Will of Barbara Markham, widow of Great Plumstead, 1686

Date: 1686
Location: Great Plumstead, Norfolk, England
Surnames/tags: Markham Whittaker

This is a transcription of the will of Barbara Markham, widow of Matthew Markham (abt.1644-aft.1676), of Great Plumstead, Norfolk, written on 30 December 1686. ^[1][2]

Transcription conventions

• Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
• Crossings through have been included struck out
• Bold text for names and italic text for places are my own for ease of reading.
• Where present, the obsolete letter Thorn has been rendered as th, and ff has been rendered as F
• Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets]
• Non standard spelling as per usual for this time period, which has been transcribed verbatim.

Persons mentioned

• Barbara Markham testator
  
• John Whittaker eldest son
  
• Daniel Markham son (under 21)
  
• Thomas Hood servant? Living in household, witness
  
• Anne (Markham) Jermy daughter
  
• Barbara Markham daughter
  
• Martha [Markham] daughter
  
• my Mother Calthorpe
  
• John Russell clerk, curate of Great Plumstead, witness to codicil
  
• Henry Pierson clerk, rector of Little Plumstead, witness to codicil
  
• Thomas Jermy servant, executor, suggested guardian for Daniell Markham
  
• Ann Rislington witness
  
• Tho: Chapman witness
  
• Anne Pierson witness to codicil
  

In the name of God amen The thirtieth day of December
1686. I Barbara Markham of Great Plumstead in the County of
Norfolk Widd[o]^w being of perfect Memory blessed be God Doe make
this my last Will & Testam[en]^t in manner and forme following
First I Bequeath my Soul into the hands of my gracious Father &
blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ through whose meritts by a true and
lively Faith I hope to be Saved And I Comitt my body to the Earth
to be decently buried according to the discretion of my Exec[uto]^r hereafter
named And as for my Temporall Enjoyments I dispose of them as
followeth I Give and Bequeath unto John Whittaker my Eldest Son the
Sume of Five Pounds to be paid unto him within one year after my
Decease (viz^t) Fifty Shillings within half a year after my Decease
and the other Fifty Shillings at the expiration of the year next after
my Decease I Give and Bequeath unto Daniell Markham my Son the
bed & furniture thereof as it now Standeth in the Kitchin Chamber
Alsoe the bed whereon Thomas Hood lyeth as it Standeth, Alsoe all the
furniture that now is in the Kitchin, the Buttery & the Skullery, Except
what hereof is hereafter Bequeathed, Alsoe all the furniture of the
Backhouse b?house [beerhouse?], and dairy alsoe all the beer vessells, alestools
w[i]th all the furniture of the Cellars, alsoe all the furniture of the Hall
with all the furniture of the Parlour excepting what is my Daughter
Anns therein, alsoe the Chist of drawers fire pan and tongs with two
paire of andirons in the Parlour Chamber alsoe all the linnen mark'd
with M: M&B with the Trunks wherein they are, alsoe one piece of
plate mark'd w[i]th D: M: and two Silver Spoones mark'd with M:M: and
A: alsoe I Give & Bequeath unto Anne Markham my Daughter the
biggest Iron pot save one, alsoe I Give & Bequeath unto Barbara Mark=
=ham my Daughter the bigest Iron pot Save two alsoe the bed as it stan=
=deth in the Maids Chamber whereon the Maid now lyeth alsoe the
little Chist of drawers in the Kitchin Chamber, alsoe one Chist in the
Same Chamber, alsoe I Give unto Martha my daughter the least
iron pott, also one stand in the Maids Chamber, alsoe one piece of plate
marked w^th M:M: alsoe I Give & Bequeath unto my [crossed out, illegible]^three Daughters all
my wearing Cloaths and all those w[hi]^ch I had of my Mother Calthorpe
both linnen silk & woollen to be divided Equally between them alsoe I
further Give unto John Whitaker two Silver Spoones marked w[i]^th
A:C: also my Will is that my Exec[uto]^r Shall deliver unto my three
Daughters & my Son Daniell all such goods as were given to them by
my mother Markham when they shall require them And further
I Give & Bequeath unto John Russell Clerke my Curate & his assignes
the Lease of the Seite? of te Rectory, & Parsonage impropriate of great

