Will of Richarde Osborne, Grocer of London, 1544

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

Will of Richarde Osborne, Grocer of London, written 8 March 1543/4 and proved in London on 17 June 1544^[1][2]

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the register copy. Capital F is rendered as F rather than ff. Abbreviations are expanded and additions noted in [square brackets]. Paragraph breaks (where added) and bold text for names are my own for ease of reading. Relatives in list are highlighted in bold, but some may be missed. Good, clear copy, sometimes difficult to read.

People mentioned in the Will.

• Richard Osborne (testator)
• Elizabeth Osborne (wife)
• Anne Pyke (servant, sister's daughter?)
• John King of Clifford's
• Thomas Osborne of [Hackney?]
• Freba[n/u]des (debtor)
• James Osborne
• Willyam Trayfordes wife (testator's brother's daugher)
• John Cokke of Canyndon, the elder
• John Causton of Lonneys, the elder
  • John Causton and William Causton (his sons)
• Mistress Staverton
• Cousin Coke
• William Mery and Thomas Bowner (friends)
• maister Dr Cro[m/w/n]e person (parson?) of Alldermary
• Thomas Norton, grocer
• Rafe and William Bodnam
• Edward Fowlar and Anne his wife
• Margaret Styrrell
• William Raymond
• John Yonge
• Gyles
• William Asteley (wife's son, stepson)
• William Thorneley, skinner and Agnes his wife
• William Lane
• John Osborne (eldest son)
• Peter Osborne (son)
• Edward Bolonde (Bowland)
• Anne Bowlande
• Mistress Judd
• Gregory Langforde (debtor)
• Master Lonmers?
• John Bodnam
• Witnesses Thomas Norton grocer, Cuthbert Beeston Girdler, Thomas Peerson Scrivener, John Osborne, Edward Bowland, William Lane

In the name of god Amen, The viij^th daye of Marche, Anno
Domini Mill[es]imo Quingentesimo quadragesimo tertio [1543] . I Richard Osborne Cytezen[e] and
Grocer of London[e] hole of mynde and yn good memory, thanks be unto Allmyghty god
utterly renounsing all former testamentes and willes heretofore by me made , doo make
this my testament and laste will in manner and foorme folowing , Firste I bequeath
my soule to Allmighty god , and to all the holly company of hevene , and my boddy to be

