12 January 1550 Will of William Pykes of Bristol, Gloucestershire, mercer (proved 23 February 1550)

The original will can be obtained online from The National Archives.

Source: TNA, PROB 11/34


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In the name of god Amen The xii th daye of Januarie in the yere of or
Lord god a Thousande fyve hundreth and fiftie And in the fourthe yere of the reign of our
Soveraigne lorde kinge Edwarde the Sixte by the grace of god kinge of Englande Frannce
and Irelande defender of the faithe and of the churche of Englande and also of Irelande in earthe
Supreme hedd I William Pykes of the Citie of Bristowe mercer being PERfytt of mynd
and of good remembrannce for the whiche I render most humble and obedient thanks to Almightie
god the father I do make and ordeyne this my veary Last will and testament in manner & forme
folowing First and principally I bequeathe my soule to our Almightie and everlyving god the
father of heaven most mekely desiring hym to receyve me unto his celestyall everlastinge mrcie
for his onely sonnes sake Jhesus Christ our Savior whome I with my harte faithe and soule do
confesse to be the veary true and onely meritor for as many as shalbe saved And that no good
works that I have don nor yet that other can do for me can save me but only the most holsom
passion and glorious Resurreccion of my Savior Jhus Christ who sitteth at the right
hande of god the father alwayes making intercession for us all repentant Synners And I
belyve that he shall come in the last daye wt all honor power and glorie wt his holie saintes &
Angells to be oure Judge This is my veary true hope and faith in the whiche I moost humble
desire our hevenly father and his onely sonne our savior and the holy goost our comfortr
three PERsones and one god to contynue me in to the end of my dePARting from this vale of myserie
Amen And my desire ys that my bodye be honestly buried wtin my prshe churche
comonly called saint Thomas Churche in bristowe And that at the tyme of my buryall I
will that my executors shall provide some well lernyd man to declare the most pure syncere
and lively worde of god to the edifying of the Cristen Congregacon And as for the talent
that god hath lent me of temporall goodes my will is that yt be distributed in maner and
forme as hereafter dothe folowe First I give and bequeathe to my gentle and loving wife
Maude Pykes one Thousande markes of good and lawfull money of Englande to be
well and truly contentyd and paid unto her by my Executors wtin eight monethes next and
ymmediathe after my decease and that therebe no farder delaye for the true payment of the
samme thousande marks unto my said wyf in PARte or in all after the end of the eight monethes
upon the payme of fyve hundreth marks more to be paide unto her by my said Executors And



