Will of Humphrey Rant , Public Notary, 1607

Date: [unknown]
Location: Norwich, Norfolk, England
Surname/tag: Rant

Transcript of will of Humphrey Rant, Public Notary, written on the 20th of February, 1606/07. Humphrey died in December of 1607 in Norwich, Norfolk, England and was buried at St Stephen church in Norwich. The will was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on the 3rd of March, 1607/08. ^[1]

Persons mentioned

• William Rant son, heir and executor of the will
• Katherine (Gilbert) Rant wife
• Humphry Rant grandson
• William Rant grandson
• Xpofer [Christopher] Rant son
• Thomas Rant son
• Thomas Rant grandson
• Henry Gibson son in law, husband to daughter Anna Rant
• Robert Doughtie (Doughty) son in law, husband to daughter Mary Rant
• John Linge son in law, husband to unknown daughter
• Eliz Suffield servant
• Thomas Seyve unknown relation

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[folio 142 verso]
In dei nomine Amen I Humfrey Rant of Norw[i]ch
gentleman remembringe that all men ar mortall and that deathe suddenly happents
to olde men and others do intende by the grace of god while oportunitie servethe
to sett and order and staye both for my mesuages Landes tenements and heredit[amen]ts
and allso for all my moveable goodes whatsoever for the avoydinge of questons
and quarrells which maye happen to arrise betwene my wife and children
after my decease yf I should departe this transitory life intestate wherfore
after most humble thanckes given to Almightie god for his blessinges and benfits
bestowed uppon me beying now in good healthe and perfect memorye the twentith daye
of the monethe of Februarye in the yere of o[u]r Lord god one thousand sixe hundred
and sixe I do make and declare this my testament and last will in manner and forme
folowinge that it to saye First I Commend my soule to Almightie god the father
of mercey faithfullie trusting thoroughe the merrittes of the passion and Death
of his most deerelie beloved sonne Jesus Xpiste my Savyoure to have remission of
all my synnes and to inherite the kingdome of heaven prepared for gods elect from the
begynning of the worlde and purchased in Christe his bloud willing that my bodye
be buryed in the parishe churche of St Stephen in Norwiche or in the Chappell
neere that seate wherein my wife hathe used to sitt yf I shall departe in Norwiche
And for the breaking up of the ground in that churche or chappell I give and bequeathe
Twentie sixe shillinges eighte pence in money. And I will that my executor shall give
and Dispose or cause to be given and disposed amonge the poore and needy people dwelling
in the sayed parish of Saint Stephen twentie sixe shillinges eighte pence in
money or bread uppon the daye of my buryall. And I will that my executor shall
bestowe or cause to be bestowed thirteene shilling and fouer pence in bread drincke
and meate to be given to the prisoners in the Castell and Guildehall in Norwiche so soone
after my decease as convenyently maybe. Item i give unto the poore and sicke people
in every of the fyve Lazar houses next the gates of the cittie of Norwiche twoe
shillinges fyve pence in money. And touching the Disposicon of my mesuages Landes tenements
and hereditaments First I give will and devise unto William Rant my Sonne my Capitall
mesuage wherein I dwell with th[e ]appurt[e]n[a]nc[e]s lying and beyng in the parishes of Saint
Peter in Mancrofte and Saint Stephens in Norwiche. To have and to hould the sayed
mesuage with th[e ]appurt[e]n[a]nc[e]s to hym the sayed William and his heires forever. Nevertehles
my will and my mynde ys that Katherine my wife shall have her dwelling in the house
parte of my saied mesuage, while she shall keepe herselfe a widowe. And I will allso
that she shall have the use of all my stuffe and ymplements of howsehould in the same
North parte, to witt in the halle and parloure and kitchen and chambers over the same during
her widdowhood and no longer. And I will that the saied Katherine shall have the use and occupacon
of my Courteyarde and garden together with easement of my well and backside with her
ingate and owtgate into all the same and at all tymes when yt shall please her any thinge
heretofore mentyoned to the contrary : And I will that my executor shall paye or cause to
be payed unto the saied Katherine my wife Sixe poundes thirteene shillinges and fower pence
of lawfull money of England withyn tenne dayes after my decease. And over that I gyve
unto the saied Katherine Fortie markes of Lawfull money of England to be payed to her
yerelie and every yere at the Feasts of Th[e ]anunciacon of Our Ladie the virgin and Saint
Michaell th[e ]archangell by even portions during her naturall life uppon condition that
she the saied Katherine shall not at any tyme hereafter clayme any Dower in any of

