Will of John Eldred, Citizen and Clothworker of London, 1638

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

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of John Eldred, citizen and clothworker of London. John drew up his will on 16 August 1638 when he was "weake in body", and the will was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 31 August 1638. ^[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 (secretary hand) was legible.

Persons mentioned:

• John Eldred Cittizen and Clothworker of London Testator
• my welbeloved and trueloveing wife Rebecca Executrix, received her customary third of the estate and the house in Coleman Street.
• Mr Tisdale Testator rents his house in Coleman Street
• all my Children unnamed apart from two. More than one son, only one daughter. All under 21 years of age. Received their share of the child's third of the estate
  • my daughter Hanna unmarried, under the age of 21 years, received some of Testator's silverware
  • my sonne Nathaniell co-executor of the will with his mother. Received £500
• my Cousen Mr Christopher Wragg Minister at Memblesham in the County of Suff[olk]. £20
  • Christopher Wragg sonne of the foresaid Christopher Wragg £10
  • Robert Wragg another sonne of the foresaid Christopher Wragg the Father £10
• my Cousen Peter Eldred
• my eldest sister unnamed, bequests to her unnamed two children.
  • my eldest Sisters sonne £5
  • Daughter of the said eldest Sister £5
• Margrett Feeke my Couzen unmarried. £25 upon marriage
• ev[er]y brother and Sister of the said Margrett £5 each
• Mr John Goodwin Minister of Gods word lyveing in Colman streete London minister of Testator's church £25
• Friends:
  • my loveing frend M^r William Aleyne £10
  • M^r Rolle Minister £10
  • my loveing frend M^r Robert Sweete £5
  • my loveing frend M^r Robert Johnson £3
  • my loveing frend M^r Thomas James £5. Possibly the Overseer of the will
  • M^rs Brinsley widowe lyveing in Colman streete in London £5
  • my loveing frend M^r Robert Crane 40 shillings
  • my loveing frend M^r Marke Hildesley 40 shillings
  • my loveing frend M^r George Davis 40 shillings
  • my loveing frend M^r [blank] Richardson 40 shillings
  • my loveing frend William Kichbell Scrivenor who wrote out the will, 40 shillings
• Servants
  • my Maidservant Elizabeth Christmas £20 on marriage
  • Richard my manservant £3
• Elizabeth Frencham daughter of Sara Frencham widow £20 upon marriage
• Goodwiefe Canning in Colman Streat Widdow £5
• [blank] Wallington neere London Wall Shoemaker 40 shillings
• Marible [blank] widowe £5 to pay her rent
• Amy Mawson lyveing in Birdes alley in Colman Streete 20 shillings
• Mr Thomas Janes Overseer of will, possibly also the next named witness
• Thomas Jeanes witness to will
• William Kichbell Scr:[ivenor] witness to will
• Robert Munsell servant to the said Scr:[ivenor] witness to will

[folio 362 recto]
In the name of God Amen The Sixteenth
daye of August in the yeare of o[u]r Lord God One Thousand sixe hundred thirtie & eight
And in the fourteenth yeere of the raigne of o[u]r Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace
of God king of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the faith &c I
John Eldred Cittizen and Clothworker of London being at this pr[e]sent weake in body
but of good and p[er]fect mynde and memorie thanckes be therefore given to Almightie god
Doe now make and ordayne this my pr[e]sent last will and Testament in maner and forme
following First I Comend my Soule to God trusting and assuredly beleeveing of his
free grace and mercy thorough the Death and passion of Jesus Christ the onely begotten
sonne of God to have the pardon of all my synnes and to enioy eternall happynes with the
Saintes in Glorie My body I comitt to the earth to be buried in Christian buryal at the
discrec[i]on of my Executors hereafter named And as touching my disposeing of such
temporall chattells and estate which the Lord hath blessed mee withall First I will th[a]t
all such debtes as I shall truelie owe at the tyme of my decease shalbe truely payd w[i]thin
Convenient tyme after my death And after such debts as I owe be payd my funeralls
donne and discharged I will that all my goods Chattells readie money debtes and p[er]sonall
estate remayning shalbe devided into three equall partes and porcons according to the
ancient Custome of the Cittie of London

