Eglantyne Catt Transcribed will: 1593

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Last will and testament of Eglantyne Catt of Rotherfield, widow of George (1520-1593)
East Sussex Record Office, PBT 1/1/9/187B^[1]
Transcribed by Dave Roberts

In the name of God Amen The seventeeth day of April in the thirty fifth year of the reign of our most gracious sovereign lady Elizabeth by the grace of God of England France and Ireland queen defender of the faith etc and in the year of our Lord God 1593 I Eglantyne Catt of Rotherfield in the county of Sussex widow late the wife of George Catt late of Rotherfield aforesaid deceased being of good and perfect health and remembrance thanks be given to God for it do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say first and before all things I give will and bequeath my soul to Almighty God my maker and saviour and only redeemer by whom or whose passion death and lone blessings only and by none other means merit or work I hope to have salvation and to rise again at the latter day and my sinful body I commit to the earth to be seemly and decently buried when it shall please God and my executor Item I give and bequeath to the poor people of Rotherfield to be bestowed at my burial in money and meat and drink thirty shillings Item I give and bequeath to Mary Catt the daughter of Nicholas Catt six shillings and eight pence Item I give and bequeath to my daughter in law Dorothy Chapman one black field cow two milk ewes a brass pot without legs one day table napkin one pewter platter and one pewter dish Item I give and bequeath to Agnes Swan six shillings and eight pence Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Eglantyne Kente my best christening sheet with three pillows and three pillow cases belonging to it and also four table napkins one chest which standeth in my bed chamber one feather bolster of my own making my best carpet coverlet one pewter platter one pewter dish one porringer and my silk apron Item I give to Richard Kente her son one bedstead and my cupboard which standeth in my hall and one chest Item I bequeath to my own three daughters my cake irons by them and every one of them to be severally used at their several needs Item I bequeath to Margery Patching one chest standing in my chamber at my bed feet Item I give and bequeath to Anne Catt widow my daughter in law three pounds and my supper gown Item I bequeath to Ellen Henward four table napkins one flock bed one coverlet one whittle one feather bolster one peeling for a bed one bedstead one brand iron one joined stool one chair one pewter platter one pewter dish one porringer Item I bequeath to Johan Catt six shillings and eight pence Item I bequeath to William Maryan six shillings and eight pence Item I bequeath to Mary Swan one coverlet which was in my said house at my coming to it and one coarse tablecloth and one whittle one pewter platter one pewter dish and two milk ewes Item I will that all my apparel which in this my will is not specially bequeathed shall equally divided betwixt my three own daughters and the said Anne Catt widow my daughter in law and I also will to my said three daughters all my new cloth which is now with my son John Catt to be woven to be equally divided between them Item I bequeath to Johan Gifford widow one sheet also I bequeath to Agnes Atkins widow one sheet Item also I bequeath to the wife of Paul Maryan one pair of sheets also I bequeath to Eglantyne Catt a two yearling heifer bullock upon condition that her mother shall within one whole year next after the date of this my will give unto her five pounds to be put out and employed by my executors and her said mother to her best use and commodity and two milk ewes Item I bequeath to my son John Catt one pair of sheets and five pounds in money which he hath already in his hand Item I give to the said Anne Catt one pair of sheets of the wide size and two milk ewes Item I give to Margery Patching two pairs of sheets to Mary Swan two pairs of sheets to Ellen Henward two pairs of sheets Item I give to Agnes Rigson my daughter my best gown my best petticoat my best hat my best kercher my best copper bath my best smock my best purse my best gloves my best blue apron my best girdle my best hose my best neckerchief and my best shoes Item I bequeath to Thomas Catt one twelve month heifer bullock all with said personal sums of money before willed and bequeathed I will shall paid by my executors within one year next after my decease Item I bequeath unto my three daughters my three best neckerchiefs which shall be left when my daughter Rigson hath chosen the best which I gave before willed unto her Item the remainder of all my movable goods chattels and debts before by this my will not given nor bequeathed after my debts paid my legacies performed and my funeral charges discharged I wholly give and bequeath to Edmund Latter and Absolon Catt whom I ordain and make my executors of this my last will and testament and I do ordain and appoint my brother John Austen and Richard Kente my son in law to be my trusty overseers of this my last will and testament and I do bequeath to either of them three shillings and fourpence for their pain and all such expenses as they or any of them shall disburse or be at about the same these being witnesses William Newman William Wood Memorandum that the said Eglantyne Catt the day of the date hereof and at the reading and declaring of this her last will confesses these debts following to be due and lawfully owing to her by the parties hereunder named in the presence of us the witnesses before specified viz. by John Yaler four pounds by Edmund Latter forty shillings by the executors or administartors of Thomas Staply deceased forty shillings by Henry Beach twenty shillings William Newman William Wood

Research Notes

Dates
date of will: 17 April 1593
grant of probate: 4 July 1593

People mentioned in the will;

1. Eglantyne Catt, widow of the late George Catt of Rotherfield
2. Mary Catt, grand daughter, daughter of Nicholas Catt
3. Dorothy Chapman, daughter in law (how does a daughter in law have a different surname? Either she remarried after marrying a Catt boy or she was a step daughter?

Did George Catt have two wives?

1. Agnes Swan,
2. Eglantyne Kente, daughter (Richard Kente, son in law was mentioned in George Catt's will)
3. Richard Kente, son in law, overseer
4. Richard Kente, grandson, son of Eglantyne and Richard Kente
5. Margerie Patching,
6. Anne Catt, daughter in law, widow
7. Ellen Henward, (an Ellen was mentioned in George Catt's will as a daughter)
8. Johan Catt, female
9. Mary Swan
10. William Maryan
11. John Catt, son
12. Agnes Rigson, daughter (an Agnes was mentioned in George Catt's will as a daughter)
13. Thomas Catt, could be her son but not actually specified
14. Edmund Latter, executor and debtor
15. Absolon Catt, executor
16. John Austen, brother, overseer (this means Eglanyne's LNAB was most probably Austen)
17. John Yaler, debtor
18. Thomas Stapley, debtor
19. Henry Beach, debtor
20. William Newman, witness
21. William Wood, witness

Queen Elizabeth I was queen of England and Ireland from 17 Nov 1558 to 24 Mar 1603, so on 17 April 1593, the date of Eglantyne's will, she was in her thirty fifth year of her reign.

Eglantyne's payment of 6s 8d (I think?) is half a mark. A mark was two thirds of a pound being 13s 4d. [[2]]

A porringer is a small bowl, typically with a handle, used for soup, stew, or similar dishes.

Three daughters,
Eglantyne Kente, wife of Richard Kente and mother of Richard Kente
Agnes Rigson and
1 other, possibly Ellen Henward; less likely Margerie Patching or Mary Swan

Sons
John

Daughters in law
Anne Catt, widow
Dorothy Chapman (Presumably she remarried after marrying one of the Catt boys)

Sources

1. ↑ Eglantyne Catt of Rotherfield, widow of George: registered will with grant of probate; Probate records 1518-1858; PBT 1/1/9/187B; [1] Accessed 14 Jan 2019.

• See also

1. "The Weald of Kent, Surrey and Sussex"[3]