14 April 1638 Will of Edward Peters of Bristol (proved 4 May 1638)

Source: TNA, PROB 11/177

If you came to this page directly, then you might want to know that I have additional family history information on my website.

In the name of God Amen; The Fourteenth daye
of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred thirtie and eight I
Edward Peters of the Cittie of Bristoll marchant being at this present weake in bodie but
of perfect minde and memorie thankes be given to God therefore considering with myself
the certaintie of my death and the tyme thereof most uncertaine being willing to settle
and dispose that worldly estate which the Lord of his great mercie hath bestowed uppon me
to and amongst my wife Children and frends that the same may be quietly enioyed by them
And that I may be the readier and better prepared when the Lord in his mercie shall
call for me out of this transitorie life doe make constitute and ordaine this my last will and
Testament in manner and forme followeing that is to saye First and principally I comend my
soule into the hands of God my Creator confidently trusting to be saved and to enioy the ioyes
of heaven by and through the death and passion of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and
my bodie I comitt to the earth to be buried in xpian buriall in the Crowd of St Nicholas
Church in the Cittie of Bristoll and there betweene the two second Arches from the
Stayres where my mother lyeth buried And as concerning my worldly estate I dispose 
thereof in manner followeing (that isto saie) Imprimis I give unto Mr Towgood minister in
St Nicholas Church for his dues and duties in respect of my funrall and buriall the some of forty
shillings Item I give unto Mr Tall Addam minister in St Walbe??es' Church in Bristoll
whence my will is shall preach my funerall sermon for preaching the same sermon three
pounds in money Item I give unto the poore people of the parrish of St Nicholas in Bristoll five
pounds in money to be distributed amongst them by the discretion of the Church wardens and
overseers of the poore of the same parrish Item I give unto the poore people of the parrish of
the holy and indevided Trinitie als Christ Church in the Cittie of Bristoll three pounds
in money to be distributed to and amongst them by the discretion of the overseers of the poore
and Churchwardens of the same parrish item I give unto the poore people of the parrish
of St Peter in Bristoll fortie shillings to be distributed to and amongst them by the
discretion of the overseers of the poore and Churchwardens of the same parrish Item I
give unto my brother George Peters fyve pounds in money Item I give unto my
sister Rowse fyve pounds in money Item I give unto my Aunt Alice Gleeson fyve pounds in
money Item I give unto my mother lawe Anne Guy fyve pounds in money Item I give
unto my Cosen Anne Morgan fyve pounds in money Item I give devise and bequeath unto
Margaret my loveing wife all that my messuage or tenement and the lands grounds and
other things thereunto belonging scituate in the Marsh wthin the parrish of Henbury in
the Countie of Gloucr now in the tenure of my tennant Edward Ferrett And all my
estate right and tytle thereunto Item I give devise and bequeath unto Margaret my
said wife my messuage or tent with the appurtennce in Corne street in the Cittie of
Bristoll wherein I now dwell for soe many yeares as shee shall happen to live sole and
unmarried And the remainder of all the terme and interest I have in my said dwelling
house and shalbe to come at the marriage or decease of my said wife (wch of them
shall first happen) I give devise and bequeath unto my sonne Edward Peters his
executors and assignes Item I give and bequeath unto my said wife and unto Edward
Peters George Peters Anne Peters Elizabeth Peters and Grace Peters my sonnes
and Daughters all my plate ymplements of houshould and houshould stuff pewter brasse
lynnen and other utensills I have and use in my said now dwelling house equally betweene
them part and part like And my will and meaning is that my said wife shall have and
keepe the same wch shall belong unto my said Children until their respective porcons
shalbe herafter limitted to be payed unto them Item I give devise and bequeath unto
my said sonne George the messuage or tenement with the appurtenances in Corne street
in the Cittie of Bristoll wherein my Tennan Rycroft now dwelleth and next adioyneth
unto my dwelling house for all my estate and Terme therein and thereto Item I give
devise and bequeath unto my said sonne George All that my messuages or tenements
with their appurtenances lyeing and being in Worshipfull streete als the Shambles in
Bristoll which I have and hould by vertue of a grannt made by the Deane and
Chaplen of the Cathedrall Church of the holie and indevided Trinitie in or neere the Citty
of Bristoll and all my estate terme and interest therein and thereto Item I give