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Buryed in suche place as god shall ordeyn or it / if I dye in Londone then to be buried in Colechurche paryshe
And I will that the Saunder beaters^[3] at Grocers hall beare my boddy to the churche , and they to have
emonges them for their paynes Foure black gownes of threshillinges foure pence the yarde , and
to bury me wi[^t[h] the preostes and clerkes of the parishe and no more / Item I will that all and singuler
my goodes and chattelles aswell Reall as personall whatsoever they be and wheresoever they bee
and shalbe founde to be devyded yn foure partes equally , And thone thirde parte thereof I will
and bequeath unto Elizabeth my wief , and an oother thirde parte thereof , I will and bequeth
to be equally and iustly devyded and parted amonges my foure children , every of them to have
parte and partes lyke , And the thirde thirde parte I will to be for my selffe to and for the charges
and expensis of and concernynge my buriall and Funeralle , and to and for the payment of my
Legacies , and perfoormannce of my will hereafter folowing and declared , that is to saye , Firste
I will and bequeath to every one of my poore neighboures of my parishe that I dwell yn vjs viijd
a pece , and to oother of my poore neighboures dwelling in the warde of Cheap , to every poor housho-
ulder xijd for him and his wief / Item I will that myne Executours Tenne yeres after my deceas[e]
doo sende downe every yere uppon their coste and charge to Purleigh church where I was borne
a Barrell of white herryng and a Cade of redd herryng , and one hundred of beaten Stockfisshe
there to be equally devyded every yere in the begynnyng of Lentt , to the poore parysshyn[ers] dwellynge
within the towne , by the discretion of the Church wardeyns and one oother honnest man that
myne Executours shall appoynt to se it doon truly and equally unto the poore neighboures , and
those thre personnes to have for their laboures every yere viijd a pece , Sum[me] . ijs . Item I will
that myne Executours delyver unto the wardeins of the Grocers for a dynner for my company
of the lyverey , And for suche as it shall please them to call to hit, vij£ , to be spentt at the
daye of my buriall , or within Foure daies after / Item I will that one shall stonde at the
Quere Dore when the people go upp to offering at the highe masse, and there to [delyver?] every man
that goythe upp to offer a penny / Item I bequeth to every one of my Susters children beying
A lyve at the houre of my deathe xxs , excepte Anne Pyke nowe serv[a]nnte yn my house , and my
susters Doughter , Unto whome I will and bequeth twenty pounde / Item I bequeth to John
King of Clyffordes, xx s, to by hym a Cote of what colour he will over and above the xx s
bequethed to him as one of my susters children[n] / Item I bequeth unto Thomas Osborne of [hackney?]
my uncles sonne, vij £ , whiche he oweth me , he paying Freba[n/u]des dett unto me , or myne executo[urs]
and one of my furred gownes nether the beste nor the woorste , one of my silke Dubletts and a sylke
Jackett and to eche of his children[n] / tenne shillinges a pece, / Item I bequeth to James Osborne xxs
to by him a Cote of what coollo[ur] he will weare yn steed of a black gowne / Item I bequethe to
Willyam Trayfordes wief which was my broothers doughter yn monnet thre pound syx shilling[es]
Eight pence , thre yardes of clothe for her gowne of what colour she will weare price xx s
and to eche of her children[n] being alyve twenty shilling[es] / Item I bequeth to John Cokke off
Canyndon thelder twenty shilling[es] for his gowne or Cote to by what colour he will , Item I
bequethe to John Causton of Lonneys thelder and to his wief betwene them for his Cote and
her gowne / vij yardes of clothe of what coolo[ur] they will . or else xlvj s viij d yn monney at
their pleasure / Item I bequeth to mystres Staverton a blacke gowne of viij s th^e yarde / and
a Ryng of goolde price xx s , or twenty shilling[es] for it / And to my moother Anne Hill a
blacke gowne and xl s in mooney , And to my Cousyn Coke at Allgate xx s in monney , and
Foure Fyne Sugarloves of viij£ a pece in steed of her blacke gowne / And to my frendes
Will[ia]m mery and thomas Bowner grocers eche of them Forty shilling[es] to bye them blacke gownes
they to have the monay delivered them , and to by the clothe them selfes what coolour the will
weare , and two Ryng[es] of goulde w[i]^t[h] Deadmenes heddes withe, R . and O . of the value of Fourty
shilling[es] a pece, Sum[me] , iiij£ , Item I bequeath unto maister Docto^r Cro[m/w/n]e person of Alldermary
Fyve yardes of blacke clothe to make him a blacke gowne or Fourty shilling[es] yn moonney / Item I
bequeath unto maister Downe and his wief eache of them a blacke gowne price viijs the yarde / Item I
I bequeth unto Thomas Nortonne and his wief , eche of them a blacke gowne price , viij s the yarde
Item I bequeth unto Rafe Bodnam and will[ia]m Bodnam to either of them a blacke gowne prise
viij s the yarde or lxiiij s in mon[n]ay at their pleasure / Item I bequeath to Edward Fowlar and
to Anne his wief eche of them a blacke gowne of vj s viij d the yarde , or so moche moneye
to by their Gownes theym selfes , and their choyse of a Ring of goulde vale of twentye
shilling[es] a pece / Item I bequeth to Margaret Styrrell a blacke gowne of Pewke^[4] coolo[re]
of viijs the yarde . and to margaret Stirrell because she saith I loste her a Ringe of goulde
she to have a noother of the value of Forty shilling[es] made after M^r Meryes and M^r Bowners
Ring[es] or [...] as she will have hit made / Item I bequeth to Will[ia]m Raymond and to his
wief eche of them a blacke gowne, and to his wyeff Fourty shilling[es] , and to eiche of hys

