4 October 1582 Will of David Harris of Bristol, grocer (proved 20 November 1582)

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In dei nomine amen Quarto die Octobris Anno regni Regnie 
nostre Elizabethe vicesimo quarto I David Harris grocer of the Cittie of 
Bristoll Aldermann beinge whole of mynde of perfecte remembrannce (thanks be to god)
doe make ordeine and dispose this my laste will and testamente in manner and forme 
followinge First I bequeathe my sowle to allmightie god whoe created me and to Jesus
Christe his onelie Sonne whoe redemed me withe his moste precious bloude and to the 
holye ghoste whoe hathe sanctified me and all mankinde trustinge holelye by the merittes 
and bitter passionn of my savioure Jesus Christ to be saved accordinge to his promis made to all
faithfull belevers in the holye Scriptures whereupon holelye and solelye I depende wheras 
it is saide that Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit salus  erit And also in an other place 
Credo quod Redemptor mens vivit et in novissimo die de terra sacrecturus sum et in carue mea
videbo deum saluatorem men her spres mea in sim meo est my bodye I bequeath to the deathe
from whence it came to be buried in the Crowde of St Nicholas where my Father and my
first wieff doe lie yf I departe in Bristoll or within xxi myles of Bristoll Imprimis I
I bequeathe unto my wieff Margarett one Annuytie or yearlie Rente of Twentie sixe pounds
Thirteene shillings and fower pence owte of all my Landes and Tenements duringe her widow
hode as a rent charge so that she maie distraine for it if it be unpaide in recompence of her 
Dowrye and ioynture of all my Landes and Tenements And if she marrye Then I will the
profitts of the saide Annuytie remaine to my Sonne David Harris and his children and to
my daughter Alice and her children lawfullye begotten ioyntlye and equallie But if shee 
remayne widowe all her lief tyme my will is she shall have the saide Rents duringe her lieff 
as is aforesaid And my will is that my sonne David and sonne in lawe my said wieff shall 
and maye receyve the saide Annuytie or yearlie rents of the Tenantes of my Landes and 
Tenementes as longe as she shall contynue widowe And my will is that my sonne David
and sonne in lawe Raph Bennett be my full executors of this my laste will and testamente
And doe charge and require theme as theie will awnswere before the face of god to see my
debts paide and my Funeralls executed and this my last will fullfilled Item I geve unto my
saide wieff Margarett and sonne David my howsse wherein I dwell indifferentlie to use betwixte
theme quietlie to enioye it and so to use withe the ymplements thereof so longe as my wieff shalbe 
unmarried And theye to lyve togeather And my will is if it channce my daughter Alice or
her husband my executoure be disposed there also to dwell that theye shall have and enioye a
thirde parte of the howse above as nowe in my lief tyme theye doe or maye togeather withe
the ymplements of the same so longe as my saide sonne David wieff shalbe unmarried and theye 
to lyve togeather And when either of theme shalbe deceassed I will then that the said howse 
withe the ymplements thereof and the Fee symple remayne to my said sonne David and 
his heires And my meaninge is that my saide children before named shall use the sayde 
howse and ymplements duringe theire lyves as nowe theye doe or eyther of theme doeth
at this present Provided that none doe sell or remove anye of the ymplements of thee
sayde howsse but that theie remayne full and whole when theye shalbe deceassed to my
sonne David Item I geve and bequeathe to y wieff Margarett and sonne David thee
proffitts of all my leasses for terme of yeares either in possession or in revercion theye to
take the profitte thereof equallie betweene theme duringe my wyves her liffe and widowhod
But my will is neither of theme shall either quyte sell or sett owte annye of the saide 
leasses or Tenements whereto the Leasses belonge withowte the consent eche of other 
But that when my wieff is either contracte or deceassed the resydue of terme of yeares 
remayne to my sonne David and his heires duringe the saide terme of yeares Item I will
that my sonne David shall have the shopp of my said howse wth the ymplements &


