Location: Bristol, England

Surname/tag: wiggins puxton
Overview
This is the last will and testament of Richard Wiggin (1584-1652) a soapmaker of Bristol, England. It was written on the 4th October 1650. Richard died in about 1652 in Bristol. His will passed probate on the 27th July 1652.[1]
A summary of the content of the will is provided in the following section, and a full transcript follows after.
Summary
The following people are mentioned
- His son Matthew Wiggins, who was the only surviving son by the time he wrote his will (and still bound as an apprentice to Mr Wall) received the house (after the death of second wife Elizabeth), all the named furniture and workshop equipment (see below) £20 at the end of his apprenticeship.
- His (second) wife Elizabeth (the executrix) received the use of the house in her lifetime, a gold ring and the rest and residue of the estate “hoping she will be carefull in performing all all these above written”
- His “daughterin law” Elizabeth Shapley (daughter of his wife Elizabeth by her first marriage) received “forty pounds to be paid at her day of marriage if shee hath her mother’s consent (if not) twenty pounds”
- His sister Em Hodgson 40 shillings to buy a ring and her husband John Hodgson received “my best black cloak” and each if his sister’s children “bourne of her body”: 20 shillings.
- His “cousin” Richard Hodgson: 10 shillings
- His three grandchildren: Richard Wiggins, the son and Judith Wiggins the daughter of John Wiggins (deceased forty) shillings; Judith Wiggins the daughter of Richard Wiggins(deceased) forty shillings.
- His grandchild John John Wiggins “to place him to a good trade Ten pounds and ten pounds to be paid to him at the end of his Apprentishipp And if the sayd Matthew Wiggins my sonne should be dead before my wife Elizabeth Wiggins then the sayd my Grandchild John Wiggins shall have all that which is bequeathed unto my sonne Matthew Wiggins”
- His daughter in law Hester Adams? the widow of his son John who by now had remarried received twenty shillings to buy a ring
- His daughter in Law Ursula Puxton, the widow of his son Richard, (who had remarried in 1645) received twenty Shillings to buy a ring
- The minister who preached the funeral sermon received twenty shillings. The Company of Soapboilers received forty shillings. The poor we’re to receive 40 shillings to buy bread.
His son Matthew received the following goods from the house and shop (punctuation added):
“the longe table boards and frame and side boarde and a liverie board with the benches and wainscott with fower stooles in the parlour… in the chandling lofte the brasse panne in the fornace and a copper pann which doth melt the tallow to make candles, all the rodds stage? press cutting bords … the bedstead in the lower chamber and all necessary for a bed with a chest, more I give to him in the shop the chest, beame skales, weights, measures & shelves”
The overseers were his “cousins” John Stibbens and Joseph yeoman (probably Joseph Yeamans. Witnessed by Edmond Sweper? and Roger Roydon.
Transcript
'Spelling, punctuation and line breaks as per the original.
Bold text where bold or large text used
Superscripts lligatures and abbreviations have been expanded.
ff replaced by capital F
Words unable to transcribe signified by ——
Words transcribed but uncertain by ?
The Will
In The Name of God Amen the fowerte[th]
day of October one thousand six hundred fifty I Richard Wiggins of the Parish of St
Thomas Soapmaker of the City of Bristol being now at this tyme in healthy and good perfect memory
Praise be given to God do make and ordyne this my last will and Testement in manner following
ffirst and thankfully I bequeath my soule into the hands of Almighty God in full assurance to be saved
by the only meritts and death and passion of Jesus Christ my Redeemer And my bodie I give to the
Earth from whence it came to be decently buried in Christian manner by my Executrix hereafter
named And for my worldy estate which the Lord at his goodness hath lent mee I dispose
hereof Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne Mathew Wiggens my house which I now
dwelleth in after the decease of my wife Elizabeth Wiggins paying the yearly rent to St
Stephens Item I give unto my sonne Mathew Wiggins the longe table boards and frame and
side boarde and a liverie board with the benches and wainscott with fower stooles in the parlour
parlour Item I give unto him in the chandling lofte the brasse panne in the fornace and a
copper pann which doth melt the tallow to make candles all the rodds stage? press cutting
bords Item I give unto him the bedstead in the lower chamber and all necessary for a bed
with a chest more I give to him in the shop the chest beame skales weights measures shelves
Thate hee is to have after the decease of my wife Elizabeth Wiggins More I give unto my
sonne Matthew Wiggins Twenty pounds of currant English Money to bee paid at the end of
his years being bound to M[r] Wall Item I give unto my sister Joane Wiggins ffourty shillings
And my sister Em hodgson ffourty shillings to buy them a ringe Item I give unto my brother
In Lawe John Hodgson my best black? Cloake? Item I give unto all the daughters of my sister
Em Hodgson bourne of her body twenty shillings a peece these are to bee paid in sixe months
after my decease Item I give unto my Cosen Richard hodgson twenty shillings to bee paid in
sixe months after my decease Item I give unto my three Grandchildren namely Richard Wiggins
the sonne of John Wiggins deceased ffourty shillings And to Judith Wiggins the daughter of
John Wiggins deceased ffourty shillings And to Judith Wiggins the daughter of Richard
Wiggins deceased ffourty shillings these are to be paid in sixe months after my decease
Item I give unto my Grandchild John Wiggins to place him to a good trade Ten pounds and ten
pounds to be paid to him at the end of his Apprentishipp And if the sayd Matthew Wiggins my sonne
should be dead before my wife Elizabeth Wiggins then the sayd my Grandchild John Wiggins
shall have all that which is bequeathed unto my sonne Matthew Wiggins Item I give unto
my daughter in law hester Adams? Twenty shillings to buy her a Ringe to be paid in three
months after my decease Item I give unto my daughter in Law Ursula Puxton Twenty Shillings
to buy her a Ringe to bee paid in three? months after my decease Item I give unto my daughter
in law Elizabeth Shapley forty pounds to be paid at her day of marriage if shee hath her
Mother Consent (if not) twenty pounds Item I give unto the Minister that preachath
my funeral surmon twenty shillings Item I give unto the Company of Soapboylers
ffourty shillings Item I doe give unto the poor in bread? ffourty shillings and I doe desyre
my Cosen John Stibbens and my Cosen Joseph yeomans to bee Overseers hoping they
will have a care of all things --- formed And I doe give them ten shillings
apeace to buy a payre of gloves And I doe hereby make my loving and deare wife
Elizabeth Wiggins my whole Executrix namely I give her my gold ringe And all the rest
of my goods and chattels I bequeath unto her hoping she will be carefull in performing all
all these above written This being my last will and testament Richard Wiggins
Sealed and signed in the presenece of Edmond Sweper? Roger Roydon
This Will was proved at London the twenty seventh day of July in the
Year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred fifty two before S[ir] Nathaniell Brunt?
Knight doctor of laws and Mastour Keeper of the Prerogative Court by the Oath
of Elizabeth Wiggins the Relict of the sayd deceased and sole Executrix herein named
To whome was Committed? Administration of all and singular the goods Chattells &
debts of the sayd deceased shee being first legally bourne? by virtue of a Commission
--- --- life if such fourty?? will and trully to Administer the same
- Login to edit this profile and add images.
- Private Messages: Send a private message to the Profile Manager. (Best when privacy is an issue.)
- Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Limit 20 per day.)