Will of William Bliszard, gentleman of Worcester, 1620

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

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of William Bliszard, gentlemen of the City of Worcester. William wrote his will on 6 January 1619/20 when he was "sicke in Bodie" and the will was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 18 February 1619/20. ^[1]

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 acceptable, and the handwriting legible (secretary hand).

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[folio 163 recto]
In the name of God Amen The sixte daie of
Januarie in the yeare of our Lord god accordinge to the Computac[i]on of the Church of England
one thousand six hundred and nyneteene I William Bliszard of the cittie of Worcester in
the Countie of Worcester gent, beinge sicke in bodie but of good and perfecte memorie
thanckes be to Almightie god doe make this my Last will and Testamente in manner and
forme followinge First I bequeath my soule to Almightie god my maker in full assurance
of everlastinge liefe thorough the merritts of Christ Jesus my onlie Saviour And my bodie
to the earth from whence it came to be interred accordinge to the discreac[i]on of my executors
And for my estate wherewith god hath endowed me in this worlde I doe dispose of it in mann[er]
followinge

Imprimus I give and bequeath to the poore of everie parish within the Cittie
Worcester the some of twentie shillinges apeece for each parish to be delivered by my
Executors to the Churchwardens and overseers of the said parishes and by them to be distributed
to such persons as are in greatest necessitie

Item I give and bequeath to Jane Brace wief of
Richard Brace Mary Stone wife of William Stone and Catherine Skynner wief of John
Skynner beinge my three Sisters tenne poundes apeece of lawfull English money which I
will to be paid unto them within one yeare next after my decease

Item I give and bequeath
unto Elizabeth Bodnam my servannte fortie shillinges Alsoe I give and bequeath unto
John Nott fortie shillinges

Item I give and bequeath unto Isabell my wife all my goodes
houshould stuffe and plate which are within the house where I nowe live and dwell excepting
three of the best featherbeddes three of the best boulsters three of the best dowle pillowes
three of the best Ruggs three payer of the best blancketts six payer of the best hempen sheetes
six of the best pillowebeares (all which thinges excepted) I give and bequeath unto Frannces
Bliszard Rotheram Bliszard and John Bliszard my three sonnes to be equallie devided
betwixte them by my executors

Item I give and bequeath unto Isabell my wief for and
toward her mainteynannce one Annuitie of fourtie poundes a yeare to be yearelie paid unto
her fourth of the proffitts of my estate at two Feastes in the yeare Vizt. at the Feastes of the
Annunciac[i]on our blessed ladie Sainte Mary the Virgin and Sancte Michaell tharchanngell
by equall porc[i]ons for and duringe the terme of her naturall life Alsoe my will is that my said
wife shall have and receive fourth of the proffitts of my estate one other Annuitie of fourtie
poundes in manner followinge vizt twentie markes apeece yearelie for the mainteynannce and
educac[i]on of my three sonnes untill they shall accomplish their severall ages of fouteene
yeares And at such times as they shall severallie accomplish the said age of fourteene yeares the
said severall sommes of twentie markes yearelie apeece to be paid for there mainteyn[a]nce and
education as aforesaid shall respectivelie cease and determine Alsoe I ^doe give and bequeath unto
my said wief the house in the Heigh Streete within the cittie of worcester aforesaid where in
S^r Edward Littleton knight nowe dwelleth for the terme of one and thirtie yeares yf shee
shall soe Longe Live and continewe sole and unmarried after my decease and shall pay the yerelie
Rente due for the same to the Lordes thereof And the residue of my estate and terme of yeares of
and in the said house which shall remaine and be unexpired after the determinac[i]on of the said terme
of one and thirtie yeares or after such tyme as my said wife shall either dye or be married againe
after my decease I doe give and bequeath unto Frannces Bliszard my sonne

Item I give and
bequeath to M^r Doctor Hann[er] a mourninge gowne and a peece of two and twentie shillinges
to make him a Ringe And I doe entreate him to preache a Sermon at my buriall

Item I give
to M^ris Warmstrye wife of M^r William Warmstrie a peece of twentie two shillinges to make
her a Ringe

Item I give to M^r Anthony Langston and his wife two and twentie shillinges a peece
to make each of them a Ringe

Item I give and bequeath to M^r William Warmstrye M^r Thomas
Rotheram and M^r John Hastlocke unto each of them a mourninge Cloake and two and twentie
shillinges apeece to make each of them a Ringe

Item I give and bequeath to M^r Thomas Symonds
William Symonds Frannces Walker and George Smith two and twentie shillinges apeece
to make each of them a Ringe

Item whereas Frannces Streete the younger sonne of Frannces
Streete of the Cittie of Worcester Brewer is to paie unto me the some of one hundred Fiftie
five pounds yerelie for the Terme of twelve yeares now nexte ensewing I doe herebye will