that my said wyfe by vertue of this my testament shall receover the same five hundred markes
of my Executors over and above the said Thowsande markes yf they do not well and truly
content and paye unto her the same Thowsande markes wtin the tyme before expressed 
Item I give and bequeathe to my said wyfe all my plate full and whole Item I give and
bequeathe to my said wyfe all her Apparell and all her Jewells And all my houshold stuff
full and whole Item I give and bequeathe to my said wyfe two Gownes of skarlett
my two gownes of vyolet ingrayne Item I will that my saide wife shalhave & enjoie
all the hyer PARte of the house wherein I do nowe dwell whiche I bought of Anthony Norton
gentleman And also all the hier PARte of my other howse next adioyning to the same wch
I holde by lease of Mr Rodney with the garden therunto adioyning and also my other
garden lying by saint Thomas Churche for the terme of her naturall lyfe upon condicion
that she do contynnally dwell in the same hier parts of the same two houses that is to saye
as moche as is above the shopps Sellers and warrehouses belonging to the same whiche
Shopps Sellers and warehouses I will that John Pikes my elder sonne and John Pikes
my seconde sonne shall have holde and enjoie yoyntlye oon as farr forthe as thother during
the space of one hole yere next after my decease And also I will that my said two sonnes
John Pikes thelder and John Pykes the yonger shall in lyke maner during the terme of one
yere next after my decease have holde and enjoie Joyntly and as farr forthe as thother my
Shopp of my corner Tente in the highe strete and also my wurk house in tuckers strete
that I holde of Mr David Harrys And after thende of the said yere my will is that all
the said Shopps belonging to my said house that I bought of the said Anthony Norton and also
all the rest of the same howse with all and singler his Appuren??s shall wholy remayne &
by ths my present testament I do give and bequeathe to the said John Pikes my eldest sonne
and to his heyres and assign forever And in like manr after the said yere expired my will
is that all the said Shopps Sellers and warehouses belonging to the said howse that I
holde by lease of the same Mr Rodney and also the rest of the same house with all & singler
his appurten??s and the said garden therunto belonging and also the said garden lying by
saint Thomas Church wt th appurten??s and all suche right title interest and terme of yeres
that I havenowe to come of and in the same shall whole remayne and by these presents
I give and bequeathe to the said John Pikes my eldest sonne and to his executors and
assignes Saving and ref?ed to my said wyfe suche state and interest as I have before
given unto her in the hier PARte of the said two howses And yf it shall happen my said
wyfe to dwell in any other house so that she have not her contynuall dwelling in my said
houses to her appoynted that then my will is that the same hier PARte of the said two
houses shall ymmediatly remayne to the said John Pykes my eldest sonne and his heires
and assignes and that it shalbe lawfull to hym his heyres and assignes in that case to
enter into the hier PARtes of the said houses and every of them and the same to have holde and
enjoie forevr And also after thende of one whole yere next after my decease my will is that
the said corner house and shopp that I have in the highe strete and also my said wurke 
house in Tuckers strete and all my title state and terme of yeres that I have now to come
of and in the same shall remayne and by these presents I do fully give and bequeate to the
saide John Pykes my seconde sonne Also I give and bequeathe unto the Sixe children of my
daughter Cecely Willson that she had by John Hillacre her first husbonde and by Roger
Wigmore her secande husbande that ys to saye polidorus hillacre william hillacre
Johane hillacre and Elenr hillacre and to wylliam Wigmore and mary wigmore
oone hundred pounds of lawfull money of Englande to be equally devyded among them
and to be paide unto them at their daye of mariage or at their Age of xxi yeres yf they be not
maried before they shall come to the same Age And yf any of them happen to dye before
they shall come to thage of xxi yeres or be maried That then I will that the PARte and
prcon of hym or her so dying shalbe equally devyded amonge them that shall happen
to overlyed And my will ys that the same hundred pounds be devyded by myne Executors
to my sonne in lawe Miles Willson within one yere next after my decase And that he
at the tyme of the receipte therof shalbe bounden wt two sufficient s??erties to my saide
Executors by obligacon to paye the said legacies to the said Children at suche tymes as
I have before appoynted Item I give and bequeathe to Water Pikes my sonne oon
hundred pounds of lawfull money of Englande to be paide unto hym by my Executors
within one yere next after my decease Item I give and bequeath to my sister Johane
Tenne pounds Item I give and bequeathe to her three Children that ys to seye



Amy Johane and Richard Tenne poundes to evry of them And I will that the tenne pounds
that I have geven to my saide syster shalbe paide unto her by my said Executors wtin one
monethe next after my decease And that the legacies to her three Children shalbe paide
them wtin one yere next after my decease Item I give unto Johane Bysse my daughters
Daughter Twentie marks of money to be paide unto her at her daye of mariage Item I
gyve and bequeathe to my cosyn Johane precy fourtie shillings Item I give and bequethe
to olde John Hackett my night gowne and a grote in money to be paid unto hym evry weke
during his lyf by myne Executors Item I give and bequeathe Fiftie pounds of mony
to be bestowed by myne Executors upon the mending of the highwayes abowte Brystowe
whereof I will that xx? be bestowed upon the highe wey betwene bedmester and the
farder ende of the Cansey called the longe Cansey beyonde stoke And other xx? to be
bestowed upon the highewey betwene Lafforde yate and the fote of the hill called Toghill
which is the highewey from bristowe towarde london And fyve poundes to be bestowed
upon the highewey betwene bristowe and keynesham And thothe five poundes to be
bestowed upon the shppe in the shambles of Brystowe called the bochers shppe Item
I give and bequeathe for the compforte and relief of poor people in bristowe Twentie
poundes of money wherof I will that ??? xii s iii d be distributed the daye of my burying
And other ??? xiii s iii d to be distributed before thende of sixe monethes then next folowing
And thother ???? xiii s iii d to be distributed by thended of xii moneths next after my decease
And at evry tyme of this distribucion I will that there be geven oute of the same sommes to
the xii poore men and xii poore women of the Almes house called saint Thomas Almes
House in the longe Rowe xxiii s Item I give to my Curate of my PARish churche x s Item I
give and bequeathe towarde the charges of feching whome of the water to saint Thomas pipe
in bristowe Twentie pounds of money to be paide by myne Executors upon condicon that
the same be done before thende of two yeres next after my decease Item I will that myne
Executors before thende of one yere next after my decease shall purchase in fee symple soo
moche good Lande as shall amount to the there yerely value of ??? xii s iii d And that the
same yerely rent thereof shalbe paide by the Chamberlen of Bristow for the tyme being to the
poore people of the said Almes house called saint Thomas Almres house in the longe Rowe
in bristowe in maner and forme folowing that is to saye xxxii s iii d every quarter at the iii??
principall feasts of the yere wtin the said ???? most comonly used And ths my present gyft
to have a contynuance for evr while the worlde shall endure Item all the rest of myne
Apparell not before bequeathed i do give and bequeathe to my three sonnes that ys to say
John Pykes thelder John Pikes the yonger and to Water Pykes And for that they shall
Lovingly and quyetly PARte the same amonge them my will ys that John Pykes my eldest
sonne shall chuse first and John Pykes my seconde sonne to chuse next And the said Water
Pykes to chuse next after them and this to chuse from gowne to gowne and from garment
to garment untill all my Apparell be devyded Item I give and bequeathe to my neighbor
mighell kettall and to margaret his wyfe five??? nobles of money whiche I will shalbe
remayne in the handes of my wyfe and she to dispose the same upon them bothe as to her
shalbe thought moste convenient and necessarie All the rest of my goodes & Catells
not geven nor bequeathed by me before in this my present Testament I do fully and
whole give and bequeathe to my said two sonnes John Pikes thelder and John pykes ??
younger whome I do make and ordeyne my full Executors of this my present testament
and Last will And they to receave all debts due or to be due unto me And to paye as well
all the legacies before by me geven in this my said testament as also all other detts that 
I do owe Also I do make and ordeyne my very loving and trustie freinds Mr David
Harrys and Water Pykes my overseers overseers of this my testament And I do give to evry of
them for their paynes hereing to be taken a gowne and xx s in money In witnes whereof
to this my said testament and Last will I have put my seale These PERsons under written
being witnesses therunto yoven the daye and yere above wryten by me Richard Dawkyns
witnes Edmund Rogers Robert Burgyn witnesses

