Will of Thomas Grubb of Potterne, Wiltshire 1618

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

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of Thomas Grubbe or Grubb of Potterne, Wiltshire, England. Thomas drew up his will on 7 April 1617 and it was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 27 April 1618. ^[1]

Of note it showed that he had four living sons, but two of them were named Thomas.

The will was challenged, and the Judgment (in Latin) was entered into the registers of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 17 June 1618. ^[2] Names from this Judgement have been abstracted at the end of the list of persons in the Will.

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"), 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.
The image quality was poor on the second page (black and white) The handwriting (secretary hand) was legible.

Persons mentioned in the Will:

• Thomas Grubb of Potterne in the Countye of Wiltes yeoman Testator
• my second sonne Thomas Grubbe beinge the eldest of my sonnes of that name under the age of 23 years, received £1200
• my third sonne Henrye Grubbe under the age of 23 years, received £1200
• my younger sonne Thomas Grubb beinge the youngest of my sonnes under the age of 23 years, received £1000
• my daughter Susanna unmarried, received £1000. No age given.
• my lovinge wife unnamed in the will, maintenance for life
• my sister Ellinor Moodye received £5
• my sister Joane Sampson received £5
• my servant Nicholas Chiffinche received £5
• John my sonne Executor and residuary legatee. Testator's wife and daughter were to live with him.
• my faythfull and lovinge freinds overseers of the will
  • Thomas Baskervile Esquire
  • John Hitchcock of Potterne gentleman also witness to Will
  • my Cosen William Blancharde
• Thomss Lye witness to Will
• John Ferris witness to Will
• Phillppa Wheller witness to Will

Persons mentioned in the Judgement:

• Before John Benet knight, Doctor of Laws
• In the case of Thomas Grubbe formerly of Potterne, Wiltshire, gentleman deceased
• Between John Grubbe the son and executor of the Testament and last will
• and Suzanna Grubbe widow
• Henry Grubbe, Thomas Grubbe the elder, Thomas Grubbe the younger, Suzanna Grubbe the natural and legitimate children of the said deceased

---

[folio 372 verso]
In the name of God Amen. The Seaventh daye of
Aprill on the Fifteenth yeare of the raigne of o[u]r Soveraigne Lorde James by the grace of God
Kinge of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defend[o]r of the faithe &c and of Scotland the Fiftieth
1617 I Thomas Grubb of Potterne in the Countye of Wiltes yeoman, beinge sicke in bodye but of
good and perfect remembrance ; blessed by Almightie god therefore ; Knowinge by the worde of god
that as nothing is more certaine unto man in this life then Death ; soe noethinge is more un=
certaine then the howre and tyme thereof, Doe make and ordeyne this my last will and testament
in manner and forme followinge First and principallie I give and bequeath my soule unto Almighty
God my creat[o]r, And to Jesus Christe my savio[u]r and redeemer, by whose meritts and perfect obeydience
I stedfastly beleeve to receive full remission of all my Sinnes And unto the holye Ghoste the sanctifier
of all the elect children of god, three moste glorious p[er]sons in that one true eternall & almightye
Godhead. And my bodye to be committed to the earth whence it came to be buried in the p[ar]ish Church

[folio 373 recto]
of Potterne verily beleevinge accordinge to the Scriptures, that at the Resurrection of all fleshe ; I shall
by the power of the same god receive againe the same my bodie united unto my sowle ; and bee Everlastingly
live w[i]th him in the Kingdome of Heaven And as touchinge those my wordly and temporall goodes, and
Chattells w[hi]ch the Lorde of his greate and infinite goodnes hath lent me heare on Earthe, I thus
dispose of them.

First I give and bequeath unto my second sonne Thomas Grubbe beinge the eldest
of my sonnes of that name Twelve hundred poundes of lawfull Englishe money To bee unto him
paide and delivered by myne Executor heareafter to be named when he shall accomplishe the full
age of Three and twentye yeares. And the some of Fiftye poundes to be unto him yearelye
payde likewise by my saide Executor towards his maintenance ; To com[m]ence and begine im[m]ediately
from and after my decease ; to be unto him quarterly payde untill he shall accomplishe his full
age of Three and Twentye yeares.

Item I give and bequeath unto my third sonne Henrye
Grubbe the like some of Twelve hundred poundes of like lawfull Englishe money to be unto
him likewise paide and delivered by my saide Executor when he shall accomplishe likewise his
saide age of Three and twenty yeares. And I doe likewise give and bequeath unto my said sonne
Henrye one Annuitie or yearelie rent of Fiftie poundes of like lawfull Englishe moneye
untill he shall accomplish his saide age of three and twenty yeares to co[m]ence and begyn
likewise ymediately after my decease.