to him and his heires payinge and yealdinge to my saide wief Margarett duringe her widowhed the
somme of fyve pounds quarterlie by evenn porcions And my will is that where I geve my
wieff sixe and twentie pounds thirtene shillings and fower pence of annuytie or yearlie Rent
That if she be not therewth contente but doe assaye and putte in practise to have the thirde PARte
foote of my landes That then she shall not have her said sixe and twentye pounds thirtene
shillings and fower pence of Annuytie or yearlye Rents nor yette my profitte of the leases
whiche I houlde for terme of yeares nor annye proffitt thereof by me to her bequeathed but
that all the commoditie thereof shall retorne full and whollye to the heires of my said sonne
David for and duringe my estate therein Also my will is that if my sayde wieff so putte in 
practyse to have the thirde foote of my land Then I will that my Daughter Alyce have
the said some of fyve poundes owte of the said shopp duringe my wyves saide lieff neither
will I that if my wieff so marrie that she enioye annye parte of the howse wherein I
nowe dwell in nor annye commoditie thereof but that the same remayne to my sonne
David and his assignes Item I geve and bequeathe to my sayde wieff all the apparell
belonginge to her bodye Also I geve and bequeathe to my saide wieff the great Downe
bed in the greate chamber withe the bedsteade and all the furniture thereto belonginge that
is to saye the testar curtens vallens and the beste coverlett a boulster twoe pillowes a
pair of the beste sheetes a paire of fuscian blanketts Item I geve to my saide sonne
David one of my executors my lower greate grounde in Frogge lane full and whole and 
in as ample manner as I nowe holde duringe my terme of yeares yett to come Item I 
geve to him my seconde beste fetherbed withe the higher bedstead in the matted chamber 
the second beste coverlett second beste coverlett boulster and two pillowes second beste
testar and curtayne and vallens wherein my wieff laie a childe bed and the rest according
to the bed belonginge that is second best Item I geve to David Harris my sonne my
sonne my Ringe withe the Turcas Also I geve to my sonne David all my bookes of 
Phisick Item I geve to my daughter Alice and to the heires of her bodye lawfully 
begotten to enioye theise percells of lands followinge Imprimis a howse in Tuckarstreate
noew in the Tenure of the goodwiffe Aprice the yearlie Rente whereof is fortie sixe shillings
and eighte pence Item an other Tenement nowe in the tenure of Richarde Shoyle the yerelie 
Rente whereof is Twentie shillinges Item an other Tenemente nowe in the tenure of Philip
Jenkyns the yearlie Rente whereof is Tenne shillings Item a Tenemente nowe in the tenure 
of William Richardes the yearlie Rente whereof is Thirtene shillinges fower pence Item one
other Tenement nowe in the Tenure of Edward Hopkins the yearelye Rente whereof is 
Thirtie fower shillings eight pence Item I geve an other Tenement late in the Tenure of the
goodwiffe Sutton the yearlie Rente whereof is twelve shillinges Item an other Tenemente 
whiche is nowe in the tenure of Robert Tickles the yearlye Rent whereof is twelve shillinges 
Item one other Tenement nowe in the tenure of Mr Blake the yearlie Rente whereof is fortie
sixe shillings eighte pence Item an other tenement nowe in the tenure of the Goodwieff
Aparrye the yearlie rent whereof is twentie three shillinges fower pence Item a Stable 
nowe in the tenure of Mrs Higgens the yearlie rent whereof is twentie shillings Item
a pavyment or yarde nowe in the tenure of Morris Aprothro the yearlie rent whereof is
fyve shillings Item I geve to John Harris my sonne a Tenement in Lewins meade the
yearlie Rents whereof is twentie shillinges And yf yt happen the saide Alice and the
heyres of her bodie doe channce to deceasse withoute heires of her bodye lawfullye begotten
Then I will that theise PARcells of lands before recited remayne to my sonne David and 
the heyres of his bodye for ever And if my saide sonne David doe channce to deceasse 
havinge no issue then I will that the Landes wch I houlde in fee simple and geve
unto him remayne to my Daughter Alice and to the heires of her bodye lawfully begotten
for ever Item I geve and bequeath to my daughter Alice one hundred I saie one hundred ounces of such 
plate as hathe note the grocers Armes Also I geve unto her my ringe with the flower
of Diamonds Item I geve unto my Daughter my thirde best featherbed and my thirde
beste bedsteade thirde boulster thirde coverlett third sheetes thirde blankette with the


furniture thereto belonginge accordingly that is to say third beste Item I geve to my sonne
George the higher Orcharde in Froglane duringe my yeares Item to my sonne John
Harris my blacke gowne faced withe sattenn Item I geve to Maister Standback one of 
my Overseers a moorninge gowne Item I give to Mr Walter Pykes whome I make
the other Overseer a gowne desiringe theme bothe of all loves betwixte theme and me to
helpe my wieff and childrenne in all theire rights and necessarie affairs Item I geve
to my saide sonne David the Salte withe the Christall and the neast of gobletts withe the 
feete of Griffins and theire con?? All the Rest of my Lands and Tenements not otherwise
bequeathed I geve to my saide Sonne David I saye suche Lands as I holde in Fee simple
or Fee farme to remaine to him and to his heires for ever Item I will and charge all my
Lands and Tenements as also my Leases to the true payment of all my debts chargs of 
Funeralls and suche like wherefore I will that none of theise legacies before expressed be
demannded untyll suche tyme as my debts be fullie thorowlye payde whiche Debts muste
comme owte of the aforesaid Landes Item I geve to Robert Racklife my servannt in money
Fower pounds my ridinge cloak and coate willinge him to doe his duetie to his maistris 
and to remayne withe her if she be so contented untill thende of his yeares I will that 
the reste of my plate be devided betwixte my saide wieff sonne David and Daughter Alice
Item I geve the rest of all my goods moveable and unmoveable besides the yearlye ymplemts
of my saide howse and shoppe to be devided equallye betwixte my saide wief sonne David &
Daughter Alice And in witnes that this is my last will and Testament I have hereunto
sett my hand and seale Wytnes whereof David Harris Raphe Bennett Alice Bennett
also Harris David Anthonye Standbank Margarett Harrys mark

Probatum fuit ... apud London
[this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate on 20 November 1582]
vicesimo  die mensis Novembris Anno domini millimo quingentesimo octogesimo
secundo
[to]
David Harris et
Radulphi Bennett executorum

Last Modified: Saturday, 12-Sep-2020 14:17:41 NDT