Probatum fuit [this paragraph continues in latin and appears to grant admon 
to William Pirkens on 23 February 1550
"xxiii die mensis February Anno dni millimo quingentesimo guinquage???"]




[the various instances of "PAR" and "PER" in the above transcript are actually a
shorthand symbol that I believe stands for the sounds "par" and "per"]



The foregoing transcript is from the PCC register copy in PROB/11/34.

The original will can be found in PROB 10/21. A transcript made from the original will follows.


In the name of the father and of
the son and of the holie goost Amen The xiith day of
January in the yere of our Lorde god a thowsand five
hundred and and fiftie  And in the fourthe yere of the reign
of our soveraigne lorde king Edwarde the sixte by the
grace of god king of England france and Irlande defendr
of the faithe and of the churche of englande and also of
Irlande in earthe supreme hedd I Willyam Pykes
of the Citie of bristowe mercer being PERfight of mynde
and of good remembrance for the whiche I render
moost humble and obedient thanks to almyghtie god
the father. I do make and ordeyne this my veary

last will and Testament in maner and forme
following, First and principally I bequeathe my
soule to our almyghtie and everlyving god the father
of heavon moost mekely desiring hym to receve me
into his celestyall and everlasting mercye for his
oonly sons sake Jhesus christ our savior whom I
wt my harte  faithe and soule do confesse to be
the veary true and oonly meritor for as many as
shalbe saved And that no good wurks that I have don
nor yet that other can do for me can save me,
but only the moost holsom passion and glorious
Resurreccion of my Savior Jhus Christ who

sitteth at the right hande of god the father alwais
making intercession for us all repentant Synners
And I belive that he shall com in the last day
wt all honor powr and glorie wt his holie saints
and Angells to be our iudge. This is my veary
true hope and faithe in the whiche I moost
humblie desier our hevenly father and his only
son our savior and the holie goost our comfortor
three PERsons and one god to contynue me in to thende
of my dePARting from this vale of myserye Amen
And my desier is that my bodie be honestly buryed
wtin my parishe Churche comonly called saint Thomas

Churche in bristowe And that at the tyme of
my buryall I will that my Executrs shall PROvide
som well lerned man to declare the moost pure
syncere and lively worde to the edifying
of the cristen congregacion And as for the talent
that god hathe lent me of temporall goods
my will is that it be distributed in maner and
forme as herafter dothe follow Fyrst I
geve and bequethe to my gentle and loving wif
mawde Pykes one thowsande marks for good
and lawfull money of englande to be well and truly
contented and paid unto hir by my Executors

wtin eight monethes nexte and ymedyatly after my
decease And that there be no farder delaye for the
true payment of the same thowsande marks unto
my said wif in PARte nor in all after thende of the said
eight monethes upon the payne of five hundred
marks more to be paid unto hir by my said executors
And that my said wife  by vertue of this
my Testament shall recover the same five
hundred marks of my said executors over and above
the said thowsande marks if they do not well
and trulie content and paie unto hir the same
m marks wtin the tyme before expressed