Plumstead in Norffolk bearing date the Eight day of December 1676 with
all the rights & proffitts till the Expiration thereof, upon this Condicon
following, That he the said Mr John Russell shall pay or cause to be paid
the Sume of Sixty Pounds towards the Satisfaccon of himself what is
due to him from me for the Service of the Cure of otherwise, and alsoe that
he the said John Russell Shall out of the Sixty Pounds aforesaid satisfye &
pay unto Henry Pierson Clerke what is due unto him from me, and what
Shall remaine of the Sixty Pounds aforesaid to be paid according to the ord^r
of my Exec[uto]^r hereafter named within the Space of Siix months next after
my Decease and alsoe upon further Condicon that whatsoever he the s[ai]^d
John Russellor his assignes shall pay less then thirty Pounds for the
renewing of the said Lease, so much he shall pay more than the Sixty
Pounds aforesaid unto my Exec[uto]^r or his ord[e]^r, alsoe I Give unto Thomas
Jermy my Servant all my moveable goods whatsoever w[hi]^ch are unbe=
=queathed with all my debts of moneys for & towards the paym[en]^t of the
Remaind[e]^r of my debts and whatsoever Shall be over and above the dis=
=charge of the s^d remaind^r of my debts I Will that it be Equally divided
& given to my two youngest Daughters for & towards their Education
alsoe I make & ordaine the s^d Thomas Jermy my Sole Exec[uto]^r of this my
last Will & Testam^t & Give unto him for his trouble in faithfull
discharging thereof the bed whereon he now lyeth as it standeth, and
the sume of Forty Shillings, declaring all former Wills to be void
In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand & seal the day & year first abovewritten

I alsoe add this to my Will abovesaid that I charge my Son
Daniel to chuse Thomas Jermy my Executor his Gardian, and that
he give him leave to improve the Lands in Framingham, & Plumstead
for the use & advantage of my three Daughters untill he comes to the
age of one & twenty years. Signed published & declared in the p[re]sence
of us
Barbara Markham
Ann Rislington : The Marke of
Tho: Chapman : Thomas Hood his marke

I Barbara Markham Doe add this as a Codicill to my Will, that
Whereas I have given a great part of my household Stuffe unto my
son Daniell, my Will is that if there be anything wanting of the full
discharge of all my debts from my goods & Chattles w[hi]^ch are Bequeathed by me
to be Sold for that End & purpose Then so many of the said goods bequeath=
=ed to my Said son Daniel shall be sold by my Exec[uto]^r for & towards the
paym[en]^t of the said Debts & the Education of the Children as the Exec[uto]^r
shall think fitt. But further my Will is that my Son Daniel Shall
have& Enjoy the red bed as it now standeth in the Parlour Chamber, and
alsoe the little Bed whereon Thomas Hood lyeth as it now standeth in
the servants Chamber In Witness whereof I have sett my hand &
seale the first day of January one thousand six hundred eighty &
six 1686

Barbara Markham

Affixed Sealed & Declared in the p[re]sence
of us
Henry Pierson Clerk : Anne Pierson
John Russell Clerk

Sources

1. ↑ Will - archival reference
   Markham, Barbara, widow, of Plumstead
   Norfolk Record Office Online Catalogue
   Reference code: Item PRDC 1/2/6 fo. 291
   (accessed 1 Mar 2023)
2. ↑ Will - registered copy: "Probate records, 1572-1857" Church of England. Dean and Chapter of Norwich. Peculiar Court
   Catalog: Probate records, 1572-1857 Regd. Copy Wills, v. 3 1660-1686
   Film number: 008539534 > image 320 of 325
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C331-Z9TQ-H (accessed 1 March 2023)