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Children twenty shilling[es] a pece / And to all my serv[a]nnt[es] blacke gownes , and to my menne serv[a]nnt[es] xx s
a pece, and to my mayde serv[a]nnt[es] vj s viij d a pece , And to John yonge my Douchman tenne shillinge[es] and
his gowne, And to Gyles , vj s viij d , and his Cote., Item I bequeath to Will[ia]m Asteley my wieffs
sonne , a blacke gowne , and to his wief a gowne , and to hym in redy monay twenty pounde
And I forgyve him all suche moonay as he owith me / Item I will there be gyven by two of my
ser[va]nntes in the suburbes of London to the poore people in their housesas they lye two pence a pece
asfar as foure pounde dooth extende , Item I forgyve unto Will[ia]m Thorneley skynn[er] and
Agnes his wief . whiche late was my ser[va]nnte Forty shillinges of the debte that they owe me
Item I bequeth to the Foure Prysonnes called Ludgate , Newgate , marshallsee , and the
Kinges bench , to eache of them to be delyvered , Five shillinges a quarter for one hole yere by
myne Executours , S[u]m[me] in all , iiij £ ,and to bothe the Counters thre shillinges foure pence a
quarter . for one yere , S[u]m[me] . xxvj s viij d , Item I will that my wares be praysed ymediately
after my deceas and wayed to the iuste value every thing as it is worthe to be soulde by the
advyse of my ser[va]nntes and Will[ia]m Asteley , and when the house is wayde and all the wares
wrytten , then for the grocery wares , ye shall defyer Thomas Norton , Will[ia]m Bodnam ,
Will[ia]m Lane , and Will[ia]m Asteley to healpe to prayse all the wares to their iuste value , that
my wief and my children may be truly deallt withall for their partes and porc[i]ons according to
the custome of the Citty of London , And I will that all suche Legacies and chargies above
wrytten , and all oother costes and chargies to be doon uppon about and concernyng my buriall
and Funeralles to be borne spente and laide owte of and uppon my parte or porc[i]on , Item I
bequethe to all my tennan[n]tes that I have in the Countrey to every of them a Cote clothe price
six shillinges eight pence to be borne allso of my saide porc[i]on , The reste of my porc[i]on if eny
be lefte my will fullfilled my legacies buryall and Funeralles paide I will that sum[m]e what
so everitbe be devyded equally betwene my wieff and my children , Item I will that where John
Causton of Lonneys in the County of Essex thelder hathe forfayted unto me certeyn landes
and ten[emen]tes and the lease of Fambridge hall with dyverse oother [leasies?] and wikes in the County
aforesaide lately bergayned and soulde by him unto me for the S[umme] of twelve hundred pounde , as by
Indentures thereofmade more playnely dooth and will appere , Nevertheles for the good love
and zeale that I beare towardes the saide John Causton and his two sonnes John and Will[ia]m , and
for cheryty sake I am contented amd will by this my present testament and laste will , that if
the saide John Causton thelder or John Causton and Will[ia]m Causton his sonnes doo well and truly
contente and paye unto myne Executours or Executrice , their Executours or administratours
Twelve hundred poundes sterling , within the space of twelve yeres, now nexte ymmediately
folowing , that is to saye yerely one hundreth poundes of good and lawfull money of Englande, untill
the same twelve hundred poundes be fully satysfyed and paide ro the p[er]foormannce of this my testa/
ment and laste will , then thesaide John Causton thelder, or John Causton and Will[ia]m Causton
his sonnes to have and Enioye the saide landes Ferms and Wykes in lyke state and condic[i]on as if no
Forfayture thereof hadde been heretofore hadde [...e] made , and if thesaide John Causton thelder , or
John Causton and Will[ia]m Causton his sonnes doo not paye thesaide thowsand two hoondred pounde w[i]^t[h]yn
thesaide twelve yeres in manner and foorme aforesaide , Then I will that thesaide Leases Farmes and
Wikes be soulde to the moste ad[va]nntage , and the mon[n]ay thereof com[m]yng to be equally devyded amonges
my saide wief and my saide children , And for my porc[i]on yn manner and foorme as is firste afore
saide / Item I will that my Wief shall have all my Landes here yn London for terme of her
lyeff , she to fynde the Reperac[i]ons , or [ells?] my sonnes shall [entre?] for lacke of Reperac[i]ons that
she shoulde doo / And after her deceas thesaide Landes here in London to remayne to John Osborne
and to his heires , uppon condic[i]on that John Osborne myne eldest sonne doo surrendre all my
Landes and tenementes of coppy houlde lande lieing in Purley Norton and Fambriddge in the
County of Essex , and assure a tenement of Free houlde called Seygors and Smythes yn
Purley and Nortonne aforesaide , unto Peter Osborne his broother and his heires / And if
he refuse to doo , then I will Peter Osborne enioye this lande in London after his mothers
deceas to him and to his heires / Item I bequethe to John Osborne my Ryng of goulde w[i]^t[h] the
Dyamonde , and to Peter Osborne a noother Ringe of goulde withe a Turkes yn hit , and an
oother Ring with a bliue Safure in hit , And to Edward Bolonde my great hoope that I hadd
of the gyfte of John Bodnam , And to Will[ia]m Lane A Ring of goulde that was maister [Lonmers?]
Wrytten under the stone yn the Ryng the yere of our lorde god a thousande Five hundred and

