Will of Thomas Grene, Citizen of Worcester, 1499

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

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of Thomas Grene Citizen of Worcester. Thomas drew up his will on 20 November 1494 when he was "seke in body". The will was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 28 February 1499/1500. ^[1]

The quality of the images was poor, both those available to download from the National Archive and those available on Ancestry.
Where I have not been able to make out the text, it is replaced with ---
Where I have made a best guess, this is indicated with a footnote.

The scribe made liberal use of abbreviation and contraction marks, and these have been indicated with [ ]

The will mentions an Alice Witby, Thomas' servant, but later refers to her as a daughter. This reference to her as a servant may be a transcription error and she may be a step-daughter from Thomas' second marriage.

Transcription conventions used in this text:
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
The text was originally in one block of text. Paragraph breaks at change of bequest ("Item" or "Also"), and bold text for names have been added for ease of reading.
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.

Persons mentioned:

• Thomas Grene Citizen of Worcester Testator
• my other Wife Testator's first wife, unnamed, buried at Worcester Cathedral
• my wife Elizabeth Testator's current wife. Executor of will. Residuary legatee, inherited the house and brewhouse for the rest of her life
• Richard my sonne under the age of 21 years, inherited the house and brewhouse after Elizabeth's death
• Pernell (or Parnell) my daughter unmarried, remainder of the house and brewhouse if Richard died or no heirs
• Johanne my sister received weekly allowance of 7 pence
• John Sherman servant to Testator, received 40 shillings
• John Crowe servant to Testator, received 40 shillings and a cow
• Alice Witby my servannt and to the heires of hir body two tenements near the Severn Bridge
• John Witby Fader to the same Alice Testator bought the tenements from him
• Alice my daughter unmarried, 20 marks marriage portion
• Richard Hosier executor of will
• Thomas Ipoure executor of will. Best guess on surname
• Nicholas Chippenham Witness to will
• John Monke Witness to will

---

[folio 14 verso]
In the name of god Amen the xx^th of Novemb[e]r the yere of oure Lord god m^t CCCC ^xxiiij xjv. ^[2] And in the yere of
the reigne of king henry the vij, the xv. I Thomas Grene Citezin of Worcester seke in body and hoole in mynd
make my testament in this Wise. First I bequeth my soule to Almyghti god and to his blessed moder ^[3] Virgin marye
and to the hooly companye of hevin my body to be buried in the Cimitory of the Cathedrall church of o[u]r Lady of
Worcester Whenne it shall please god to calle for hit by fore the porche ^[4] Where my other Wife was and is buried
as nigh hir as I may Also I bequeth to the high Aulter of the said Cathedrall church to be p[re]ied for iij^s iiij^d Also
I bequeth to the high Awter of saint Elyn w[i]t[h]in the said Citte for duetees to the same forgotin Whenne I was ther[e]
p[ar]isshon[er] xij^d And to the p[ar]isshon[er]s ther[e] to the bying of three Crosse. xiij^s iiij^d Also to the high Aulter of Saint Martyn
w[i]t[h]in the same Citte xij^d And to the Rep[ar]ac[i]on of the church ther[e] a Sowe of Lede ^[5] Also I bequeth to the p[ar]isshons of
the parrissh of saint Swithine of the Citte afor[e]said. to the ayde of ther grete losses xx^s Also I bequeth to ev[er]y
of the ij ordre of Freres w[i]t[h]in the same Citte vj ^s viij ^d And I wil that the same ij order of Freres singe for
me Dirige ^[6] and masse. and to bringe my body to the erth solempuly with good Devoc[i]on Also I bequeth to the
Ordre of Freres Mynors ^[7] w[i]t[h]in the same Citte to the Repar[aci]ons of ther[e] church and to be praied for xx^s Also
I will that my wife Elizabeth. have this my tenement that I dwell in with the brew hows to that annexed
with alle utensiles and other things to the said brewe hows p[er]teyning and belonging. for time of hir lief. And
after hir deceasse I will that the same tenement and brew hows with other p[re]missis Remayne to Richard my
sonne and to the heires of his body lawfully begotin. And for lak of Issue of the body of the said Richard law

