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Will of Robert Elreed of Knettishall 1486

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Date: 1485 to 1486
Location: Knettishall, Suffolk, Englandmap
Surnames/tags: Eldred Elred
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Contents

Introductory Notes

The will of Robert Elreed or Eldred of Knettishall, Suffolk, England was written 20 March 1485/6 and proved in the Archdeadonry Court of Sudbury sitting at Fornham St Martin on 10 April 1486.[1]

The will is a register copy, written in English on a single page. The text is clear and easy to read, apart from the use of archaic spelling and terminology characteristic of the period. The paper/parchment is in good condition.

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 Mrs)
  • 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.

  • Roberd Elreed of gnatesale: Robert Eldred of Knettishall, testator
  • Johne myn wyffe: Joan, wife
  • margrete Baldry: Margaret Baldry, widow of John Baxter of Hopton and previous owner of testator's tenement with 3 acres of arable land in Knettishall
  • John Baxst[e] of hopton: John Baxter of Hopton, formerly husband of Margaret Baldry
  • Thomas Cowp[er]e: Thomas Cooper, owner or occupier of neighboring tenement
  • William goche: William Gooch, owner or occupier of neighboring tenement
  • Regynald myn sone: Reginald, son, executor and residual legatee
  • Roger myn sone: Roger, son
  • eu[er]yche of myn Chyldren: Testator's children; Reginald and Roger are named elsewhere in the will, but there could be other unnamed children

Will

[folio 320 recto]

In the name of god Amen in the yeere of owr lord god Mt cccc lxxxvto in the day
of seynt cuthberd busshoppe & confessor[2] I Roberd Elreed of gnatesale[3] beyng
febyll[e] of body heyle & sownde of mynde make my testament & myn last wyll[e]
in this man[er]e of wyse Fyrst I beqwethe myn sowle to god Almyghthy to owr
lady seynte mary & to Alle the seynts of hevyn myn body to be buryed
in the cherche yerde of gnatesale Also I beqwethe to the hygh[e] aut[e] for tythis
dvyll[e] tythed for yetyn[4] xij d Also I beqwethe to the rep[er]acyon of gnatesale
the cherche of gnatesale xx d Also I beqwethe to the rep[er]acyon of the cherche
of seynte Nicholas of gasthorpp[5] xx d Also I beqwethe to the rep[er]acyon of the cherche
of seynt petyr of Redlysworthe[6] I cu[m]be[7] barly xx d Also I beqwethe to the Fryers
of Balwell[e][8] I cumbe barly Also I beqwethe to the Fryers d[o]m[ini]cs of thetford[9]
I cu[m]be barly Also I beqwethe to the Fryers August[e][10] de thetford I cu[m]be barly
Also I beqwethe to the Fryers of Wygthe Fryers[11] of Norwyche I cu[m]be of barly
Also I beqwethe to the gyld of seynte John the baptyste of gnatesale I cu[m]be barly
Also I beqwethe to the gylde of Alle seynts of gnatesale gnattyshe I cu[m[be barly
It[e]m I beqwethe to the gylde of seynt Nicholas of gasthorpp I cu[m]be of barly
Also I beqwethe to the gylde of Seynte petyr of reddelysworth I cu[m]be of barly
It[e]m I beqwethe to Johne[12] myn wyffe I Tenement w[i]t[h] iij acrys of londe
Errabyll[e][13] sumtyme the tenement of margrete Baldry late the wyffe of
John Baxst[e] of hopton[14] As it lythe in the town of gnatesale betwexyn
the tenement of Thomas Cowp[er]e on the on party & the tenement of
William goche on the othyr p[ar]tye to yeve[15] orto selle at her own p[ro]pyr wylle
But I wylle [tha]t Regynald myn sone haue in Ferme the Errabyll[e] londe be
for namyd the terme of his moders[16] lyffe paying yeerly vnto his modyr ij
cu[m]be Rye & iij cu[m]be barly Also yffe Johne myn wyffe selle the same ten[e]ment
I wylle [tha]t Roger myn sone haue yt be for Any othyr yeff he wyll[e] paye As
A nothyr wyll[e] or ellys notte Also I beqwethe to Johne myn wyffe vj modyr
Ewys of the beste w[i]t[h] wulle & lambe & iiij othyr scheppe Ewe oggys[17]/ Also
I beqwethe to Johne myn wyffe a Cowe Also I beqweth[e] to eu[er]yche of myn
Chyldren iij s iiij d Also I beqwethe to Regynald myn sone myn ten[e]ment
Called Sheddys As it lythe in the town of gnatesale w[i]t[h] alle the p[er]tenancs
& Comodytes p[er]teynyng therto that he fullefelle myn laste wylle paying myn
legacs & myn Detts The Resydwe of myn goods not beqwethed nor yevyn[18]
I puttit in myn the dysposyc[i]on of Regnold myn sone To dyspose & to
yeve for the helthe of myn sowle the wyche I make myn Feythefull[e]
attorney & executor yeven at gnatesale the Day & yeer[e] abovyn wretyn

Probate

[folio 320 recto continued; translated from Latin]

The aforesaid testament was proved before us, Official of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury at Fornham St Martin on the tenth day of the month of April in the year of Our Lord one thousand four hundred and eighty-six; administration was entrusted to the named executor; sworn in due form of law.

Footnotes

  1. Archdeadonry Court of Sudbury, "Registered wills, v. 3 Hervey 1473-1495", register copy will of Roberd Elreed (Robert Eldred) of Knettishall, proved 10 April 1486; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 28 December 2022) DGS no. 8097533, image 329 of 483 (can be viewed at Family History Centres and Affiliate Libraries); Suffolk Archives. Transcript.
  2. the Feast of St Cuthbert, ie 20 March 1485/6
  3. Knettishall, Suffolk
  4. to the high altar for tithes, duly tithed, forgotten
  5. Gasthorpe, Norfolk
  6. Riddlesworth, Norfolk
  7. one coomb, a unit of dry volume measure equal to four bushels or approximately 140 litres
  8. Friars Minor (Franciscans) of Babwell, just outside Bury
  9. Dominican Friars
  10. Austin Friars
  11. Carmelite Friars, colloquially known as White Friars
  12. Joan
  13. ie 3 acres of arable land
  14. Hopton, Suffolk
  15. give
  16. mother's
  17. ewe hoggets
  18. given




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