Author Topic: Could anyone please help with transcribing some words in a will from 1673?  (Read 200 times)

Offline historygirl79

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Hello all, this is a will from 1673 for Richard Southam of Banbury Oxfordshire. I'd be most grateful for any help, especially related to key information such as names, places or goods mentioned. It's quite lengthy, starts off quite neat but then deteriorates a bit and becomes more difficult to decipher. I've done what I can so far on my own, though some words just totally escape me. I had amazing expert help from another shorter document on here, so if anyone can work their magic on some of these lines, that would be most gratefully received. I have divided the document into separate lines and this is what I have so far:


1. In the name of God [?] Richard Southam of Banbury in the county of Oxford, yeoman being in good health and perfect
2. memory, thanks be to God for the same, calling to mind the [misfortune?] [state?] of this life and that all flesh must yield to [?] when it
3. shall [?] you to call for [?] [?] and [jealous?], this my last will and testament, in manner and form following
4. revoking and annulling by [?], all and every [?] and testament will and wills heretofore by me made and [?] either
5. by word or writing, an this to be taken for my last will and testament and none other, And first be my [?] and sorry for my sins
6. past, humbly [?] [?] for the same, [?] and commit my soul to Almighty God my saviour and redeemer [?] and by the
7. [?] of [?], [?] [?] to be [?], and to have full remission and forgiveness of all my sins and that my soul with my body
8. All the [general?] [?] of [?] shall [?] [?] with [?], and through the [?] of Christ's [passion?] shall inherit the Kingdom of [heaven?]
9. prepared for his [?] and [?]; And my body to be buried in the churchyard of Banbury, as near to my relations as possible may be
10. with [?], and now for the following of my [?] [?] God [???] to bestow upon me, [?]
11. order and [?] and [?] of the [?] [?] and [form?] following [??] that all those debts and dutys [?] as [?] of
12. [?] to any manner of [?]; or [?]. [Whatever?] shall be well and [truly ?] [Dowbouton?] and paid [?] [?] time after my [?]
13.by my [executor?] here afternamed.[Item?] [?] and [?] unto my beloved son James Southam all my goods and chattels, bonds, bills
14. ready money, household stuff of all sorts whatsoever, and in what [?] wheresoever, who can find them to be [????] wholly  [???]
15. And [?] [?] son than my only Son James Southam to put [???] a trust and confidence in;. And [??]
16. hath pledged you to [??] not in [?] of any thing [?]; my will is that [too ?], my [son?]
17. [?] James Southam, should [?] and [dispose?] my goods and chattels of what [?] my debts and funeral expenses
18. being first paid, [?] kind [?] that he in his wisdom shall [thinks?] [stand in?] most need of them
19. And for the [??] of this my [last?] will [I do make?] [??] son James Southam of [?] in the County of [?]
20. yeoman [?] this my last will and testament, in witness here of [??] the tenth day of July in the year
21. of Our Lord One thousand six hundred seventy and three, and in the five and twentieth years of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, Charles the
22. Second King of England, Scotland, [?] [Defender of the faith?]

Signed, sealed and published in the presence of .... Richard Southam

Eliza [Hawthayne?]


[?]

Offline PrawnCocktail

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Re: Could anyone please help with transcribing some words in a will from 1673?
« Reply #1 on: Monday 12 October 20 13:54 BST (UK) »
Try this:
1. In the name of God Amen Richard Southam of Banbury in the county of Oxford, yeoman being in good health and perfect
2. memory, thanks be to God for the same, calling to mind the incerteyne estate of this life and that all flesh must yield to death when it
3. shall please God to call for the same doe make, constitute ordayne and declare this my last will and testament, in manner and form following
4. revoking and annulling by these presents all and every Testament and testaments will and wills heretofore by me made and declared, either
5. by word or writing, and this to bee taken for my last will and testament and none other, And first be my penitent and sorry for my sinns
6. past, humbly desiring forgiveness for the same. I give and commit my soul to Almighty God my saviour and redeemer in whom and by the
7. Merritts of Christ, I trust assuredly to be saved, and to have full remission and forgiveness of all my sins and that my soul with my body
8. Att the general day of resurrection shall rise againe with Joy, and through the merritts of Christ's passion shall inherit the Kingdom of heaven
9. prepared for the elect and Chosen; And my body to be buried in the churchyard of Banbury, as near to my relations as possible may be
10. with Convenience, and now for the settleing of my estate which it pleased God (Far above my deserts) to bestow upon me, I doe
11. order and dispose of the same in manner and forme following (that is to say) First I will that all those debts and dutys as I owe in [  ]right of
12. Conscience to any manner of person; or persons, Whatsoever shall be well and truly Contented and paid within convenient time after my decease
13.by my executor hereafter named. Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved son James Southam all my goods and chattels, bonds, bills
14. ready money, household stuff of all sorts whatsoever, and in what place wheresoever, hee can find them to be solely & wholly at his disposing
15. And because I could not think of more fitter person than my only Son James Southam to put such a trust and confidence in;. And because it
16. hath pleased God to give to [myself] and sonn such a Temperall estate, as he standeth not in need of any thing I have; my will is that hee, my said
17. Sonn James Southam, should give and dispose my goods and chattels of what sort so ever they bee (my debts and funeral expenses
18. being first paid), To my kindred relations that he in his wisdom shall thinke standeth in most need of them
19. And for the better [p     ing] of this my said will I doe make Ordayne my said son James Southam of Neithrup in the County of Oxon
20. yeoman sole executor of this my last will and testament, in witness hereof I have hereunto sett my hand & seale the tenth day of July in the yeare
21. of Our Lord One thousand six hundred seventy and three, and in the five and twentieth years of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, Charles the
22. Second King of England, Scotland, France & Ireland Defender of the faith

Signed, sealed and published in the presence of .... Richard Southam

Eliza Hawthayne, [W] Hawtayne  Sen


Not seen a will where the executor has been told to do exactly as he pleases with the estate!
Website: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~towcesterfamilies/genealogy/
Towcester - anything, any time
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Liverpool - Platt, Cunningham, Ditton
London - Notley, Elsom, Billett
Oxfordshire - Hitchcock, Smith, Leonard, Taunt
Durham - Hepburn, Eltringham
Berwickshire - Guthrie, Crawford
Somerset - Taylor (Bath)
Gloucestershire - Verrinder, Colborn
Dorset - Westlake

Offline horselydown86

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Re: Could anyone please help with transcribing some words in a will from 1673?
« Reply #2 on: Monday 12 October 20 14:52 BST (UK) »
Here are thoughts on the matters queried in PC's transcript:

11:  In my opinion it's a crossing-out and the transcript is correct.

16:  ...hath pleased god to give to my said sonn such a Temp(or)all estate...

19:  ...the better p(er)formeing of this...   [Damaged but wording can be inferred.]

ADDED:

Very minor, a couple of missing ampersands:

18:   ...kinderd & relations...

19:   ...make & ordayne...

Offline historygirl79

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Re: Could anyone please help with transcribing some words in a will from 1673?
« Reply #3 on: Monday 12 October 20 20:57 BST (UK) »
Thank you all again so much for your invaluable expertise - absolutely fantastic work, and such a great help to me with moving forward :) Can't thank you enough for your time.