[folio 143 recto]
those mesuages landes tenementes or hereditaments wherefor wherein I am or haife ben seised in the
tyme of oure espousalls of an estate of Inheritance. And under thys condition I give unto the saied
Katherine a silver goblet all guilte whiche is in her custodye : a silver plate parcell guilte a silver
Boll and a silver Tunne parcell guilte and twelve silver spoones. Willing that she shall
dispose the same plate as she shall thincke best amonge her children or grannchildren. Allso I
give ^will and devise unto Humfrey Rant my granndchilde all my mesuages tenements houses
and grounds with th[e ]appurt[e]n[a]nc[e]s scituate lying and beyng in the streate called Needham within
the parishe of Saint Stephen in Norwiche. To have and to hould the sayed mefuages
houses and groundes with th[e ]app[u]rt[e]n[a]nc[e]s to hym the saied Humfrey Rant and hys heires for
ever. Allso I give will and devise unto William Rant my granndchilde all those my mesuages
houses ortyardes and gardens lying and beynge in the parishe of Saint John in Beerestreete
in Norwiche. To have and to hould all the saied mesuages houses ortyardes and gardens with [th]e
appurt[e]n[a]nces to the saied William Rante and hys heires forever. And I give unto Xpofer ^[2] Rant
my sonne Twoe hundred thirtie three poundes sixe shillinges eight pence in money and plate
^{the plate} to be valued at fyve Shillinges an ounce the best and the other at fower shillinges fower
pence. Allso I give unto Thomas Rant my sonne fower score poundes sixe shillinges eight
pence in money. And I give unto William Rant my sonne one thousand markes in money
over and besides all those parcells of plate which I lent hym and formerlye gave hym.
Allso I give unto Thomas Rant my granndchilde fortie markes to be payed at his age
of one and twentye yeres. And I give to every of the daughters of William Rant my
Sonne twentie poundes in money a peece, to be payed to them at theire daye of marriage
or at theire severall ages of one and twenty yeres. And unto every of my granndchildren
at theire severall ages of one and twentye I give and bequeathe fortie shillinges a peece
And I give and bequeathe unto Henry Gibson Robert Doughtie and John Linge my sonnes
in lawe three poundes sixe shillinges eight pence in money a peece. And I give unto Eliz:
Suffeild that was my servante tenn shillinges in gould. And unto Thomas Seyve
I give other tenne shillinges in gould. The residue of all my moveable goodes as brasse
pewter bedding Lynnen and the ymplemts of houshould not herein given or bequeathed
I will shall be equallie devided unto twoe partes whereof I will that my wife shall have the
use of one parte so longe as she shall keepe her selfe a wydowe and the other parte I
give unto William Rant my Sonne whome I name constitute and make sole executor of
this my last will and testament Sealed with my seale the daye and yere above written
Theise beyng witnesses Thomas Rant Robert Goodwyn Humfrey Brunsall.

Probatum [in Latin] This testament written above was proved at London before the venerable Master John Bennett knight and Doctor of Lawes at a Commission of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury constituted the third day of March by the computation of the English AD 1607. Judgment being given to William Rant natural and lawful son of the said deceased and executor named in the testament, he having been first sworn on the Holy Saints to truly and well administer the goods and credits of the same.

Sources

1. ↑ Will: "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: 111. (accessed 11 May 2022)
   Will of Humfridi Rante of Norwich, granted probate on 3 Mar 1607. Died Abt 1607. Ancestry Image Link
2. ↑ Christopher