Will of Mary Dixwell of Middleton Tyas 1627

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Middleton Tyas, Yorkshire, England
Surnames/tags: Dixwell Hawkesworth

Contents 1 Introductory Notes 2 Transcription Conventions 3 Persons Mentioned 4 Will 5 Footnotes

Introductory Notes

The will of Mary Dixwell of Middleton Tyas, Yorkshire, England was written 10 April 1627 and proved in the Consistory Court of the Archdeaconry of Richmond on 19 February 1627/8.^[1]

The description on the reverse of the will notes that Mary was nup[er] de Hauxwell. Hawkswell is in the parish of Ponteland, Northumberland, where her deceased husband Edward Dixwell had been vicar.

The will is original, written in English on a one side of a piece of parchment. Apparent water damage to the left-most quarter of the parchment makes the writing difficult to read in that part of the document. Otherwise, the writing is clear and relatively easy to read. Immediately below the will is the probate statement.

Transcription Conventions

The conventions used in this transcription are:

• spelling, punctuation, line breaks and capitalisation are recorded as in the document, with the following exceptions to aid readability:
  • capital I is silently modernised to I or J as appropriate (eg "Joan", rather than "Ioan")
  • ff at the start of a word is silently modernised to F (eg "First", rather than "ffirst")
  • additional paragraph breaks may be included to increase readability of large amounts of text
• superscript letters are silently lowered, except where these relate to money (eg ^{li s d}), dates (eg ^th) or titles (eg M^rs)
• abbreviations/breviographs are expanded with the additional letter(s) in square brackets, except symbols for money (li s d) and the ampersand (&)
• the letter thorn is recorded as "th" in square brackets (eg "[th]e", rather than "ye")
• short series of missing/illegible letters are recorded with a period for each letter thought to be missing/illegible in square brackets; longer gaps are described with an editorial note
• editorial notes are italicised and in square brackets
• names and relationships are highlighted in bold
• footnotes are used to clarify archaic terms, difficult text and discrepancies
• u/v and i/j are recorded as they appear; even where modern usage would dictate one over the other (eg "haue", rather than "have" if the third letter is clearly a "u"; "vnto", rather than "unto" if the first letter is clearly a "v")
• where a series of letters consisting of minims contains an "i", the tittle is placed over the logical place where the "i" would occur, irrespective of where it appears, since it was often a scribal convenience to place it only over the terminal minim (eg "saving" rather than "savnig")
• the virgule, signifying a pause (comma, semi-colon, colon or full-stop), is recorded using a forward slash /, but only when such intent is obvious (the virgule is often indistinguishable from various check marks and otiose flourishes that are of no significance)

Persons Mentioned

The will mentions the persons below. Modern/alternative spellings for names have been included where appropriate, to help ensure this page is listed in relevant web searches.

• Mary Dixwell of Middleton tyers: Mary Dixwell of Middleton Tyas, testator
• Charles Dixwell my youngest sonne: Charles Dixwell, youngest son
• John Dixwell my sonne: John Dixwell, son
• M^r Leonard Cleasbie: Leonard Cleasby, person from whom testator bought property
• my daughter Anne Dixwell: Anne Dixwell, daughter, executrix and witness
• Marke Dixwell: Mark Dixwell, son
• James Hawkesworth my father: James Hawkesworth, father, supervisor and witness
• Nathanael Hawkesworth my brother: Nathaniel Hawkesworth, son and supervisor
• John Ayre: John Ayre, witness
• Xpofer Dodsworth: Christopher Dodsworth, witness
• Agnis Hartley: Agnes Hartley, witness

Will

In the name of god Amen The tenth day of Aprile in the yeare of
our Lorde 1627 I Mary Dixwell of Middleton tyers in the Countie of Yorke widowe though
sicke in bodie yet whole in mind and of p[er]fect memorie; make this my last will and testament in manner
and forme following; First I bequeath and committe my soule into the hand[es] of Allmightie God my
Redeemer and my bodie to be buried in the Church of Middleton tyers aforesaid. And for my poore state
w[i]th w[hi]ch God hath blessed me in worldly thing[es] I thus dispose of it; First I giue & bequeath vnto
Charles Dixwell my youngest sonne all my howses & land w[hi]ch I haue at Stamfordham & Heugh
in Northumberland. It[e]m I giue vnto John Dixwell my sonne the three Closes w[hi]ch I haue at Cleasbye
w[hi]ch three ^{[two words illegible]} w[hi]ch I bought of M^r Leonard Cleasbie. And for all the rest of my stuffe Apparrell debt[es]
due vnto me Chattells or other thing[es] whatsoeu[er] are mine I giue them vnto my daughter Anne Dixwell
And for the rest of my children seing their Fathers good freinds hath taken them & promised them porc[i]on[es]
and p[re]ferment especially Marke Dixwell hath had of me some porc[i]on allreadie; my will is that
they shall not seeke to haue any thing from their said sister Anne Dixwell; it is but a small thing
all that I haue [one or two words illegible] her, And I make & appoint the said Anne Dixwell executrix of this my
last will and testament And I assigne James Hawkesworth my father & Nathanael Hawkesworth
my brother supervisors thereof who I trust will be ayders to my children as they are able. In wittnesse
wherof to this my last will & testament I haue putt my hand & seale the day & yeare first abouewritten. Marie Dixwell [signed]

These being witnesses
Ja: Hawkesworth
John Ayre
Xpofer Dodsworth
Anne Dixwell
Agnis Hartley

Footnotes

1. ↑ Consistory Court of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, original will of Mary Dixwell, widow, of Middleton Tyas, proved 19 February 1627/8; "Yorkshire, England, Probate Records, 1521-1858",database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 November 2022), Image 7 of 484 (subscription required); Probate Records, Rd-Ap1 Box 030 (71-166), 1626 - 1660 ref. RD/AP1/30/72, West Yorkshire Archive Service. Transcript.