The will of Thomas Bickley, Bishop of Chichester

Date: 20 Apr 1596 to 13 Jun 1596
Location: Chichester, Sussex, England
Surname/tag: Bickley

The Will of Thomas Bickley, Bishop of Chichester, 20 Apr 1596

Click here to return the profile of Thomas Bickley, Bishop of Chichester

The Will has not been catalogued but can be found here:

• Original wills (A, B and C surnames) 1580-1600 (STC I/II Folders K-N), courtesy of West Sussex County Council.
• Images 528-529, FamilySearch online database, Accessed 20 September 2021.

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People Mentioned:

• Cousin Mr Richard Taylor, "Mr of Arte, fellowe of Merton Colledge in Oxforde"
• Margarett daughter of sister Jane Smythe
• nieces Alce and Joane, daughters of Johan Borrowe(/s)
• Sr Richarde Fitzherbert
• Mr Benjamin Bentham
• Ffrauncys Goulston
• Nicholas Seaton
• god daughter Seaton (Note: perhaps daughter of Nicholas Seaton)
• Christofer Saxpie
• Thomas Harrys
• Mr Doctor Ball
• Richard Juxon
• Hugh Barker

Bequests

• To Mr Richard Taylor, "fellowe of Merton Colledge in Oxforde" and his heirs, "all my landes in Northampton shire "
• To Margarett, my syster Jane Smythes daughter, £10
• To Alce and Joane my nyses *(nieces)* - Johan Borrowes daughters, £10 each
• To Sr Richarde Fitzherbert £100 to be paid to him £10 a year by executor, and "the bedding that is in my geaste chamber at the galleryes ende wth all the furniture"
• To Mr Benjamin Bentham £10
• To Ffrauncys Goulston "the bedde wth the whole furniture that he lyeth"
• To Nicholas Seaton "the bedde wth the furniture in the chamber nexte ab(ut)? my bedchamber"
• To my god daughter Seaton £5
• To Christofer Saxpie, Thomas Harrys, Ffrauncys Goulston, and Nicholas Seaton, the thirde parte of my horses Oxon kyne & sheepe to be delyvered unto them by my executor for their labours wth their necessarye charges
• The residue (expenses and debts paid), to "cosen" Rycharde Taylor, "Mr of Arte and Fellowe of Merton Colledge in Oxforde"

Witnesses: Mr doctor Ball, Richarde Juxon, Christopher Saxpy, Ffrauncys Goulston, Thomas Harrys, Mr Hugh Barker.

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p.1.

In the name of god the father my creator the sonne my redeemer and the holye ghoste my

sanctifyer thre psons and one god I Thomas Byckley Bisshop of Chichester doe

make my laste testament and will as followeth ffyrst I bequeth my soule into

the hands of hym that sente me into this worlde and to whome I beleve from _

to goe god almighty my maker redemer and sanctifyer trusting assuredly to be

saved only by the merytts and passion on the crosse of his sonne Jesus Christe

nowe sytting on the right hand of god his and my father in heaven/ I bequethe

my bodye to the earthe in full hope to ryse agayne at the daye of Judgement wth

the Juste and the blessed/ I bequethe also tenne pounds to be distributed unto the

poore at the daye and place wher and when I shalbe buryed decentlye wthout

pompe/ I geve to Magdalen Colledge in Oxforde my good nurse fortye poundes

to be bestowed on their grammar schoole by the Colledge towards the makinge of it

Southinge the more handsome in feeling and pavinge it and for w other use I

will it not to be geven/ I geve to Martyn Colledge one hundreth poundes to bye

landes for one of the Ffellowes exhibicon of the same Colledge that professe

divinitye who shalbe bounde to preache one sermon at the leaste publicblye

in Oxford yearly so longe as he be followd and have that exhibicon according

as Mr warden Mr subwarden and my Executor at least any two of them

wth the devine of my lorde of Canterburye his grace shall make ordinances

for that purpose to be incerted in their statute booke there to remayne forever

/ I geve all my landes in Northampton shire to Mr Richard Taylor fellowe

of Merton Colledge in Oxforde and to his heyres forever, And that Margarett

my syster Jane Smythes daughter and also Alce and Joane my nyses -

Johan Borrowes daughters maye be pleased and contented therwth by their

making in writinge an assurance to the forsayde Mr Richard Taylor that

nether they nor their heyres nor any of them nor any other in their right

shall callenge any tytle or porcon of the aforsayde landes, that then and

not otherwise they shall have geven unto them by my executor in that respecte

onlye viz to the forsayde Margaret Alce and Joane to eache of them -

tenne poundes/ I bequethe to my housholde servants their quarters wages

and wthall a whole yeres wages besydes, to be payde unto them the nexte day

after my funerall/ I geve also to Sr Richarde Fitzherbert one hundreth pounde(s)

to be payde unto hym after tenne poundes by the yere by my executor.

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p.2.

/Also I geve unto him the bedding that is in my geaste chamber at the galleryes

ende wth all the furniture/ I geve to Mr Benjamin Bentham tenne poundes

/ I geve to Ffrauncys Goulston the bedde wth the whole furniture that he lyeth

/ I geve to Nicholas Seaton the bedde wth the furniture in the chamber nexte ab(ut)?

my bedchamber/ I geve to my god daughter Seaton fyve poundes/ I geve toward(e/s?)

the reperacons of Houghton bridge tenne poundes, ffurthermore to the intent(e/con?)

that Christofer Saxpie Thomas Harrys Ffrauncys Goulston and Nicholas Seaton

doe adivine them selves accordinge to their power to Mr Taylor my only executor

in helping him to effecte this my testament/ I geve unto the foresayde Christofer

Thomas Ffrauncys and Nicholas the thirde parte of my horses Oxon kyne &

sheepe to be delyvered unto them by my executor for their labours wth their

necessarye charges, The residue of my goodds not bequethed in this testament

my thre herryotts wth are due for my lands in North hampton shire and -

herryotts fees and debts due to her Ma(jes)^tie wth debtes are nowe in case Stephen

Staple kepeth touche according to covenante by obligacon, and also dilapidac(I)ons

and the charges of my funeralls all these things payde and satisfyed, I bequeth

and geve to my cosen Rycharde Taylor Mr of Arte and Fellowe of Merton

Colledge in Oxforde whome I make and by these puts constitute my onlye

executor/ I desyer Mr Seriennt Lewkenor Mr doctor Ball Mr Juxton and

Mr Cutt to be overseers of this my last testament geven to eache of them

foure fyve poundes for their paynes and for gevinge sounde counsell to

my executor, God have mercye on me my serable synner through the merytts

of his onlye sonne our Savior Jesus Christe, In witnesse wherof I have

hereunto sett my seale and subscribed my name the xxth daye of Aprill

1596, Witnesse hereunto Mr doctor Ball Richarde Juxon Christopher Saxpy

Ffrauncys Goulston Thomas Harrys Mr Hugh Barker.

Probate granted 13th June 1596.

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Will transcript as copied on 20/09/2021 by D.Mortimer.