Will of Alexander Aylmer 1549

[horselydown86]

This sounds vaguely sinister again, but in view of the above, perhaps he simply means his chest of important papers?

I agree that's likely to be his meaning.

[horselydown86]

This is super-interesting, and something I had never known before! So this was a simpler (or the only?) way of transferring/selling property?

It was one way of transferring property, but not a particularly simple one.

They didn't have a system of Land Titles as we do now, and their ability to transfer land was limited by historical grants which restricted the land to heirs or heirs male of the original grantee - known as entails.

This was one method by which entails could be broken and ownership made relatively secure.

[goldie61]

Is that really 'yshat' HD? (too early in the morning!)

...And yfit fortune... = ...And if it fortune...

What's that odd 'squiggle' between the 'f' of 'yf' and the 'i' of 'it? 
Some other 'f's in this piece but they seem to be without that squiggle - 'fyve', 'Norff', and even the one in the middle of the word 'before' in the line below.

[horselydown86]

What's that odd 'squiggle' between the 'f' of 'yf' and the 'i' of 'it? 
Some other 'f's in this piece but they seem to be without that squiggle - 'fyve', 'Norff', and even the one in the middle of the word 'before' in the line below.

It's just a different form of the f; a form which was typically used at the end of words.

Some clear examples can be seen in the earlier snippets.

In Snippet #6:

...And yf it channceth...
...yssewe of his bodye...
...heyres of hir bodye...

In Snippet #10:

...decease of Anne...

See also the examples here:

https://www.english.cam.ac.uk/ceres/ehoc/alphabets/minuscules/f.html

ADDED:

Norff in snippet  #11 does have the extra squiggle on the second f.

[francoso]

Hi Willow, earlier, on p.3 of these comments, you mentioned Catelyn's Manor in https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/History_of_Norfolk/Volume_5

If you scroll down to STRATTON and numeral [188] on LHS, 4th para.

"Sigebert King of the East-Angles, on his erection of the bishoprick, gave the southern part of the town to Felix, the first Bishop of the East-Angles, and so it became part of the bishoprick; and in the Confessor's time, Bishop Ailmer held it as such, when there were 2 carucates in demean, 7 villeins, 6 bordars and an half, (that is, half the services of one bordar,) 26 socmen, and 12 freemen, whose rents and services were valued at 20s. per annum; .... "

Would this be an earlier ancestor ? Maybe the first at Stratton (Long-Stratton) ?
francoso

[goldie61]

What's that odd 'squiggle' between the 'f' of 'yf' and the 'i' of 'it? 
Some other 'f's in this piece but they seem to be without that squiggle - 'fyve', 'Norff', and even the one in the middle of the word 'before' in the line below.

It's just a different form of the f; a form which was typically used at the end of words.

Some clear examples can be seen in the earlier snippets.

In Snippet #6:

...And yf it channceth...
...yssewe of his bodye...
...heyres of hir bodye...

In Snippet #10:

...decease of Anne...

See also the examples here:

https://www.english.cam.ac.uk/ceres/ehoc/alphabets/minuscules/f.html

ADDED:

Norff in snippet  #11 does have the extra squiggle on the second f.

Thanks HD. I'll look out for it.
I think it's because in this last one, there is a gap between the stroke of the 'f' and the downwards curly 'squiggle'. In most of the other examples, the squiggle is more joined to the stroke of the 'f', making more of a definite whole for the letter. Hope that makes sense. 

[WillowG]

parte Allso I woll that the fyve Score powndes
to be payed by Christofer Thetfourth my sone
in lawe for my maner called Boylandes in
Tyvetshale in the countie of Norff shall
go unto the mariage of my five dowghters

that ys to saye Bregett Elisabeth Honor Ursula
and Mary equallye to be devided amongest
them Itm I woll that everye of my said dowghters
receyve this my bequest at the daye of their
severall  mariage or ellys at the age of xx th
yeres And yshat fortune anye of my said fyve
dowghters to decease before the she or thei shall

... Honestly, I just can't with these people! Here one thinks that they have listed all of their children in a seemly fashion, and then they just go, 'And oh, by the way, I have four more.'

For shame, people of the 1400's and 1500's. I hope you know that we are judging you from afar.

Seriously, though, thank you so much for all of your hard work, Goldie and HD I am enjoying this immensely. And I am just so utterly impressed. This is fantastic work.

And we have Christopher Thetford! I love it when people we have from other sources crop up in another source

Frances appears to be the one who did best for herself. Perhaps the bequests from the other will helped her? She appears to have been her father's favourite as well.

Seriously, a few good parenting classes would not have gone amiss here!

Thank you so much again! Your help and time is so very much appreciated.

[WillowG]

This is super-interesting, and something I had never known before! So this was a simpler (or the only?) way of transferring/selling property?

It was one way of transferring property, but not a particularly simple one.

