Will of Robert Longe, Mercer of London 1552

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

The Will of Robert Longe, Mercer of London was written on 12 December 1551 and proved in London, Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 20 February 1551/2.^[1]

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• Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
• Where present, ff has been rendered as F, and the old letter Thorn has been rendered as th.
• Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets].
• Additions and margin notes, where they occur, have been added where indicated in the text.
• Crossings through, where they occur, have been included Struck out.
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• The image quality was poor, and the handwriting often illegible so there may be errors.

Persons mentioned:

• Robert Longe Citizen and Mercer of London, testator
• Cicelly Longe wife, executrix
• Mary, Martha and Mawdelen/Magdalen daughters
• [blank] Hartley wydowe, housekeeper
• Thomas Longe brother, executor
  • Henry Longe son of Thomas
• Henry Longe brother, his sons and daughters
• Willyam Longe, brother, his sons and daughters
• William Copenger son in law (step son?)
• Walter Copenger son in law (step son?)
• Lorde Steven Late bishop of Winchester, friend
• Margery & Ellen maidservants
• Thomas Sandforde servant
• Mr Robyns Alderman, Mr Thomas Lee and Mr John Hard mercers. friends
• Mr Steven Cobbe haberdasher, Henry Creede, Thomas Dannyell draper
• Richard Seacole brother in law
• Christofer Danneye
  • Thomasyn daughter in law, Christofer's wife
• Mr Robert Darknold friend
• Robert Smyth brother in law
  • my sister his wife
• Mr Thomas Gavoy?
• Walter Graunte of Brodefoorde (Bradford)
• William Longe servant to Richard C?, mercer
• Master Thomas Argall friend
• Sir Rowlande Hill Knight and Alderman of London, friend, overseer
• John Southcote gent, overseer
• [blank] Grey of the customs house
• Thomas Watsonn clerke

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In the name of god Amen The xijth daye of December in the
yeare of our lord god a Thousande fyve hundreth fyftie and one/ And in the fifte yeare of the
Reigne of our Soveraigne lorde Kinge Edward the Sixte / I Robert Longe Citizen and
Mercer of London sicke in bodye and yet thank[es] be to almightie god hole and p[er]fytt of memorie
Ordeign and make this my p[rese]nte testament and last will . touching thorder and disposic[i]on of
all my goodes Cattall[es] plate Juells redie mones debt[es] and Credit[es] in maner and forme
folowing / First I bequeathe and give my soule unto Almightie god and unto his onlye
begotten sonne my savio[ur] Jh[es]us Christe in whome and by whose death and passion and
ineffable marcye I trust only to have salvation / And my bodye to be buryed in holy grave
where yt shall channce me to dye According to the distrec[i]on of myne Executours underwrytten
Secondarylie I will all my dett[es] to be paide and after payment therof and my funerall[es]
discharged . I will all the residue of my good[es] Catalls Plate Juells redie money Credet[es]
and debt[es] to be equally devyded into thre part[es] according to the Lawdable usage & custome
of the cytie of London Thone parte wherof I gyve and bequeathe unto my loving wief
Cicelly Longe / The seconde parte therof I give and bequeathe unto my three doughter[s]
Mary Martha and Mawdelen equally to be devyded amongest thym / And the thirde p[ar]te
therof I reshue toward[es] my selfe for suchelegacies and entent[es] as here after followithe
Item I give and bequeathe to the poore people of saynt Bartholmewes spyttell in west
smythfeld . twentie poundes, whiche xx£ I will the masters of the said spyttell for the tyme
being shall have the disposic[i]on therof according to their discrec[i]ons / Item I giue & bequethe
to the poore prisoners of Newgate the marshalsee and the king[es] benche Eight poundes
That is to saye to eithe of the said prysons three and fyftie shilling[es] and fouer pennce wh[i]ch
viij£ I will that my Executours to se bestowed According to their discrec[i]ons / Item I give
and bequeathe to the poore porters of Chepe whiche do use to packe our goodes fourtie shilling[es] to
help them : that shall happen to fall lame impotente and power/ Also I will that my Executors
shall gyve and bestowe upon Twelve of the poorest howseholders of Semyngton and
Lyttelton in the Countie of Wilteshire where I was borne . Sixe pound[es] . that ys to saye
Tenne shilling[es] to every howsholder / Item I will that myn[e] Executours shall lykewise give
and bestowe upon xxiiij of the poorest howseholders of the towne and p[ari]she of Wanneswo[r]th
in the Countie of Surrey . Foure poundes that ys to saye to ev[er]y household iijs iiijd / Item
I give unto [blank] Hartley wydowe whiche kepeth my howse in wannesworthe fourtie
shilling[es] / Item I give and bequeathe unto my Nephewe Henry Longe sonne of my brothe[r]
Thomas Longe Twentie pounds / Item I give and bequeathe to my brother Willyam
Longes sonnes tenne pound[es] apece and to every of my said brother willyams doughters
fyve pound[es] apece / Item I gyve and bequeathe comme brother Henry Long[es] Sonnes Tenn
pounds apece / and to every of my said brother Henries doughters fyve poundes apece
All whiche Legacies before specilied, to my said brothers Children . I will my Executours
to delyver to eche of theym as they shall [come] to their full ages of one and twentie yeares
or at the daye of their mariage whiche shall first happen / Also I give and bequeathe to
William Copenger my sonne in lawe one hundreth mark[es] in money / Item I gyve to Walter
Copeinger my sonne in lawe one other hundreth mark[es] in money / Item I gyve & bequeathe
unto my deere frende Lorde Steven Late bysshopp of wynchester one hundreth mark[es] in
money and one Rynge of golde of the value of fyve angell[es] / Item I give & bequeathe
to Margery my mayde twentie shilling[es] / Item I give and bequeathe to ev[er]y of myn
Apprentizes fourtie shilling[es] / Item I bequeath to Thomas Sandforde my Covenant s[ervan]nt
twentie shilling[es] / Item I bequeathe to Ellen my mayde fyve mark[es] Also I give & bequethe
to my verie Lovyng Freend[es] Mr Robyns Alderman Mr Thomas Lee and Mr John Hard
mercers to every one of theym one Rynge of golde of foure anngells Item I give to Mr

