14 April 1594 Will of John Bowridge of Chard, Somerset, yeoman (proved 08 June 1594)

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In the name of god amen The fourtene daye


of Aprill in the yeare of our Lorde god A Thowsand Five hundreth Ninety Fower I John
Bowridge of Charde in the County of Somerset yeoman being of perfecte minde and remembraunce 
thanks be to Almighty god but weake of bodye doe ordayne and make this my Last will and Testament
in manner and forme following First and principally I give and bequeathe my Sowle to Almighty god
my Creator And to Jesus Christ his sonne my Redemer by whose Almighty powre Deathe and passion I am 
fully assured of my Salvacon and to inherite the Joyes and the Kingdome of heaven forever And my
Bodye to be buryed according to the Ryghtes of holye Churche as it shall seeme best to my Executor 
and overseers And for the Disposing and giving of all suche goods and Chattells moveable and unmoveable 
as god of his greate goodnes and blessing hathe given and Lent me My Will and testament is That 
First I give to the Churche of Charde six shillings eighte pence Item I give and bequeathe 
unto the poore of the same towne and parrishe Forty shillings Item I give and bequeathe unto
Elizabeth my Wyfe Foure Kye Adn after a herriott chosen for the Lorde the best horse beast whiche 
shalbe Lefte Also my Will is that my said wyfe shall have the halfe of all suche Corne as at the time 
of my Death shalbe growing in all my howsehold stuff in and abowte my howse excepting all suche 
goods as hereafter shalbe given one yeating stone for malte whiche stone my will is my sonne Thomas 
shall have after the Deathe of my wyfe Also my Will is that my saide wyfe shall have the halfe of all
suche Corne as at the time of my deathe shalbe growing in and uppon my grounds or ells in my barne 
to be equally devided betwene my saide wyfe and my Executor by the descreacon of my overseers Item 
I give and bequeathe unto my daughter Joane twenty pounds to be paide within three moneths after 
my Deathe Also my Will is that she shall have a Fetherbedd furnyshed with all necessaryes to the 
same my greate Crocke but one my greate panne whiche I had in pawne for twenty shillings Item 
I give to my sonne William Bowridge the use of all my Bedstedds formes stooles tablebordes and 
wainescott nowe in my howse to be delivered and Lefte unto him after the Deathe of my wyfe And if
he happen to dye before my sonne Thomas Then my Will is it shall remaine to my sonne Thomas 
Item I give and bequeathe unto my sonne John Bowridge twoe hundred pounds to be paide and 
delivered unto him in manner and forme following that is to saye when he shall accomplishe and be 
of the age of six and twenty yeares Then to have it delivered and paide unto him by my overseers or 
some of them in whose handes my Will is it shall be and remaine trusting that by theire greate care 
and honest meaning they Will see the same to be well imployed untill he shalbe six and twenty yeares 
and for his most good and increase And if that my overseers shall thincke it good after he shalbe of 
the age of three and twenty yeares That then if it maye be and happen he my saide sonne John or any
frends of his to procure and gett some living whiche shalbe for his better preferment and maintennce 
Then my overseers to paye the same some of twoe hundred pounds so it be for his preferment and 
not otherwise Provided allwayes and Further my Will is that if my saide sonne John Doe not serve 
with his master to the end of his apprentishippe and well and honestly behave him selfe during 
all the saide time wythe his saide master Then my Will is that one hundred pounds of the money 
to him before given shalbe and remaine unto my Executor And that the residue that is one 
Hundred pounds and the Forthy pounds whiche his master hathe shalbe delivered and paide him at the 
end of the yeares that is when he shalbe and accomplishe the age of six and twenty yeares according 
to my meaning herein by whiche time I thincke his prentice will be ended Item I give and bequeathe 
unto my sonne Thomas Bowridge one hundred pounds to be imployed in manner and forme following 
Forty pounds whereof was given me by my Brother in Lawe William Every by his Last will to the intent 
that I shoulde have the more care of my daughter Mawdlyn and to allowe her what it shoulde seeme best 
to me towards her maintennce and the better bringing upp of her Children Nowe my will is that if my
saide Daughter Mawdlyn shall overlive her husband Edward Grenefild That then my saide sonne Thomas
shall within one yeare next after the Deathe of the saide Grenfild paye and deliver unto my saide
Daughter Mawdlyn threescore pounds of the saide hundred pounds towards her better preferment 
And the Residue that is saye the saide Forty pounds to be imployed unto the use and bringing upp of 
the Children of the saide Mawdlyn untill they shalbe of the age of one and twenty yeares And then the 
Forty pounds to be equally devided amongest the Children And that my sonne Thomas shall uppon 
the receiving of the saide hundred pounds be bounde with suche sureties for the performannce thereof 
according to this my will and meaninge and to answere yearely to my saide Daughter Mawdlyn and her 