[folio 15 recto]
fully begotyn I wil the same tenement and brewhous with other sufficent p[re]missis Remayne to Pernell my daughter and
to the heires of hir body lawfully begoten. And for lak of suche Issue of the forsaid Richard and Pernell I wil the
said tenement and brewhows w[i]t[h] the other p[re]missis holy Remayne to the foresaid p[ar]issh church of saynt Martyn
there to be praied fore / And to whome of the foresaid Richard or Parnell or to there heires it shall happen the
said tenement and brewhows with the other p[re]missis to com[e] to I wil and charge that he or she or ther[e] heires whi=
che shall fortune to enioye the same tenement and brewhows and the other p[re]missis yerely to kepe w[i]t[h]in the
Churche of the Freres Mynors oon obite ^[8] ther[e] to have for me. And my frends dede solempue ^[9] dirige and masse
according to the Anncyant order paying ther[e]fore yerely to the said order of Freres vj^s viij^d As long as it shall
co[n]tynue in my hows. And if any of the said Richard or Parnell or any of ther[e] heires Kepe not yerely the said
Obite as a fore Rehersed with due w--yng or other wise Thenne I wil the said tenement and brewhows
w[i]t[h] the other p[re]missis hooly Remayne to the foresaid parissh church of saint Martyn ther[e] to have my yerely
Obite for me and for my frendes paym[e]nt ther[e]for[e] yerely vj^s viij^d And yf the said Obite be not ther[e] yerely mayn=
teyned and w[i]t[h] solempue dirge and masse unto the cost and charge of vj^s viiij^d Thenne I wil the said tenement and brewhows
w[i]t[h] the other p[re]missis hooly and sufficently repaired and R---ed Revert to the right heires of me fors[ai]d Also I wil and bequeth
to Johanne my sister vij^d ev[er]y weke in the yer[e] to be paid to hir oute of this my ten[emen]t by the possessiour of the same

And I wil that Ilizabeth my wife as long as she shall enioye the same tenement so the same money be to hir deliv[er]yd
at suche seasons in suche exhibicon and Payment unto the Wekely charge of the foresaid vij^d by the distrecion of the
said Elizabeth duryng the lief of the said Johanne And yf the said Johanne be unpayed of the said wekely vij ^d by
the space of -- yere / thenne I wil the same Johanne to distrayne in the said tene[ment] with the Assistence of the baylif
And the distresse so taken to Reteyne unto the tyme she be content and satesfied of xv^s j^d for ev[er]y tyme that she is
so unpaied by the space of -- a yere. Also I bequeth to John Sherman my s[er]v[a]nt xl^s in money And to John Crowe my
s[er]v[a]nt xl^s and a cowe thys money to be deliv[er]ed to the said John Crowe at the ende of his time. And the cowe to be
deliv[er]ed to him Immediatly aftar my decesse yf he require it / Also I bequeth to Alice Witby my s[er]v[a]nt and to the
heires of hir body lawfully begotin twoe tenements w[i]t[h]in the p[re]cinte of the forsaid Citte sette and standynge by
yonde Severn Brigge whiche two tenements I late purchased of John Witby Fader to the same Alice Res[er]vyng
all wayes to the Citezens there right in the same twoe Tenements So that the same Alice be Ruled and married by
thadvice of myne excutours And for lack of Issue of the body of the said Alice Lawfully begotin Thenne the said ij
tenements with there appurten[a]nces Remayne to Parnell my daught[e]r and to the heires of hir body lawfully co=
myng. And for suche Issue of the said Pernell fayling the said twoe ten[emen]ts w[i]t[h] ther[e] appurten[a]nces Intirely Rev[er]te to the
use of the Co[unc]ille ^[10] of the foresaid Citte forev[er] Also I bequeth to Alice my daugh[ter] xx marc of money to hir
marriage. And to the marriage of Parnell my daughter x marc of money. And to my sonne Richard whenne he
comith to his lawfull age x marc in money. And yf it happen any of the said Alice Pernall or Richard to decesse
before marriage or w[i]t[h]in age thenne I wil the same sommes of money bequethed to hym or to hir that so dieth
to be devidid to the ov[er]lyvers equally by evin porcions And if it happen twoe of them to decesse befor[e] marriage
or lawfull age Thenne the summes of money to them bequethed that so dieth entirely Remayne to the ov[er]lyver
of them Also I wil that Whenne it shall please god to calle me to his mercy I be buried honestly with con=
venyent Almes for me to be doon and wixe ^[11] so br--- aboute my herse w[i]t[h] sufficent of the residue of my goods
by the distrecion of Richard Hosier Elizabeth my wife and Thomas Ipoure ^[12] whome I make and ordeyne to
by myn[e] Executors And alle the residue of my goodes not bequethen after my detts be paied and my bequests
p[er]formed I wil and bequeth to Elizabeth my wife she to Reward by hir distrecion the forsaid Richard Hosyer
and Thomas Ipower hir coexecutors for there labour and besynes In witnesse whereof and for that
this my testatment shall standa as and for my Last Wil I have publissed and openly shewed the p[re]misses
byfore myne executors Nicholas Chippenham and John Monke there and thenne beyng p[rese]nt the day
and yere abovesaid

Probate [in Latin] This will written above was proved at Lambeth the xxviij day of February AD 1499 to the executors named in this will.

Sources

1. ↑ Will of Thomas Grene of Worcester 1499: "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: 12
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #886848 (accessed 3 September 2022)
2. ↑ Suprascript xx over iiij indicates four score, hence 1494
3. ↑ moder = mother
4. ↑ before the porch
5. ↑ probably a sow (pig) of lead, an ingot weighing 144lbs
6. ↑ dirge
7. ↑ Franciscan Friars or Grey Friars
8. ↑ oon obite = one obit, a mass for the dead
9. ↑ archaic form of solemn
10. ↑ best guess
11. ↑ Wicks? candles?
12. ↑ Best guess on this surname