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Fourtene , And to Lanys wief a Rounde hoope of goulde that was maister [Lonmers?] of the valiue of
thirty seven shillinges six pence / And to Anne Bowlande a Ryng of goulde of the Fyve woondes
of our Lorde of the valew of six Anngelles^[5] / Item I gyve to Dennys John Osbornes wief Nyne
Gawdes^[6] for a pair of Beades one syde Crwsadowes^[7] , And the oother side haulfe Anngelles , that I hadd
of mystres Judd for debte of Gregory Langforde / Item I ordeyn and make Elizabeth my wief
my sole Executrice of this my testament and laste will and John Osborne my sonne and Edwarde
Bowland Overseers , In witnes whereof I have subscribed this my testament and laste will
with myne owne hande and setto my Seale the daye and yere firste above written / that is to saye the
viij^th daye of marche / In the yere of our lorde god A thousand Fyve hoondred Fourty thre , And in the
xxxv^th yere of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lorde King Henry the viij^th / by the grace of god Kyng
of England France and Ireland Defendo[r] of the fayth, and of the church of England and allso of
Irelande in earth the supreme hedde Per me Richard Osborne / Memorand[um] that this will
was opened declared and redd the xiiij^th of marche Anno Tricesimo quinto Regis pred[ic]ti , in the
presence of Thomas Nortonne grocer Cuthbert Beeston Girdler and Thomas Peerson Scrivener
Per me Thomam Nortonne / P[er] me Cuthbertum Beeston / P[er] me thomam Peerson , Witneses
at the Reading subscribing sealing and delyvering of this foresaide testamen and laste will
by the saide testatour and before hym , John Osborne Edward Bowland Will[ia]m Lane and oothers

Proved at London 17 June 1544, Administration granted to Elizabeth the relict.

Sources

1. ↑ PROB 11/30/137 Description: Will of Richarde Osborne, Grocer of London Date: 17 June 1544 Held by: The National Archives, Kew
2. ↑ Will: "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: 30
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #891824 (accessed 1 November 2023)
   Will of Richi Osbourne, granted probate on 17 Jun 1544. Died about 1544 in London.
3. ↑ These were the men that beat sandalwood into a powder for use as a a dye and food colouring. From Grossers to Grocers The History of the Grocers Company from Foundation to 1798, 2018, chapter 12 Red Sandalwood and the Sander House, From Monopoly to Charity.
4. ↑ Pewke was a type of fabric but also a colour, probably of a dark purple. A glossary of Tudor and Stuart words, especially from the dramatists by Skeat, Walter W. (Walter William), 1835-1912; Mayhew, Anthony Lawson, 1842- Publication date 1914 Publisher Oxford : The Clarendon press
5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Angel (coin)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Angel_(coin)&oldid=1177193514 (accessed October 31, 2023).
6. ↑ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/historical-journal/article/locating-childbirth-devotion-in-the-english-parish-church-14501580/80B0666B873DCC631260D3156A494C69 These ‘gawdes’, or ornamental beads, allowed the wearer to customize their prayer beads
7. ↑ Crusaders?