2 October 1630 Will of Cicily Guning of Bristol, widow (proved 20 February 1631)

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

Source: TNA, PROB 11/161

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In the name of God Amen The
second daie of October in the Sixt yeare of the Raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Kinge
Charles by the grace of God Kinge of England Scotland Frannce and Ireland defender
of the faith &c And in the yeare of our lord God One thousand sixe hundred I Ciciley Guninge
of the parish of St Stephens wthin the Cittie of Bristoll Widdowe beinge in good health and
of a sound and perfect memory thankes be to God for it knowinge that nothing is more certayne
then death and nothinge more uncertayne then the tyme of death beinge willinge and desirous to
settle that estate which it hath pleased God to lend mee in this world before my departure hence and
whilest I am in perfect minde and memory Doe declare, ordayne and make this my present
Testament contayninge my last will in manner and forme following vizt First I bequeath my
Soule to Allmightie God my maker and redeemer by whose meritts and passion I hope to be saved
And my body to be buried and laid in one of the lower Iles in the Church of St Warborous in wch
parish I was borne And I give unto the poore of the said parish of St Warborous the some of fortie
shillings of lawfull English money to be paid unto them wthin one moneth next after my decease Item
my Will and true meaning is that my brother Richard Marlow and my sister Mary his wife shall
inhabite and dwell in my house now in theire possession duringe theire two naturall lives and the life
of the longest liver of them they or either of them paying for the same fortie shillings a yeare unto the
parish Church of St Stephens for and towards reparacons of the said Church over and besides the
rent for the town wall And alsoe I will that they leave in the said house at the tyme of theire deceases
all glasse windowes wainscott Stainecloathes shelves turne posts benches doores locks & keyes 
									as now they be to remayne


as now they be to remayne as heireloomes in the said house   according to theire promise
unto mee in that behalfe And after theire deceass my will and minde is that the said house wth all thappurenncs
be sold by the discrecon of my Overseers to the most advantage and price that can be And thinkeing it a deed of 
charitie to give some thinge unto the poore my will is that one hundred pounds of the money that shalbe made of the
sale of my said house to be unto the said parish of St Stephens to be and remayne in the said parish for a Stocke
for ever in the said parish and by the discrecon of my Overseers put into some sufficient mens hands giveing security
and payinge eight pounds interest yearely and every yeare unto the Churchwardens for the tyme being for the same
to be towards the releife of sixe poore widdowes in the said parish which said eight pounds interest I will it be bestowed
in manner and forme following vizt tenne shillings apeece to the sixe poorest widdowes for the tyme being viz
the hault the laime the blinde the sicke and such other as be most comfortlesse and not able to labour wthin the
said parish of St Stephens by the discrecon of my overseers and churchwardens for the tyme being wch said
tenne shillings apeece my will is to be paid and delivered severally unto every of the said sixe poore Widdowes
on Christmas day in every yeare And alsoe my will is that on every good fryday in every yeare there be
likewise paid and delivered severally unto every one of the said sixe poore Widdowes out of the said interest &
proceed of the said stocke of money three shillings and fower pence to buy every of them one smocke apeece Itm
my will is that out of the said stocke of money      to be likewise paid every yeare yearely
towards reparacons of the said Church of St Stephens the some of fortie shillings of currant English money
Item my will is further that other fortie shillings more part of the eight pounds interest wch shall soe arise
and come by the said stocke of money be given and allowed to some one poore man in the said parish of St
Stephens to be elected by the Churchwardens and allowed by my Overseers for the keeping the Conduit or
water pipe in the said parish cleane and in good order and not suffering any watering tubbs or uncleane 
vessells to be scoured used or stand at or about the same or any halyards vates to be filled there at or by the said 
Conduit or pipe and that the Chamber of the Citty or any officer for the same shall neither meddle with
the said man soe elected nor any way dispose of the fortie shillings soe to him allowed for such his attendance and 
paynes to be taken therein Provided allwaies that if the said stocke of one hundred pounds or any one of the 
said severall gifts given out of the interest and proceed cominge thereof shall at any tyme happen to abate
discontinue and be not truly imployed according to my intent and true meaninge as aforesaid That then
my will is that the said stocke of money of one hundred pounds to be unto the parish Church of St Warborous
for ever Item I give and bequeath unto Mary Camplin twentie pounds of lawfull English money Item 
I give unto my Cozen Anne Ditcher thelder tenne pounds of lawfull English money Item I give unto my
Cozen Nicholas Peakes five pound of lawfull English money if he be liveing or else to his sonne Walter
Peakes Item I give unto my Cozen William Hopkins my Sisters eldest sonne twentie pound of 
lawfull English money Item I give unto Robert Hopkins my said sisters sonne twentie pound of lawfull
English money Item I give and bequeath unto my Cozen Grace Hewett the some of fiftie pound of lawfull
English money Item I give unto my Cozen Thomas Williams fortie shillings to buy him a Ringe as
a token of my love and affeccon towards him Item I give unto my Cozen Walter Powell five pound of 
lawfull English money Item I give unto Thomas and Walter Osborne ten pound apeece of lawfull
English money Item I give unto my Cozen Alice Willis ten pound of currant English money Item I give
unto Elizabeth Triggs five pound of lawfull English money Item I give unto Willm Osborne of 
Coldashton ten pounds of lawfull English money Itm I give unto Willm Atwood of Doynton twenty 
pounds of lawfull English money Item I give unto Ciciley Wasborowe tenne pounds Item I give unto
my brother in lawe Thomas Atwood three pounds Item I give unto Robert Ricroft five pounds And
unto my Aunte Freeman five pounds of lawfull English money Itm I give and bequeath Twentie 
pounds to be layd out and bestowed by the discrecon of my Executrix and Overseers or one of them upon
provision to make a dinner and supper for my neighbors All wch last menconed legacies gifts and bequests
herein before by me given and bequeathed my will is they be paid and satisfied by my Executrix within
sixe moneths next after my decease And if it happen any of the said parties or legataries before named
to decease before they receive theire legacie That then I bequeath his parte or her parte or the partes of
them soe deceasinge to my said Sisters Children to be equallie devided amongst them Item I give unto
Alice Willis two Children five pounds apeece Item I give unto Martha Hopkins Twentie pounds
Item I give unto Robt Hopkins my Sisters said sonne tenne pounds Item I give unto my Cozen
John Betterton ten pounds Itm I give to William Hopkins my Sisters said eldest Sonne twenty


