Help with a will dated 1578

[freya]

Hello, can anyone do anything with these 2 pages. I am going cross eyed and getting nowhere

[lizdb]

Heres a starter

In the name of God Amen this twenty? Day of November in the year of our Lord God 1577 I Roger ........ Of ........ Nottm in the parish of ......... nottm in the county of ........ Husbandsman being sick in body notwithstanding of good and fit memory do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following

[lizdb]

I dont think the words I transcribed as Nottm are that after all, as it comes again later on, and Nottingham wouldnt make sense!

[lizdb]

Heres an attempt at the next chunk -

First and primarily? I give and bequeath my soul? Unto Almighty God my maker ......... & ........... trusting by the ........his blood .......... to be the ....... of salvation , and my body to be buried ........ the  ........ yard of St Saviour in ..........

[Hephzibah]

In the name of god Amen the 28 day of November in the yere of
or Lord god 1577 I Roger Skete of Charleton within the parish of Downton
Wthin the county of Wilte[  ] husbandman beinge sick in body
not wthstandinge of good & p[er]fit memory do make this my last will
& testament in man[ne]r & forme following First & principally I give & Bequeth
my sowle [    ] almight god my maker rede[e]mer & savior   er[   ]stinge By the
meritte of his [    ] passion to be the child? of salvation & my Bod[y] to
be buried wthin the churchyard of St Saviour?? in Downton

A somewhat bitty attempt! Will return later if not already done.
Hephzibah

[Bookbox]

Here’s an attempt at page 1 ...

In the name of god Amen The xxviij Day of November In the yere
of o(ur) lord god 1577. I Roger Skete of Charleton w(i)thin the p(ar)ishe of
Downton w(i)thin the county of Wiltes(hire) husbandman beinge sicke in body
not w(i)thstandinge of good & p(er)fitt memory do make this my last will
& testame(n)t in man(er) & forme folowinge First & principally I give & bequeth
my sowle unto almighty god my maker, redem(er) & savio(ur) trustinge by the
meritt(s) of his blessed passion to be the childe of salvation, & my body to
be buried w(i)thin the church yard of St Lawrence in Downton It(e)m I
geve to o(ur) mother church of Sar(um) iiij^d It(e)m I geve to my p(ar)ishe church
in Downton xij^d It(e)m I geve to the pore peoples boxe in Downton vj^d
It(e)m I geve to S(ir) John Stephen vicar of Downton for my tythes hitherto
forgotten iiij^d It(e)m I geve & bequeth unto Arthure my sonne Twentye
sheepe as they shall run(n)e out of the leate Two carte horses neither
of the best nor of the worst & one cowe bullocke of three yeres aige It(e)m
I geve & bequeth unto my sonne Will(ia)m Twentye sheepe as they shall run(n)e
out of the leete Two cart horses & one cowe bullocke of three yeres
aige It(e)m I geve & bequeth unto m(ar)garett my daughter Twentye
sheepe as they shall run(n)e out of the leate & one bullock of two yeres
aige It(e)m I geve & bequeth unto my daughter m(ar)garett the yonger
Twenty sheepe as they shall run(n)e out of the leete & one bullocke of one
yeres aige; my will is that thes fower legacies that I have geven unto ...

[Hephzibah]

Thanks Bookbox, can see it's St Lawrence ........now!!
Hephzibah

[freya]

Thanks for all your help so far.
Freya

[Bookbox]

page 2
(.......)wo sonnes & Two daughters, Alys my wife shall have the custody of
the(m?) & their legacies untill they come to mariage or els(e) to eightene yeres of
aige Yf either of them do decease or dye before they come to mariage
or to the yeres of eightene, then that legacie or legacies shall remayn(e)
to them that as alyve equally to be devided betwene them It(e)m I geve to
ev(er)y one of my godchildren iiij^d apece The rest of all my goods
moveable & unmoveable herein not bequethed my debts legacies and
fun(er)alls paid I geve & bequeth them all unto Alice my wife makinge
her my whole & sole executrix. Desyringe John Newman & Will(ia)m
Barnes to be my ov(er)sers of this my last will & testame(n)t And they
shall have for their paynes iij^s iiij^d betwene them Yf Alys
my wife do happen to marry then I will that shee shall come in
bande(*) unto my ov(er)sers for the p(er)formance of my said fower childrens
legacies or els(e) to be deliv(er)ed out of hande unto my ov(er)sers In
Witnes to this my last will & testame(n)t S(ir) John Stephen vicar
ther, John Neweman, Will(ia)m Barnes Richard Cocks Richard Inshe
and Richard Cater(?) (finis)

(probate in Latin -- summarised)
The above written will of Roger Skeete deceased, lately of Charleton in the parish of Downton, was proved in the Archdeaconry of Sarum before Master Richard Chandler, Master of Arts, Archdeacon of Sarum, on the 12th day of the month of April in the year of our Lord 1577** ... granted to the executrix, sworn on a sacred oath ... (etc.)
=========

* - error for hande (?)

** - the will was apparently written on 28 November 1577 and proved on 12 April 1577, so one of those dates is clearly wrong. The new year began on 25 March, so 12 April should have been written as 1578. Wiltshire Record Office have catalogued it as 1578. But they have catalogued the inventory as 1577 (assuming it is the same Roger Skeat). You might want to contact them for clarification.