Will of Sir Robert Bolles of Scampton, Lincolnshire 1663

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Bolles Hussey Ayscough

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Preceded by John Bolles

Baronet of Scampton 1648-1663

Succeeded by John Bolles

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This is a transcription of the register version of the will of Sir Robert Bolles Bt found at the The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 312.

The will was written on 8 July 1663 and proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 21 August 1663.

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the register copy. Capital F is rendered as F rather than ff. Abbreviations are expanded in [square brackets].

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Persons mentioned in the below Will

• John Bolles, his son and heir
• Thomas Smith, “Cozen” his ward^[1] and the son of Robert’s aunt, Anne (Bolles) Smith
• Sir Charles Dallison, serjeant-at-law "Charles Dallison," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (accessed January 5, 2022)
• Robert Saunderson, servant of Charles Dallison
• Edward Ayscough, his brother-in-law
• Isabell (Bolles) Ayscough, his sister
• Sir Thomas Williamson
• Edward Hussey his brother in law
• Lady Hussey, wife of Edward
• Christopher Simpson, Sir Robert’s resident musician and tutor of young John Bolles "Christopher Simpson," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (accessed January 5, 2022)
• Daughters Mary, Elizabeth and Ann
• Dame Mary Bolles, his wife
• Mrs Elizabeth Pinsent, his son John’s betrothed
• Doctor House

The will reveals the parlous state of Sir Robert’s financial position.The day before the will was written, he had placed all his land holdings in the hands of three trustees, Sir Thomas Williamson (husband of Jane, the sister of Lady Bolles), Sir Edward Ayscough (husband of his sister Isabell), Thomas Smith (his cousin and ward) and their heirs.^[2] They were directed to redeem the lands mortgaged and to do everything that was reasonable to settle his affairs.

