Will of John Twymer of Chatham

[Simon G.]

Hi all.  Would anyone be able to help me with deciphering and/or translating the Will of John Twymer of Chatham...I thought I'd be able to manage it, but the paleography and Latin is proving to be a little beyond me.  I've attached page one of the will below.

So far I've managed to get:
In dei nominae Amen.  Anno suo (can't read this bit - guessing it's the date?).  Ego John Twymer de Chetham undo testamenta (can't read the next bit - guessing it's to do with the last will & testament, of sound mind etc)
Or in English:
In the name of God Amen.  In the year??.  I John Twymer of Chatham hence will??

There's also a longer page 2, but thought I'd get the shorter section sorted first.   Any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Thought I'd add that the will is from the Archdeaconry of Rochester, and the index gave it as dated 1453.

[Bookbox]

Twymer   Cheth(a)m
In dei no(m)i(n)e Amen Anno D(omi)ni Mill(esim)o iiii^mo* quinquagesimo t(er)cio Ego
Joh(ann)es Twymer de Cheath(a)m condo testamentu(m) meum in hunc mod(um)
     * = quadringentesimo = 400th

In the name of God Amen, in the year of the Lord one thousand four hundred and fifty-three, I John Twymer of Chatham do make my will in this way ...

     

[Simon G.]

Wow.  Many thanks.   You are absolutely amazing.

If I may, could you have a go at the next section of the will please?  I must confess that medieval texts go a bit over my head - which does embarrass me a lot, considering I'm a reference librarian.

[Bookbox]

could you have a go at the next section of the will please?

Yes, but it won't be instantaneous, so you may want to check back later.

[Simon G.]

Many thanks.  I really appreciate the help & your time.  Know it's not the easiest thing to work though, and am really grateful.

[Bookbox]

In p(ri)mis lego anima(m) meam om(n)ipotenti deo b(ea)te Marie Virg(ini) & om(n)ibus sa(ncti)s eius

corp(us)q(ue) meu(m) ad sepeliend(um) in Cimit(er)io be(at)e Marie de Cheath(a)m p(re)dict(e) It(em) lego

summo altari ib(ide)m viij d It(e)m lego secundario ib(ide)m vj d It(e)m lego

Cl(er)ico ib(ide)m ij d It(em) lego lu(mi)n(i) s(an)c(t)e Cruc(is) ib(ide)m xx d It(e)m lego lu(mi)n(i) om(n)i(um) a(n)i(m)a(rum)

ibidem xx d Item lego lu(mi)n(i) s(an)c(t)i Joh(ann)is ib(ide)m xij d It(e)m lego lu(mi)n(i) b(ea)te Marie iiij d

Residuu(m) om(n)iu(m) bono(rum) meo(rum) non legat(orum) do & lego Ric(ard)o Bedmanton & Rob(er)to

Wodyer Et hui(us)antem tes(tamen)ti mei Facio ordino & constituo fidel(es) executores
meos p(re)dict(os) Ric(ardu)m Bedemant(o)n & Rob(er)tu(m) Wodier ad exequendum meam ulti(m)am

voluntate(m) sicut coram deo respondere voluer(unt) Datum in festo E(x)altac(i)o(nis) s(an)c(t)e Cruc(is)

hijs test(ibus) Gard(...?) ib(ide)m Thomam Witner(?) Joh(ann)e Gundery & al(iis)

First I bequeath my soul to Almighty God, the Blessed Virgin Mary and all her saints, and my body to be buried in the churchyard of the Blessed Mary of Chatham aforesaid. Item I bequeath to the high altar there eight pence. Item I bequeath to the second (altar) there six pence. Item I bequeath to the clergy there two pence. Item I bequeath to the light of the Holy Cross there twenty pence. Item I bequeath to the light of All Souls there twenty pence. I bequeath to the light of St John there twelve pence. I bequeath to the light of the Blessed Mary four pence. The rest of all my goods not bequeathed I give and bequeath to Richard Bedmanton and Robert Wodyer. And I make ordain and constitute the aforesaid Richard Bedemanton and Robert Wodier faithful executors of this my testament to carry out my last will, as they will answer before God. Given on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross,* with these witnesses (being wardens?) there – Thomas Witner(?), John Gundery and others
     * 14 September

(Some uncertainty with the witnesses in the last line - maybe others can help?)

[Simon G.]

