Will of John Wealde the Elder of Melford, Suffolk, 1553

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

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of John Wealde the Elder of "Meldeforthe" (Melford) in Suffolk, England. John wrote his will on 22 February 1551/2 and it was proved in the Archdeaconry Court of Sudbury on 4 April 1553. ^[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.
ff has been rendered as F, and the letter Thorn 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 readable.

Persons mentioned:

• John Wealde the Elder of Meldeforthe (Melford). Testator.
• Margaret my Daughter inherits Testator's house on Egremond Street in Glemesforthe (Glemsford)
• John my sonne Testator's son. Co-executor of will with Testator's brother Thomas.
• Thomas my sonne Testator's son, under the age of 21 years.
• my Dowghter Margery Testator's daughter, under the age of 21 years.
• Unnamed wife who has two children with another husband.
• Jone my Wyves Dowghter implies that this is not the daughter of the Testator. Inherits 40s and a cow.
• Robert my wyves sonne not the son of the Testator, as he states he has the two sons John and Thomas. Inherits 20s.
• Thomas Weld may be the same Thomas Wealde, Testator's brother who acts as co-executor.
• John Strutte of Glenfford supervisor of will, and witness to will. Probably this John Strutt.
• Wylliam Marshall witness to will.
• Erasing Strutte witness to will. Probably Erasmus Strutt brother to John Strutt.
• John Wyseman witness to will.
• Thomas Gally witness to will.
• Thomas Edward witness to will.
• Wylliam Woode witness to will.

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[folio 97 verso]
In the name off god Amen the xxij ^ti daye of
the monethe of February in the yere of o[u]r lord god 1551 / and
in the syxt yere of the Raigne of o[u]r sov[er]aigne lord Edward
the Syxt by the grace of god kynge of Ingland france
& Ireland Defendar of the faythe & in theys the onely
Supr[e]me heade of th^e churches of Ingland & Ireland I John
Wealde thelder of Melforthe w[i]th in the Dioc[e]s[e] of Norwiche
hoole of mynd & of p[er]fyght remembrance thanks beonto
god make & ordayne thus my p[rese]nte testament and
Last wyll in thys forme folowinge Fyrst I bequethe my
sowle unto Almyghty god & my body to be buryed w[i]thin
the churche yard of Meldeforthe Aforseyd

It[e]m I gyve
& bequethe unto Margaret my Daughter my house in
Glemsfforthe lyinge in Egremonde strete w[i]th all the
app[ur]ten[a]nc[e]s Durynge her naturall lyff the remayn[der]
of the same to the Issue of hir body lawfully begotten
And yf she Dye w[i]thowght Issue of hir body lawfully
begotten then I wyll yt shall remayne After hir
Decesse unto John my son[ne] and he to gyve to eche of
my chylderne owght of the same howse then lyvinge
Iche of them v^Li of good & lawfull money of Ingland
Provyded that yf John my son[ne] Dye w[i]thowt
yssue of his body lawfully begotten then I wyll
yt shall Remayne unto Thom[a]s my Son[ne] & hys
heyres / And he to paye owght of the howse to
his syster v^Li /

It[e]m I wyll & bequethe unto my
Son[ne] John my lease of my farme that I Dwell in
unto hym & hys assynges for terme of thos yers
for the w[hi]ch I payd my fyne unto my landelorde

It[e]m I wyll that at Immediatly after my Decesse
ther be A trew Inventory made of all my
goods utensyles of howsholde Corne Cattells
& all other my goods what so ev[er] they be &
that made & all my goods by honest men
prycd I gyve owght of the same to my Dowght[e]r

[folio 98 recto]
Margery v^Li of lawfull money to be payd at xxj ^ti yers
of Age

It[e]m I gyve unto Thom[a]s my Son[ne] xl^s to be
payde At xxj yeres of Age

It[e]m I gyve unto Jone my
Wyves Dowghter xl^s & A Cowe w[i]th in too yeres after
my Decesse

It[e]m I wyll & bequethe to Robert my wyves
son[ne] xx^s to be payd w[i]thin A yere After my Decesse

It[e]m I gyve unto Thom[a]s Weld A Cowe for hys payns
takynge The Resydue of all my good unbequethyd
& my Dets payd to be equally Devyded betwyne my
too sones John & Thom[a]s by Equall porc[i]ons to be De
vyded by the Dyscrecyon of my executors whom I
ordeyne Thomas Welde my brother & John Wealde
my Son & John Strutte of Glenfford to be sup[er]
vysor to thys my wyll wytness to this my last wyll
& Testament Wyll[ia]m Marshall Erasing Strutte
John Wyseman John Strutte Thom[a]s Gally
by me Wyll[ia]m Marshall by me Thomas Edward
By me Wyll[ia]m Woode

Probate [in Latin] This will was proved at Fordh[a]m ^[2] before Master Thomas Norwich, the fourth day of April AD 1553 in the fifth year of reign of our true King Edward Sixth. Administration of all and singular the goods &c to the executors named in this will

Sources

1. ↑ Will of John Wealde the Elder 1553 Archdeaconry of Sudbury, Liber 1551-1552-1553 Buxston, Wealde, Johan., Melford folio 97. Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk England. Images viewable at an LDS Family History Centre film 008101289 Viewed 24 May 2022
2. ↑ Best guess on the place - there was a Fordham Deanery but it did not contain any of the places mentioned in this will, which were in the Sudbury Deanery. No parish beginning with For- in the Sudbury Deanery. Wills and Inventories from the Registers of the Commissary of Bury St. Edmunds and the Archdeacon of Sudbury pub. 1850 The Camden Society, England. Google Books accessed 24 May 2022