Transcribed Will of Peter Drinkewater of Grappenhall

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Grappenhall, Cheshire, England
Surname/tag: Drinkewater

Contents 1 Introductory Notes 2 Transcription Conventions 3 Persons Mentioned 4 Will 5 Probate 6 Footnotes

Introductory Notes

The will of Peter Drinkewater of Grappenhall, Cheshire, England was written on 18 August 1603 and proved at Chester on 27 April 1604.^[1]

The will is written in English over one double-sized sheet. The text is generally clear. Some of the language is archaic, as expected for a will of this era. The paper/parchment is in good condition with one small hole in the middle left, which affects two words. There is one vertical fold in the middle of the sheet, which affects several words throughout the document. There is also a horizontal fold in the lower half of the document, which marginally affects two lines of the inventory section.

Transcription Conventions

The conventions used in this transcription are:

• spelling, punctuation, line breaks and capitalisation are recorded as in the document, with the following exceptions to aid readability:
  • capital I is silently modernised to I or J as appropriate (eg "Joan", rather than "Ioan")
  • ff at the start of a word is silently modernised to F (eg "First", rather than "ffirst")
  • additional paragraph breaks may be included to increase readability of large amounts of text
• superscript letters are silently lowered, except where these relate to money (eg ^{li s d}), dates (eg ^th) or titles (eg M^rs)
• abbreviations/breviographs are expanded with the additional letter(s) in square brackets, except symbols for money (li s d) and the ampersand (&)
• the letter thorn is recorded as "th" in square brackets (eg "[th]e", rather than "ye")
• short series of missing/illegible letters are recorded with a period for each letter thought to be missing/illegible in square brackets; longer gaps are described with an editorial note
• editorial notes are italicised and in square brackets
• names and relationships are highlighted in bold
• footnotes are used to clarify archaic terms, difficult text and discrepancies
• u/v and i/j are recorded as they appear; even where modern usage would dictate one over the other (eg "haue", rather than "have" if the third letter is clearly a "u"; "vnto", rather than "unto" if the first letter is clearly a "v")
• where a series of letters consisting of minims contains an "i", the tittle is placed over the logical place where the "i" would occur, irrespective of where it appears, since it was often a scribal convenience to place it only over the terminal minim (eg "saving" rather than "savnig")
• the virgule, signifying a pause (comma, semi-colon, colon or full-stop), is recorded using a forward slash /, but only when such intent is obvious (the virgule is often indistinguishable from various check marks and otiose flourishes that are of no significance)

Persons Mentioned

The will mentions the persons below. Modern/alternative spellings for names have been included where appropriate, to help ensure this page is listed in relevant web searches.

• Peter Drinkewater of Gropnall: Peter Drinkewater of Grappenhall, testator
• Peter Drinkewater, younger son of testator
• Richard Drinkewater, younger son of testator
• Arnold Drinkewater, eldest son of testator
• wyfe, Elyzabeth Hatton of Stocton, wife of testator
• Thom[a]s Drinkewater, brother of testator
• Servantte man, servant of testator
• [Mathewe], relationship to testator unknown
• Arnold Drinkewater of Warburton, Cousin of testator
• Richard Drinkewater , Cousin of testator and brother of Arnold Drinkewater
• Robert Drinkewater, brother of testator
• Will[i]am Drinkewater, witness
• W[illia]m Heypey, witness
• Thomas Thelwall, witness
• Henry Ricrofte, witness
• Thomas Halton, witness
• Richard Ridgate, witness