pounds and to his two daughters Anne and Abigall Hopkins tenne pounds apeece of currant English
money All which said last menconed legacies my will is that they be paid and satisfied within one
moneth next after the sale of my said house And that if it may happen any of the said parties or legataries
to depart this present world before they have received his her or theire legacie or legacies That then my will
is that the legacie of him her of them soe deceasing shall come remayne and be unto my Sisters said Children
And alsoe my will and determinate pleasure is that my Sister Mary Marlow shall have in her possession
occupacon and keeping all my implements of houshold, that is to say, lynnen woollen beding plate pewter &
brasse and iron And after her decease all the implements and every PARticuler before menconed my will is that
come unto be equally devided into fower equall parts amongst my Sisters fower children vizt Willm
Robt Grace and Martha And alsoe that all the residue and remaynder of such goods meanes & estate 
as my said Sister shall have by mee out of my estate my will is that so much thereof as shall remayne
hers at her death over and above her needfull and necessary expences come and be equallie devided amongst
her said last named children and that she shall not bestowe distribute or give away the same or any parte
thereof to any one of her said Children before she make a generall division and distribucon thereof nor
give the same to any other persons other then her said Children last before named as she shall answeare
at the dreadfull day &c And for all my wooden and timber implements as Chests boxes bords chaires
stooles and bedsteeds and all my severall kinds of wares in my Shop Sellar or elsewhere in any of the
roomes of my house or in any of my neighbours houses my will is that my Overseers shall sell and
make sale of and the money made thereof presently to deliver to my Executrix towards the discharg of 
theis my legacies and gifts herein before expressed And if my Cozen Robert Hopkins (who is to have my
house wherein I now dwell during his life) be minded to have any of my wooden implements before menconed
my will is that he shall have them Provided allwaies that he take them in part and satisfaccon of his
legacie or else to be sold as aforesaid And all the rest and residue of my goods and estate whatsoever not
before given or bequeathed I doe hereby give and bequeath unto my said Sister Mary Marlow whom I
doe make my sole Executrix of this my last will and testament And my will is that all theis my gifts &
legacies herein before menconed be paid and satisfied by my Executrix as before is expressed And I doe
hereby make ordaine and appoint my trustie and welbeloved friends and kinsmen Mr Nicholas Peakes
Mr Peter Hewett William Atwood and John Lloyd my Overseers of this my last will and testamt 
assuredly perswading myselfe, as my trust is in them, they and every of them will doe theire best indeavors 
to see this my last will diligently performed And I doe give unto every of them for theire labour three
pounds apeece And I doe hereby utterly revoke and adnull all former wills and legacies Executors and 
Overseers by mee in any wise before this tyme named willed and bequeathed In witnes whereof I 
have hereunto sett my hand and seale the daye and yeare first abovewritten Sealed in the presence of
my Cozen Hewett unto whom I delivered a true Coppy hereof excepinge this last writing Pe Hewett
Robert Rycroft Item I give unto my Cosn Grace Hewett my best Grograme gowne and Kirtle
and my best petticoate Item I give to Anne Rycroft the wife of Robert Rycroft my best kersie
gowne and kirtle and my best hatt and fower of my best bands and fower of my best smocks and fower of
my best coifes and fower of my best crossclothes and two of my best wastcoates and all the rest of my
wearing apparrell woollen and lynnen I give to Anne Ginkin and James Long my Servants 
Item I give to twenty poore Widdowes every one a gowne and kercheife  Cisley Guninge