Item I geve and bequethe to my said wife all
my Plate full and whole, Item I geve and
bequethe to my said wife all hir Apparell
and all hir iewells And all my householde stuffe
full and whole, Item I geve and bequethe to my
said wif my twoo Gownes of skarlett and my
twoo Gownes of vyolett in grayne. Item I
will that my said wife shall have and enyoye
all the hier PARte of the house wheryn I do nowe
dwell whiche I bought of Antonye Morton
gentleman. And also all the hier PARte of my other
house nexte adioynyng to the same whiche I hold

by lease of Mr Rodney wt the garden therunto adioyning
and also my other garden lying by saint Thomas churche
for the terme of hir naturall life upon condicion
that she do contynually dwell in the said
hier parte of the said twoo houses that is to
saie asmoche as is above the shopps Sellers
and ware house belonging to the same
Whiche Shopps Cellers and ware houses
I will that John Pikes my elder son and John
Pikes my seconde son shall have holde and enyoye
yoyntlye oon as far forthe as thother during
the space of oon whole yere nexte after my decease

And also  I will that my said twoo sons
John Pikes thelder and John Pikes the younger
shall in lyke manner during the terme of on
yere nexte after my decease have holde and
enyoye yoyntly on as far forthe as thother
my Shopp of my corner tent in the highestrete
and also my wurke house in tuckers strete that
I hold of Mr David Harrys And after the
ende of the said yere my will is that all the said
Shopps belonging to my said house that I bought
of the said Antony Norton and also all the rest
of the same house wt all and singuler his

  apprtenncs shall wholy remayne and by this
my present testament I do geve and bequethe
to the said John Pikes my eldest son and to his
heirs and assignes forevr And in lyke maner
after the said yere expired my will is that all
the said Shopps Cellers and warehouses
belonging to the said house that I
holde by lease of the said Mr Rodney and
also all the rest of the same house wt all and
singular his apprtenncs and the said garden
therunto belonging and also the said garden
lying by saint thomas Church wt thapprtennc

and all such right title interest and terme of
yeres that I have nowe to com of and in the
same shall wholie remayne and by these
presents I geve and bequethe to the said
John Pikes my eldest Son and to his exec and
assignes. Saving and ref?d to
my said wif suche state and interest as I
have before geven unto hir in the hier parts
of the said ii houses, And if it shall happen
my said wif to dwell in any other house
so that she have not hir contynuall dwelling
in  my said housez to hir appoynted
that then my will is that the same hier PARte
of the said ii houses shall ymedyatly remayne

to the said John Pikes my eldest son and to his
heirs and assignes and that it shalbe lawfull
to hym his heirs and assignes in that cace
to enter into the hier PARte of the said houses
and evry of them and the same to have hold
and enyoye forevr And also after the end
of oon whole yere nexte after my decease my
will is that the said corner house and shopp that
I have in the highe strete and also my said
wurkhouse in Tuckers strete and all my
tytle state and terme of yeres that I have
nowe to com of and in the same shall remayn
and by these presents I do fully geve and
bequethe to the said John Pikes my second son

Also I geve and bequethe unto the vi
Children of my doughter Cecely Willson
that she had by John Hillacre hir first
husband and by Roger Wigmore hir
second husband that is to say Polidorus
Hillacre Willyam Hillacre Johane Hillacre
and Elen Hillacre and to Willyam Wigmore
and Mary Wigmore oon hundred poundes
of lawfull money of england to be equally
devided among them and to be paid unto them
at their daie of mariage or at their age
of xxi yeres if they be not  maried
before the shall com to the same age

And if any of them happen to dye before
the shall com to thage of xxi yeres or be
maryed that then I will that the PARte &
porcon of hym or hir so dying shall
be equally devided among them that shall
happen to overleve  And my will is that
the same C l be delyvred by myne executors
to my son in Lawe Miles Willson wtin
oon yere nexte after my decease, And that
he at the tyme of the receipt thereof
shall be bounded wt twoo sufficient suerties to my
said executors by obligacion to paie the said
legacies to the said  Children at suche
tymes as I have before appoynted

