'v angeles' in a Will, and marrying early in 16th century

[Fordyce]

In a Will of 1563, what does this mean: "Wyfe Anne v angeles which are in the handes of Robt. ....[something lost in the page's gutter]... that I lent to hym" - from the archive.org scanned image of a transcription in the Thorseby Society book Methley Parish Registers, pub 1902. His second wife (then alive) was Agnes; his first wife of course was not, but although refered to she is never named - unless v angeles is another phrase for deceased ('with the angels'?). The transcription is not without error, since the Will lists his five daughters as "Alice, Anne, Joan, Joan, & Joan"!

One daughter, Jennet Gygge, is my 10xgtgdmother, marrying age 14.  Am I right that the age of consent then was 12 for a girl, 14 for a boy? Jennet's mother had an illegitimate child years after she became a widow but he was still regarded as not of 'lawfull years of age' in his mother's own Will of 1587 when he was age 18. So, I'm confused!

[arthurk]

According to the OED, an angel was a gold coin issued between 1465 and c1642, bearing the figure of the archangel Michael killing a dragon. Its full name was angel noble. When first issued it was worth 6s 8d (half a mark); the entry for angel noble includes a quote to the effect that Henry VIII changed this to 7s 4d in the 18th year of his reign.

Anyway, the term you've found will be '5 angels'.

[Fordyce]

Excellent! Thanks arthurk.

His (second) wife's name as transcribed is 'Anne' but she is in reality 'Agnes' (well, the Will was proved by 'Agnes, the relict' and she had her own Will in 1587). I'll take that as another example of a dodgy transcription, but, annoyingly then, his first wife's forename is now shrouded in mystery (although her father was a Mr Lab(r)onne, so maybe the door isn't completely shut).

[Maiden Stone]

One daughter, Jennet Gygge, is my 10xgtgdmother, marrying age 14.  Am I right that the age of consent then was 12 for a girl, 14 for a boy? Jennet's mother had an illegitimate child years after she became a widow but he was still regarded as not of 'lawfull years of age' in his mother's own Will of 1587 when he was age 18. So, I'm confused!

Age of majority was 21 so the son was a minor.

[arthurk]

Ann(e) and Agnes were sometimes interchangeable - just remember to look for both.

[Fordyce]

Maiden Stone, so the age of consent is not the same as the age of majority?

And of course it isn't, even today in England (consent = 16, majority = 18) - should have thought of that! That's squared that circle.