Will of Margaret Streete, spinster of the City of Worcester, 1603

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

This is a transcription of the original will (with inventory) of Margaret Streete, spinster of the City of Worcester and servant to Francis Streete the Elder. Margaret wrote her will on 14 September 1603 when she was "sick in body". She had died before 20 September 1603 when an inventory was taken of her goods. The will was proved at the Consistory Court of Worcester on 31 December 1603. ^[1]

Of note in the inventory are the itemised "3 sylver spoones" which were individually bequeathed to her sister Mary, niece Elizabeth Knight and nephew Richard Savage.

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 readable.

Persons mentioned:

• Margerett Streete Testator. A spinster of the City of Worcester, and servant to Francis Streete the Elder of the parish of St Clements, Worcester.
• Frauncis Streete thelder of the parish of St Clements, Worcester.
• my brother Edward Streete received 12d
• my Syster Alice Knight received 12d
• Elizabeth Knight her daughter received one silver spoon
• my Syster Anne Savage received 12d
• her sonne Richard Savage received one silver spoon
• my Syster Mary Streete received £4 in money and one silver spoon
• my lovinge brother Richard Streete residuary legatee and executor of the will
• my Cosyn John Streete overseer of the will. May have been a full cousin or a loose term for kinsman. Probably the same person John Streete the younger who compiled the inventory. May also be the same John Streete who witnessed the will.
• Susan Baker witnessed the will
• Ellen Badland witnessed the will
• John Streete witnessed the will
• Richard: Cowlynge: Scr[ivenor] Wrote out Testator's will and witnessed it. One of the three men who made the inventory of her goods - this is in the same handwriting.
• John Streete the younger compiler of the inventory
• William Phillips compiler of the inventory

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[Folio 82 recto]
The xiij ^th daie of September 1603 in the yeare of the
Raigne of our Sov[er]aigne Lord James by the grace of god
of England France and Ireland the Firste And of his
Raigne of Scotland the Seven and Thirtieth Kinge
Defendor of the faythe &c

In the name of god amen I Margerett Streete servante to Fraunc[e]s
Streete thelder of the p[ar]ish of St Clements w[i]thin the Cyttie of Worcester
Spinster beinge sick in bodie but of good and p[er]fecte memorie thanks be geven
to god therefore doe make and ordaine this my laste will and Testament in
manner and forme followinge Firste I bequeath my soule unto the
hands of Almightie god whoe hath made me and to my saviour Jesus Christe
whoe hath Redeemed me w[i]th his most p[re]cious bloude and to god the holye
goste whoe hath purified and sanctified my harte by a livelye fayth in
Jesus Christe my bodye I doe Comytte to the earth from whence it
came to be buried where my Executor shall appointe

It[e]m I geve and
bequeath to my brother Edward Streete xij^d

It[e]m I geve and bequeath
to my Syster Alice Knight xij^d

It[e]m I geve and bequeath to Elizabeth Knight
her daughter one silver spoone

It[e]m I geve and bequeath to my Syster
Anne Savage xij^d

It[e]m I geve and bequeath to her sonne Richard Savage
one sylver spoone

It[e]m I geve and bequeath to my Syster Mary Streete
the some of Fower pounds of lawfull English money and one silver
spoone

All the Reste of my goods legacies and debts whatsoever I geve
and bequeath to my lovinge brother Richard Streete whom I doe make my
full and sole Executor of this my late will and Testament. And I
ordaine my Cosyn John Streete my overseer of this my will to be p[er]formed
and for his paynes I geve him xij^d theis beinge wytnesses her under
wrytten ./

[Mark of Margaret Streete]

Susan Baker
Ellen Badland
John Streete
Richard: Cowlynge: Scr[ivenor]

Probate [in Latin] This will was proved at Worcester ^[2] the last day of December Anno Domini 1603 before the venerable Master William Wode Doctor of Laws, and administration of all and singular the goods of the said deceased granted to the Executors named in this will, shown in the Inventory to the sum of xix^Li x^s

[folio 82 verso]
An Inventorie of all such goods and Readie money w[hi]ch late
were of Margarett Streete of the Cyttie of Worcester
spinster deceassed taken and praysed the xx^th daie of
September in the Firste yeare of the Raigne of our
sov[er]aigne Lord James &c by John Streete the younger
Will[ia]m Phillips and Richard Cowlinge as followeth &c /

Impr[imis] iij sylver spoones xx^s
It[e]m readie money in stock xvij ^Li
It[e]m her wearinge app[ar]ell xxx ^s

[Latin] Sum total of this Inventory xix^Li x^s
Exhibited at Worcester the last day of December AD 1603 by the Executors as true and complete

Sources

1. ↑ Will of Margarett Streete 1603 Episcopal Consistory Court of Worcester, Original wills 1603 number 82.
   Worcestershire County Record Office, Worcester, Worcestershire, England.
   Family Search film 9796 Images viewable at Family History Centre Accessed 24 May 2022
2. ↑ Referred to here by its Latinised name Wigorum