Will of Francis Street Esquire of Worcester 1654

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of Francis Street, Esquire of Worcester, Worcestershire. It was written on the 1 July 1654, and was proved at Westminster in the Court which had taken over from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury during the Protectorate, on 16 December 1654. ^[1]

Transcription conventions used in this text:
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included struck out
The text was originally in one block of text. Paragraph breaks at change of bequest ("Item"), and bold text for names have been added 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 good and the writing very legible. Non standard spelling as per usual for this time period, which has been transcribed verbatim.

Persons mentioned:

• Francis Street gentleman of Worcester, testator
• my wife Testators wife is not given a name in the will. Her name is left blank in the probate statement. Executrix and main legatee
• Mr Savage Testator leases property from him
• Mr Townsland holds lands in trust from Mr Clent
• Mr Hassard and Mr George Hill hold land from Mr Townsland
• my Neece Harwells Child or Children
• Frances Atwood bequeathed a house in Doldey, and one sixth of Testator's household goods
• Neece Harwells two daughters Elin and Mary unmarried and under 16 years, each receive £50 and one sixth of Testator's household goods
• my Kinsman Tho[ma]s Symondes
• John Attwood and Anthony Attwood his brother my sister Attwoods two sonnes Five pounds each. Anthony is forgiven his debt
• my Godsonne Fra[ncis] Street
• Mr John Walsteed and his wife receive £10 each
• my cozen Mr Abraham Gibbons receives Testator's law books
• my Aunt Gibbons receives £5
• Mr Natle receives money for a ring
• Doctor Johnsons receives money for a ring
• Mr Simon Moore receives money for a ring
• Mr George Hill receives money for a ring
• Mr John Ashley receives money for a ring
• my Aunt Bollin receives a silver cup
• Mrs Dorothie Townsland receives Testator's grey horse
• my Godsonne Edward Townsland receives Testator's Greek and Latin books
• my loveing friend Mr Richard Wythe receives lawbook and a ring
• Mr Robert Dallins receives the ring which was his father's
• my loveing friend Mr Richard Hassard Testator expects him to assist his wife as Executrix. Perhaps the same Mr Hassard as above.
• Mr Stephen Richarson receives money for a ring
• Robert Anpsons debt forgiven
• my brother Strett left legacies, probably deceased
• Gy: Trinnell witness to will

---

[folio 60 verso]
In the name of God I Francis
Street of the Citty of Worces: Esquire being of perfect memorie and un=
=derstanding Though but weake in body by reason of my long sickenes (
Thanks be given unto Almighty god) Doe make this my last will and
Testament Concerneing that smale estate which god hath blessed me
with all; First I doe give unto my wife my Lease and lands which I hold
of Mr Savage; And the lease and lands which Mr Townsland holdeth in
Trust from Mr Clent And alsoe the lease and lands which Mr Hassard and Mr
George Hill doe hold in Trust from Mr Townsland for and dureing all the severall
times and termes therin to come and as yet unexpired: I give unto her likewise
the lands which I hold of the CItty by Lease (Excepting the house in Doldey) for
and during soe many of the yeares in the said lease as she shall live / And after
her decease the said lands for the residue of the said terme that my executor doe
convey them unto such of my Neece Harwells Child or Children as she shall ap=
=point And as concerninge the houses in Doldey I bequeath them unto Frances
Atwood to helpe to mayntayne her in service imediately after my death to be con=
=veyed by my Executor unto her for all the time then to come

I give unto Neece
Harwells two daughters Elin and Mary the summe of Fiftie pounds unto each
of them Twentie five pounds a peece to bee paid unto some person in Trust for
their use as my Executor shall thinke untill they shall attain their severall
age of sixteen yeares, and then to bee paid unto them; And in the meanetime
to have the interest towards their mayntenance; And if that eyther of them Dye
before they attaine the age of sixteen yeares That her Twenty five pounds shall be
and remaine unto the survivor;

I give unto my Kinsman Thos. Symondes The
sume of Twentie pounds; Unto John Attwood and Anthony Attwood his brother

[folio 61 recto]
my sister Attwoods two sonnes The summe of Five pounds a peece

I give unto my Godsonne
Fra. Street the summe of Ten pounds. I give to Mr John Walsteed and his wife Tenn pounds
a peece

I give unto my cozen Mr Abraham Gibbons all my Law bookes, And to my Aunt Gib=
=bons Five pounds

I give unto Mr Natle Fourtie shillings to buy him a Ring And alsoe unto
Doctor Johnsons and Mr Simon Moore Fourtie shillings apiece to buy them Rings; And unto Mr
George Hill, Mr John Ashley Twentie shillings apiece to buy them Rings And unto my ser=
=vants Tenn shillings a peece

I give unto my Aunt Bollin my silver and blacke Nutt Cuppe

I give unto the poore of the Citty The summe of Five pounds to be distributed amongst
them as my Executor shall appoint;

I give unto Mrs Dorothie Townsland my Gray Nagg

All my goods and housholdstuff that are not hereby perticularly disposed I desire they
may be estimated unto a certaine value, and my wife to have the one halfe thereof, and
the other halfe to be divided betwixt Francis Attwood and my Neice Harwell two
Daughters; unto each of them a Third part of that moyetie And that my wife shall have
her election to take the moietie in goods or money

I give all my Greeke and Latine
books unto my Godsonne Edward Townsland

I give unto my loveing friend Mr Ri=
chard Wythe one of my Brookes Abridgement of the law and also my Ring with the
dead mans head

I give unto Mr Robert Dallins the Ring with the Turky stone which
was his fathers

I doe give unto my loveing friend Mr Richard Hassard The summe of
Tenn pounds towards satisfaction of the trouble that I shall commend unto him that
is to be by my Executor of this my will And all the rest of my estate that is not
hereby disposed I doe give unto my wife, desireing her to take care that Mr Hassard may
be requited for his paines And doe appoint her to be Executrix hereof By me Fra:
Street Written the first day of July one thousand sixe hundred and Fiftie fower ./ I give
unto Mr Stephen Richarson Thirtie shillings to buy him a Ring I doe forgive Anthony
Attwood his debt by Bond And also Robert Anpsons debt of Tenn pounds Provided
they doe nor eyther of them doe trouble my Executor with any suite in lawe concerne=
=ing their legacies given by my brother Strett Witness Gy: Trinnell

This will was proved att Westminster the six=
=teenth day of December in the yeare of our lord God One thousand sixe hun=
=dred Fiftie and fower, before the Judges for probate of Wills and granting of Admi=
=nistrations lawfully authorized by the oath of [blank] Street the relict of
the said Deceased and sole Executrix named in the said Will To whom was Comitted
Administration of the good Chattells and Debts of the said Deceased She beinge
sworne by virtue of A Commission truely to Administer the same ./

Sources

1. ↑ Will of Francis Street 1654: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
   The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 241
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5111 #361546 (accessed 15 May 2022)