Will of Robert Bolling or Bowling of All Hallows Barking, London, 1639

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

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of Robert Bolling or Bowling[e] of the Parish of All Hallows Barking by the Tower, London, England. The will was written on 5 September 1639. Robert was buried at the church of All Hallows Barking on 7 September. The will was proved by his wife Ann Bolling or Bowling on 13 November 1639. ^[1]

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included Struck out
The text was originally in one block of text. Paragraph breaks at change of bequest (Item), and bold text are added for ease of reading.
ff has been rendered as F
Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets]
The image quality was good, and the handwriting readable.

Persons mentioned:

• my deare and loveing wife Anne Bowlling
• John Bowlinge eldest son
• Edward Bowlinge son apprenticed as a throwster to his father
• Thomas Bowlinge son
• Anne Bowlinge daughter, unmarried
• my sister Beatrix Creswell sister Beatrice Bolling
• her husband Thomas Creswell
• my freind and kynsman Charles Harris Overseer of the will, relationship unknown
• my freind and kynsman John Lee Overseer of the will, relationship unknown
• my good freind Mr. William Hart Throwster
• my good freind Mistress Elizabeth Pollarde
• Abel Lucoum witness
• Gregorie Smith witness
• Chr[istopher] Townsend, Scr[ivenor] scribe of the will and witness

[folio 415 recto]
In the name of God Amen, the Fift day of September Anno
Domini one thousand six hundred thirtie nyne and the Fifteenth yeare of
the raigne of our soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God Kinge of England
Scotland, France and Ireland defender of the Faith &c I Robert Bowlinge of
the parish of Alhallowes Barking Cittizen and Throwster of London, being att
the present sicke and weake in body, butt of good and perfect minde and memorie
praised bee Allmightie God therefore Doe make and declare this my present
Testament conteyning therein my last will in manner and forme following
that is to say First and principally I recomend my soule into the hands of
Allmightie God my mercifull Father and Jesus Christ his onely sonne my
Blessed Saviour and mediat[o]r by whose pretious death merits and intercession
alone I trust and firmely beleeve to receave a full and fare pardon and
forgivenes of all my sinnes and life everlasting. My body I comitt to the earth
from whence it came, to be buried in decent and christian manner in the p[ar]ish
Church of Allhallowes aforesaid. And my will and minde is that all such
debtes as I shall owe att the tyme of my death to any person or persons whatsoever
whether of right or conscience shalbe iustly and truelie paid by my Executrix
hereafter named with the most convenient speede that may bee.

And after my
debtes and funerall charges paide and deducted That small estate that the lorde
in mercy hath lent unto mee, I doe divide, order and dispose according to the
ancient and laudable Custome of the said Cittie of London whereof I am a Free=
man Into three iust and equal parts whereof one full thirde part I give
leave and bequeath unto my deare and loveing wife Anne Bowlling as of
right and according to the said Custome belonging to her.

One other thirde parte
thereof I leave and bequeath unto and amongst my children John, Edward=
Thomas and Anne Bowlinge, to be equallie and indifferentlie parted and devided
amongst them.

The other third part comonlie called and by the said custome
reputed the testat[o]rs parte I do give, bequeath, order and dispose in manner and
forme following (that is to say) First I will and devise that my said wife Anne
Bowlinge shall have and enioy to her owne proper use forever Twoe of my five
throwing Mills w[i]th all instruments and implem[en]ts thereunto respectively belonging
And allsoe the other three Mills during the tyme that my said son Edwarde shall
have to serve mee by his Indentures of Apprenticehood And the said three
Mills with all ymplements tooles and appurten[a]nces to them respectively belonging
I doe give and bequeath unto the said Edward Bowlinge willing my said wife to
deliver the same unto him att the end of the said apprenticehood

Item I give
and bequeath unto said Edward as a speciall legacie in regarde of his paines
and industrie in my affaires the some of fiftyie pounds of lawfull money of England

Item I give and bequeath unto my eldest sonne John Bowling and unto my sonne
Thomas Bowling Five and Twentie poundes apeece of like money

Item I give
and bequeath unto my loveing daughter Anne Bowling the some of One Hundred
poundes of like money

Item I give and bequeath unto my sister Beatrix Creswell
Five poundes and her husband Thomas Creswell Fortie shillinges as
legacies in remembrance of mee

Item I give and bequeath unto the poore people
of the said parish of Allhallowes Barking Fortie shillinges

Item I give and
bequeath unto either of my freinds and kynsmen Charles Harris and John
Lee, and to my good freinds Mr. William Hart Throwster and Mris. Elizabeth
Pollarde to every of them Twentie shillinges apeece rememberance of mee

[folio 415 verso]
The rest and residue of all and singuler my goods chattells housholdstuffe, plate debtes
rightes, and creditts whatsoever and wheresoever (after my said debts funerall charges
and legacies paid and deducted) I doe give and bequeath unto my said loveing and carefull
wife Anne Bowling whome I doe make appointe and declare the full and sole Executrix
of this my present testament and last will And I doe nominate appointe and allsoe
intreate my said good freinds Charles Harris and John Lee to be Overseers and assistants
unto my said Executrix in the due performance of this my present testament and
last willl And I do hereby utterlie revoke renounce and make voide all former wills
Legacies and bequests at any tyme heretofore by mee made and bequeathed And doe
hereby pronoounce and declare this my present testament to be my last will and none
other nor otherwise In wittnes whereof to this my present testament consisting
of three sheetes of paper, the twoe former being subscribed with my hands And to this
third I have sett both my hand and seale Dated the day and yeare first w[i]thin written
Per me Robert Bolling Read signed sealed published and declared by the saide
Robert Bowling to be his last will and testament in the presence of Abel Lucoum
Gregorie Smith and Chr: Townsend, Scr:/

Proved [from the Latin] before the Venerable William Sames, L.L.D. surrogate for Sir Henry Marten knight the master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 13 November 1639 by oath of Anne Bowling, relict of the deceased and executrix named in this testament.