They didn't have a system of Land Titles as we do now, and their ability to transfer land was limited by historical grants which restricted the land to heirs or heirs male of the original grantee - known as entails.

This was one method by which entails could be broken and ownership made relatively secure.

This is so very fascinating. Thank you so much

I know that those entails caused a lot of frustration. I was not actually aware that they could be broken, so this is incredibly interesting!

I went through those fines you posted in the link, and while the following two are of an earlier generation of Aylmers I thought them very interesting indeed:

CP 25/1/88/77, number 219.
County: Hertfordshire.
Place: Westminster.
Date: Two weeks from St Hilary, 14 Edward III [27 January 1340].
Parties: William de Hoo of Walden' Abb'tis, querent, and John atte Welle of Walden' Abb'tis, chaplain, deforciant.
Property:   6 messuages, 1 mill, 2 carucates of land, 10 acres of meadow, 10 acres of pasture, 20 acres of wood, 8 shillings and 9 pence of rent and a rent of 2 geese inWalden' Abb'tis and Kemyton'.
Action: Plea of covenant.
Agreement: William has acknowledged the tenements to be the right of John, as those which John has of his gift.
For this: John has granted to William the tenements and has rendered them to him in the court, to hold to William, of the chief lords for the life of William. And after the decease of William the tenements shall remain to William, son of the same William, and Pernel, daughter of Thomas Aylmar of Offeleye, and the heirs of the body of William, to hold of the chief lords for ever. In default of such heirs, successive remainders (1) to John, brother of the same William, son of William, and the heirs of his body, (2) to Philip, brother of the same John, brother of William, and the heirs of his body and (3) to the right heirs of the aforesaid William de Hoo.

Standardised forms of names. (These are tentative suggestions, intended only as a finding aid.)
Persons: William de Hoo, John atte Well, Thomas Aylmer, Pernel Aylmer, John de Hoo, Philip de Hoo
Places: St Pauls Walden, Kimpton, Offley
http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/fines/abstracts/CP_25_1_88_77.shtml

CP 25/1/87/57, number 157.
Link:   Image of document at AALT
County: Hertfordshire.
Place: Westminster.
Date: The day after St John the Baptist, 7 Edward II [25 June 1314].
Parties: Thomas Aylmar of Offeleye and Alice, his wife, querents, and Richard de Eycote, the vicar of the church of Offeleye, deforciant.
Property: 1 messuage and 3 and a half acres of land in Offeleye.
Action: Plea of covenant.
Agreement: Thomas and Alice have acknowledged the tenements to be the right of Richard, as those which he has of their gift.
For this: Richard has granted to Thomas and Alice the tenements and has rendered them to them in the court, to hold to Thomas and Alice and the heirs of Alice, of the chief lords for ever.

Standardised forms of names. (These are tentative suggestions, intended only as a finding aid.)
Persons: Thomas Aylmer, Alice Aylmer, Richard de Eycote
Places: Offley
http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/fines/abstracts/CP_25_1_87_57.shtml

CP 25/1/90/96, number 2.
Link:   Image of document at AALT
County: Hertfordshire.
Place: Westminster.
Date: Three weeks from St Michael, 50 Edward III [20 October 1376]. And afterwards the day after All Souls, 1 Richard [II] [3 November 1377].
Parties: William de Hoo, knight, and Eleanor, his wife, querents, and Thomas de Hoo, knight, and Isabel, his wife, deforciants.
Property: The manor of Offeleye and Cokerno.
Action: Plea of covenant.
Agreement: Thomas and Isabel have acknowledged the manor to be the right of William, and have rendered it to William and Eleanor in the court, to hold to William and Eleanor and the heirs of William, of the chief lords for ever.
For this: William and Eleanor have given them 100 marks of silver.

Standardised forms of names. (These are tentative suggestions, intended only as a finding aid.)
Persons: William de Hoo, Eleanor de Hoo, Thomas de Hoo, Isabel de Hoo
Places: Offley, Cockernhoe (in Offley)
http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/fines/abstracts/CP_25_1_90_96.shtml

[WillowG]

Hi Willow, earlier, on p.3 of these comments, you mentioned Catelyn's Manor in https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/History_of_Norfolk/Volume_5

If you scroll down to STRATTON and numeral [188] on LHS, 4th para.

"Sigebert King of the East-Angles, on his erection of the bishoprick, gave the southern part of the town to Felix, the first Bishop of the East-Angles, and so it became part of the bishoprick; and in the Confessor's time, Bishop Ailmer held it as such, when there were 2 carucates in demean, 7 villeins, 6 bordars and an half, (that is, half the services of one bordar,) 26 socmen, and 12 freemen, whose rents and services were valued at 20s. per annum; .... "

Would this be an earlier ancestor ? Maybe the first at Stratton (Long-Stratton) ?
francoso0

That is indeed very possible! Let me dig a little and see what I can find Thank you so much!