Memorandum That wehreas I Cicely 
Guninge of the parish of St Stephens wthin the City of Bristoll Widdow did make 
my last will and Testament in writing under my hand and Seale bearing date the second day 
of October in the Sixte yeare of the Raigne of our Soveraigne lord Kinge Charles the
Kings Matie that now is And did by my said last will and Testament (amongst other things)
will and and appoynt that my house wth thappurtenncs wherein my brothr in lawe Richard Marlow
now dwelleth should be sold by the discrecon of my Overseers to the most advantage and price
that could be And that one hundred pounds of the money that should be made thereof should
remayne as a stocke for ever in the parish of St Stephens aforesaid and be lett forth at
interst at Eight pounds p Cent for one whole yeare And that the same Eight pounds a yeare


should be imployed to certayne charitable uses therein menconed As in and by my said last will & testamt
more playnly appeareth Now I the said Cicely Guning being sicke in body (but of good and perfect minde
and memory thankes be given to Allmighty God for the same) for the better explayning of my true 
meaning therein and for the better enabling of my said Overseers theire heires and assignes to make sale of 
my said house wth thappurtenncs Doe by this my Codicill give devise and bequeath unto my said Overseers 
vizt Peter Hewett of the City of Bristoll Gent William Attwood of Deynton in the Countie of
Glouc Gent my kinsmen and John Lloyd of the foresaid City Vintner and to theire heires and assignes
for ever All that my messuage or Tenement with th'appurtenncs and the inheritance and fee thereof 
for ever upon speciall trust and confidence and to the intent and purpose that they with as much speed as may
be after the deceases of my said brother Richard Marlowe and my Sister Mary his wife and the 
survivor of them sell the same for the most profitt and advantage they may or can And as touchinge the
said one hundred pounds herein before menconed PARte of the money to be made of my said messuage or
Tenement with th'appurtenncs my will and meaninge is and I doe hereby appoint that the same as 
soone as it can be received by the sale of my house aforesaid be put and paid in into the Chamber of 
Bristoll The said Chamber allowing and paying five pounds by the yeare for the profitt thereof as they
usually doe for such money Which said five pounds my Will and meaning is shall yearely and every 
yeare for ever be paid and distributed in manner following videlt foure pounds thereof yearely to
sixe poore women in such manner as is expressed in my said will, they being of the parish of St
Stephens aforesaid and th'other twenty shillings towards the reparacons of the Church of St
Stephens aforesaid yearely forever And I doe hereby ratifie confirme and allowe my said will
in all other points and legacies therein given as is therein expressed and alsoe the legacies thereunder
subscribed next above my hand and seale thereunto as the same are written and as my said will
now is beinge in some places enterlyned and some legacies striken out And I doe declare this to be
my true meaninge as parte of my said last will and testament and desire it may be annexed 
thereunto and be accompted and reputed as parte thereof Witnes my hand and seale the 
Seaventeenth day of October Anno ??? Caroli ??? Anglie &c Septimo, One thousand sixe
hundred thirtie one Signum ??? Cicely Guning Signed sealed and acknowledged by the
within named Cicely Guning the Seaventeenth day of October One thousand six hundred
thirtie one within written in the presence of Richard Bickris Robert Rycroft George
Hartwell Nori Pubc

Probatum fuit Testamentum suprascriptum ...
[this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate on 20 February 1631]
vicesimo die 
mensis Februarii Anno dni ... Millesimo
sexcentesimo tricesimo primo
[to]
Marie Marlowe sowris dicte defuncte et Executricis

Last Modified: Wednesday, 21-Aug-2019 19:16:36 NDT