William Bird (abt. 1571)

Born about 1571 in Little Hallingbury, Essex, England

Ancestors

Died [date unknown] in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England [uncertain]

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Biography

William was born about 1571. He was the son of John Bird and Mary Cramphorne.

Research Notes

DNA

See Byrd DNA Project for related DNA information.

1575

In the name of god amen the xxth daie of october in the year of o'r Lorde god 1575 and in the xvij yere of the Reignn of o'r sovereigne ladie Queene Elizabeth E.R., I John Birde of Thorlie in the county of Hertford & diocese of london being in good holle mind & p'fecte memorie lawdes & prai ses be gyven ther fore to god thus doe orden make and decclare this my p'nte testament co'teining in it my laste will in maner & forme folowinge First & principall y I com'itte my sowle to almightie god my onlie maker savior & redemer and my bodie to be buried in the churchyard of Thorley aforesaide or ells in the churchyard in the parishe whear I shall fortune to decesse.

Itm. I geve & bequeath to John Birde my brother Georges sone iijs iiijd to be payede to him at his full age of xxj yeres

Item I geve & bequeath to my wives sisters children to everie of them iijs iiijd to be payede to them & to every of them at the Daies of ther mariages

Itm I geve & bequeath to Will'm Birde my naturall son'e all that my messuag e called Mandefelde in the whiche I nowe inhabite at Thorley aforesaide w' thall the landes T'entes medowes pastures fedinges and herediteme'tes to the said messuage nowe occupied belonging & appteninge contennynge by estimacon xl acars be they bee mo'e or les, sette lyeing and being in the p'ishes of Thorley & Sabridgeworth in the county of Hereford and two crofts of grounde called the Hampstalls lienge together in Thorley aforesaide cont by estimacon viij acre s more or lesse w'h ther apyrtyntinces now occupied to the same messuage called Mandefeld and sometime or late the said two crofts of grounds called the Hampstalles were boughte and purchased w'th the Ten'te called Banstretes to have & to houlde all the said messuage called Mandefeld with the saide lands medow es pastures fedinges hereditements & the said two crofts of grounde to the sa me messuage nowe occupied w'th all & every ther app'tentances to the same Will'm Birde and to his heires of his bodie lawfully begotten And my very mind & wil l is that the owner or owners herafter Vis the saide t'ente or messuage called Banstrettes shall paye yerely foreuer the rents to the Lorde of the fee dewe & groeng oute of the saide two crofts called the hampstatt. And therford I will that the said William my sone & his heires as aforesaide owner & owners herafter of the said ij croftes shall pay or cause to be payed into the said Tentre? called Banstrette forever yerely ijs iiijd in considerance dischardginge of the said ij croftes of all Rents as afore is perchsed provided always and I will that if the said William my sone shall fortune to Die w'thout heires of his bodie l awfulle begotten then I will the said messuage called mandefeld w'th the landes me dowes pastures fedinges & ij croftes of lande as aforesaide to the same messuage called Mandefelde now occupied w'th the app'tenances to Willm Birde my godson my son Johns son'e and to the heires males of his bodie lawfully begotten, and for lacke of such issue males of the bodie of the same Willm my godson lawfully begotten I will the same messuage and p'misses then to John Birde his brother and to the heires males of his bodye lawfully begotten

Itm I geve and bequeath my teneme't at Thorley called Banstrettes w'th the landes medowes & pastures thereto now e occupied and being in the teneure of Henry Koche cont' by estimacion xij acres m ore or lesse w'th the app'tenances vnto Johane Brette my daughter the wife of Giles Brett to have & to houlde the saide teneme't called Banstretes w'th other the p'misses w'th their app'tenances to the saide Johane duringe the terme of her naturell life and after the decesse of the same Johane then I will the saide tenem't called Banstrettes & xij acres of lande more or less w'th the app'tenances to John Brette the naturall son'e of the same Giles & Johane and to the heires of his bodie lawfully begotten as in forme aforesaide dyschardginge the saide two croftes of the Rentes to the Lorde or lordes of the fee or fees for the saide Rentes of ijs iiijd E.R.

Item I will and bequeathe to John Birde my son John Birdes son at the feast of St Michel th archangell next after his full age of xxij yeares all that my Ten'te in Hockerell in Stortford in the countie of Hertford w'th all my landes ten'tes & hereditamentes in Stortford aforesai d cont' by est mac'on xxxvi acres To have & to holde the same Tenem't landes pas tures and fedinges in Stortford aftre my death the saide John Birde and to the heyres males of his body lawfully begotten and for lacke of such issue males of the body of the same John lawfully begotten then I will all the sayde Tene ment Landes ___ & hereditamentes w'th app'tenances in Stortford aforesaide to William Birde my natural sone and to the heires of his bodie lawfullie begotten except always & ___ two peces of lande wherof one lease in Hockewell felde cont ' vj acres and thother pece lieth in ___ cont _ij acres more or les ___ vpon t he ___ some felde called Hockerell felde the whiche two pieces of lande excepte if John Birde die w'thoute heires male of his bodie lawfully begotten I will to William Birde my godson my son'e my Johns son'e & to the heires male of his bodie lawfully begotten, And if William Bryde my natural son'e die w'th out heires of his bodie lawfully begotten then I will all the said Ten'ts Land and Heredetamen'tes in Stortford aforesaid to Willm Birde my godson my son'e Johns son'e and his heires males of his bodie lawfully begotten

