3 November 1618 Will of William Meredith of Marshfield, Gloucester, gent (proved 27 January 1618)

Source: TNA, PROB 11/133

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In dei nomine amen I William Meredith of Southwood in the
parishe of Marshfeild in the Countie and Dioces of Gloucester gent knowing the tyme of
my departure out of this worlde to be uncertane Do therefore in my good memorye make
and ordayne my last will and testament as foloweth First I recommend my soule unto the
mercie of my good god and my bodie to be buryed without superfluous chardge And touching
my worldlie goodes Landes and Tenements I will Devise and Dispose in manner 
folowing I will a true Invantarie to be made of my goodes Chattells plate and sommes
owing to me with convenient speed after my Decease and a Coppie thereof with my last
Will and testament or a true coppie thereof to be placed in a Chest with the Evidences 
of my Landes and twoe severall lockes at least to be made with severall keys The keye
of the one to be left with my brother John Meredith the other with my A??sman Thomas 
Moorford And yf either of them Departe this life with suche person as my next heire
shall nominate I will and praye that the wardshipp of my heire or heires shalbe committed
to the trust of my good frendes Mr John Whitson one of the Aldermen of the Citie of Bristoe
Giles Brownerigg of London John Tippar of Lydney and my brother in lawe Israell
Gleason And the benefitt that may accrewe by his landes or marriage I will to be ymployed
as well for his use as for and towards the performance and payments of my Legaceys and
Debtes and education of hym and my other children as in the Discretions of the saied PERsons
and of my Executors hereafter named whoe are to performe this my Will untill my heire
or heires shalbe able to take the exemtion thereof (as shalbe lymited hereafter) or ??? the most
parte of them shall seeme good But the Chardge for the obteyning the saied ward shipp &
other necessarie Disbursements touching the affaires and education of my sayed heire
I will to be layed out by my said Executors out of my goodes and profitts of my Landes to
be by them perceaved and the same to be repayed out of the benefitt to be had by my sayd
heyers marriage I will my saied executors to make sale of suche goodes Cattells and
plate as shall not be thoughte to be kept for my heire or given by me to others I will
that suche parte of the money contracted by me to be given to Charles Harward my
Sonne in lawe for the marriage partion of his wife my Daughter shalbe trulie payd
according to true meaning I meane so muche as shalbe unpayd therof at the tyme of my
Decease I will Demise and give to Mary and Elianor my Daughters three
hundred poundes a peece of lawfull money of England to be payed unto them at
there severall Dayes of marriage or ages of twentie and one yeres first happening
yf so muche shall then be remayning in the handes of my Executors otherwise soe
sone as my Executors shall and may receave the same And yf yt happen that either
of my saied Daughters departe this life before the Daye of her marriage or age
of one and twentie yeres (yf she be not marryed before) Then I will that the other
Sister surviving shall have one hundre poundes therof And fortie poundes therof
to be paied to and amongest the children of Margaret my Daughter (yf she shall
have any then or after in life But yf bothe my Daughters Mary and Elianor
Departe this life as before Then I will that one hundred poundes of theire porcons
and saied Legaceys to be given and payed to and amongest the children of the
sayed Margaret my Daughter And tenne poundes a peece of the saied partions
and legaceys to be payed to every of the children of Jane my Daughter then
living And in either of those Cases the Residue of the sayed Legaceys bequeathed
to the sayed Mary and Ellianor from and after the Decease of them and either of
them to be and remayne to my sonnes Michaell and George equallie Provided