One Equall third p[ar]te thereof I give and
bequeath unto my welbeloved and trueloveing wife Rebecca to her owne proper use One
other equall third p[ar]te thereof I give and bequeath unto and amongst all my Children w[hi]ch
shalbe lyving at the tyme of my decease equally to be devided amongst them And to bee
payd unto my sonnes at the accomplishment of their severall ages of Twentie & one yeeres
And to my Daughter at the accomplishment of her age of Twentie and one yeeres or
day of her marriage which shall first happen

And the other third p[ar]te thereof I dispose
as followeth First I give and bequeath unto my said loveing wife my Lease interest &
terme of yeeres of and in my now dwelling Howse in Colman streete in London which
I hold of M^r Tisdale Alsoe I give unto her all my plate (except the p[ar]cells hereafter
given unto my daughter Hanna)

Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne Nathaniell
Eldred the some of five hundred poundes of lawfull money of England. I give &
bequeath unto my daughter Hannah Eldred my best silver and guilt standing cupp
with a cover and my best silver and guilt Tanckard

I give and bequeath unto my said
wief the some of Fortie poundes of lawfull English money by her to be distributed
unto and amongst such poore kindred or frendes as I shall happen to forgett in this my
will or otherwise amongst some godly poore people as in her discrec[i]on shall seem meete

Item I give and bequeath unto my Cousen M^r Christopher Wragg Minister at
Memblesham in the County of Suff[olk] the some of Twentie poundes of lawfull
money of England to be payd unto him within one yeere next after my decease I give
and bequeath unto Christopher Wragg sonne of the foresaid Christopher Wragg the
some of Tenn poundes of like money To be payd unto him within six monthes next
after my decease I give and bequeath unto Robert Wragg another sonne of the foresaid
Christopher Wragg the Father the some of Tenn poundes of lawfull money of
England To be payd unto him alsoe within Sixe monthes next after my decease /.

I give and bequeath unto my Cousen Peter Eldred the som[m]e of Tenn poundes of
lawfull English money to be payd unto him within one Yeare next after my decease

Item I give and bequeath unto my eldest Sisters sonne the som[m]e of five poundes to
be payd unto him within sixe monthes next after my decease And I give unto the
Daughter of the said eldest Sister the like som[m]e of Five poundes to be payd unto her
within sixe monthes next after my decease

Item I give and bequeath unto Margrett
Feeke my Couzen the Som[m]e of Twentie and five poundes of lawfull money of
England To be payd unto her on the day of her marriage Item I give unto ev[er]y brother
and Sister of the said Margrett which shall be lyveing at the tyme of my decease the

[folio 362 verso]
som[m]e of five poundes appece of like money to be payd within one yeere next after
my Decease

I give and bequeath unto M^r John Goodwin Minister of Gods word
lyveing in Colman streete London the som[m]e of Twentie poundes of lawfull money of
England to be payd unto him within six monthes next after my decease

Item I give &
bequeath unto my loveing frend M^r William Aleyne the Som[m]e of Tenn poundes of
like money to be payd unto him within sixe monthes next after my decease I give and
bequeath unto M^r Rolle Minister the som[m]e of Tenn poundes of lawfull money of
England to be payd unto him within Sixe monthes next after my decease Item I give
and bequeath unto my loveing frend M^r Robert Sweete the som[m]e of Five poundes
of like money to be payd unto him within sixe monthes next after my decease I give &
bequeath unto my loveing frend M^r Robert Johnson the som[m]e of Three poundes I
give and bequeath unto my loveing frend M^r Thomas James the som[m]e of Five poundes
of lawfull money of England Item I give and bequeath unto M^rs Brinsley widowe
lyveing in Colman streete in London the som[m]e of five poundes of like money I give
and bequeath unto my loveing frends M^r Robert Crane M^r Marke Hildesley M^r
George Davis M^r [blank] Richardson and William Kichbell Fortie shillings appece

