13 October 1491 Will of William Bokett of Sarum, merchant (proved 13 December 1491)

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In dei nome amen the xiii day of the monith of Octobre in the yere of our
Lord god m cccclxxxxi I Willyam Bokett of Sap Marchaunt being of goode 
and Stedfast memory knowyng also the lyf in this world is transitory wt goode 
advisement and mynde ordeyne and make my testament in and after this maner
First I bequeth my soule to almighty god and to his blessed moder our Lady
seint Mary and to all the holy company of heven and my body to be buried 
in the church of seint Thomas the Martyr of the Cite of newe Sap betwix ye
sepulture of Margery and mawde somtyme my wyfs Also I geve and be
queth to the high aulter of the seid church of seint Thomas for my tithes and
offerings not fully PERformed xl s Also to the werks of the same church I geve xx s 
Also I bequeth to the f??? preches of Fisshe?ton xl s And to the Frires Min???
of Sap xl s undre this Condicon that every ordre of the seid ii orders of Frires 
dista???ly and apart by the space of a monith after my deceese shall dayly 
syng placebo and dirige wt all crisons Longing to the same And also the 
masse of requiem solemply by note in the seid church of seint Thomas for the 
helth of my soule my seid ii wyfs soules And of the soules of my fadre my mod
my brethern sistern And of all tho for which I am bownden to pray And for 
all cristen soules Moreovr I ordeigne in this my will that my executours und
wreten Immediatly after my deceese fynde an honest preest s???ler to sing for 
my soule And all the soules above named and for Cristen soules in the seid church
of seint Thomas by the space of xx yere than next Immediatly my deceese en
suyng To have in charge to sing masse dayly and iii dayes in the weke to sey ye
exequies of ded men wt comendacions and also the vii psalmes and Latony 
wt crisons Longing therto after the use of Sap and to be in the ????e bothe 
holydayes and werking dayes when he shalbe in helth and to have yerely for
his wags x more of Lawfull and usuall money of England Also I geve and 
bequeith to the Contentacion and payment of the wags of the seid preest by 
the seid space of xx yeres all such dett as Willm Byngley and John Byslett 
unto me shall owe the day of my departyng out of this pnt Lyfe if that dett be 
sufficient to the full payment of the foreseid preests salary and if it be not I will ??
my goodes wt the seid dett be chargeabill to the PERformaunce of the same And that my
executrices underwreten Immediatly after my deceese call unto them thaforseid 
Willyam Byngley and John Biflett and to move and advertyse them to put in 
and bryng in sufficient suerte to be bounden to by seid executricez and to the 
church wardens of the seid church of seint Thomas to pay unto them yerely 
x more by the yere at iii termes unto full payment of my dett And that suerte 
so founden I will that myn executricez reless them of all bonds in the which thei
beth bounden unto me and if thaforseid Willyam Byngley and John Biflett 
refuse and wilnot fynde such suerte in manr and forme abovewreten to be bounde 
that then my executricez in no wyse discharge them of their bonds but ??pell 
them to make payment acording to their Bonds and wryting and that then the 
the seid prests wags shalbe paid by myn executricez of my goods not bequested Also 
I geve and assigne to Scolast my wyfe to hyr Joynto a yerely rent of x l during 
hir lyf Of the which x l x more to goo out and to be PAReeyvid of the Rentys 
and Issues of my Manor of Laybrok wt his apptenauncs to be paid at ii tymes 
in the yere that is to sey that is to sey at the fest of thannunciacon of our Lady 
the virgyn and seint Mighell tharchangell by equall porcions and v more to 
be payd of the Issues and Rents of my tenements in Sap at the Lyme Corner
to be paid at the above seid fests by like procions and if it happen the seid x more 
PARcell of the Joynto to be behinde in party or in all at eny fest that it ought 
to be paid and be not paied but be behinde unpayd by xv dayes after eny fest of 
payment therof that then it shalbe Lawfull unto the seid Scolast and to hyr as
signes in all my seid Maynor of Laybrok wt his appurtenanncs to entre and to 
distrayne and that distresse so taken Lawfully to bere away to dreve out and cary 


