Will of Thomas Astley

This is a transcription of the register office copy of the will of . The will was written on and proved on

The will images were good and very readable

Transcription conventions:
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included struck out
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included struck out
Paragraph breaks at change of bequest, and bold text are my own for ease of reading.
Where present, the obsolete letter Thorn has been rendered as th, and ff has been rendered as F
Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets]
The image quality was good and the writing very legible.
Non standard spelling as per usual for this time period, which has been transcribed verbatim.

Persons mentioned:

• Thomas Astley of Patsill Esquyer
• Gilbert, oldest son
• John, son
• daughter Wrottesley [Elizabeth, who married John Wrottesley]
• John Wrottesley, son-in-law
• Thomas Wrottesley, grandson
• Humphrey Jermyns, relation unknown
• Anne Jermyns, relation unknown
• William Richard, relation unknown
• Thomas Pagge, servant
• Wylliam, servant
• William Savage, servant
• William Hands, servant
• Richard Brooke, servant
• Thomas Frankon, servant
• Harry Bellingham, servant
• Thomas Pettie, relation unknown
• Sir Roger Hodson, relation unknown
• John Clemsmen of wrotley, kept some of Thomas' sheep
• John Bannell, kept some of Thomas' sheep
• William Edderithe, relation unknown
• olde pake, relation unknown
• Thomas Dolman, witness
• Sir Richarde Heyenge, witness
• Roger Hodson, witness
• Robert Dolbye, clerk

[Page 1]

In dei no[m]i[n]e Amen The fourth daye of June in the yere of our lorde god
a thousand five hundred fiftie and eight and in the fourth and fivety yeare of oure
soveraigne lorde and ladye philipp and marye by the grace of god kinge and quene of Englande
Spayne France bothe the Sirette Jerusalem and Irelande defenders of the faith A...
Dukes of ____ Duke of Burgundie millayne and Brabant Commties of Hafpurge
Flanders and Tyroll I Thomas Astley of Patsill Esquyer sicke in bodie and good and
p[er]fyct of remembrannce do ordeyne and make my will in this manor and fourme followinge

First I bequeath my sowle unto almightie godd our blessed lady seynt marye and to all the holy
companye of heaven to be saved by themerits of Christes passion and my bodie to be buried
within the chancell of our blessed ladye of patsill and in the daye of my buriall to be
brought home of myne owne__ goods

First I bequeath unto 'my son Gilbert all
my plate excepte sixe silver spones and a standing cuppe doble gilt whiche spones
and cuppe I give and bequeath unto John my sonne Furthermore I bequeath unto Gilbert all
my sonne all my Cowes and kattell and houshold stuff even as yt standith ___ and
deade movable and immovable except the heyfers of thre yere olde which I give
and bequeath one heyfer unto humfrey Jermyns and another unto Anne Jermyns and
the thirde unto Will[i]am Richarde Also my mynde is that my corne in the Barne and
upon the grounde shall remayne unto the fynding of my house further I bequeath unto
the preferment of the churche of Patsill a velvett robe for to help to make a vestment
and v^lxiij^s iiij^d of money unto the same churche further I bequeth unto all my
serv[ann]ts men and women that been dwelling in my house ev[er]y of them vj^s viij^d
saving Thomas Pagge whiche must have xiij^s iiij^d and wyll[ia]m x^s and I bequeth unto
will[ia]m Savage will[ia]m hands Richard Brooke Thomas Frankon Harry Bellingh[a]m
and p[ar]sons to ev[er]y of theym xx^s Furthermore the hundred pounds whiche my sonne
in lawe John Wrotthsley doth owe unto me I give and bequeth lx^l of the same unto
my daughter Wrotthsley and her children and the xl^l whiche is remaynyng a p[ar]cell
of the hundred pounds I will that my sonne in lawe John Wrotthsleyshall pay or

[Page 2]

cause to be payed unto the handes of my sonne Gilbert and John w[i]t[h]in two yeres after
the decease of his father and I bequeth unto Thomas pettie vj^l xiij^s iiiij^d I bequeth
unto Sir Roger hodson xx^l further I bequeth unto my godson Thomas Wrotthsley the sonne
of John xx ewe sheepe and the hyrt of the same whiche tenne shillings w[i]th sheepe
been in the custodie or keeping of John Clemsmen of wrotley further I have
fiftie sheepe w[i]th one John Bannell and the hyxe of theym whiche is xvj^s viij^dout
of the whiche sheepe and hyxe

I bequeath unto ev[er]y godchilde v^s except my godson
afore whiche hath had his part furthermore all suche somes of money that I have or
maye have when my legacies and my debts been discharged The rest of the money
I will that yt shalbe indifferently devided between my sonne Gilbert and John I
brought home and my debts payed the rest of my goodes unbequeath __ and
deade movable and immoveable I give and bequeth unto Gilbert my sonne And
I do ordeyne and appoynt my ij sonnes that is Gilbert and John to be myne executors
to see this my will be p[er]formed

I bequeth unto will[ia]m Edderithe xx^s

I bequeath
unto olde pake for his paynes that he hath taken here vj^s viij^d

Theses bearinge
witnes John wrotsley M^r Thomas Dolman Sir Richarde heyenge Roger hodson
clerke Robert Dolbye w[i]th other</br>

Sources

• Will of Thomas Astley of Patsill, Staffordshire The National Archives. Ref: PROB 11/41/276, Date: 10 November 1558, (accessed 5 Jan 2023).
• "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
  The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 41
  Ancestry Record 5111 #975677 (accessed 5 January 2023)
  Will of Thome Astley, granted probate on 10 Nov 1558. Died about 1558 in Patsill.