Will of John Eldred of Great Saxham, Suffolk, 1633

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

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of John Eldred (here calling himself John Eldred the Elder) of Great Saxham, Suffolk. John drew up his will 8 October 1630 and it was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 4 January 1632/3. ^[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 poor for the Ancestry version of the images, quite good for the images downloaded from the National Archives. The handwriting was legible standard Secretary hand.

Persons mentioned:

• John Eldred of Great Saxham Testator, a widower
• my deare wife deceased. Not identified in the will, was Mary Revett. Buried at St Michael Bassinshaw, City of London.
• Revett Eldred my eldest sonne and heire apparant eldest surviving son in 1630. Married, wife's name not given in the will. Executor of the will, major beneficiary and residuary legatee.
• Sr William Curteene Testator bought cloth from him
• my daughter Mary Corbett married to Miles Corbet mentioned later in the will
• my two servants Brannch and Michaell
• Sr Henry Lello knight deceased. Testator made agreement by indenture with him for the "office of Warden of the Fleete, and Custodie of the prison and Goale of the Fleete"
• my two loving sonnes in lawe:
  • Robt Henly Esquier
  • Miles Corbet Esquier
• John Eldred the younger Marchant younger son of Testator
• my sonne in law Sr Samuell Tryon knight and Barronett Testator bought land in Layer Marney, Essex from him. Died in March 1626/7. Was married (as second wife) to Elizabeth Eldred who survived him.
• my very deare and anncient friend Mris Moore £100
• her late husband Mr Adrian Moore
• Jo: Mallows witness to will
• Jo: Nenne witness to will
• Francis Hill witness to will

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[folio 5 verso]
In the name of God Amen I John
Eldred of Great Saxham in the Countie of Suff[olk] Esquire beinge in healthe of
bodie and perfect remembrance of minde praise be Allmightie God knowing that err
longe I shall leave this my earthly Tabernacle And beinge desirous to setle and dispose of th[a]t
temporall estate that it hath pleased Allmightie Gof out of his aboundant goodnes to
vouchsafe to bestow upon mee I doe hereby make constitue and declare this my last will &
Testament in maner and forme following That is to saie First and above all thinges I com[m]itt
my soule into the mercifull hands of Allmightie God hopeinge to be saved and to hae remission
of my sinnes by the meritts and righteousnes of Jesus Christ my Redeemer and onely Saviour
And as touchinge my bodie if I shall happen to depart this life in the Countie of Suff[olk] or
thereabouts Then I desire to be buried in the parish Church of Great Saxham And if I shall
happen to depart this life at London Then my desire is to be buried in the parish Church of
Bassings hall in London where I lived for many years and where my deare wife was buried

[folio 6 recto]
And I desire the same to be performed without any funerall pompe but in a comely christian and decent
maner And as touching my temporall estate my minde and will is, and I doe hereby will devise and
bequeath unto Revett Eldred my eldest sonne and heire apparant my Mannor of Great Saxham and
all and every my Mannors messauages, lands, meadowes, pastures lib[er]ties Tenements and hereditaments
whatsoever aswell freehold and Coppiehold scituate lyinge beinge and extendinge within the Counties of
Suff[olk] Noff[olk] and Lincoln and elsewhere within this Realme of England And as touchinge my
personall estate my will minde and wills is And I doe hereby will and bequeath that my Executor
hereafter in this my will named within convenient tyme after my decease shall give tenne pounds in
money to the poore of the Towne of Great Saxham aforesaid and of the Townes and Villages neere
adioyninge to the said Towne of Great Saxham to be distributed amongst the most honest and
neediest poore people inhabiting in those Townes at the discrec[i]on of my Executor

It[e]m I give &
bequeath to my lovinge daughter in lawe
[margin note insert; the wife of my said sonne Revett
Eldred twentie pounds of
lawfull Englishe money as a
token of my love & good will
Unto her and alsoe I give
unto my said daughter in Lawe]
all the rest and residue of my diaper and damaske lynnen
Cloth which I lately bought of S^r William Curteene which I have not allready given and
delivered To my daughter Mary Corbett

