Will of Catherine Williams of Wotton Under Edge, widow, 1593

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Williams

Catherine Williams

This is a transcription of the Consistory Court of Gloucester will of Katherine (unknown) Williams (abt.1550-1593). The will was written on 18 January 1592/3 and proved on 11 April 1593^[1]

Transcription conventions:
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included struck out
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included struck out
Paragraph breaks at change of bequest, and bold text 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]
The image quality was reasonable but writing small and hard to read.
Non standard spelling as per usual for this time period, which has been transcribed verbatim.

Persons mentioned

• Catherine/Katherine Williams, widow testatrix widow of Edmond Williams (abt.1560-1589)
• Jaone daughter of testatrix
• George Alway intended husband of Joane
• Agnes daughter of testatrix
• Teers daughter of testatrix possibly Denes mentioned in the will of Edmond Williams Katherine's husband
• John Dreysy son of testatrix by former marriage, Executor of will
• John Williams son of testatrix by Edmond Williams (abt.1560-1589)
• John Staunton overseer of will
• John Clark overseer of will

In The name of God ame[n] the 18^th day of January in the xxxiij^th year of the reygne of Eliz[abeth] the Queenes Ma[jest]^ie   that now is I Kater[...]
Williams of Wott[en] underedg in the county of Glouc[ester] wydow sicke in body but whole in mind & of good & p[er]fect memory (thanks
be to god do make this my p[re]sent testament in maner & forme following

first I bequeath my soule into the hands of god my m[ost]
merciful father through Christ my redemer hoping for salvatio[n] by the only merits of  his death & my bodie to the earth in the
churchyard of Wott[e]n

Ite[m] I give unto my daughter Joane my best fether bed fether bolster my best fether pillow that
best locra[m] ^[2] sheet & a canvas sheete a folle[..] & a locra[m] pillobear the 4^th fetherpillow the best that 8^th & 9^th cov[er]lett the best & the
sixt blanket my best brass pott & the least brass pan the old brass pan the worst caldro[n] the best chafingdish & the best breath &
a payer of anndiorons a pothanger a pothooke a charg[er] iij platters iij potteng[e]rs ij sauc[er]s a salt [ink splot] pewter pott a pewter cup
the best candlestick & the worst the old coffer the bedsteed in the chamber next the hall the table [ink splot] in the hall the waynscot
there & the forms that stand for benches under the wale the second table cloth iij table napkins a maltmill ij barrells my
best medly cassock a bearing cloth my best peticote & a red peticote cloth the moyety of my wearing apparell & of the treew &
earthen vessells not mentioned herafter all w[hi]ch sayd things afore specified so geve[n] or mentioned to be geve[n] if my sayd
daughter shall mary w[i]th Georg Alway then my will is that all the sayd things so bequeathed unto her shallbe sold by
mine ov[er]seers herafter named & the  price therof whatsoev[er] if above x^ls shalbe devided betweene myne other ij daughters
herafter named

Ite[m] I give unto my daughter agnes my seco[n]d fetherbed my second fether bolster my second fether pillow
the second locra[m] sheet & a canvas sheete ij folle[..] pillowbeers the third flockbed the second 7th & 10th coverlett the 2nd & 5th blankets
the second brass pott the second brass pa[n] the best caldro[n] a chafingdysh a broach a frying pa[n] a grediro[n] a pothooks a pothang[er]
a charger iij platters ij potteng[er]s ij saucers a quart pott a pewter cup the second candlestick a pewter bottle a skillett
ij coffers in the lower chamber & the standing bedsteed there the press in the chamber next the hal a folding table bord in
the hal a plank for a table ov[er] the kitchen a forme in the hal a bench under the hey window ij table clothes and a bolster
case iij table napkins a mustard mill ij barrels my black cotten cassock a frise^[3] cassock my second peticote a eecer of stam=
mell cloth^[4] & that other moyeti of my wearing apparell & of all the treew & earthen vessells not herin mentioned

Item I give
unto my daughter Teers my best flockbed my worst fetherbolster the third fether pillow the best pare of canvas sheet the
best table cloth on folle[...] & a locra[m] pillowbeer my best holle[nd] sheete the 4th flockbed a flock bolster the 3rd cov[er]let the 6th & the
elenets the 3d and 4th blankets the third brass pott the best pan the seco[n]d caldro[n] a charg[er] ij platters ij potte[n]g[er]s iij the best
saucers a pint pot the 3d & 4 candlesticks a spic[e] mortar & pestil a skillett the best coffer the table & forme in the chamber ij
joyned stooles ij table napkins ij towells ij the brass chorcheises ij p[ar]lets the best apro[n] & a red peticote cloth

All the residew
of my goods moveable & immoveable my debts & legacies payd & my funerall expenses p[er]formed & don I wholy eive & be=
queath unto my son John Dreysy whom I make mine only executor condiconally that he take the charge of th[i]s well
ordering & bringing up of my son John Williams & have a care of the p[er]formance therof so that the same things be
first valued as they be worth by mine ov[er]seers herafter named to the end that if the said John Dreysie shall not sa=
tisfy my trust comitted unto him or if ther shalbe any defalt in him touching the p[re]misses then my will is that my
said ov[er]seers shall take the same things or the price of the[m] fro[m] the said John & shall dispose of them & of the child for his
best p[er]forment of the executio[n] wherof & of as other things in this my p[re]sent testament contyned I make and ordeyne my
welbeloved in christ John Staunto[n] & John Clarke myne ov[er]seers praying the[m] for gods cause to have care therof & to take
paynes therin written & red before me & by me approved the day & year first above written

T. Catherine Williams
Wotton underedge
Probate [in Latin] before Master William Blackeech &c xj April 1593 to the executor named

Sources

1. ↑ * Will of Katherine Williams: "Gloucestershire, England, Wills and Inventories, 1541-1858"
   Gloucestershire Probate Records. Diocese of Gloucestershire, Finding Reference GDR, Wills and Inventories. Gloucestershire Archives, Gloucester, UK
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 4294 #37934 (accessed 22 August 2022)
   Katherine Williams probate in Wotton under Edge.
2. ↑ A coarse, loosely woven fabric of hemp or flax
3. ↑ Thick, heavy plain weave, well fulled wool material made from cheaper fleeces unfit for finer cloth
4. ↑ wool cloth, always red in colour used mainly for petticoats