allwayes that yf either of my saied Daughters Mary and Elianor shall contract or entangle
herselfe in mariage before the age of one and twentie yeres without the consent of my Executors
or the Survivor of them then living Then she so contracting or entangling her selfe to have
onlie One hundred poundes for her portion and the other two hundred poundes to be voyde as
not given Item I will give and Devise to George my sonne all the Interests estates and
Tearme of yeres which shall remayne unexpired of and in the messuage Tenements and
Landes called Netherhall and Bennetts in the parishe of Awre in the Countie of Glouc
and of and in that ??veles Tenement and ferrendell of a yarde Land in ???ke which I hold
by Demise of Thomas Davies and Walter Davis And of and in that ground commonlie
called S????meade which I hould by Demise and assurannce made by John Marten and
Richard Marten at Breache yate And of and in the groundes called Burey ?eason??
and the other groundes therwith Demised To have and to hould to the saied George and
his assignes from and after suche tyme as he shall atteyne his full age of one and twenty
yeres And in the meane tyme my Executors to take and perceave the profitts and yssues
of all the saied premisses so Demised to hym for and towards the payment of my Debtes
raysing of sommes and Legacys given by this by last will and testament and education
of the saied Marye and Ellianor untill theire saied tymes before appoynted for receyving
theire saied Legacys and for and towards the education and mayntennce of the saied
Michaell and hym the saied George untill theire severall ages of one and twentie yeres
uppon this condition neverthelesse that yf Walter Parker of Doyngton in the Countie
of Gloucester happen to departe this life before the saied age of one and twentie
yeres whereby an Estate heretofore made by me to the saied George of and in the
Tenement in the tenure of the saied Walter Parker in Revertion of the Estate of the
saied Walter Parker shalbe to commence That then my saied Executors shall and may
perceave take and have the profitts and yssues of the saied Tenement and the Landes
therwith Demised untill my saied sonne Georges saied age of one and twentie yeres
to be ymployed and converted to and for the uses last before recited and for the same
give and make a sufficient Release and Dischardge to my saied Executors which yf
he refuse at his saied age of one and twentie yeres Then my said Devise to be
voyde and my saied Executors to sell and Dispose the estates Interests and termes
of in and to the saied Landes and Tenements in Awre and ???ke so Demised to the
saied George my sonne to and for the uses aforesayed Adn uppon Condition allso that yf
Mary Greene widowe Departe this life before the saied George my sonne shall
atteyne his age of one and twentie yeres whereby the Landes and Tenements which
the saied Mary Greene nowe holdeth by grannte of Courte roll of the Mannor of
wicke are to become in possession to the saied George by vertue of a grannte in
Revertion thereof to hym made that in suche Case of her Dying the saied George shall
permitt and suffer my saied Executors to take and have the profitts of the sayed
Tenement and Landes untill he shalbe of the age of one and twentie yeres to and for
the use aforesayed and at his saied age soe Release and Dischardge them for the same Provided
yf that yt happen my sayed sonne George to Departe this life before his age of one and
twentie yeres without yssue of his bodye lawfullie begotten Then I will that the Leases
Chattells and Legacys Demised unto hym to remayne unto Michaell my sonne and his issue
after my debts payed and legaceys performed paying to eache of his three sisters Margaret Mary
and Ellianor twentie poundes a peece And to the children of his Sister Jane Jones tenne
poundes amongest them And yf bothe my saied sonnes Dye before the age of one and
Twentie yeres without yssue Then the saied Leases Chattells and Legacys given to ye
sayed George to remayne to my Daughters Margaret Mary and Ellianor equallie
to be Devided amongest them they paying thirtie poundes amongest the Children of
the said Jane my Daughter Item I will and Devise my Lands and Tenements in
Sandhurst or elswhere in the Countie of the Citie of Glouc to Michaell my sonne and
to the heires of his bodie lawfullie begotten And for want of suche yssue to George


my sonne and the yssue of his bodie lawfullie begotten And for wante of suche yssue to the
children of Jane my Daughter equallie to be Devided amongest them and to the heires of
theire bodies lawfullie begotten And for want of such yssue to the righte heires of me the
saied William Meredith for ever Provided allwayes neverthelesse that yf my Executors
During the minoritie of my myne heire may not convenientlie receave sufficient sommes by my goods
Chattells and profitts of my Landes for the satisfaction of my Debtes and performance of
this my will Then my Will is that my saied Executors and my trustie frend John Tipper
or the Survivors of them shall grannte sell Demise or estate all my saied Landes and
Tenements in Sandhurst or elswhere in the saied Countie of the Citie of Gloucester
or any parte or parcell therof to any person or persons citzen in Fee or for tearme of
yeres and lives at theire willes and pleasures for suche sommes of money as they shall
thinke fitt the saied sommes of money to be ymployed towards the satisfaction of the
saied Debtes and Legaceys And I Do constitute and appoynte my frend and A??sman
Thomas Moorford of Bathe and my sonne in Lawe Charles Harvard to be my Executor
and Executors of this my last will and testament untill suche tyme my first heire shall
attayne the full age of one and twentie yeres and untill suche heire after his comming
to his saied age shall satisfie or paye or become bound with sufficient suertie to the sayd
Executors to satisfie and paye suche somme and sommes as shalbe then uppon a true
Accompte to be by them made besides the sommes receyved by them either for Debtes
and Legaceys of me the sayed Testator or any sommes Disboursed by my sayed executors
and not satisfied And from and after suche tyme and so Doyng my saied heire to be my
whole and sole Executor ?????? of this my last will and testament And I do appoynte that the
profitts of my Landes and Tenements Demised to my trustie frend Mr John Whitson
and Divers others bearing Date the twentith Daye of Januarye in the Fifteenth yere
of the Raigne of oure soveraigne Lord James by the grace of god kyng of England
Frannce and Ireland shalbe perceaved and taken by my sayed Executors and co???ted
towardes the satisfaction of my Debts and Legaceys and otherwise according to the
Tenor of the saied Lease And I will that my saied Executors shall within sixe
weekes after the feast of St Michaell the Archanngell Deliver a true Noate
of all the sommes receyved and Disbursed by them the yere before And the same
subscribed by them to be placed in a Chest with the Coppie of my Will and
Inventarye of my goodes And in every suche yeres Accompte I will that they expresse
suche Allowannce as they shall thincke reasonable for theire travell the same yere
Item I give to the poore of Marshfeild twentie shillinges to be Disposed by the vicar
there within one monethe after my Decease And I will that my heire within twoe yeres
after his comming to the age of one and twentie yeres shall grannte and Conveye
to the use of the poore in Marshfeild for and During the tearme of three hundred yeres
then folowing to be yerelie payed out of my Landes and Tenements in Marshfeild
the somme of twentie shillinges uppon every good frydaye uppon this Condition
that he and his heires may freelie enioye the benefitt of   Buriall for them theire
wyves and children in the Ile of the churche of Marshfeild where my late wife
Ellianor lyeth buryed without paying any other somme for the same I give to my
Servannt John Lyndredge twoe poundes and twoe yeowes to be payed within one
yere after my Decease And to my servannte Anne Ogle the somme of twoe pounds
withyn twoe yere after my decease or Daye of marriage first happening I will that
my sonne Michaell withyn one yere after his atteyning the age of one and twentie yeres
shall grannte and release unto Meredith Jones the somme of twentie shillinges of the
Thirtie shillinges Rent reserved and payable unto me and my heires which I assured
in Sandhurst to his father Mother and Children Item I will that my sayed heire
withyn twoe yeres after his comming to the age of one and twentie yeres shall pay
to every of the Brothers and Sisters of the saied Meredith Jones by the Mothers
side the somme of twoe shillings a peece I give to my Daughters Margaret Mary


