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The Will of Thomas Stretton a Mariner of Bristol Probate 1690

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Date: 1687 to 1690
Location: Bristol, Englandmap
Surname/tag: Stretton Stratton
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Contents

Introduction

Thomas Stratton probably came to Bristol in 1628 when he was apprenticed as a mariner jointly to two Bristol merchants Andrew Charlton and John Barker. His father was Thomas Stratten (deceased) a Husbandman from Berkeley in Gloucestershire. Thomas was made a freeman of the city of Bristol in 1638, marrying Joan Biggs daughter of Thomas Biggs a yoeman of Bristol the same year. Stratten seems to have been involved in the early colonisation of Newfoundland.

By the time his will was written in 1687 Thomas had reached an agreement with his eldest son (Thomas) that his son would be given the property of The Grange in Olveston, Gloucestershire and in exchange would pay each of his siblings an equal share of £500. This agreement was subsequently modified with the loan from the elder to younger Thomas of a further £75 and the birth of four grandchildren.

The Will

The Will was originally written on the 20th December 1687 and consisted of five sheets of paper to each of which he subscribed his name and to this last sheet put his seal. The transcript was taken from a copy will held by Bristol Archives.

Summary

  • To his eldest son Thomas he gave the Messuage or tenament called The Grange in the Parish of Olveston Gloucestershire.
  • He gave £100 to each of his four children: William, John, Mary (Saunders)) and Joyce (Edwards)
  • To his grandchildren William, John and Richard Stretton (children of his son Thomas) he gave £40 each and to his granddaughter Mary £55
  • To his daughters Mary Saunders and Joyce Edwards he gave the messuage or tenement called The Glass House situated in Redcliffe Street within the Parish of St Mary Redcliffe in the City of Bristol
  • To his son Thomas he gave his large silver Bowl. To William: one small silver bowl and a silver Cup, three silver spoons and one silver spoone in a ---. To his daughter Mary he gave one Silver Beaker And to Joyce his silver Salt and to my John his large silver tankard.
  • To each of his children he give a ring sealed up in a paper with their name written on the outside (respectively to whom)
  • To his daughter in law Elizabeth Stretton wife of his son William he gave the seal ring wich he wore on his little finger.
  • To the churchwardens & overseers of the poor of the parish of St Michael in Bristol he gave £25 the profits from which to be distributed amongst the poor in bread weekly & forever
  • To the poor of the Parish of Berkeley twenty shillings
  • To the poor of the Parish of Redcliff twenty shillings
  • To the poor of the almshouse for sailors in the Parish of St Stephen twenty shillings
  • To the poor of the Parish of St Augustine twenty shillings
  • To Sarah Smith (the daughter of John Smith of Olveston Yeomanj who was living him one? pound to be paid her at the age of 21 or marriage.
  • The rest and residue of his goods and chattels and estate, to be divided between his four younger children, William, John, Mary and Joyce.
  • His books to be divided equals between his five children.

His sons William Stretton and John Stretton were made executors Emanuel Heath and John Horton were made overseas (he gave 20 shillings to each).

The will was witnessed by: Peter Rosewell, Azariah Wodham and Edward Horton.

Transcript

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks as per the original. ff has been rendered as F, and ligatures and abbreviations have been expanded in [square brackets].

In the Name of God amen this four & twentieth day of December in the year of our lord one thousand

six hundred eighty & seven I Thomas Stretton of the Citie of Bristoll Mariner being in sound & perfect mind &

memory Prayse begiven to Almighty God I do hereby make & ordain this my last will and Testament in manner

and form following (that is to say) first and principally I comend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God

Hoping through the merritts death & passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full & free pardon & forgiveness of all

my Sins and to inherite ever lasting life And my body I Commit to the earth to be decently buried

And as touching the disposing of all such Temporall estate which it hath pleased God Almighty to bestow

upon me I give and dispose as followith first my will is that my debts and funeral charges be

paid and discharged Item I do give and bequeath unto my eldest Son Thomas Stretton All that my Messuage

Or tenement called the Grange Situate and being in the Parish of Olveston in the County of Glouces[ter] wth

all the Lands Pastures feedings and Appurten[an]ces there to belonging or in any wise App[er]taining To hold

to him my said son Thomas Stretton and the heires of his body lawfully begotten and to be begotten

And for want of such Issue to my son William Stretton and the heires of his body lawfully begotten

and to be begotten And for want of such issue to my son John Stretton and his heires lawfully

begotten and to be begotten And for want of such issue to my daughter Mary Saunders & her

heires lawfully begotten and to be begotten And for want of such issue to hold to my daughter

Joyce Edwards wife of [blank] Edwards of Sudbury in the County of Gloust. Yeoman and her

heires and assignes forever And whereas upon my granting the said Premises to my said Sonn

Thomas Stretton It was agreed between him and me That he my said sonn Thomas Stretton

