Will of John Bodye of Purley (Purleigh), Essex 1580

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

This is a probate copy of the will of John Bodye or Boddye of Purley (Purleigh), Essex. John had his will drawn up on 4 November in the "21st year of Queen Elizabeth" which was 1579 (Regnal year started 17 November) but the will starts with 1578 written in the same hand. The will was proved at the Archdeaconry of Essex on 28 April 1580. ^[1]

Transcription conventions used in this text:

• Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
• 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, ff has been rendered as F, and the old letter Thorn has been rendered as th.
• Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets].
• Additions and margin notes, where they occur, have been added where indicated in the text.
• Crossings through, where they occur, have been included Struck out.
• The image quality was good, and the handwriting legible.
• Small areas of text have been lost on the right edge of the page due to damage to the paper. Where the word is predicted it has been added as [text]. Where the words cannot be predicted the loss has been indicated with [...]

Persons mentioned:

• John Bodye of Purley (Purleigh), Essex, Gentleman. Testator
• my lovinge brother William Bodye, Citizen and marchantayler of London sole executor
• Henry Bodye of Raleighe (Raleigh, Essex) implied that he is Testator's son, as Testator's wife is Henry's mother. Over 21 years of age as can legally enter into contract with Testator.
• Elizabeth my wiffe, mother of the saide Henry Bodye
• my sonne Edward Boddye under 21 years of age. William Bodye is to be his guardian
• the wiffe of myne Executor Katherin Bodeye receives a gold ring
• Grace Bodye, Annis Boddye & Prudence Bodye / my nephewes described as nephews but all female. Not stated who they are the daughters of, but probably daughters of William and Katherin. Each receives a gown.
• Alice my brothers maide receives 20 shillings
• Witnesses:
  • John Denton Rector de St Gabriel Phanchurche St Gabriel Fenchurch, City of London, destroyed in the Great Fire ^[2]
  • Francis Hitchcocke gent
  • Nicho: Pudesse
  • Thomas Foster marchant
  • John Riddlesdon marchant
  • Thomas Walker Draper

---

1578
In the name of god Amen the iiij^th of November, In the ^{xxj th} yeare of the Reign
of owr Sovereigne Lady Elizabeth by the grace of god of England France and Ireland
Queene defender of the faythe &c I John Bodye of the p[ar]ishe of Purley in the County
of Essex Gent / beinge sick of bodye but whole in minde and of good and p[er]fitt
remembrance laud and prayese be given to Almightye / doe make ordeine and dispose
this my pr[e]sent testament conteyninge my last will in manor and Forme follow=
inge that is to saye First and Pricipally I commende my sowle / into the handes
the wholly trinitye / god the father, god the sonne and god the holye gohste
Three p[er]sons and one god trustinge and faythfully believinge that throughe the
meretts of his most blessed passion my sinnes be clerly forgiven And I will my
bodye to be buried wher it shall please god to dispose for the same / And I make
and ordeine my lovinge brother William Bodye, Citizen and marchantayler
of London my full and sole Executor /

And I will that all such depts and
dutyes as I doe owe of Right are in Conscience to any p[er]son or p[er]sons, shalbe
well and truly contented and paide by my saide Executor ore els ordeined
for soe to be paide w[i]thin as Reasonable and convenient time as he may after
my decease w[i]th such goodes, Cattells, deptes, Rents and Woodes as I have here
under appointed /

And I will and my minde entent and meaninge is, And I doe
Devise that all my goodes Cattells Implements and hushouldstuffe shalbe
indifferently praysed and valued w[i]thin convenient tyme after my decease And
beinge soe praysed shalbe forthwith sould by my saide Executor And the
money ensuinge by such sale to be towardes the payement of my depts

Item I
will and devise that the saide Executor shal w[i]th in convenient tyme after my
decease at his discretion make sale of all the woodes now standinge and
growinge uppon all my landes and ground w[i]thin the said Countye of
Essex to the most advantage that may be made of them towardes the
payment of my depts And wheras Henry Bodye of Raleighe in the
saide Countye Jent / is houlden and standeth bounde unto me by obligac[i]on
under condicion for the payment of xx^ti markes of Lawfull monye of
England unto me , my Executor and assignes yearly at iiij^or severall
Feastes / duringe the naturall life of Elizabeth my wiffe, mother of the
saide Henry Bodye I will and my mind and Intent is tuchinge the
same as Followeth, that is to say that the one halfe of the same xx^ti markes
uppon the receite therof shalbe yearly paide unto the same Elizabeth my wiffe
for her maintenance And the other halfe thereof shalbe and remayne to
my saide Executor towards the payment of my depts

Item I doe by this
my pr[e]sent testament Appoint and ordeine the same William Boddye
my brother to be gardaine and governor of my sonne Edward Boddye duringe
his minoritye and that the same William Boddye shall receive yearly and
take all the Rents ^ ^issues and proffitts of all my landes, tenements and hereditaments
w[i]thin the Realeme of England for and duringe the minoritye of my saide
sonne Edward Bodye / towardes the paymentt of my depts / and the
Educac[i]on and bringinge upp of my saide sonne / And further it my
will is, that my Executor shall cause a Ringe of gould of the value
of xl^s w[i]th a deathes head one the one side of the saide Ringe, and one the
other side theis twoo letters / J and b / in token of remembrance after my
decease to be made and given unto the wiffe of myne Executor Katherin
Bodeye /

Item I will and my mynd is that Grace Bodye, Annis Boddye &
Prudence Bodye / my nephewes shall have ech of them xl^s a yere
to buye ech of them a gowne yf my goodes will soe fall out at the
distretion of my saide Executor /

Item I will that Alice my brothers
maide shall have xx^s / in recompence of her paines many tymes taken
w[i]th me /

And I utterly revolke all former willes and testaments And I will this to
stande for my very last will and none other ore otherwise / In Willnes wherof
I the saide Jhon Boddye / have to this my p[re]sent testament and last will
sett my hand and seale / Dated the day and yeare first above written John Boddye

Theis beinge pr[e]sent at the Readinge and the sealinge /
here of and wittnesses thereunto speciallye called John
Denton Rector de St Gabriel Phanchurche /
Francis Hitchcocke gent / Nicho: Pudesse / Thomas Foster marchant
John Riddlesdon marchant, Thomas Walker Draper /

[On reverse of will in a modern hand]
Bodye John gent
Purleigh
W.p. Apl 28 1580 [see Act book II 119]
unreg^d

Sources

1. ↑ Will of John Bodye 1580 Essex County Record Office, Chelmsford, Essex, England. Reference: D/AEW 7/212 Archdeaconry of Essex: Wills. Images viewable at Essex Archives Online subscription required. Accessed 23 October 2023
2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "St Gabriel Fenchurch," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St_Gabriel_Fenchurch&oldid=1146612406 (accessed October 23, 2023).