Item I geve and bequethe to Water Pikes
my son oon hundred poundes of lawfull
mony of england to be paid unto hym
by my executors wtin on yere next after
my decease. Item I geve and bequethe to
my Sister Johane x l Item I give and
bequethe to hir iii Children that is to say
Amy Johane and Richard x pounds to
evry of them  And I will that the x l that
I have geven to my said Sister shalbe paid
unto hir by said executors wtin oon
monethe nexte after my decease and that
the legacies that I have bequethed and
geven to hir iii Children shalbe paid unto them

wtin  oon yere nexte after my decease
Item I geve unto Johane Bysse my doughters
doughter xx l marks of money to be paid
unto hir at hir daie of marage
Item I geve and bequethe to my Cosen
Johane Precy  xl s  Item I geve
and bequethe to old John Hackett my
night gowne and a grote in money to
be paid unto hym every wike during
his lif by myne executors.  Item I geve
and bequethe fiftie poundes of money
to be bestowed by myne executors upon the
mending of the highe wais abowte bristowe
wherof I will that xx l be bestowed

upon the highe wey betwyne bedmester
and the farder ende of the Causey called
the long causey beyond stoke  and other
xx l to be bestowed upon the highe wey
betwyne leeffords yate and the fote of
the hill called Toghill whiche is the
highe wey from bristowe toward london
And v l to be bestowed upon the highe wey
betwyne bristowe and keynesham  And
thother v l to be bestowed upon the slipp
in the shambles of bristoll called the
bochers shippe. Item I geve and bequethe
for the compfort and relief of pore people
in bristowe xx l of money wherof

I will that vi l xiii s iiii d be distributed
the daie of my burying and other
vi l xiii s iiii d to be distibuted before
thend of vi monethes then nexte following
and thother vi l xiii s iiii d to be distributed
by thend of xii monethes nexte after
my decease.  And at evry tyme of
this distribuccon I will that there
be geven owte of the same soms to the
xii pore men and xii pore wemen
of the Almes house called saint
Thomas Almes house in the  long Rowe
xxiiii s Item I geve to my Curate
of my PARishe Church  x s

Item I geve and bequethe toward the
charges of feching whome of the water
to saint Thomas pipe in bristowe xx l
of money to be paid by myne executors upon
Condiccon that the same be done before
thend of twoo yeres nexte after my decease
Item I  will that my executors before thend
of one yere nexte after my decease shall prchesse
in fee Symple
so moche goode land as shall amount to the
clere yerely value of vi l xiii s iiii d And
that the same yerely rent therof shalbe paid by the
 Chambrelen of bristoll for the tyme being to
the pore people of the said Almes house called
saint thomas Almes house in the long Rowe
in bristowe in manr and forme following

that is to say xxxiii s iiii d evry quarter at the
iiii principall feests of the yere wtin the said
Citie moost comonly used And this my PREsent gift
to have a contynuance forevr while the world
shall endure.  Item all the rest of myne
Apparell not before bequethed I do geve
and bequethe to my iii sons that is to say
John Pikes thelder John Pikes the younger
and to Water Pikes.  And for that they
shall lovingly and  quyetly PARte the same
among them my will is that John Pikes my
eldest son shall chuse first and John Pikes
my second son to chuse nexte and the said Water
Pikes to chuse nexte after them And this
to chuse from gowne to gowne and from
garment to garment untyll all my apparell be devided

Item I geve and bequethe to my neighbor
aynghell kettall and to Margarett his wif
xx nobles of money wch I  will shall
remayne in the hands of my wif and she
to dispose the same upon them bothe
as to hir shalbe thought moost convenyent
and necessarye  All the rest of my
goods and Catells not geven nor bequethed by
me before in this my present testament
 I do full and whole geve and bequethe
to my said twoo sons John Pikes thelder and John
Pikes the yonger whom I doe make and ordyn
my full executors of this my present testament
and last will and they to receve all detts due

or to be due unto me And to pay aswell all
the legacies before by me geven in this my
said testament as also all other detts that
I do owe  Also I do make and order
my very loving and trustie friends Mr David Harris
and Water Pikes my Oversers of this my testament
And I do geve to evry of them for their paynes
heryn to be taken a gowne and xx s in money
In witnes wherof to this my said testament
and last will I have putt my seale Thise
PERsons underwrytten being witnesses therunto
yoven the daie and yere above wrytten

by me Richard Dawkyns witnes
Edmond Rogers
Robert burgyn  witnesses

        Probatn xxiii February Anno
        Dni millmio quingeno Lmo Juram??
        Willm Pyckmer ??curatoris executor?
        ??????????????????????????
        ??????????????????????????


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Last Modified: Saturday, 10-Jun-2023 21:14:37 NDT