The Last Will & Testament of Morgan Philips, Alias Wolfe, 1552

[horselydown86]

I think it is ... amownts.

Thanks Bookbox, I agree.

Regarding the missing word in #13, I think it is:

...distribute hit on dedes of Charitie...

I'm sure I have seen hit = it in C16th writings, although a quick scan hasn't found an example.  There is an odd line slanting downward from the o, for which I don't have an explanation.

[Bookbox]

Good thinking, HD. I too have seen hit for it, but it hadn't occurred to me that there might be two words here.

[WillowG]

Thank you so much again, both of you! 

I liked this part

"firste to the prisoners of Newgate every yere at the feast of Christimas
xiijs iiijd And to the prisoners of Ludgate vjs viijd, to the prisoners of the Marshalsey ten
shilling(es), and to the prisoners of the King(es) benche vjs viijd / To saynt Bartholmew spittell*
to the releffe of the poore sicke people there xiijs iiijd / all during the said terme of xx yeres [...]
that ther shall be distributed in woode or coles in the coldest tyme of all the yere
to the porest housholders in the p(ar)ishe of saynt Fasters where my bodye is buried & Elizabeth
my good wief, and specially amonge them that have charge of children"

I have never seen anyone leave anything for prisonners before. It's all so lovely thought and written, isn't it?

It was standard practice for a landowner to leave the bulk of his land/property to ‘heirs male’, in order to keep it in the family. If it was left to a daughter (without limitations), it was lost to the family when she married, because a woman’s property legally became her husband’s on marriage.

Ah. So it's to avoid the "David Copperfield-problem"? (David Copperfield is born posthumously, so his mother inherits all of her husband's wealth. But then she remarries and dies, and her new husband gets everything. Everything which by all rights should have been David Copperfield's.)

So if Morgan Wolfe had been alive, he might have safeguarded any property he wanted to leave behind to his daughters/granddaughters/other female heirs by a private settlement with their husbands before marriage? But when he had passed away, any such conditions would have been impossible?

[WillowG]

A few more snippets

Thank you so much again!

[horselydown86]

#15:

...they that have charge of Children every of theym yerely during the said terme at the fest

of Christmas x^d / Sm - x^s / And by poore women x^d apece Sm - v^s x^d / Item I will that

their shalbe in the churche of saynt ffaisters wher my bodye is buried every yere during

the said terme of twentie yeres a sermonde be some honest vertuous prest preched to sett

furth godes glorie / to the whiche precher I will give vj^s viij^d / And to the Curat or p(ar)sone

xij^d / and to the Cleke vj^d And to the churche wardens for receaving the money at the

Renters of the goldsmythes of london / and for seinge that the preacher be an honest vertuus

man xijd apece...


I have transcribed as Christmas, although (whether by accident or design) there's an extra minim in the word. 

Regarding the currency amounts in this section, after he specifies an amount to be given apiece to a class of person another amount is written.

My guess is that the word is S(u)m(ma) (or similar) and it specifies that the individual amounts given come to a total of a higher amount.

So ten pence to twelve poor men of the goldsmiths company makes ten shillings.

The reference to the Renters of the goldsmythes of london probably means that the church wardens were to collect the money from the Renter Warden (or Wardens) of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths at their Hall.

[horselydown86]

#16:

...man xij^d apece / Sm - ij^s / Sm x^s ij^d / this s(e)rmon once a yere to be preached on the daye
that my buriall daye was or els the next sondaye folowing / Also another vertuus discrete
preacher yerely as aforesaid on the saide daye or on the sondaye folowing in the p(ar)ishe
churche of Barking in the Countie of Essex i to the whiche precher I will give yerely
during the said terme vj^s viij^d / and to the vicar or curate xij^d and to the clarke vj^d / &
to the church wardens for their paynes to receyve the money at the renters of ye guldsmyths
of London yerely ij^s viij^d / Sm x^s x^d / and they to see this don / Also I will that ther shalbe
distributed in the p(ar)ishe of saynt faysters to the poore people the same daye that ye s(e)rmon...

[WillowG]

Thank you so much again! I hope all of the poor people got the money bequeathed to them.

I am feeling a bit bad about you to translate all of this, when there has been nary of a hint of the people we are looking for for awhile now  But I have to admit that I find the full version of the will absolutely fascinating I am loving every bit that gets posted

Thank you so, so much again!!!

[Bookbox]

there has been nary of a hint of the people we are looking for for awhile now 

Just a little more patience. I think Margaret will be along shortly 

[Bookbox]

Extract #17
... shalbe in money at the discretion of the churche wardens and the renters of goldsmythes
viij^s Item also I will that there shalbe delt in the p(ar)ishe of Barkinge and letill Ilforde
to the poore people householders at the daye of the sermond by the discretion of the Curate &
churche wardens Twentie shilling(es) / And also to the vicar of Leytonstone p(ar)ishe ev(er)y yere at
the same daye xx^d / and to the clerk vj^d / And to be delt amonge the poore householders ther
on the daye aforesaid iij^s iiij^d and specially to theym that have charge of children / Also I will
the wardens of goldsmythes of london for the tyme being for seing this my will done / first I

Extract #18
will that the three upper wardens shall receyve of the renters yerely during the said terme
apece ij^s S(u)m – vj^s / and the younger warden iij^s / to thentent that he shall w(i)t(h) the renters see
the distributing to the poore as aforesaid / Item also to the two renters being present ev(er)y
of theym ij^s S(u)m – iiij^s / And if ther be but one of the renters present at the distrebuting
of this my will he to have to hym self that ys present the said iiij^s / Item I will that the
clerke of the companye have yerely xx^d And the bedill* xij^d / Also I will that the Wa(r)dens
of the fellisship of goldsmythes and the renters shalhave towards apotacion* yerely during ...

* bedill = beadle (officer in attendance)
* a potation = ‘an entertainment with drinking’ (OED)