Should pay the sum[m]e of five hundred pounds to such p[er]sons and in such manner as I should by my

will direct and appoint As may appeare Now I doe by this my will direct and appoint And it is my Will

meaning that my said sonn Thomas Stretton his heires or assignes doe & shall (within the Space & term

of six months next after my Decease or within such tymes as he shall [poor image quality] indemnity?

for the payment thereof with interest for the same after the rate of five pounds of lawfull money of england

of --- will and freely pay or cause to be paid the said sume of five hundred pounds together

wth seventy & five pounds more which I have lately lent him my said Son Thomas Stretton

Such p[er]son & p[er]sons by such --- and Porcons as hereinafter is --- and declared (That is to say)

One hundred pounds to my sonn William Stretton One hundred pounds to my Sonn John

Stretton and one hundred pounds to my daughter Mary Saunders And one one[sic] hundred pounds

to my daughter Joyce Edwards And the other one hundred pounds wth the seventy & five pounds

more to William Stretton John Stretton and Richard Stretton Sonns and Mary Stretton

Daughter of my said Sonn Thomas Stretton in manner following vizt fourty pounds to each

Of the said Sonns and five & fifty pounds to the said Mary the Daughter of my said Sonn

Thomas Stretton And if the said five hundred seventy & five pounds shall not be paid & satisfied

will forward to be paid wth interest after the rate of five pounds p[er]cent p[er] annum within the tyme aforsaid

and in Such manner as is hereuntofore sett forth limitted and declared Then I doe will & ordain That my

sons William and John Stretton and Daughters Mary Saunders and Joyce Edwards And the --- who

are to have share of in the said sume of five hundred seventy & five pounds theire respective Executors

--- assigner shall enter into & upon my said messuages or tenaments & lands called the Grange & wth

--- And the same to hold and enjoy until the said five hundred seventy & five pounds with

interest shall be fully satisfied and paid but of and by those are yearly rents & proffitts thereof

Item I do give & bequeth unto my said two daughters Mary Saunders & Joyce Joyce[sic] Edwards all

that my messuage or tenement called the Glass house situated in Redcliffe Street within the Parish of

St Mary Redcliffe in the said City of Bristoll to hold to them & their Assignes equally between them

for all the Terme and Interest of which I have thereinto come Item I doe give & bequeath unto my said

sonn Thomas Stretton my large silver Bowl And to my son William Stretton one small silver Bowl

and one Silver Cupp three silver spoons and one silver spoone in a --- Item I do give unto my Daughter Mary

Saunders one Silver Beaker And to my daughter Joyce Edwards my silver Salt And to my son John Stretton my large

silver Tankard And to each of my Children aforsaid I give a ring wch shallbe sealed up in a paper with theire names

written on the outside (respectively to whome) and the seal ring wch I now wear on my little finger I give

unto my daughter in law Elizabeth Stretton wife of my son William Stretton Item I doe give unto the

Churchwardens & overseers of the Poor of the parish of St Michael in Bristoll the sum of five and twenty pounds

the proffits thereoff to be distributed amongst the poor thereof in bread weekly & forever Item I give

to the poor of Barkley the sume of twenty shillings To the poor of Redcliff twenty shillings to the

poor of the Almshouse of --- in St Stephens Parish twenty shillings and to the poor of the

Parish of St Augustine twenty shillings Item I doe give & bequeth unto Sarah Smith now

living with me Daughter of John Smith of Olveston Yeoman the sum of one? pound

to be payd to her at her age of one and twenty years or marriage Item all the rest & residue

of my Goods cha[te]lls Plate --- --- --- ---- --- and implemts & utensills of household & all other my

estate where and whatsoever my debts and --- being first paid & funerall expenses discharged

I doe give and bequeath unto my said sonns William & John Stretton & unto my said Daughters Mary

Saunders and Joyce Edwards equally to be divided to and amongst them share & share alike

And It is my Will That my Books shall be divided equally amongst all my five children there

being an Account of what goods are in the house in the marsh & in the house at ---- Street &

in my Daughter Saunders house sealed all together in my Desk And I doe make & ordayn my

said sonns William Stretton & John Stretton Executors of this my last will & testemant And I

do nominate & appoint my loving friends Mr Emanual Heath ---- ---- and John Horton

Gent overseers of this my Will Desiring & requesting them to see the --- --- ---- And

heareby I doe empower & authorise them to joyn with & assist my said Executors in the gathering

In managing & disposing of my estate holding to the said intent & meaning of this my will

and as a Token of my love I doe give unto them twenty shillings apeace And revoking &

annulling all former & other wills by me made & I doe declare this to be my last will & testament

written in five sheets of paper to each of which I have subscribed my name And to this last

sheet have put my seal the day & year first above written Signed Thomas Stretton Signed

Sealed Published & Declared by the said Thomas Stretton to be his last Will & Testament on the said four&

twentyeth day of December 1687 in the presence of Peter Rosewell Azariah Wodham Edward Horton





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