Will of Sir John Stile of East Greenwich, 1529

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Stile Style

This is a transcription of the copy will of Sir John Stile from the registers of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. ^[1] It was written on 28 May 1529 and proved 29 January 1529/30.

It named:

• deceased wives Katheryn and Elizabeth who were buried at the church of Allhallows Barking by the Tower, in the City of London.
• third wife Katheryn who was still alive
• daughter Jane married to Edward Water. She had previously been married to someone named Hewster
• Jemm Hewster, son of the aforementioned Jane
• Edward Water, Grocer of London, current husband of the aforementioned Jane.
• son Richard Stile who was disinherited for his disobedience
• brother James Stile of Clawslomen, Tiverton (probably Crazeloman)
• William Awood, residuary legatee for James Stile
• Thomas Byrrye, Gentleman of the King's Chapel

The will was not witnessed.

The transcription below has spelling and punctuation as per the original.
Line breaks are as per the original.
Ligatures and abbreviations have been expanded in [square brackets].
Paragraph breaks and bold highlighting are my own for ease of reading.

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In the name of god amen

I sir John Style knyght dwelling on Est Grenewiche in
the Countie of Kent on the xxij day of May In the yere of thencarnation of our Lord Jesu Criste oon thousand
fyve hundred and nyne and twenty And in the oon and twenty yere of the Reign of the king our Souvraigne
Lord Henry the eight I being in bodily helthe and good mynde and hole of memory for the whiche our Lorde
god be thanked And by the grace of almighty god by this my hand writing the Day and yere aforesaid
I doo ordeyn and make this my last wille and testament in maner and fourme folowinge First I doo
bequeathe my soule unto almighty god my maker and Redemer And unto the socour and helpe of our blessed
Lady Saint Mary and to all the holy company of hevyn And my body forto buried w[i]t[h]in the p[ar]ishe church where
it shall please almighty god that my body and soule shall Departe from this present lyfe And in caas
so be that I shall Departe from thys present lyfe w[i[t[h]in the Citie of London / that then my body I will to be
buried w[i[t[h]in the parishe churche of Alhalowen Berking ^[2] under my grave stone where as my late wifes
Kateryn and Dame Elizabeth were buried the whiche my burying I will that it be doon w[i[t[h]out sumptuous
costs pompe or pryde or great charges forasmorche as I doo well considre and knowe that my Wordly
goodes be of noo great value or substance

First I will that Immediately after my death myn executors
doo cause a trigintall of masses to be saide for my soule that they therfor doo paye tenne shillings in money
in caas that I doo not the said trentall of masses to be saide before my decease / Also I will that myn
executours geve to the poor people at the Day of my buriall tenne shillings in money Also I will that my
executours doo cause that Foure great tapers of waxe and viij torches / and the same tapers and torches to
borne and holden by xij pour men at my burying and masse and at my monethes mynd / And the said
pour men to be paid after the discrecion of myn executors and I will that there be noo dyner made nor
gevyn at the Day of my burying not monethes mynde, but oonly to myn executours And suche pour
folks as shalbe the plaisure of myn executours Also I doo geve to the high alter of the parishe church
of Alhalowen Barkyng in London ij s Item to the high alter of the p[ar]ishe churche of Saint Austyn
in Hackeney ij s for oblacions forgotten / Also I doo geve and bequeth to the Rep[er]acions of the parishe
churche of Saint Peter in Teverton in the Countie of Devonshire where I was borne and cristoned vj s viij d
And also I geve and bequeth to the same church of saint Peter in Teverton my best and longest stremer

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or banner of silke w[i]t[h] myn armes Also I do bequeth and geve to the Rep[ar]acion of the Chapell of Saint Andrewe
in the same towne of Teverton iij s iiij d in redy money Also I do geve to the Rep[ar]acions of o[u]r Lady
of Chettiscombe in the p[ar]ishe of Teverton ij svj d And to the Rep[ar]acions of the Chapell of Saint James at
Clawslomen in the said p[ar]ishe of Teverton ij s vj d Also I geve to Jane Water my daughter wife to Edward
Water of London Grocer and to Jemm Hewster her sonne to ev[er]yche of them a newe gowne of blak clothe
And as for my sonnne Richard Style my Wille is that he shall not have any p[ar]cell or p[ar]cells or porcion of my
goodes moveable nor unmoveable forasmoch that he hath been chargeable and alwayes disobedient unto
me and for his disobedience and mysdemeaner and for that I wolde nomore encombered with him . I
gave to him a porcion and theruppon before a Notarye in the towne of Anwarpe in Brabant and div[er]se
merchannts of Ingland there being the said Richard made to me a quintannce with condicion that never
hereafter he nor noo man[ner] of p[er]sone for him shall clayme or demande any p[ar]cell of goodes or thinges
that belonge or appertyne unto me the whiche acquitannce is assigned by the said Notary and sub=
scribed by diverse m[er]channts of sundrye p[ar]tes of Ingland soo that the maner and enfluence of the Citie
of London is thereby excluded for his childs parte &c / And as to a litill felde or Close of Londe that
I have lying by West in the parishe of Teverton in the Countie of Devonshire / I doo geve it to my
Brother James Stile dwelling at Clavislomen ^[3] in the p[ar]ishe of Teverton to him and to his herres
of his body lawfully begotten And for lack of herres of his body lawfully begotten the same Close
to Remayn to William Awood of Coll ['space'] and to the herres of his body lawfully begotten / Also
Where as that Daime Kateryn my Wife gave and made to me a state and gyfte of a tenement
lying in the back lane by Billingesgate in Est grenewiche my Will is that after my deceas
in cass that I deceas before my said wife / that she shalhave and enioye the said tenement /
in like astate as that she had before that she gave the same unto me / And after my Legacies and
Funerall expenses fulfilled and paid / All the residue of my goodes moveable and unmoveable
I doo geve and bequeth unto my said Wife Dame Kateryn and her oonly I doo make myn executore
And my sonne in Lawe Edward Water mercer of London and Thomas Byrrye gentelman of
the king our soveraigne Lords Chapell forto be assistannces to my said wife and overseers of
this my last Wille / and every of them to have a blak gown for their labours / And Edward
Waters for to have tenne poundes in money or ells a garment of myn to the value of x L

In recorde hereof I wrote this w[i]t[h] my hande and name / The yere and Day above said

Per me Johem Stile mann propria

Probate granted at Lamethith on 29 January 1529 [1529/30] to Dame Katerine the relict

Sources

1. ↑ Will of Sir John Stile in: The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 23: Jankyn (1529-1530) Images on Ancestry Page 1 Page 2 Accessed 15 June 2021
2. ↑ All Hallows Barking By the Tower, near the Tower of London
3. ↑ probably Crazeloman