The will of Thomas Snagge 1591

Date: 7 Apr 1591 to 17 May 1593
Location: England
Surname/tag: Snagge-17

A transcription of the will of Thomas Snagge written on 7 April 1591 (location unstated)
and proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 17 May 1593.^[1]

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the register copy. ff is rendered as F.
Abbreviations are expanded and additions noted in [square brackets]. Paragraph
breaks (where added) and bold text for names are my own for ease of reading.

People in the will:

Elizabeth Snagge (wife of the writer Thomas Snagge)

Thomas Snagge (son)

Robert Snagge (AKA Roberte)(son)

Agnes Snagge (wife of Thomas the son)

Lewys Snagge (son)

Thomas Hunt (witness)

George Croswell (witness)

Thome Snagge. In the name of god: amen The Seventh daye
of Aprill in the yeare of our Lorde Christ A thousand Five hundreth ninety one and in the three
and thirtey[?] yeare of the Rayne of my most gracious Soveraiyne Ladye and [M?s] Elizabeth the
Quene's Ma[jes]tie, I Thomas Snagge, one of her Ma[jes]ties Serjeants at Law being
of wholle minde and perfecte memorye yealding therefore most humble thanks to Almighty god
Doe make and ordayne this my Last will and testament in forme following First I bequeathe to
Elizabeth my Loving wyfe my house called the Lodge in Marston parke together with the neather
Lodge in the Said parke called Hayward's Lodge and together wit the Litle parke otherwise called
the [?]Brache together. also with all the thicke within the pale of the Said Litle parke as it is nowe
called and together with the Saide other parke wherein the Said twoe Lodges Doe stand the woods and
Deere in them bothe and the soyle and grounde in them and of them bothe To have and to holde to my Saide
wyfe from the Daye of my Deathe unto the full end terme of threescore yeares then next ensuring
yf she Liveth so Longe I bequeathe also to my saide wyfe During the Saide terme yf She Liveth So longe
my conduitt and hoppe yarde in Cranfielde in the County of Beds and my Lande called Venyson Lane in
Cranfield aforesaide To have and to holde to her for the saide terme to the intent aforesaide Also,
give to my saide wyfe one yearly Annuity of twoe hundred markes by the yeare to be taken and Levyed
by heroute and of all my Lands temements Leased and hereditaments whatsoever payable to her during
the Saide Terme of threescore yeares yf she liveth so longe. And my will and minde also is that if she [?]
cannot have the same with quietnes That she shall or maye [?]Distreyne for the same in all my Saide Lande.
whatsoever other than the Saide parkes at all time and times During the Saide terme. Item I also give and
bequeathe to Elizabeth my said wyfe the rest of all my plate and hangings for terme of her lyfe. Item I
will for that Thomas my eldest sonne hath hadd a lazy badd and Loose lyfe And in the time of his Saide
Loosenes hath entred into greate bonds to Divers [?]rostening and wicked persons for litle or nothing received
to passe awaye to them after my Decease the wholle or greatest parte of that whiche shoulde Distend or
come unto him from me that he the Saide Thomas shall yearely have paide unto him after my Deathe twoe
hundred pounds by yeare by my Said wyfe so Longe as he shall live in good and virtuous lyfe and so longe
as he be quieted against the saide wicked persons and every of them yf either of whiche happen to be
broken then the same payment of the saide twoe hundred pounds from that time forthe utterly cease
And Further my minde is that if god give him the grace to alter his Saide Loose lyfe uppon good triall
thereof had as hereafter is appointed to be adiudged and allowed, and that he be cleared of the saide bonds
without Selling morgaging or charging any parte of my possessions therewith. That then my Saide wyfe shall
or maye make his and his childrens portons what shall lyke her and in what sorte shall lyke her havnig
regarde to the provision for her other children And the payment of my debts and that my saide sonne
Thomas maye from time to time During his lyfe Destrayne for the Same in all my saide Landes and Leases excepte
the Saide parkes During the lyfe of my Saide wyfe under the Conditon aforesaide. And I will to my Saide
Sonne Thomas my Mannor House at Marsonne or my Mannor House at Kempstone as shall best lyke
his wyfe to Dwell in. and what house of them bothe she refuseth, the Same refused house I will shall goe
to Robert my Sonne together with forty pounds by yeare of annuity for terme of his lyfe to be [?]yssuing
oute of all my Saide Landes and Leases the parkes [?]accepted during the lyfe of my Saide wyfe And that he
shall of maye Distreyne for the Same at all times During his lyfe in all my Landes and Leases the Said
parkes excepted During his Said mother's lyfe. Item I will that if my Sonne Thomas Doe Dye leaving
Agnes his nowe wyfe. That then the said Agnes shall have During her lyfe my manor House of Kempstone
with all the edifices belonging to the same and withe the orchard and gardens thereof and one hundred
pounds by yeare oute of all my Lande and Leases and that she shall and may Defreyne for the same in
all the Saide Lands and Leases During the Saide terme. Item I give to Lewys my Sonne Twenty pounds
by yeare of Annuity for the terme of his lyfe to be yssuing oute of all my Landes and Leases the Saide parkes
excepted during the lyfe of my Said wyfe and that he shall or may Distreyne for the Same at all times
During his lyfe in all my Said Landes and Leases the Saide parkes excepted During his Said mothers lyfe.
Item I ordayne and make Elizabeth my wyfe my Saide Sonnes Thomas and Robert my Executors of
this my Said will. Provided allwayes and my will and minde is that if my wyfe marryeth not againt
That neither the Saide Thomas nor Robert nor any of them shall in any sorte meddle as Executors or
Executor of this my Said will During the lyfe of there Saide mother other than as [?Sozinte] to her or by [?usez]
of theire names in [?athons] or Suted yf neede be yf they or any of them Doe take uppon him or them to meddle
therein during her lyfe the kepnig[keeping] her Selfe Sole as aforesaide contrary to this proviso. Then I will that
he or they that so meddleth form thenceforthe shal be no Longer Executor or Executors hereof. But,
the authoritye hereby given to them or him forthwithe thenceforthe to cease and Determyne as
thoughe they or any of them had never have thereunto authorized by this my will provided also that
after the Deathe of my Saide wyfe yf my Saide Sonne Thomas be not at the time of her Saide Deathe
and form the time of the making this my will till that time of godly and honest conversacon and a
stayed man And so be indeted and allowed as by my honorable and Deare god Lord of the Lorde Mordante
and the Lorde Sainte John of Bletsoe or the survivors of them That then my Saide Sonne Thomas shall
not in any wise meddle with thexecuton of this my Saide will During the Lyfe of my Saide Sonne Roberte.
Thomas Snagge. Thomas Hunt. George Croswell.

Sources

1. ↑ Will of Thomas Snagge, Her Majesty's Sergeant at Law. Reference: PROB 11/81/408. Description: Will of Thomas Snagge, Her Majesty's Sergeant at Law. Date: 17 May 1593. Held by: The National Archives, Kew.(https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D928998) Accessed 31 July 2022