Devise and bequeath unto my said sonne George and unto his heires All those my twelve
tenements with their appurtenances lyeing altogether in Beere lane in or neere Temple streete
within the parrish of the Temple of the holy Crosse in the Cittie of Bristoll aforesaid Item
I give devise and bequeath unto my said Daughter Anne all that my messuage or tent wth
the appurtenances in Temple streete aforesaid wherein William Heathcott now dwelleth and
all my estate right tytle interest therein and thereunto Item whereas I promised by brother
William Peters deceased to give unto his Children hereafter named certaine somes of money
Now I give unto them in discharge of my said promis the severall somes of money followeing
that is to saye I give unto Grace Peters soe much moneys as shall make upp those moneys
I have already bestowed given and payed for her Clothing educacon and maintenance the
some of one hundred pounds In money Item I give unto Simon Peters soe much money
as shall make those moneys I have allready bestowed given and payed for him for his
Clothing educacon and maintenance the some of Fyftie pounds Item I give and bequeath
unto William Peters soe much money as shall make upp those moneys I have already bestowed
given disbursed and payed for him for his Clothing educacon and maintenance the some
of fyftie pounds Item I give and bequeath unto Andrew Peters soe much money as shall make
upp those moneys I have already bestowed given disbursed and payed for him for his Clothing
educacon and maintenance the some of Fyftie pounds And my will and meaning is that
the moneys given as aforesaid to my said brothers sonnes and Daughter shalbe payed unto
them in manner following (that is to saie) to the said sonnes when they shall severally attaine
to the age of twentie and one yeares and to the said Daughter when shee shall attaine to her
age of twentie and one yeares or her day of marrige (wch shall first happen) All the
rest of my goods Chattles right Creddits moneys and other things not herein before
by me given or bequeathed my debts legacies and funerall expences being first taken
out payed and Discharged My will and meaneing is shalbe shared and devided into
sixteene equall parts and porcons And I give and bequeath the same in manner and
forme followeing (That is to saye) Imprimus I give and bequeath  unto Margaret
my said wife Soe as shell within one yeare next after my decease seale deliver and
give unto my said sonnes Edward and George a sufficient release and discharge of all
such dower and tytle of Dower wch she hath or may have of in and to all such lands
and tents wch shall descend and come unto my said sonne Edward and wch I have
herein before given unto my said sonne George Three sixteene parts thereof And if
in case shee shall make default of sealing and giveing of such sufficient release and
discharge as aforesaid Then I give the same three sixteene parts given to my said
wife as aforesaid unto my said sonnes Edward and George equally betweene them
Item I give and bequeath unto my said Daughter Ann other three sixteene parts thereof ^		^ Item I give and bequeath
Item I give and bequeath unto my said Daughter Grace other three sixteene parts thereof		  unto my said daughter Elizabeth
Item I give and bequeath unto my said sonnes Edward and George the other fower sixteene		  other three sixteene parts
parts residue thereof equally betweene them And my will and meaning is that my said		  thereof
Daughters shall have their severall parts and porcons of my said estate delivered and
payed unto them as they shall severally attaine to their severall ages of twentie and one
yeares or severall dayes of marriage wch shall first happen And that my said sonnes
shall have their several parts and porcons of my said estate delivered and payed unto
them as they shall severall attaine to the age of twentie and one yeares And my will and
meaneing is that yf any of my said Children shall happen to dye before he she or they soe
dyeing shall or ought to receave and have their severall and respective parts and
porcons that then the parts and prosons of hee shee or they of them soe dyeing shalbe
delivered and payed to and amongst the survivors and survivor of them my sayd
Children equally Item my will and meaning is That there shalbe thirtie poore men
haveing mourning Gownes and other usuall apparrell at my funerall Item I doe hereby
constitute ordeine and make my said wife Margaret sole executrix of this my last will and



Testament desireing and requireing her as shee will answeare the contrary at the dreadfull day of
iudgment that she performe this my last will and Testament according to the true intent & meaning
thereof And I doe hereby intreate and appoint my loveing frends Mr Giles Elbridge and Mr
William Cann marchants to be overseers of this my last will and Testament desireing them
and either of them that they will assist my said wife and doe their best endeavors that my
estate may be iustly devided and shared to and amongst my said wife and Children and
that this my last will and Testament may in all things be PERformed according to the true
intent and meaning thereof And for their love and paines to be taken herein I give unto
either of them fyve pounds to buy them Rings withall as tokens of my love unto them Item I
give devise and bequeath unto my said Daughter Elizabeth and to her heires all that my
messuage or tent wth thappurtennce in the parrish of St Stephen in Bristoll over against
the Churchyard there in the tenure of my Tennant Richard Hall Joyner And whereas
the feoffees of the lands and tents belonging to St Leonards Church in Bristoll have
agreed to grannt unto me all those my two tents in St Nicholas streete in Bristoll
which I have now lately new built and repayred and in the tenures of John Hellier
and Thomas Keeme for the terme of nynetie and nyne yeares determinable upon the
deaths of three lyves I doe now hereby declare my will and meaneing to be and doe
desire the said feoffees to grannt the same two tents unto my sonne George Peters
in such manner and forme as they agreed to grannt the same unto me In witnes whereof
I have hereunto put my hand and seale the day and yeare first above written  Edward
Peter In this seaven sheets of paper unto every of wch the said Edward Peters hath
subscribed his name is conteyned the last will and testament of the said Edward Peters 
and soe was by him declared signed sealed published and acknowledged the daye and
yeare first above written in the presence of us William Wyatt Jeremie Marten Tho:
Alford James White

Probatum fuit Testamentum [this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate at London
on 4 May 1638]
Quarto die mensis Maii anno Dni millimo sexcemio tricesimo octavo
[to] Margareta Peters 

Last Modified: Wednesday, 17-Aug-2011 21:51:07 NDT