [Chipping Norton] 1348
SC 8/131/6546 & SC 8/4/153 Wauter in the herne de Estsmethefeld [East Smithfield] c.1320
(The East contraction is common, this being a single example. The <in the herne> is a construction I'd not come across before. According to the OED a herne is a corner, nook or hiding place.)
SC 8/252/12591 Henry Scot de Hogenorton [Hook Norton] 1386
SC 8/181/9016 William Credi & Roger Credi de Stokepogeys [Stoke Poges] c.1392
SC 8/121/6048 John Warde de Kirbebydon [Kirby Bydon] c.1381-2

Whilst searching for the above examples, and at other times, I also came across some examples of double locatives in names, a pretty definitive indicator that the locatives had started to be used as inherited surnames, the first being the inherited name and the second their current associated residence.
SC 8/131/6546 John de Waltham de Lonndre c.1320
SC 8/16/722 Johan de Oldebury de la Leigh {en la counte de Wiltes} 1320-1327
SC 8/48/2395: Lucas de Grendon de Lonndres c.1328
SC 8/95/4705 John de York de gnt. Driffeld [Great Driffield] 1381-2
SC 8/252/12566 Thomas de Annesley de Kynnalton [1396]

There are examples from other series in the Archives, but not from digitised series, so they can't be double checked without visiting Kew.
C 241/18/2 & C 241/18/62 John de Aston Somerville 1294
C 241/128/195 & C 241/128/212 John de Ashton-under-Lyne 1350
C 241/56/39 Hugh de Chipping Norton 1306
C 241/35/254 & C 241/35/256 Walter, son of Gilbert de Compton Dando {Dauno} 1301