Item I give and bequeath unto my Maidservant Elizabeth Christmas the some of
Twenty poundes of lawfull money of England To be payd unto her on the day of her
marriage I give and bequeath unto her and to everie other maidservant which shalbe
dwelling with mee at the tyme of my decease Three poundes apeece I give unto Richard
my manservant now dwelling with mee the som[m]e of Three poundes

Item I give and
Bequeath unto Elizabeth Frencham daughter of Sara Frencham widow the som[m]e of Twenty poundes
of lawfull English money to be payd unto her on the day of her marriage

Item I
give and bequeath the som[m]e of Twenty poundes of like money to be payd into the hands of
the Churchwardens of the parish of St Stephen in Colman streat in London to bee
distributed amongst the poore of the same parish accordinge to the discrec[i]on of
the Churchwardens there for the tyme being

I give and bequeath unto Goodwiefe
Canning in Colman Streat Widdow the some of five poundes of like money I give &
bequeath unto [blank] Wallington neere London Wall Shoemaker the some of fortie
shillinges I give unto Marible [blank] widowe the some of Five poundes to bee
payd unto her by Tenn shillinges quarterly towardes the payment of her Howserent
I give and bequeath unto Amy Mawson lyveing in Birdes alley in Colman Streete
Twentie shillinges

The rest and residue of all and singular my goodes chattells credittes
ready money and p[er]sonall estate whatsoever my debtes being payd & funerall discharged
and this my will performed I give and bequeath unto all my Children which shalbe
lyving at the tyme of my decease ^equall amongst them to be devided part and p[ar]te like
to be payd to be Sonnes at the accomplishment of their severall ages of one and
Twenty yeares And to my daughters at the accomplishment of her age of one and
twenty yeeres or day of marriage which shall first happen And if it shall happen
any of my said Children to decease or departe this mortall life before his or their porc[i]ons
or legacyes herein to them bequeathed shall growe due respectively Then I give and
bequeath the Legacie parte and porc[i]on of him her or them soe dyeing unto and amonst the
Survivors of my said Children equally to be devided to be payd to the same Survivors at
the tymes aforelimitted respectively And of and for the execuc[i]on of this my last will
& testament I ordaine and make my loveing wief and my said sonne Nathaniell Eldred
Executors of this my last will and Testament And I appoint my said lovinge frend
M^r Thomas Janes Overseer Intreating him to be ayding and assisting unto my Ex[ecu]tors
with his Advice in the p[er]formance of his my will And I revoke all wills & Testaments
by mee heretofore made willing thies pr[e]sents and none other to stand and be reputed for
and as my last will and Testament In Wittnes whereof to everie leafe of this my last
will Conteyned in eight sheetes of paper I the said John Eldred have set my hand and
have hereunto sett my seale the day and yeere fiest above written John Eldred ./.

[folio 363 recto]
Signed sealed Delivered published and Declared by the said John Eldred for and as his
last will and Testament in the pr[e]sence of Thomas Jeanes William Kichbell Scr:[ivenor] And of
mee Robert Munsell servant to the said Scr:[ivenor]

Probate [in Latin] The above written will was proved at London before Master Roland Jenings Clerk, surrogate to the venerable Sir Henry Marten knight and Doctor of Law at a Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury constituted on the last day of August AD 1638 Judgement given to Rebecca Eldred the widow of the deceased and one of the Executors named in the will to well and faithfully administer all and singular the goods and credits of the said deceased having been sworn on the holy saints of God Reserving the same for Nathaniel Eldred son of the said deceased and the other Executor named in this will.

Sources

1. ↑ Will of John Eldred 1638: "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: 177
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #853133 (accessed 27 December 2022)