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Steven Cobbe haberdasher, Henry Creede and unto Thomas Dannyell draper to eiche of
theym one golde Ringe of three Anngells / Item I give and bequeathe to my loving brothers
Thomas Wylliam and Henry Longe to every of theym one golde ringe of foure anngell[es]
And to every of their wife[s] one gold ringe of three angells / Item I give to my brother in lawe
Richard Seacole one Rynge of golde of three Aungells / Item to my brother in lawe Robert
Smythe and to my suster his wief to eche of theim one gold ring of three Angells / Item I
give and bequeathe to all my said brothers Thomas Longe William Longe & Henry Longe
And so their wief[es] to eiche of theym one blacke gowne of the value of fourtie shilling[es] Item
I give and bequeathe to my loving frende Christofer Danneye and unto my doughter in lawe
Thomasyn his wief to eche of them one gold rynge of foure Anngells and ablacke gowne of
fourtie shilling[es] / Item I give unto my lovinge freende Mr Robert Darknold one golde
Ringe of foure anngell[es] / Item I give and bequeathe my loving freende Mr Thomas
[Gavoy] the yonger one golde ringe of foure Anngell[es] / Item I will and bequeathe unto
Walter Graunte of Brodefoorde in the Countie of wilteshire Tenne poundes to be delyv[er]ed
ymmediatly after my decease / Also I give unto William Longe s[erva]nnte to Richard Cap[...]
mercer fyve poundes to be delivered ymmediatlye after my deceas / Item I will fourtie
shilling[es] to be distributed to the poore people of the p[ari]she of saynt Lawrence in the olde
Jury in London by my Executours / Item I give and bequeathe to my loving frende Master
Thomas Argall one golde Ringe of foure Anngell[es] / And I ordeyne constitute and make my
said Loving wief Cicellye Longe and my said brother Thomas Longe myne Executours
of this my p[rese]nte testament and last will / And I give unto my said brother Thom[a]s Longe
for his paynes herein taken Tenne poundes / And I make and ordeyne my right worshipfull
and especiall good frende Sir Rowlande Hill Knight and Alderman of London and John
Southcote gent sup[er]visours and overseers of this my p[rese]nte testament and last will beseching
theym as my especiall trust is to see the true execuc[i]on of the same as ferr as in them lieth
And I give unto the said Sir Rowlande Hill one Ringe of gold of fyve Anngell[es] a blacke
gowne and tenne pound[es] in money / And unto the said John Southcote ablake gowne and
tenne pounde in money . and unto his wife one golde ringe and ablacke gowne / And moreov[er]
I will the residue of my thirde p[ar]te remayning over and above my said legacies / to my saide
three doughters Mary Martha and Mawdelen equally to be devyded, among[es] them / And
furthermore I will that if any of my saide three daughters happen to deceas before their
tyme of mariage or full age / than I will the parte and porc[i]on of her so deceased to
Remayne to the survivour or survivours of theyme equally to be devyded betwene theyme
In witnes wherof to this my p[rese]nte Testament and last will I haue subscribed my name /
and setto my seale the daie and yeare above wrytten p[er] me Robertus Longe. furthermore
the said Robert Longe after the making of this wyll willed and bequeathed further
tenne pounds to the companey of the mercers to make then a dynner / Also he bequethed to
[blank] Grey one of the Sarchers of the custome house of london fourtie shilling[es] / Item
ferder he bequeathed unto Thomas Watsonn clerke Chapelyn to the busshop of Durhm xls

