Will of John Pickarell, gentleman of Dichborow (Dickleborough), Norfolk, 1555

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

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of John Pickarell, gentleman of Dichborow (Ditchborough or Dickleborough), Norfolk.
John drew up his will on 1 November 1554 and it was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 9 February 1555/6. ^[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 acceptable, and the handwriting legible.

People mentioned in this will:

• John Pickarell of Dichborow in the countie of Norff gentleman Testator
• Cecilye my wife Executrix and principal legatee
• John Pickarell my sonne reversion of the lands in Norwich
• Suzanne Pickarell my Daughter 200 marks towards her marriage
• Thomas Heys owes testator £500
• Richard Pickarell my sonne received the lands in Dickleburgh and some household goods from Dickleburgh and a horse
• my sonne Francis Bolton son in law married to Testator's daughter. Received a horse
• my daughter Bolton Testator's unnamed married daughter, received £20
• Richarde my manne Testator's servant, received £5
• Peter Osboorne witness to will
• William Stewarde witness to will
• George Alington witness to will

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[folio 40 recto]
I John Pickarell of Dichborow in the countie of Norff gentleman Whole of minde
thankes be to god and of perfitt rembrance, do ordeine and make this my laste will of my sowle bodye
goodes and landes as herafter followithe First I bequeathe my sowle to allmightie god, my bodye I will
to be buried wheare it shall please god to appointe it by the place of my dieinge in /.

And as for my landes
tenements and hereditaments, I devise and bequeathe as followithe / That is to saie All my Landes tenements
houses and Orcheyardes, withe theire appurt[e]naces, and the proffitts and issues therof within the citie of
Norwiche I will to Cecilye my wife for the terme of her life, The remainder therof to John Pickarell my sonne
and to the heires of his bodye lawfully begotten, And for fault of suche issue the remainder to Suzanne
Pickarell my Daughter and to the heires of her bodye lawfully begotten /. And for faulte of suche issue / The
remainder to my righte heires forever. And besides this aforesaide I will to the saide Cecily my wife as in full
accomplishemente of her Jointure of fortie marks by yere which I shoulde leave in Landes, foure hundred poundes

[folio 40 verso]
in monye /. And wheare Thomas ^^Heys oweth me fyve hundred pundes by obligacion, I will the saide Five hundred
poundes and the obligacion therof to my saide wife upon condicion that she paie two hundred markes
therof to the marriage of my saide daughter Suzane at the daie of her mariage, And withe the reste to
finde my saide sonne and daughter and order it /. And the remaine therof at her owne dosposicion to her
owne use and benefit /.

Also I geve and bequeathe to my saide wife all my plate juells chaines and
houshouldstuffe (excepte three fetherbeddes withe the stedes and all thinges complete theto remaininge at
Dicleboroughe, and two spittes, two brasen pottes, A garnishe of vessell ^[2], A paire of Cobyrons,
which I give to Richard Pickarell my sonne /. Also I geve to my saide wife all my house and geldings
(excepte one horse that Richarde Pickarell my sonne will chuse and one other that my sonne Francis
Bolton will chuese /. And I will to my saide wife all my debts due to me by obligacion specialtye
or otherwise. And my landes cauled Dicleborowe and Rusalls withe there appert[e]nances in Norff
I will to Richard Pickarell my sonne and to his heires forever /.

And I will to my sonne Richard
Pickarell fortye poundes, And my daughter Bolton twentye poundes to be paide them upon the
recoverye of my debtes owinge by the quenes highnes /.

And the reste of my goodes Cattells Detts and
money I will to Ceceley my saide wife whome I make my sole executrix, and to paie all
the debts I owe, And to consider my servants and whites wife wheare I laie, And Richarde my
manne withe xl^s /. And the woman that kepethe me, as my wife shall consider it and thinke
beste

M[emoran]d[um] That this was the saide John Pickarells laste will witnessed by us and declared by him
The firste ^daye of November A thousand five hundred fiftie fowre Annis Regnors Phillippi et Marie
regis et regine primo et secundo, Peter Osboorne, William Stewarde, and George Alington

Probate [in Latin] This will written above was proved before Master William Cooke, Doctor of Lawes presiding at a Commission constituted by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on the ninth day of February AD 1555. Judgement given to Edmund Brudenell procurator for the Widow and executrix named in this will, having sworn to administer the goods &c of the said deceased.

Sources

1. ↑ Will of John Pickarell 1555: "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: 37
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #972395 (accessed 19 September 2022)
2. ↑ a collection of Pewter ware consting of three dozen plates and dishes and a dozen saucers The Life of Josiah Wedgewood, Eliza Meteyard 1865 accessed 19 September 2022