a wey And to her selfe to retayne to the tyme that she be satisfied of the seid yerely 
rent of x more PARcell of the seid Joyntor so being behynde in party or in all wt tharreage
of the same if any be And if it happen the seid v more PARcell of the seid Joyntor going 
out of my Lands and tenements in new Sap at the Lyme Corner aboveseid be behind 
in party or in all at eny fest that it owght to be payd unpayd by xv dayes after eny
fest of payment therof That then it shalbe Lefull to the seid Scolast and hyr assig
nes tin all the seid tenements wt ther apptenncs to entre and to Distrayne And 
that Distresse so taken unto her self retayne and kepe unto the tyme that she be satisfi
ed and content of the seid Rent of v more so in part or in all being be hinde wt the 
arrerage of the same if any be (Also I geve and bequeith to Agnes my Doughtr
all my seid Manor of Leybroke wt Lands and tenements cotages curtelages 
medewes Lesurez pastewrez comons rents reversions and fences unto the same Manor be 
longing And tho myn closes called the busshes leefe in the PARissh of Wellowe in the 
Counte of South wt all thapptenannces To have and to hold all the seid Manor 
Lands and tenements cotages courtelages medewes Lesews pastures comons 
Rents Revrsions and fences and the seid thre Closes wt all the apptenannces to the 
seid Agnes And to the heyres male betwx hyr and underwoode hyr first husband 
Lwfully begoton forevrmore And for defawte of Issue of heres male of the seyd 
Agnes and hir first husband I will that all the seyd Manor Lands and tenements 
cotages curtelages medowes Lesures pastures commons  rents Revrsons & fences 
Adn the seid iii closes wt all ther appurtenanncs hooly Remayne to Margery my
Doughter And to the heyres male of hyr body Lawfully begoton for evermore 
And for defawte of Issue of heyre male of the seid Margery I will that all ye
seid Manor Lands and tenements cotages curtelages Medowes Lesures pastures 
comons rents reversions and fencez And the seid iii closes wt all the apptennces 
to Johan my sister and to the Lawfull heyres male of hyr holy Remayne for evr
more And for defawte of Issue of heyres male of the seid Johan I will that all ye 
seid Manor Lands and tenements cotages curtelages medowes Lwsures pastures 
commes Rents revrsons and fences And the seid iii closes wt all their apptennces 
to the Rightfull heyres of the seid Agnes hooly be Remetyd for evyrmore 
Also I geve And bequeith all other my Lands and Tenements cotages curtelages 
Solers Selers gardyns medowes lesures Rents Reversions And fences wt theyre 
apptenncs in the Cite of Newe Sap And in the Towne and Lordshipp of puton 
In the counte of Wiltes to Margery my Doughter to have and to hold all the
seid Lands and tenements cotages Curtelages solers selers gardyns medowes lesurez
Rents reversions and fencez wt the apptenannces to thaforseid Margery and to the heres 
male of her for ever And for defawte of Issue of heyres male of the seyd Margery I will
that all the seid Lands and tenements cotages Curtelages solers selers gardyns medowes
Lesures rents reversions and fences wt ther apptennces Remayne to the seid Agnes and 
to the heyres male of hyr for ever And for defawte of Issue of heyres male of the seyd 
Agnes I will that all the seid Lands and tenements cotages curtelages solers selars 
gardyns medowes Lesurez rents revrsions and fences wt their apptenanncs Remayne 
to Johan my Sister And to the Lawfull heyres male of hir forevr And for defawte 
of Issue of heyres male of the seid Johan I will that all the seid Lands and tents 
Cotages Curtelages solers selers gardyns medowes Lesures rents reversions and 
fences wt ther apptenannces to the rightfull heyres of the seid Margery hooly 
be Revertyd forevyrmore Provided allwey that the seid my Manor of Laybroke 
wt his apptenanncez be charged to the payment of ix mare by the yere duryng 
the terme of iii yere next after my deceese for fyndyng of a prest secule to syng and 
pray for my soule And for my said ii wyfs soules for my faders soule my moders 
soule brethern and sistern And for all the which I am bownden to pray for which prest 
shall s??e in the church of Ringwoode by the space of iii yere and dayly sey masse 
aslong as he shalbe in goode tempore and helth of body And the holy dayes to be in 
the quire And to Love and preyse god aftre theuse and custome there And iii dayes 
In the weke shall sey placebo and diryge and comendacions wt all prayers therto 