and Ellianor a featherbed a peece togeather with a Rugg and one paire of sheetes a peece and
a brasen pott and certaine pewter at the discretion of my saied Executors Item I give to
my Daughter Margaret the litle silver Cupp with the Caver and the silver Bowle
I give to my Daughter Jane the third Featherbed which came from Weston ???? and y
second paire of virginalls and a Rynge with the pearle The REst of my Rynges and
Jewels I have assigned to my children allreadie To my loving freind Mr Giles Brownrigg
I give my silver Dagger And to my god sonne William Meredith a Royall And to his
Brothers Thomas Henrye and his Sister Elianor a chilver sheepe a peece I Desire my
Executors to take the advice of my brother John Meredith in Disposing and selling of my
goodes Cattells and Carne and letting of my Landes I Desire my Executors to take greate
care in keeping my goodes from spoyling and my howse from Ruyne And yf my Daughter
Margaret please to contynewe there untill my sonne be of age of fitt to inhabit there
I will that she and her husband shall houlde the home groundes the groundes called Cicely
Meade and Ciceley Crofte Bridgmans and C??weclose allowing to third partes of the
reasonable valewe thereof I most humblie praye the righteworshipp Sr Edward
Wyntoure knighte to contynewe his good favoure and Countennce towards my posteritye
whoe I hope will contynewe towards hym and his ever dutifull as I have Done towards
his father and hym this fortie yeres past To his honorable Ladye I have left a finale
Remembrannce of my Respect unto her which I hope she will take in good parte I 
trust my good frend Mr Deane of Welles will shewe same token towards my children
in remembrannce of the reciprocall love betwixt us which good will
requiteseying they are fatherles and motherles Item yf any question rise touching the
Contents of my will or Accompts to be made by my executors to my heire I will the
same to be Decided by my good frendes Mr John Whitson and John Tipper and my
brother in lawe Israell Gleason whome I make my Overseers I give to my Cosin
Moorforde the twoe yere Colte And my sonne in lawe Charles Harvard the yereling
Colt I omitt divers frendes for want of abilitie I revoke all former wills by me
made And so recommending my selfe and my poore children to the mercey of my good
good I end this my last will and testament the third Daye of November in the
yere of ower Lord god one thowsand sixe hundred and Eighteene ?????? Willms
Meredith conteyned in twoe other pagines besides this and subscribed by me and
affixed with my seale This was published and Declared to be his last will the
fourthe of November one thowsand sixe hundred and eighteene in the presence of
us Rob Nelson  John Sebourne  And againe acknowledged before me Willm
Webb on the Nynth daye of November in the yere aforesayed

Probatum fuit Testamentum [...] apud London [...]
[this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate on 27 January 1618]
vicesimo septimo die mensus Januarii Anno Domini
Stilo Anglie millesimo sexcentesimo Decimo octavo
[to]
Caroli Harvard

Last Modified: Tuesday, 26-Dec-2017 11:34:21 NST