Thomas Spicer (abt. 1545 - 1600)

Born about 1545 in Exeter, Devon, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Reynolds) Spicer — married 14 Jan 1574 in Holy Trinity, Exeter, Devon, England

Descendants

Died 7 Aug 1600 at about age 55 in Exeter, Devon, England

Biography

Most probably born about 1545 in Exeter.

He married Elizabeth Sheares, nee Reynolds, in 1574 and they raised a large family in the city. It was Elizabeth 2nd marriage according to the Visitation.

Thomas was Mayor 1593, Sheriff 1588, Steward 1576. Member of the Merchant Adventurers of the city.

And a signatory to the Exeter Bond of Association in 1584 (as were his brothers and an unidentified Edward Spycer).

Thomas died in 1600.

Will Transcript

In the name of God Amen. I Thomas Spicer of the city and County of Exon, merchant and one of the aldermen of the same being sick in body but of …. and good memory do make and publish this my last will and testament in …. The third day of June in the year of our lord God one thousand and six hundred and in the five & fortieth year of the reign of our most gracious and Sovereign Lady Elizabeth by the grace of God of England France & Ireland Queen, defender of the faith etc. Firstly I give and bequeath by immortal soul unto my immortal omnipotent and eternal god the father, the son and the holy ghost, three persons in trinity ..but one god in …… being most assured by the catholic faith ….only saviour that through his …passion and death my …….. are thereby pardoned and forgiven and that in the last day by gods almighty word and power I shall be raised up both in body and soul and shall inherit the kingdom of heaven where ……………… and sitteth on the right hand of god his father to whom with the holy ghost be all honour praise and dominion and …….. both now and evermore Amen. Then I bequeath my body to the earth it came, the same to be decently buried in the parish church of St Martin in the said city of Exon for which I give and bequeath unto the warden of the same parish for his …. Being for and towards the repairs of the same church the sum of twenty five shillings. Then whereas I do now stand … of a good state in the …. Of and in one …. Tenement with …… situate and being in the parish aforesaid and qwherein I now inhabit and dwell and whereas also I am …… and donate unto the mayor bailiff and comm. Of the said city od Exon the sum of two hundred pounds of good and lawful money of England which was unto them of late …. Given by Joan Cleveland widow to and for the relief of the poor artificers of the aforesaid city of Exon for the …. Being in manner and form as in the last will and testament of the said Joane as or shall be appointed and declared whereas also the said Thomas Spicer ….. and administration by appointment of the said Joan Cleveland and by the …. And consent of the mayor bailiff and ….. am and are to spare the said sum of two hundred pounds to the said mayor bailiff and ….. to their … by twenty pounds a year .. or in the guildhall of the aforesaid city, the first payment thereof to ……… and to in or upon the twentieth day of June next enforcing the … and draft of the said Joan Cleveland ….. the nine and three of the … in the form ….and from year to year until the said sum of two hundred pounds be done and paid as aforementioned as whereas I have …. Unto the said mayor bailiff and …. and to their …. and ……………….. for the time of forty years to commence and begin in the last day of September………………. And death of the said Joane Cleveland for their better …. Of the payment of the said sum of two hundred pounds to be made in manner and form and at the time aforementioned My meaning is by through my last will and testament I do order and appoint in manner and form following that is to be paid by my son in law Thomas Wakeman citizen and freeman of the said city of Exon will and do within that space of forty days …………. Next after my decease and death will one sufficient and ……………… to the said mayor bailiff …… and to their …………. To pay to them the said sum of two hundred pounds or so much ………. as shall be then by and in manner and form aforesaid and all or in the place before… Then I the said Thomas Spicer do give and bequeath my land, messuage tenement and also the reversion thereof unto the said Thomas Wakeman and Judith his wife my daughter and to the heirs of their two bodies… to them lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder unto my said daughter and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to Honour Charlton my daughter and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to Elizabeth Priestly my daughter and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to my daughter Grace Spicer and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to Willmott Spicer my daughter and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom unto my said daughter Judith Wakeman and to her heirs and assigns for evermore. But if my said son Thomas Wakeman do neglect or refuse ……………… to become bounden as aforesaid then if Edward Charlton of London, merchant the husband of my said daughter Honour will and do within the space of forty days ……………… of the said two ……… to the said mayor bailiff and ……. And to their successors for the same payment to be made as aforesaid then I do give and bequeath the said messuage or tenement …… and for the reversion thereof unto my said son Edward Charlton and Honour his wife and unto the heirs of their two bodies… to them lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom unto my said daughter Wakeman and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to Elizabeth Priestly my daughter and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to my daughter Grace Spicer and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to Willmott Spicer my daughter and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom unto my said daughter Honour and to her heirs and assigns for evermore. . But if my said son Edward Charlton do neglect or refuse…………………… to become bounden as aforesaid then if William Priestly of London, merchant the husband of the said Elizabeth my daughter will and do within the space of forty days next ……… the forty days beforementioned with like ….. aforesaid ……… to the said mayor bailiff and ……. And to their successors for the same payment to be made as aforesaid then I do give and bequeath the said messuage or tenement …… and for the reversion thereof unto my said son William Priestly and Elizabeth his wife and unto the heirs of their two bodies… to them lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom unto my said daughter Judith Wakeman and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to Honour Charlton my daughter and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to my daughter Grace Spicer and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to Willmott Spicer my daughter and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom unto my said daughter Elizabeth and to her heirs and assigns for evermore. But if the said William Priestly do neglect or refuse to become bounden as aforesaid then I do give and bequeath the land messuage and tenement with ………….. to them the said Judith Wakeman Honour Charlton Elizabeth Priestly grace Spicer and Willmott Spicer my daughters and to their heirs and assigns for evermore. Then I give and bequeath my stables and ……… in the parish of St Paul within the said city of Exon and also one …. of land .. to Nicholas Bolte….. and ……. One acre of land or thereabouts ………………………. And being nearer unto hollowing without the ………. Of the said city and also the ………………………… unto the said Thomas Wakeman and Judith his wife and to the heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten and to be begotten the remainder to the said Judith and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to the said Honour Charlton and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to the said Elizabeth Priestly and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to my daughter Grace Spicer and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for default of further issue the remainder therefrom to Willmott Spicer my daughter and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and in default of further issue the remainder to the said Judith Wakeman and to her heirs and assigns for evermore And fourth the disposition of all my goods and chattels , real and personal , quick and dead moveable and unmoveable hereof I have not heretofore made any former or other disposition my will and meaning is and also I do order and devise that after my decease and death and payment of my debts legacies and funeral expenses there shall be divided into three equal and … parts and portions …………….. to the said city of Exon whereof one third part I give and bequeath wholly to my loving wife. And one other third part thereof I give and bequeath unto my said two daughters Grace and Willmott. And the other third part thereof I give and bequeath to my said wife and two daughters last nominated to be between them equally divided. And if my said wife do refuse the said third pat of my goods and chattels and a third part of one other third part thereof to her by me devised and bequeathed as aforesaid Then if my said son in law Thomas Wakeman will and do give to my said wife sufficient and good ….. to pay unto her the ……… sum of tweny pounds of good and lawful money of England during her life by even and equal parts and portions all in or upon the …. Of the nativity of St John Baptist St Michael Thanksgiving . The birth of our Lord God and ….. of our blessed Lady the Virgin Mary or within ten days next after the said …. And days , the first payment thereof to commence and to begin …. On the first of the said …………….. next after the decease and death of me the said Thomas Spicer I give and bequeath the same third part and also the third part of one other third part to her bequeathed as aforesaid unto my said son Thomas Wakeman to have and enjoy the said parts in …… and ample manner as my said wife ought and might have and enjoy the same if she did make ………. In full thereof. And …… Thomas Spicer I do hereby make ordain …….. and appoint my said son in law Thomas Wakeman the sole and only executor of this my last will and testament desiring him to observe the same in all points carefully , honestly ….. and firmly And so Lord Jesus into thine hands I commend my spirit. Amen Sealed and published on the fourth day of the month of June abovewritten Proved in London in front of John Gibbon