It[e]m I give and bequeath to my two servants Brannch
and Michaell if they shall continue to be my Servants at the tyme of my death or to such of them
as shalbe in my service at the time of my death five pounds apeece of lawfull English money to be
paid by my Executor within convenient tyme after my decease And Whereas S^r Henry Lello knight
now deceased by his indenture of lease bearinge date The First daie of January in the Thirteenth
yeare of the Raigne of our lat Soveraigne Lord Kinge James, did devise unto mee the said John
Eldred All that ^the office of Warden of the Fleete, and Custodie of the prison and Goale of the Fleete
and divers other things in the saide Indenture of demise specified To hold to mee the said John Eldred
my Executors Administrators and assigns fomr the death of the birth of our lord God then last past unto
the full end and terme of threescore and tenne yeares from thenceforth next ensuing and fullie to be
compleate and ended under the yearely rent of one Corne of peper to be paid at the feath of S^t
Michaell Th'archangell if it be lawfullie demanded and with a certaine proviso in the same Indenture
conteyned That if the said S^r Henry Lello his heirs executors Administrators or assigns doe well
and truly paie or cause to be paid unto the executors Administrators or assignes of mee the said
John Eldred the full som[m]e of Eight thousand pounds of lawfull English money on the west side of
the Royal Exchange in London in maner and forme as in the said Indenture of demise is
expressed That then the said Indenture of lease and the said terme of yeares there by grannted &
the said demise and grannt thereby made shall cease and be voide As by the same Indenture more fully
and plainely doth and maie appeare And whereas afterwards I the said John Eldred by my Indenture
of assignment bearinge date the Seaventeenth daie of February in the First yeare of the raigne
of our Soveraigne lord King Charles, the kings Ma[jes]tie that now is, have grannted assigned &
sett over unto my two loving sonnes in lawe Robt Henly Esquier and Miles Corbet Esquier &
to John Eldred the younger Marchant theire Executors Administrators and assignes the said
demised premisses, and all my estate right, title, interst clayme terme of yeares and demand of
in and to the same upon certaine trust and confidence by mee in them in that behalfe reposed and to
certaine intents and purposes in the said Indenture of assignm[en]t p[ar]ticularly expressed As by the
same Indenture of assignment more fullie and plainely also doth and maie appeare And whereas
also afterwards by our other Indenture bearinge date the one and Thirtieth daie of May in the
Sixt yeare of the Raigne of our said Soveraigne Lod Kinge Charles made or menc[i]oned to be
made betweene mee the said John Eldred th'elder and the said Robt Henly Miles Corbett and John
Eldred the younger of the one part and my said sonne Revett Eldred of the other part menc[i]oninge
the said Indenture of lease and the said Indenture of assignm[en]t have proceeded to a further declarac[i]on
of my intent and purpose concerninge the said demised premisses and the said som[m]e of eight Thousand
pounds then is expressed in the said Indenture of assignement, I doe hereby ratifie and confirme all

[folio 6 verso]
thinges expressed in the said Indenture bearinge date the said One and Thirtieth daie of May in the said
Sixt yeare of his Ma[jes]ties Raigne that now is

And I doe hereby give will and bequeath unto the said
Revett Eldred my sonne and to his Executors Administrators and assignes to and for his and theire prop[er]
use and behoofe for ever All benefitt and advantage whatsoever which shall or maie accrew or happen by
the said demised premisses or by or from the said som[m]e of eight thousand pounds or any part thereof over &
besides the p[ar]ticuler som[m]es of money which by the said Indenture of assignment I have appointed to be paid
to divers p[ar]ticuler persons therein named And I doe earnestly request my said two sonne in lawe and
the said John Eldred the younger to accomplish my desire and true intent declared in the said last
menc[i]oned Indenture as in right and conscience they ougt to doe, they beinge onely trusted by mee
with the said lease and monies, every of the having formerly tasted of my love and kindenes towards
them in other thinges And my true intent and purpose beinge that whatsoever further benefitt shall
arise or maie be made out of or from the saide lease and demised premisses or of the said eight thousand
pounds or any part thereof over and besides the perticuler paym[en]ts by the said Indenture of assignment
appointed to be made to the p[ar]ticuler persons therein named when the same shall growe doe to be paid
the same further benefitt shall goe wholly to the said Revett Eldred my ^eldest sonne whom I have reason to
advance soe much as in mee lieth And also I give and bequeath unto my said sonne Revett Eldred
and to his heires executors Administrators and Assignes and to his and theire proper use & behoofe
forever All the lands Tenements and hereditaments lyinge and beinge in Layer Marney or
elsewhere in the Countie of Essex which were lately conveyed to mee and to my said sonne Revett
Eldred and to my sonne John Eldred the younger or to any of us by my sonne in law S^r Samuell
Tryon knight and Barronett, my said sonne John beinge by mee named and used in the said
assurance but onely of trust, and all and every som[m]e and som[m]es of money due and payable and w[hi]ch
hearafter shall growe due and payable for or in respect of the said lands Tenements and hereditaments
or any of them or of any conveyance or assurance thereof heretofore made, or for or in respect of any
order or orders decree or decrees heretofore made or published or hereafter to be made or published
in his Ma[jes]ties Court of Wards and liveries or in any ither Co[u]rt or Co[u]rts or otherwise howsoever

And as touchinge my very deare and anncient friend M^ris Moore I desire her to accept of that
som[m]e of one hundred pounds which in the said recited Indenture of assignment I have appointed
to be paid unto her as a token of my love and affecc[i]on that I have ever borne to her and ^to her late
husband M^r Adrian Moore to whom I doe professe myselfe to have beene for many yeares very
much beholdinge for theire constant love and friendshipp unto mee

All the rest and residue of ^all my
personall estate whatsoever both housholdstuffe plate money debts, rights creditts Corne Cattell
goods and Chattells whatsoever I doe give and bequeath to same wholly to my said sonne Revett
Eldred to his owne proper use and behoofe for ever Whom I doe ordaine make and constitute to
be my sole and onely Executor of this my last will and Testament In witnes whereof I the
said John Eldred have here unto every leafe of this my present last will and Testament being
in number sett my hand and seale of Armes The Eight daie of October in the Sixt yeare of
the Raigne of our said Soveraigne Lord Charles by the Grace of God Kinge of England
Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith &c One thousand sixe hundred thirtie John
Eldred Subscribed sealed, delivered and published by the said John Eldred thelder Esqr for his
last will and testament the daie and yeare first before written in the presence of us Jo: Mallows
Jo: Nenne Francis Hill

Probate [in Latin] This will written above was proved at London before Master William Mericke Doctor of Law Surrogate for the Venerable Sir Henry Marten knight Doctor of Law presiding at a Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury constituted the fourth day of January AD by the computation of the English Church 1632

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: 163
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #853721 (accessed 23 December 2022)