This is so exciting! Imagine having so much to give away! That must be so fun!
Good luck with finding all those manors!
I was originally going to reply with that luckily he did not leave them to me, but actually I wouldn't have minded if someone had given me even just one of them, lololol
Lady Elizabethe Counteis of Oxforde late wife to the Lorde Beamont
At first I thought he was talking about his sister Elizabeth Grey, Countess of Kildare, but of course he is not.
He is speaking of quite a different Elizabeth, who is countess of something quite else!
Consulting Kate Emerson's wonderful Who's Who of Tudor Women (which she kindly allows us to quote from as long as we give credit), she appears to be this woman:
ELIZABETH SCROPE (d. June 26, 1537)Elizabeth Scrope was the daughter of Sir Richard Scrope (d.1485) and Eleanor Washbourne (d.1505/6). On April 24, 1486 at Westminster, she married William, 2nd viscount Beaumont (d. December 19, 1507). He lost his reason in 1487 and was placed in the care of John de Vere, 13th earl of Oxford at Wivenhoe, Essex until his death. In 1508, Elizabeth married Oxford (September 8, 1442 - March 10, 1513). She was at court as one of Katherine of Aragon’s ladies in 1509. In his will, Oxford left Elizabeth “all manner of apparel to her person,” silk cloth, and “chains, rings, girdles, devices, beads, brooches, ouches and precious stones.” In 1520, she attended the Field of Cloth of Gold. In 1531, she bought the wardship of her nephew, John Audley (her sister Katherine’s son by Richard Audley of Swaffham, Norfolk). She wrote her will on May 30, 1537 and it was proved on November 6, 1537. She was buried at Wivenhoe with her first husband. Portrait: brass at Wivenhoe.
http://www.tudorwomen.com/?page_id=707Elizabeth Scrope: Denial of Wolsey’s Requesthttp://www.tudorsdynasty.com/elizabeth-scrope-denial-wolseys-request/There is not any readily apparent connection to the Greys, however, nor why she would have a life interest where either the interest or the property itself defaulted to them at her death.
A grant from the King that worded it so, perhaps? The will of Sir John Grey, this Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquis of Dorset's brother? His will was dated 3rd of March 1523. The will makes no mention of children, but leaves bequests to other family members. The aforementioned Lady Anne Grey was his widow. After his death she remarried, to Sir Richard Clement of Ightham Mote, Kent.
The will of this Elizabeth, Countess of Oxford's husband?
It's difficult to say.
Regarding the spiritual dignity, it actually refers to Robert Broke the schoolmaster and Doctor Johannes.
The reading is muddied in the break between snippets #4 & #5. (It caught me, too.)
I think it must mean their deaths - an extravagant way of saying for the term of their lives, perhaps informed by both being learned men of earthly dignity.
Ooh, yes that makes so much sense! That must be it. Thank you so much, horselydown!
How clever of you to catch it! That line break got one over on us all, lol
I am glad we solved that mystery.
Thank you so much again, all three of you!!! All of this is absolutely wonderful!
And I am having so much fun looking up all of those manors! (I would have settled for just one *g*)