Berris Spicer 2018

Research Notes

According to the Spicers of Devon he had a grandchild Mrs Elizabeth Bulter who died in 1644. She has not been definitely identified as of November 2020, but may be Elizabeth Preistley.

Sources

• Marriage: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2C8-C6N
• Visitation of Devon, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002002213917;view=1up;seq=722
• Lists of officers of the city can be found in numerous places. One of the best, and free online, is 'Remarkable Antiquities of the City of Exter, at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000194169
• Spicers of Devon (family history produced by Richard Spicer in about 1630, and added to by his offspring, transcript in the possession of John Spicer, not sure who in the family has the original document).
• Article on the Exeter Bond of Association, Devonshire Association, 1912 p266-277, online at https://archive.org/stream/ReportAndTransactionsOfTheDevonshireAssociationVol441912/TDA1912vol44#page/n317/mode/2up
• Activities as an official of the city, Report And Transactions Of The Devonshire Association 1872, p129-130, online at https://archive.org/stream/ReportTransactionsOfTheDevonshireAssociationVol51872/TDA1872vol5#page/n143/mode/2up
• Some records relating to his trade: https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/Exeter/ExeterNewfoundlandTrade (see Spiver as well as Spicer)
• Wager in 1577: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hnfd5y&view=1up&seq=169

The Spicer's of Devon (Thomas was great-uncle to the Richard Spicer who wrote the first part of this family history) states that he died 14th August, not the 7th. But the Visitation of Devon records the 7th August. Suspect he was buried the 14th August.