Item I give and bequeath unto my younger sonne
Thomas Grubb beinge the youngest of my sonnes One thowsand poundes of lawfull Englishe
money To be unto him likewise paide and delivered when he shall accomplish the full age of
Twenty and three yeares. And in the meane time my will is, he shall have the some of Forty
poundes paide him yearelie likewise towardes his mainten[a]nce by Tenne poundes a quarter
by my saide Executor untill he shall accomplishe the saide age of Three and twentie yeares
to com[m]ence and begyn likewise ymediately after my decease.

Item I give and bequeathe
unto my daughter Susanna, One thowsande poundes of lawfull Englishe money to be unto
her paide, by my saide Executor w[i]thin Three yeares nexte after my decease, or w[i]thin one halfe
yeares ^after her marriage ; w[hi]ch shall first channce : And in the meane tyme my will is, she shall
continewe w[i]th my saide Executor and by him shalbe mainteyned , and allowed w[i]th meate drinke
and lodginge meete and convenient, And the some of Twelve poundes to be unto her likewise
yearely paide in the meane tyme by my saide Executor by Three poundes a quarter, untill
she shall have received her said portion of a Thowsand poundes from my saide Executor

Item my will further is that my lovinge wife shall continewe w[i]th my Executor and by him
shalbe maintayned w[i]th all manner of provision whatsoever is or shalbe fittinge necessary
and convenient for her , and for one mayde servant to attend her (that is to saie diett of
meate and drinke for her and her maide : w[]ith a Chamber to her owne use and such beddes
and beddinge as she liketh of And other free liberty of houseroome fyre and all other thinges
necessarye and convenient for them. And likewise I give and bequeath unto my saide wife
the yearely some of Fifitie poundes in money to be paide her quarterly by even portions by
my saide Executor for and dureinge her naturall life out of my landes tenem[en]ts & hereditam[en]ts
respectively and in lewe of all Dowers Joyntures Guyfts and bequeathments by her to bee
claymed out of my said Landes, tenements and hereditaments whatsoever.

Item I give and
bequeath unto my sister Ellinor Moodye in money Five poundes.

Item I give and bequeath
unto my sister Joane Sampson in money Five poundes

Item I give and bequeath unto
my servant Nicholas Chiffinche five poundes of lawfull Englishe money.

Item I give and
bequeath unto all my other servants, w[hi]ch shalbe dwellinge w[i]th me at the tyme of my decease
and to every of them as well men servants as maide servants Tenne shillings a peece

Item I
give and bequeath unto the poore people of the p[ar]ishe of Potterne in money Five poundes
to be distributed amongst them at my funerall. All the residewe of my goods and Chattells
ymplements of howsehoulde and howsehould stuffe, my debts and legacies & Funerall expences
payde and discharged unbequeathed ^{I give and bequeath} unto John my sonne whome I make and ordeyne to
be my sole Executor of this my last will and testament And I doe kindlye entreate request
and desire my faythfull and lovinge freinds Thomas Baskervile Esquire, John Hitchcock

[folio 373 verso]
of Potterne gentleman and my Cosen William Blancharde to be my trusty Overseers of this my last will
and testament to see every thinges orderly and disposed accordinge to the true intent and playne meaninge
hearein expressed And I doe give to every of them for their paines therein Forty shillings a peece to
be converted into a Ringe in token of my love unto them . / Tho: Grubb. / Signed sealed and delivered
as the last will and Testament of the saide Thoas Grubb the Testator above named, The daye
and yeare above written in the presence of John Hitchcoke, Thom[a]s Lye John Ferris
Phillppa Wheller. /

Probate [in Latin] This will written above was proved at London before the venerable John Benet knight Doctor of Laws at a commission lawfully constituted at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on the twenty seventh day of April AD 1618. Judgement given to John Grubb the son of the deceased and the executor named in this will, to administer all and singular the goods credits of the deceased, having sworn on the Holy Saints to well and faithfully administer the same &c

Sources

1. ↑ Will of Thomas Grubbe or Grubb 1618: "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: 131
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #909906 (accessed 21 August 2022)
2. ↑ Judgement of the challenged will of Thomas Grubbe of Potterne 1618: "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: 131
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #910017 (accessed 21 August 2022)