14 January 1582 Will of Jeffrey Upton of Warmister, Somerset, esquire (proved 04 May 1583)

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	Sett they howse in an order for thowe
	dhall dye and not lyve  4 Reg 20
In the name of god amen The fourtenthe
Daye of Januarye in the yeare of oure Lord one thowsannde fyve hundred fowre score and twoo I
Jefferye Uppton of Wormister in the Countie of Sommersett esquier beinge weake in bodye but of 
good and pefecte remembrannce (thanckes be god therefore) Consideringe withe my self that nothinge 
is more certeyne unto mann then deathe, and nothinge more uncerteine then then hower thereof,
and that it is commanded unto us of god to have a christian care of oure wife children and familye 
whilest we lyve, and also to sett oure howse in order before we dye, Doe make and ordeyne this my 
presente Testamente declaringe herein my last will and meaninge in manner and fourme as hereafter 
followeth  First I bequeathe my sowle to allmightie god my creatoure and his deere sonne Christe 
Jesus my redemer, the onelye cawse and meane whereby I hope to be saved, And my bodye to bee


buryed in xpian buriall there to rest unto the ioyfull daye of the generall resurrection Item I gyve 
and bequeathe unto the Cathedrall Churche of Sainte Andrewes in Wells twentie shillinges Itm
I gyve and bequeathe unto the parrishe Churche of Saincte Cutberts in Wells twentye shillinges
Item I give and bequeathe unto the poore people of the Towne of Wells fourtye shillinges Item I 
gyve and bequeathe unto the poore people of the Almes howse in Wells to be distributed amonge theme
by myne executoure twentie shillinges Item I give and bequeathe unto Marye Uppton my wief 
all my Lands in Otrey Saincte Marye in the Countie of Devon, and all my Lande in Gyllingham
in the Countie of Dorsett for terme of her lief onelye and no longer nor otherwise withowte 
makinge annye manner waste Item I give and bequeathe unto my saide wief an Annuytye of
Twentye poundes by the yeare to be payde unto her by my sonne George Uppton oute of suche of 
my Landes as shall comme unto him Item I gyve and bequeathe unto my saide wife fourty pounds
in monneye to be paide unto her within one yeare after my deceasse Item I give and bequeathe 
unto my saide wief the use of two hundred sheepe and the whole profitt and commoditie that shall
ryse and growe thereof duringe her life the chardges of theire findinge and keepinge to be borne
by her Item I give and bequeathe moreover unto my sayde wief the Leases of my howsse att
Wormyster wherein I dwell with all the Lande thereunto belonginge and apperteyninge so longe
onely as she shall keepe herself widdowe chaste and unmarried yf the Lease and terme of yeares
that I have therein shall so longe endure and contynue Item I give and bequeath likewise unto
my saied wief the use of my bason and ewer of silver, of one of my biggest guilte bowles, of an ale
cupp of silver and guilte whiche was her Mothers, of my seconde beste salte of silver & guilte 
of a dosen of sylver spoones of the middle sorte, and the use of all suche howshould stuffe and 
ymplementes as I shall leave in my dwellinge howse of Wormyster aforesaide (my plate here
before not named onlye excepted) to use and occupye the same so longe onelye as she shall keepe 
herself widdowe chaste and unmarried and no longer nor otherwise Provided allwaies 
and my will and meaninge is that yf my saide wief shall after my deceasse clayme challeng
or sue for anye Joynter or Thirds owte of my Landes or annye parte thereof, Then she shall
not have or enioye annye the Legacies unto her before gyven, but shalbe utterlye excluded and
cutt of from annye manner benefitt of this my presente testaemente, as yf she hadd never bene
named therein Item I gyve and bequeathe unto my brother Rychard Uppton my best gowne 
my best satten dublett my beste saddell and my seconde best sealinge Ringe Item I give and 
bequeathe unto my fowre Daughters Thomasine Heys, Elizabethe Strowde, Marye Pike &
Suzann Uppton Twentye poundes a peece Item I gyve and bequeathe unto my sonne in lawe
Isaack Uppton my howse in the Close at Wells sometymes a Canons howse withe the Indenture 
of Leaze thereof and all the terme of yeares yet to comme and unexpired therein together withe 
that Close and PARcell of grounded conteyned in the same Leaze whiche lyeth by the lower towne 
Mylls and is nowe in the tenure and occupation of Barthelmewe Haggatt of Wells with all the
terme of yeares yett to comme therein Item I gyve also and bequeathe unto the sayde Isaack
my Leaze of the woods of East Horrington whiche I houlde from Sir John Thin withe all ye
terme of yeares yet to comme and unexpyred therein Item I give unto my sonne George 
Uppton my groundes and woods called Chellwood and all the terme of yeares that I have to 
omme therein Item I give and bequeathe unto Johan Horton my servannte fourtye shillinges 
And unto everie one of the rest of my menn and womenn servanntes that shall serve me in 
my howse at the tyme of my decease tenne shillinges a peece Item I gyve unto Jefferye 
Govye the younger my godsonne twentie shillinges and a cowe Item I gyve and bequeathe 
unto William Heathe and Marye his wief sometyme my Servannts in consideracion of 
that truste wch was reposed in me by theire frendes Seaven poundes nyne shillinges Item 
I gyve and bequeathe unto my servannte Alice Strowde at the daie of her marriage fyftye thre
shillings fowre pence And yf yt fortune the saide Alice to dye before she be marryed Then 
my will is that the saide fyftye three shillinges fower pence shalbe gyven unto some honneste 
younge mayden at the choyse and discretion of my executoure towardes her preferment in marriag
Item I gyve and bequeathe unto him that shall preache my funerall sermon twentye shillings
and doe request Mr Doctor Bisse to take that paynes All the reste of my goods not 


not gyven and unbequeathed whatsoever moveable and unmoveable I gyve and bequeathe unto my
Sonne George Uppton whome I make my Whole and sole executoure of this my present will
And doe Revoke by theise presents all former will and wills Legacie and Legacies executore
and executors in theme or annye of theme by me before made gyven appoynted ordeyned or 
nominated and will that this my presente will shall stande in full force (notwithstandinge anny
Solempnitye of Lawe that shalbe Wantinge therein  Jeffrey Uppton  Witnesses unto
the sealinge signinge ratyfyinge and allowinge of this presente testamente Isaack Uppton
R H Robert Casbeard 

Probatum fuit suprascriptum testamentum apud London fuit ...
[this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate on 04 May 1583]
Quarto die mensis Maii Anno domini millimo quingentesimo octogesimo tertio
[to]
Edwardi Orwell notarii publici procuratoris Georgii Upton filii execut etc

Last Modified: Sunday, 03-Sep-2023 14:09:25 NDT