The will of Laurence Wither of London 1573

Date: 1573 [unknown]
Location: City of London, England
Surnames/tags: Withers Wither

This is a transcription of the register copy of the Will of Lawrence Withers of London. It was written on 18 May 1573 and proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 20 February 1573/74.^[1] Lawrence was buried at All Hallows Bread Street on 22 February 1573/74, so probate was probably obtained on the day of his death or the day after.

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the register copy.

People and places mentioned

• Mr Sampson, Mr Cole, the Dean of Paul's
  (Thomas Sampson, sometime rector of All Hallows Bread Street,^[2][3] William Cole, President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford ^[4] and Alexander Nowell, Dean of St Paul's^[5] All three had been protestant exiles during the reign of Mary.)
• Lawrence and Anne, children of his brother George Wither
• other children of George
• children of his brother Richard
• his sister Margerie
• his sister Alice
• Thomas Wether, his former apprentice
• his eldest son Fabian Wyther
• the three children of his daughter Alice Lowes
• the children of his daughter Anne Robinson
• the two children of his son Fabian by his first wife
• his servant William Bennett and his wife
• a porter that was his Awnte Elinor's son
• his son George, residuary legatee and executor
• Thomas Davie and Thomas Barefoote, salters, overseers
• the parish of Wydenberie where he was born (Wybunbury, Cheshire)
• his manor of Ilbrewars (Isle Brewers, Somerset)

Transcript

Folio 74 verso

T: Laurentij Wether

In the name of god amen. The eighten daue of maie in the yere of our
Lord god A thousand five hundred threscore and thirten and in the fiftenth yere of ye raigne
of our soveraigne Ladie Elizabeth by the grace of god Quene of England France and
Ireland Defender of the faith etc. I Lawrence Wither citizen and saulter of London
being of good and perfict remembrance thankes be unto Allmightie god doe make and
declare this my present testament conteyninge herin my last will in manner and forme
following First and before all things I doe comend my soule unto Allmightie god my
maker and creator and to his onlie sone Jesus Christ my Savioure and redeemer in whome
and by the merites of whose death and passion is all my trust of clere remission and
forgiveness of all my synnes and my bodie to be buried in suche place as it shall please
Allmightie god to provide and ordein for me by the discrecion of my executor herunder named
And I will and charge my said executor the he with as muche convenient expedticion as maie be
doe well and trulie paie all suche debtes as I doe owe either of right or in consciens to anye
person or persons. Item I will and my mynde is that my saied executor shall cause tenne

Folio 75 recto

sermondes to be made in the parrish churche where I doe nowe dwell by Mr Sampson Mr Cole or the
Deane of Poules or else by some other godlie learned preacher that canne and will preache the worde of god
sincerlie and trulie in the testimonie of my faith and to the edefieing of the heareres to godes glorie. And I
give and bequeath for everie suche sermon six shillinges eight pence Item I give and bequeath the somme of tenne
pounds to be paied and bestowed in paieing of fees for the redeeming of poore prisoners oute of ye counters [?coimters]
or oute of Ludgate of London where moste nede shall apear by the good discrecion of my saied executor. Item
I give and bequeath to the mariage of xij poore maydens within the Citie of London Fouer poundes that
is to say to every suche poore mayden sixe shillinges and eight pence. Item I give and bequeath to Lawrens
and Anne Wither children of my brother George Wither Twentie poundes equallie betwene them to be devided
to be paid unto them at their lawfull age of twentie and one years or daies of mariage. And if it shall
fortune either of my saied children to die or decease before they shall acomplishe their full age of xxj yeres
or daies of mariage That then the parte and porcion of him or her first deceasing shalbe and remaine to
the survivour of him or her. And I give to everie of the other children of my saied brother Georg lyvinge at
the tyme of my decease twentie shillings. And likewise I bequeath to everie of my late brothers Richard
Withers children which shalbe lyving at the tyme of my deceases twentie shillinges apece. Item I give and bequeath
to my sister Margerie And to my sister Alice to either of them five poundes and to everie of their children
twentie shillinges apece. Item I bequeath to Thomas Wether somtyme myne apprentice five pounds And I
bequeath to everie of my householde servantes that shalbe dwelling with me at the tyme of my decease
having no other legacie bequeathed to him or her in this my testament the some of twentie shillings. Item
I give and bequeath unto Fiften poore householders dwelling in the parishe of Wydenberie where I
was borne ijs a pece to be given by the discrecion of my executor herafter named. Item I give and bequeath
to eight householders suche as be poore and shall seme to have most nede thereof by the discrecion of my
executor dwelling in my mannor of Ilbrewars in the Countie of Somerset ijs apece. Item I give & bequeath
unto Fabian Wyther my eldest sone three hundreth poundes of lawfull money of England to be paied unto him
in this manner following with six moneths next after my decease one hundreth poundes and within twelve
monethes next after my decease one hundreth poundes and within eighten monethes next after my decease one
hundreth poundes in full payment of the saied legacie of three hundreth poundes by me to him geven. And more I
give unto the saied Fabian six spoones of silver gilte twoe table clothes one of them of Diaper and the other
plaine and twoe towelles and twoe dozen of napkins of the like sute Item I give and bequeath unto the thre children
of my daughter Alice Lowes xxx lb equallie amongest them to be devided to be paied into them as their lawfull
ages of xxiti yeres of daies of mariage And if it shall fortune anye of the saied three children to die or decease
before they shall accomplishe their full age of xxiti or mariage that then the parte and porcion of suche of
any of the saied three children so dieing shalle remayne and be equallie devyded amonge the survivours & survivour
of them. Item I give and bequeath to the children of my daughter Anne Robinson the some of one hundreth
poundes of lawfull money of England equallie amonge them to be devided to be paied unto them at their
Lawfull age of xxjti yeres or daies of mariage and if it shall fortune anye of the saied children to die
or decease before they shall accomplishe their full age of xxjti yeres or mariage that then the parte and
porcion of suche of anye of the saied children so dieing shalbe remayne and be equallie devided amonge the
survivours and survivour of them And I give to my daughter Anne Robynson to be paied unto her as her
nede and necessitie shall requier art the discrecion of my executour Fifite poundes and twoe of my table clothes
the one Diaper and thother plaine with twoe towelles and twoe dozen of napkins of the same sute. Item I give
unto the twoe children of my sonne Fabyan Lawrence and which he had by his first wief tenne
poundes equallie betweene them to be devyded to be paied unot them at their laufull age of xxjti yeres or
daies of mariage And if it shall fortune either of the saied children to die or decease before they shall
accomplishe their full age of xxjti yeres or daies of mariage that then the parte and porcion of him or hir
first deceasing shalbe and remayne to the survivour of him or hir. Item I give and bequeath unto ye companie
and fellowship of Salters of London seven poundes to make them a Dynner or repast amongest them Also
I bequeath unto my servant William Bennett and to his wief Five markes in money to thentent he shalbe
faithfull and true to my executor in his accompte And I bequeath to a porter that was myne Awnte Elinors
sone fortie shillinges. Provyded alwaies and my will and mynde is that if anye of my aforesaied children
shall not or will not holde him or them selves contented and fullie satissfiled with suche giftes and legacies
as I in this my testament have to them given and bequeathed or if anye of my aforesaied children shall
refuse to make and give to my executor sufficient acquittance or acquittances for his and their full porcion
by my executor upon payment and satissfaccion of his her of their legacies by me in this my testament