Will

In the name of god Amen the Eighteenth day of Augus[t] in the yere of our Lord god One Thousand sixe hundreth and three. I
Peter Drinkewater of Gropnall in the Countye of Chest[e]r yo[e]m[an] sicke in bodye but of good and p[er]fect remembrance I humbly thanke
god almightye Do make this my last wyll and Testm[en]t in man[er] and forme followeinge. That is to saye First I comend my
soule into the handes of god my Savyour and Redeem[er] trustinge and fully hopinge of his mercye and to be saved by his
Death and Passion, And I yeild my bodye to the earth wherof it came the same to be buryed at the discrec[i]on of my
kynredde. AND WHEREAS yt hath pleased almighty god to bestowe his blessinge vpon mee in some goodds I do bequeath and
bestowe the same in man[er] and forme followinge That is to saye I geeve and bequeath to my yonger Sonnes Peter and
Richard Drinkewater Fower kyne wherof three of them be sette out abroad at hyre and the Fowerth is a brinded Cowe
at my house. IT[E]M I geeve to my eldest sonne Arnold Drinkewater an Iron Gratt, All my Ladders Spade kynes Shed
kynes and Spok[es] and the half of all my Carts Plowes wheeles Harrowes and the things and stuffe therevnto belonginge
Savinge that my wyfe shall have the vse and possession therof Duringe her lyfe against my said sonne Arnold, And she
to have a Computent nu[m]ber of the Spoks for her owne vse to be bestowed on the Tenem[en]t. My wyfe gave mee Twentye
Shillinges in Gould I freely geeve it to her agayne. It is my will and mynd That my fun[er]all Charges the p[ro]bate of this my last
will and Testam[en]t my s[er]vantts wages and such detts w[hi]ch of right I ought to any p[er]son shall be payd out of my whole goodds. IT[E]M I
geeve to my Brother Thom[a]s Drinkewater my best Coote & my Buffe Bryches. And to my Servantte man my seacond
Blewe Coote and a payre of Clouthe Bryches and to eyther of them a Fustyan Dublette and to Mathewe an old Dublette
Stockings and Shooes. And the rest and residue of my Goodds whatsoeu[er] I freely geeve and bequeath to my wyfe
and three Children Arnold Peter and Richard Drinkewater equally to be bestowed amongest them Fower. AND
yf yt shall happen that any of my sayd sonnes do Dye before he or they so dyinge shall come to the age of Twentye one years
or be maryed Then my will is that the residue of the Breethren lyvinge shall be heires to him or them so dyinge of
their goodes and Childes porc[i]ons [MY] Children be yonge my Care for their bringinge vp is great And trustinge
of the good and faythfull Dealinge of their godfathers after my decesse. I do will and require that Arnold Drinkewater
of Warburton, my Cosin Richard Drinkewater his brother and my brother Robert Drinkewater shall ym[m]ediately after
my Decesse receyve into their seu[er]all Custodies eu[er]y one of them the porc[i]on due to the Child w[hi]ch they bee
Godfathers vnto. And I require them to sette out the same Porc[i]ons to the b[e]nfytte of my Children to increase
their Porc[i]ons for I meane to charge my Tenem[en]t w[i]th their bringinge vppe w[i]th meate Drinke and Clouthes. And for
the Tuic[i]on of my said Children I knowe not who w[i]ll more cherishe them then my wyfe will especially in their so
Yonge aige Besids I wold not have them seu[er]ed solonge as my wyfe shall keepe herself sole and vnmaried. Therfore
I appoint the Tuic[i]on of them vnto my said wyfe solonge as she shall keepe hersolf sole and vnmarried. And afterwar[ds]
I appoint thesame ym[m]ediately after my wyvis intermariage w[i]th any p[er]sonne whatsoeu[er] to me said Cosins Arnol[d]
and Richard Drinkewater and to Robert Drinkewater my brother and to the s[u]rvivors and survivor of them.
And of this my last will and Testam[en]t I make and constitute the said Arnold Richard and Robert Drinkewat[er]
my Executors fully assuringe meeself of faythfull dealinge by them towards my said wyfe and Children: And
my wyfe to be Ou[er]seer therof In witne[s] wherof I the said Peter Drinkewater herevnto my hand and Seale have
putte the Day and yere First abouewriten in witnes of Will[i]am Drinkewater W[illia]m Heypey Thomas Thelwall
Henry Ricrofte Thomas Halton^[2] Robert Drinkewater Richard Ridgate and Richard Drinkewater/ 1603

[The will contains a large inventory section, which has not been transcribed.]

Probate

Will proved at Chester 27 April 1604 by the executors. ^[3]

Footnotes

1. ↑ Will of Peter Drinkewater of Gropnall: "Cheshire Wills And Probate"
   FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 17 September 2023)
   Peter Drinkwater probate in 1604 in Cheshire, England. Residence Grappenhall, Cheshire, England. Occupation: Yeoman.
2. ↑ Note About Witness Thomas Halton's Surname: One of the witnesses to the will has been transcribed as "Thomas Halton". It is possible that this witness was named "Thomas Hatton" instead. Hatton was the surname of Peter's wife, and it is possible that this was a relative of hers.
3. ↑ Will Probate information: Drinkwater, C.H. and Fletcher, W.G.D., Logan, Utah, Herald Pub., 1928, "Family of Drinkwater of Cheshire, Lancashire, the Isle of Man", page 6. Internet Archive (accessed 17 September, 2023)