belonging And also that my seid Manor of Laybroke be charged to the yerely payment of 
xiii s iiii d by the space of iii yere next after my deceese for myne obite to be kept in the seid 
church of Ryngwoode yerely by the seid space Also I geve and bequeith to Jane my sonnes
doughter to hyr mariage xl more And all my Land in Worcetshere which is hyr enhe
ritannce And for defawte of Issue of hyr to Returne to Margery my daughter And to her
heyres Also I geve and bequeith to iii of my sisters children to everich of them 
? more Also I geve and bequeith to everich of my god children xii d Also to every of my srvnts
apprentices xx s And all the hole salary for that thei shall pray for me And to women 
srvants to everich of them vi s viii d and ther wags Also to every po?r man and woman the 
day of my burying ? d And the day of my monethis mynd ? d And to the iiii men that 
beryth me to church iiii s Also I will and ordeyne that myn executrices And myn heyres
fynde ii taps to b?enne in the seid church of seint Thomas by the space of xx yere of the 
which oon to be sett before the Trinitie mother before our Lady Also I geve And 
bequeith to the fyndyng of myn obite and obite masse in the seid church of seint Thos
by the space of xx yere xx l that is to sey every yere xx s to be destributed by myn 
executrices in this maner that is to sey to the PARson if he be pnt And execute thoffice
xii d to every preest and dekon of the seid church being at myn obite masse And 
sensing iiii d to the sexton for Ringing of the bellys ii s vi d And the Residewe to be 
destributed and debt amongs po?r men to pray for my soule Also I geve And be
queith to Margery my doughter C l Also I geve And bequeith to Agnes my dought
C l for the Mariage of ther Children Also I geve and assigne to Scolast my
wyfe to hyr Dower my detts payde and my will fulfillyd the iii d part of my goods The Residew
of all my goodes above not bequeithed my detts fully payd I wilbe disposed for helth of 
my sowle by Scolast my wyfs Agnes and Margery my doughters whome by these pntes 
of this my will and testament I make myn executricez And that they dispose for the helth 
of my sowle in werks of pitie and almes as it shall be by them and my s????ses und
wreten  thought moost behofull to the pleasure of god and helth of my soule provided
evermore that if eny of myn executricez abovenamyd wilnot in every thing be agreabill
and content And also wyllyng to execute this my Last will aftre thentent ? ordynnce 
of the same And as my SuPERvisors shall advyse them but take contrary wayes And 
meanes after hyr owne mynde Or if eny of my seid executricez make or do to be made 
eny acquitannces or discharges of my detts to eny PERsone or PER sones wtout assent of 
my SuPERvisors ether Imbesyll or take awey eny of my wrytings or Minnymentys money
Juell or eny other my goodes And such wrytyngs or Minnymentes money Juell or other 
goodes by hyr or by hyr procuryng so take or Imbeselyd willnot bryng forth at ?? ?llyng 
of thother my executrice and of my SuPERvisors also to thentent that tho detts money
Juell and goodes mowe be employed acordyng to my Will That then I will and by thes
pnts ordeyne that eny such of myn executcez which in such maner shall demean hyr
utterly be dischargyd be the ordinary from her power of an executrice And to be none 
executrice nether to have benyfite of eny thing to them graunted by me in this my 
testament And such relese discharge or acqintannce so to be made to be voyd And of none
effect eny thyng above wreten not wtstandyng And over this that the other my exe
cutrice beyng of trewe mynde havve full auctoryte by meanes Lawfull to compell
eny such so contraryng my will to make restitucion of all such wrytyngs and Minnyments 
money Juell or goodez so embeselyd or taken awey And also provided that I geve and bequeith 
to the prests of seint Thomas to synd o?? Lady Masse dayly by a month xl s and to 
makyng of the wey at Mylford x l And also that if Nicholas and Willyam my srvnts 
abyde and dwell wt my wyfe after my deceese by the space of a hole yere and truely
do theyre service in wttryng and sellyng of my wares And garderyng of my detts to the 
behofe of myn executricez Then I will that the seid Nicholas fyndyng suerte have a stok
of my goodes of C l and ? l of my detts paying therof yerely xx mare And the seid William 
fynde suerte to have a stok of C mare paying therof yerely x mare Adn that this my will
in every thing be fulfillyd SuPERvised of the same I make and ordeyne Roger Hulse 
and John Ussenham to everych of whom for ther Labors I geve and bequeith x mare 
In wittnesse whereof to thes pnts I have sette my seall These wittenessing Maist


John Fry Curate of the seid church of seint Thomas Richard Bwthy??ewe Richard Charite 
and meny other the day moneth and yere above wreten 

Probatum fuit ... apud Lamehith ...
[this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate on 13 December 1491]
xiii die mensis Decembris Anno dni Millimo CCCC nonagesimo primo
[to]
Rogeri Holfe et Johannis Wssenham 

Last Modified: Wednesday, 11-Nov-2020 19:37:05 NST