Children for the use of the saide hundred pounds for theire better maintennce as shalbe thoughte 
fitt and meete by my overseers or the Longest liver of them And if my Daughter Mawdlyn happen 
to dye before her saide husband Grenfeild Then the saide threescore pounds to remaine to my sonne
Thomas for ever And if my sonne Thomas shall refuse to doe herein according to this my Will and the 
Discreacon of my overseers or some of them Then my Will is it shall remaine and be in the overseers 
handes to be imployed by them according to this my will untill my sonne Thomas shall become bounde 
for the performannce hereof Item I give to Katherine Grenfild my daughter Mawdlyn her daughter 
my greate Chest to be Lefte her after the Deathe of my Wyfe And if the saide Katherine happen to dye 
before my wyfe Then my Will is the Cest to remaine to my sonne Thomas Item I give and 
bequeathe unto my saide daughter Mawdly a Fetherbedd furnished with all necessaryes to the 
same Item I give and bequeathe unto my Cosen and servnte Elizabeth Palmer Tenne pounds 
to be paide by my Executor within halfe a yeare after my deathe Item I give and bequeathe 
unto my sister Agnes Wolmington twenty shillings And to every of my other Sisters six shillings 
Eighte pence apeece Item I give and bequeathe unto Thomas Bowridge my Brother Willm
his sonne Twenty shillings Item I give and bequeathe unto Thomas Bowridge my brother 
Thomas his sonne Twenty shillings Item I give to every of my sonne William his sonnes tenne 
pounds apeece to be paide them within twoe yeares after my decease Item I give to every of
my daughter Mawdlyn her Children twenty shillings apeece Item I give and bequeathe to every
of my godchildren twelve pence apeece Item my Will is that if any of my Children happen to dye 
before that they accomplishe and come to the age and time for the having and receiving of theire 
partes and Legaceis in manner and forme above Written Then theire and every of theire parts 
and Legaceis shall wholly remaine and be unto my sonne Thomas Bowridge And for the residue 
of all my goods and Chattells moveable and unmoveable not give and bequeathed my Funerall
discharged my debts paide and my Legaceis performed I doe by this my Last will and testament 
make and ordayne my sonne Thomas Bowridge my full and sole executor of this my Last will and 
Testament And for the more and better performannce hereof hoping that my saide executor 
will the better performe the same and be advised and ruled in all things concerning this my Will
and Testament by my overseers and the Longest Liver of them I doe make and appointe my 
good frendes and Brothers Thomas Pyke Thomas Edmonds William Bowridge and John
Bowridge my overseers And for theire paynes and care herein to be taken by them hereafter 
I give to every of them Tenne shillings Thomas Pyke John Bowrdiche Willm Bowridge 

Probatum fuit Testamentum supra scriptum apud London ...
[this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate on 08 June 1594]
Octavo Die mensis Junii Anno Dni Millesimo 
Quingentesimo Nonagesimo Quarto 
[to]
Thome Bowridge filii naturalis

Last Modified: Sunday, 15-Oct-2023 20:06:51 NDT