In the name of god Amen. The xijth Daie of December in the yere
of our lorde god, one Thousande fyve hundred fiftie and one / And in the fyste yere of the
Reigne of our Soveraigne lorde Edward the Sixte by the grace of god kinge of
England France and Irelande, defendor of the Faithe and in earthe supreme hedd of the
Churche of Englande and Irelande / I Robert Longe Citizen and mercer of london make
my divise and last will as towching all my Mannors Landes tenement[es] and other hereditament[es]
with thappurtenn[ances] whatsoev[er] whiche I have in the Citie of london the Counties of Essex
Surrey and Salop or ells where within in the Realme of Englande in maner & forme following
First I will that Cicelly nowe my wief shall have ymmediatlye after my decease my mesuage
with thappurtenn[ances] called the Three Tonnes at the Guyld hall gate in the p[ari]she of saynt Law
rence in the olde Jurye in the said Citie of London / All my mesuag[es] Landes and tenement[es] Rent[es]
reverc[i]ons and [services] with their Appurten[an]c[es] in westthorke in the p[ar]ishe of saint Clement
or ells where in the said Countie of Essex / all my mesuag[es] Landes and tenement[es] Rent[es]
reverc[i]ons and [services] with thappurten[ann]c[es] soe being and being in Waynsworthe in the saide
Countie of Surrey or el[es]where with in the same Countie / and my mannor of Condover^[2]
with thappurten[ann]c[es] in the said Countie of Salop / And all my other landes and tenement[es]
hereditament[es] Rent[es] reverc[i]ons and [services] w[i]thin the said Countie of Salop / To have and to
holde the said manor Landes tenement[es] rent[es] reverc[i]ons and [services] and other the premisses
above menc[i]oned w[i]thier Appurten[ann]c[es] unto thesaid Cycelly during her lief naturall / And
after her deceas to Remayne to Mary Martha and Magdalen my three doughters and to
their heyres for ever to thuse of theyme and their heyres forever / And further more be yt to be
Remembred that the said mannor Landes tenement[es] and other the premisses above mentioned
in this my p[rese]nte devise and last will . byn not, nor any parte therof is not [houden in Capite]
not by Knight s[erv]ce of our soveraigne lorde the Kinge nor of any p[er]sone or p[er]sons but bene
holden on Socage as severally may appere bythe tennours of them wherfore I maye
Convenientlye by the Lawes of the Realme make my will of the hole premisses / In

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wytnes wherof to ev[er]y parte of this my p[rese]nte will inde[...]yd . I the said Robert Longe have set my
hande and seale the daye and yeare above wrytten p[er] me Robertus Longe

[Probate in Latin] Proved on 20 February 1551/2 Administration to Cecilie, Relicte & Thome Longe, the executors.

Sources

1. ↑ PROB 11/35/78 Description: Will of Robert Longe or Long, Mercer of London Date: 20 February 1552 Held by: The National Archives, Kew
2. ↑ Purchased in 1544 D C Cox, J R Edwards, R C Hill, Ann J Kettle, R Perren, Trevor Rowley and P A Stamper. "Domesday Book: 1540-1750," in A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 4, Agriculture, ed. G C Baugh and C R Elrington (London: Victoria County History, 1989), 119-168. British History Online, accessed January 2, 2024, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol4/pp119-168.