Folio 75 verso

to him or her or them bequeathed That then I further will and devise by this my saied testament and last will the he and
they so refusinge or not being contented shall loose the benefitt and gifte of all suche legacies and giftes as I have in this
my testament given to him or them as though they had never bien given & anye thing above mencioned to the contrarie
notwithstanding And forasmuche as I doe thinke the geving of blacke gownes to be vayne and unproffitable I doe
leave the same to the discrecion of my executour And yet lymiting bondes howe farre and to whome it shall
extend (that is to saie) to my forenamed brother and sisters and to my children and in anye wise not to exced
above the prioce of xiij s iiij d the brode yarde And likewise I give to six poore men and six poore women to
everie of them a gowne or frocke of Bristowe friese. The resydue of all and singuler my goodes cattalles plate
I with household stuffe wares Redie money and debtes remayninge after my debtes paied and funeralle discharged
and this my present testament and last will in all thinges performed accordinglie whollie I give & bequeath
to George Wyther my sone weilland charging him to be good loving and friendlie to the rest of my children the
which saied George Wether of this my present testament and last will I doe ordeine and make my sole and onlie
executor. And overseers of this my present testament and will to see the same trulie performed acordinglie
I ordeine and make Thomas Davie and Thomas Barefoote saulters. And I doe give to my overseers for their paines to be
taken in that behalfe Fouer poundes desyring them toe doe for me as they woulde I shoulde doe for them in suche like
case And I utterlie recnounce and forsake all fromer willes and testamentes whatsoevver by me at enye tyme heretofore
made And I will that this my testement shall stand and remaine for my perpetuall last will and testament forever
and none other. In witnes wherof to this my present testament and last will I the saied Lawrence Wether have sett
my seale the daie and yere firste above written. By me Larence Wether. The which in named Lawrence Withers ye xixth of
Maye 1573 did publishe & declare this present writing to be his last will & testament in ye presens of William Onslowe citizen & writer
of the corte … of the Citie of London, Henry Dowe & Richard Simson his servant / William Monslowe / … Henricu’ Dowe
/ … Richardum Simpson

Probatum fuit huio’ testamentum coram Domino Cantuarien’ Archep’o apud London’
xx’mo die mensis Februarij Anno Domino Mill’mo Quingen’mo Septuagesimo tertio Juramento
Thome Wheler notarij pu’ci promir’ ex’is huio’ testemanto no’i’ato Cui commissa fuit adminstrato
omni’ et singulorum bonor’ Jurin’ et creditor’ etc De bene etc jurat.

Sources

1. ↑ "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: 56
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #904974 (accessed 5 November 2023)
   Will of Lawrentij Wether, granted probate on 20 Feb 1573.
2. ↑ Bannerman, W Bruce. The Registers of All Hallows, Bread Street, and of St. John the Evangelist, Friday Street, London. Publications of the Harleian Society: Registers Volume 43. (London: The Harleian Society, 1913.) [http://archive.org/details/registersofallha00allh. https://archive.org/details/registersofallha00allh/page/n36/mode/1up?q=sampson page xvii].
3. ↑ Wikipedia:Thomas_Sampson
4. ↑ Wikipedia:William_Cole_(Dean_of_Lincoln)
5. ↑ Wikipedia:Alexander_Nowell