Many thanks for the next section Bookbox.   I'd just logged back in to post the third & final section so that the full will is here in context, and was surprised & thrilled to see the second section done already.  My heartfelt thanks.  To say I'm over the moon would be an understatement.   I owe you one.

[Bookbox]

With a few queries ...

=====

Hec est ultima voluntas mei Joh(ann)is Twyme(r) de Cheath(a)m fact(a) in festo Exalta(-)

c(i)o(n)is s(an)c(t)e Cruc(is) Anno Tricesimo oc(ta)vo r(egni) r(egis) henrici sexti In p(ri)mis (deletion)

(deletion) Ego Joh(ann)es vulo & concedo q(uo)d Joh(ann)a filia Joh(ann)is Colt(?)¹

h(ab)ebit gardinu(m) unu(m) iac(entem) Apud leyston cu(m) una gra(n)gia sup(er) edificata una cu(m)

di(...?)² acris t(er)r(e) in Northfeld  It(em) xv daywarkes t(er)r(e) sub monte nup(er) Thome

Rog(er)s  It(em) volo q(uo)d d(i)c(t)a Joh(an)na h(ab)ebit duas braspottes & unu(m) skelet  It(em) volo

& concedo q(uo)d Ric(ardus) Bedemanton & Rob(er)t(us) Wodeyer vendant (ter)ras meas

reman(entes) immediate ex denar(iis) inde p(ro)ven(ien)t(ibus) disponant(?) quolib(et) die d(o)m(ini)ca ante die(m)

tricennal(em) mee xij d in eccl(es)ia de Cheath(a)m  Item volo q(uo)d Isabella Cult(?)¹ h(ab)ebit

xiij s iiij d ad maritag(iam) suam  Item om(ni)lib(e)t filiolo meo (?) vj ordij³  It(em) volo q(uo)d Risiduu(m)

om(n)i(um) denario(rum) p(ro)venient(es) ex t(er)r(is) venditis p(r)edictis t(er)r(i)s quod p(er) discrec(i)o(n)em executo(ru)m

meo(rum) disponant(?) int(er) duas p(ar)tes v(idelicet) ad maritag(ias) paup(er)u(m) puell(arum) & emendand(um)

vias noc(it)ivas in p(ar)ochia p(re)dict(a) It(em) volo q(uo)d dict(i) execut(ores) faciant apud leyston unam

crucem lapideam similem Cruci voc(ate) Cokesmythescrosse in Cheath(a)m strete It(em)

volo ^q(uod?)^ exec(utorum) meo(rum) h(ab)ebunt p(ro) labore suo iij s & iiij d Dat(um) die & Anno sup(ra)dict(is)

This is the last will of me John Twymer of Chatham, made on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Henry VI. First, I, John, will and grant that Joan, the daughter of John Colt(?)¹, shall have one garden/orchard lying at Leyston, with a grange built above it, together with (?)² acres of land in Northfeld, item 15 daywalks of land, near the hill that lately belonged to Thomas Rogers. Item I will that the said Joan shall have two brass pots and one skillet. Item I will and grant that Richard Bedemanton and Robert Wodeyer should sell my remaining lands immediately, and from the money arising they shall distribute twelve pence in the church of Chatham on any Sunday before the 300th day of my (death). Item I will that Isabella Cult(?)¹ will have thirteen shillings and four pence for her marriage-portion. Item to each one of my godsons six (?)³. Item I will that the residue of all the money provided by the sale of the aforesaid lands should, at the discretion of my executors, be shared into two parts, namely, towards the marriage-portions of pauper girls, and to repairing the damaged roads in the aforesaid parish. Item I will that the said executors should make a stone cross at Leyston, like the cross called Cokesmythescrosse in Chatham Street. Item I will (that) my executors shall have three shillings and four pence for their labour. Given the day and year aforesaid.

¹ Colt/Cult(?) – the surname has a final ‘hook’ and could be Colte/Culte or Colter/Culter
² di(...?) acris t(er)r(e) – this number doesn’t appear to be duabus (2) or decem (10) ?
³ vj ordij – could be from (h)ordeum (= barley), but there is no measure given?

[Simon G.]

Many thanks.  I really appreciate your help & the work you've put in.

I wonder who the grandsons mentioned are...had been hoping there would be mention of children.  I'm doing a one-name study into the Twyman surname, and am following up on the suggestion made in the new dictionary of surnames that Twyman derives from Twymer.  Like all good sources, though, this will has raised as many questions than it's answered.