In the name of God Amen
I S^r Robert Bolles of Scampton baronett in the County of Lincolne being weake in
body but of perfect mind and understanding doe make this my last Will and
testament First I bequeathe my soule unto Almighty God hopeing of my
salvation by the passion and suffering of Jesus Christ my redeemer And for my
worldly estate I dispose thereof in manner following Inprimo. whereas
by Indenture dated even with this my will I have settled or mentioned to settle
All my lands unto my dear friends and kinsmen S^r Thomas Williamson
S^r Edward Ascough and Thomas Smith and their heires in trust as in and by
the said Indenture it doth appeare I doe hereby confirme the same And I doe
give and bequeath all the said mannors and lands unto them and their heires to the
intents and purposes and upon the trusts expressed in the said Indenture
And Whereas I did formerly mortgage some parts of the said mannors
and lands part for yeares and some part in fee I doe hereby declare and direct
that my said trustees shall have power And I doe hereby empower them and
the survivors of them and the heires of the survivors of them to redeem the said
mannors and lands morgaged And I give unto them the power of redemption
of the same, which I desire they will doe out of the moneyes appointed to be
rayted by my trustees by the said rayted settlement And further
to empower my trustees to performe the said trust and this my will I doe make
them my executors hereof Item I give unto my beloved sonne John Bolles
all my houshould goods and utensills of houshould and all my musicall instruments
Item whereas the Lady Jane Bolles my grandmother gave unto my
family a jewell of diamonds which hath continued in my familie ever since
I do give the same unto my said sonne John Bolles And Whereas
my brother Edward Hussey by his will gave unto me the sume of five hundred
pounds nor part whereof is paid nor damages for the same I do appoint the same
to goe towards the payment of my debts and raysing portions And I doe after
appoint the residue of my personall estate to be disposed of for the same purpose And
for the legacies which were given unto my wife by the said Edward Hussey and my
Lady Hussey which amounts unto about thirteen hundred pounds besides damages)
I leave the same unto my said wife Item I doe hereby direct that my said Cozen
Thomas Smith shall have a lease of my mannor of Poolham and all my lands
there now in the occupation of John Dowse for his life or for eighty yeares if he live
soe long att the yearly rent of a hundred and forty pounds And my will is that he
shall from my decease have allowed him forty pounds per annum out of the same
lands or out of my other estate untill a perfect lease can be made thereof us aforesaid
And I direct and appoint that all persons interested shall joyne to make the land
estate unto my said Cozen Thomas Smith And I doe likewise declare my mind to
be and I do direct that all persons concerned shall do all reasonable Acts and
things in order to the settlement of my estate both wealth and personall in relation
to the performance of the said deed of settlement to my trustees and of this my
last will In Testimony whereof I have hereunto sett my hand the eight
day of July in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty three
Robt Bolles. Signed and published to be the last will and testament of the said
S^r Robert Bolles in the p[re]sence of Charles Dallison Peter Metcalfe James
Eastland Chris[topher] Simpson Ro[bert] Sanderson
Memorandum that I the said S^r Robert Bolles this Fourteenth day of July
one thousand six hundred sixty three ad unto my will afore mentioned this codicill
hereafter mentioned that is to say ben[eath]) I give unto Doctor House thirty pounds
to my daughter Isabell one Dyamond Ring enamiled with blew sett with nyne
Dyamonds To my daughter Katherine one Dyamond Ing sett with three large
Dyamonds and foure sparks To my daughter Mary one chrisolite ring in playne
gold To my sister Ayscough one Emerauld Ring sett with seaven opalls about the
emerauld To my Cozen Thomas Smith a pointed Diamond Ring sett after an old
fashion To my sonne Robert Bolles a Ruby Ring cut ovall sett with three Diamonds
sparks at each end To M^rs Elizabeth Pinsent a Jacinth Ring sett in plane Gold
To S^r Charles Dallison Sarjeant att Law the Kings picture cut in a Carnelian set in a
plane Gold Ring Item I give more to the said S^r Charles Dallison fifteen pounds
Item I give unto his servant Robert Saunderson four pounds And whereas I have
now put into a little plush Redd Cabinitt laced six or seaven and thirty gold rings most
whereof have stones in them I doe give all the said Rings to my daughters Mary
Elizabeth and Ann equally to be decided amongst them Item I give unto my said sonn
John All my bookes All my Cloaks and watches my Plate Gunns Pistols Swords
and Armes And I doe give unto my said sonne John one lockett sett with eight diamonds
and eight rubies One table diamond ring enamild with black One emerauld ring sett in
plane gold One other ring wherein my picture is Cutt in an Amithist stone One other ring
wherein my wifes picture is cutt in a Garnet stone both pictures sett in plane gold
And one diamond ring enamld with blew set with seaven dyamonds To M^r
Christopher Simpson five pounds Item I give unto my wife my Coach and Foure
Coach horses And whereas she hath in her possession two necklaces of pearle
one lockett and some other jewells I likewise give the same unto her Item I give
unto my said wife my children my said executors and trustees and to such servants
as shall continue with my said sonne mourning needs such as shall be sett and decent
Also I give unto my said wife one blew enameld ring sett with three table diamonds
[page three]
And one other ring sett with five table emeraulds All which contayned in my
said will and codicill I desire my said Executor and trustees duely to performe In
Witnesse whereof I have hereunto sett my hand the day and yeare aforesaid.
Robert Bolles Published in the p[re]sence of Charles Dalison Chr^is Simpson Ro Saunderson
Philipp Ayres Theophilus Browning

Probate [in Latin] was granted "apud London" on the 21st of the month of August AD 1663 to "Domino Thomas Williamson Baronetto and Domino Edwardo Ayscough”.

Sources

1. ↑ https://vdgs.org.uk/chelys/16chelys1987.pdf Chelys, vol. 16 (1987), article 3 pg 7 in the Journal of the Society of the Viola da Gamba by Margaret Urquhart (accessed Jan 2022)
2. ↑ https://vdgs.org.uk/chelys/16chelys1987.pdf Chelys, vol. 16 (1987), article 3 pg 10 in the Journal of the Society of the Viola da Gamba by Margaret Urquhart (accessed Jan 2022)