Itm I geve will & bequeath to William Birde my godson my son'e Johns son'e at the feast of St Michel Th archangell nest after his full age of xxij yeres all that felde called Lewes felde the crofte called shortest crofter & the meade called Bulsam's meade in Hallingbury ___ in the county of Essex, To have to ___ & to holde the saide felde _ __ burye aforesaid ___________________ to the said Will'm my godson & his heyres males of his bodie lawfully begotten and for lacke of such issue m ales lawfully begotten I will the said feldes crofts and meade & iij peces of l and in Stortforde to William Birde my natural sone & to the heires of his bodie l awfully begotten provided always and my very will and minde is that William Birde my natural sone his execut'rs and assignes shall have take and receave ___ the full filling of this my last will all rentes issues & profites of all the saide landes Tentes landes pastures and fedinges in Stortford aforesaide before given to John Birde vntil the feast of St. Michell th archangell next after the same John come to his full age of xxij yeres, And Also shall have & take in like m an'er all the Rentes issues of the ij peces of lande & the felde crofte and meade befo re giuen to Will'm Birde my godson vntill the feast of St. Michell th archangell next after the same Will'm my godson come to his full age of xxij yeres any thi nge ___tening in this my last will or otherwise to the contraire not w'thstandinge

Itm that the same William Birde my natural sone his executors & assignes d oe kepe the reparac'ons [blot] the howses & buildinges sufficientlie during t he said terme and makinge no wast in woodes

Itm I will that the said Will'm Birde my naturall son'e his executors & assignes shall bring up or cause to be educated & brought up the saide John Birde & Will'm Birde in & with honest and necessarie apparrell meate drynke & lodginge mete for them & every of them vntil theres everall ages of xxij yeres and for longer time if nede shall require them or any of them to be guided if they will be guided & ruled so longe by my said son'e his executers or assignes

Itm I will and bequeath vnto the saide John Birde my son'e Johns son'e xxli of lawfull mony to be paiede to him by Will'm Birde my naturall son'e his executors or assignes at the feast of St. Michel th archangell next after the saide John shall come to his full age of xxij yeres

Itm I will and beqeuath vnto Will'm Birde my godson xxxli of lawfull mony to be paide to hym by Will'm Birde my naturall son'e his executores or assignes at the feast of St. Michel th archangell next after the same Will'm my godson shall come to his full age of xxij yeares:

Itm I geve & bequeath to Suzan my daughter xl li of lawful money to be paied her in forme followinge viz at t he Daie of her mariage xx li and w'thin one year next after her mariage the other xx li provided also th't Suzan my daughter shall fortune to Die before the som'e o f xl li be vnto her payed as aforesaide Then I will the said fortie pou'des _ __ shalbe vnpaied to be payed to my thre Daughters Johane Alice and Grace by even and equall porcons and if any of them thre shall fortune the m to die ___ then the porc'on of her so beinge deceassed to be payde to her children by even porc'ons

Itm I geve to the sam Suzan my daughter a cupbord at Thorley & two bedstedes Item I will to the poore people at my burial xlv is viijd to be distributed

Itm I will that Richarde Ponnte shall have the occupieing of Lewe s felde & Short crofte Bulsanes meade & _____ meade for xvij yeres and the ____ meade for the yeres to come, payenge onely to Will'm my son'e his executors & assignes iiijli of lawfull money at two termes by even porc'ons t aking of the premisses wher it may be taken hedgeboate, ___ occupied thervpon w 'thoute wast and not ells wheare excepting always that the saide Richarde Ponnte ___ ___ for him shall duringe the saide terme cropp loppe or shredde any of the trees in Lewes felde standing out of the lodge Provided alway s that ___ Richard Ponnte or his assignes shall not lett or otherwise doe aw aye w'th eney premisses or any of the premsses w'thoute the consent of Will'm my son'e or his p'misses

Itm I geve vnto Giles Brette my son'e my least that I have of ___ P'sonage groundes of Much Hallingbye

Itm I will that Giles Brett my sonne in lawe shall have the occupyieng of the messugge or tente where he nowe dwelleth w'th all my landes & pastures & fedinges in Stortford aforesaide from the feast of St. Michell last paste before the Date herof for xviij yeres holding & occupinge therfore __rel_e at two ___ ___estes of the yere by evene percent to Will'm my son'e his executors or assignes viij ___ lawfull mony, and the saide Giles Brette ___ the saide leases ____ w'th [w'ch?] that ___ and ___ ___ and the other p'misses reasonablie to ___ ___ ___ and taking in and vpon the pr'misses firebote and ___ ____ in & vpon the same no waste and not otherwise Excepting alwaies ___ nor none for him duringe the saide terme shall not fell any tree by the gro'nd nor loppe toppe or shredde any of the witches or Elme trees standing in the croft by the howse out of the p'le provided always that the saide Giles Brette shall not lette or otherwise Doe awaye the P'misses or any p'te thereof out of his owne occupieieng w'houte the good will consent & a greement of the said Will'm my son'e his executors or assignes excepte all ways goodes his wife my daughter or her children, the ___ of all ___ goodes chattells and debtes whatsoever I ___ geven & bequeath there to Will'm my son'e payenge my debts & fullfillinge my legacies the whiche my last will whome I putt in ___ and I will Richard Pont and Giles Brett my Sones in law and Willim Barnyard be my over seers of this my las will and I will vnto every of them for theire paynes takinges iijs iiijd and theire reasonable charges aboute the execucon of this my last will these being wittenesses John Miller William Miller William Barnarde the writer hereof. - - - - - - - - - - Will proved at Stortford xij day december anno dom 1575^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ "Will of John Bird, 1575," Archdeaconry Court of Middlesex, Transcribed by Charlou Dolan, FHL Film #94,730