[folio 163 verso]
and appointe that my executors shall abate and remitt unto him yearelie the som[m]e of thirtie
fyve pounds parte ^of the said yerelie Rente or Annuytie of one hundred fiftie five pounds yf soe bee
that ^he the said Franncis Streete the younger doe and shall well and trulie pay one hundred
and twentie poundes yearlie residue of the said Rente or Annuytie of one hundred fiftie five
poundes duringe the foresaid terme of twelve yeares and not otherwise

Item whereas I have
a Judgmente entered in his ma[jes]^ties Court of Kings Bench of the some of four hundred poundes
against William Bliszard of Hampton neare Evisham in the Countie of Worcester my will
is that yf he the said William Bliszard doe well and trulie paye the some of three hundred
poundes within the space of thre yeares of three yeares next after my decease in manner followinge
vizt one hundred poundes yerelie in each of the said three yeares then my executors shall
abate and remitt unto him the said William Bliszard the some of one hundred poundes
Residue of the said four hundred poundes And my will alsoe is that uppon paymente of the
said three hundred poundes in manner aforesaid the said Judgmente shalbe dischardged And
all writinges and conveyances remayninge in my possession of anie of the Landes tenementes or
hereditaments shalbe delivered upp unto him by my executors

Item whereas Anne Pewe
of the Cittie of Worcester widdowe oweth me uppon a bonde in the name of M^r Anthoney
Langstone to my use and behoofe the some of three score and twelve poundes of lawfull English
money my will is and I doe hereby appointe that if she the said Anne Pewe does well and
trulie paie cause to be paid unto my executors the some of six poundes thirteene shillinges
and four pence yerelie and in everie yeare for the space of tenne yeares next after my decease that
then the said bond shalbe delivered upp unto her and she released of the residue of the said debt
of threescoore and twelve pounde

Item whereas Anne Callowehill widdowe late wife of Tho:[mas]
Callowhill standeth bounde unto me in the some of fourtie poundes for paymente of twentie
poundes of lawfull English money which said bonde hath beene longe since forfeyted and
the money yet unpaid Notwithstandinge yf shee the said Anne Callowhill shall well and
trulie pay or cause to be paid to my executors the some of twentie poundes of lawfull English
money within one yeare next after my decase then I doe remitt and forgive her the penaltie of
the said bond and not other wise

Item whereas by deede inrolled bearinge date the tenth
day of May in the years of the raigne of out Soveraigne Lord James of England France
and Ireland Kinge &c the seavententh, and of Scotland the two and fifteth made betwene
Walter Blounte of Grimley in the countie of Worcester gent of the one parte and Thomas
Rotheram of the Cittie of Worcester in the said Countie of Worcester gentleman and John
Haselocke of the same Cittie and Countie Apothecarie of thother partie the said Walter
Blounte did amongest other thinge convey and assure divers lands tenements and hereditam[en]ts
with thappurtenannces lyinge in the parishes of Wichenford and Hallowe in the Countie of
Worcester unto the saide Thomas Rotherame and John Haselocke their heires and Assignes forever
which said estate and conveyannce was onelie made unto them the said Thomas Rotheram
and John Haselocke upon confidence and in truste for me and to my onelie use and behoofe
I doe give and bequeath unto Frannces Bliszard my sonne and to his heires forever
All and Singuler the said Lands Tenementes hereditamentes rentes and reverc[i]ons and all
other thinges whatsoever conteyned in the said deeds inrolled and thereby conveyed or
therein mente or menc[i]oned to be conveyed or assured by the said Walter Blunte unto
the said Thomas Rotherame and John Haselocke their heires and Assignes And my will
is and I doe hereby appoint that my executors shall receive the Rents proffitts and
comodites growinge and arisinge of and from the ^said lands tenementes and hereditamentes
and every parte and parcell thereof and the same shall imploy in stocke for the beste
use of my said sonne Frances untill such tyme as hee shall accomplish the age of four=
teene yeares and be removed and taken from his Mothers keepeinge and otherwise placed
and disposed of by my said executors ^{& And then my sayd Exec[ut]ors} shall allowe unto him such maintenance for his
education fourth of the said Rentes proffitts and commodities as they shall thincke fitt
untill hee shall accomplish the full age of one and twentie yeares at which time tyme
they shall satisfie and payover unto my saide sonne Frannces the residue and remainder
of all the said Rentes proffitts and commodities for by them gathered and received as aforesaid

[folio 164 recto]
All the Residue of my goodes catttells chattells and debtes my debtes legacies and Funerall expences
dischardged and paid I doe give and bequeath unto Rotherame Bliszard and John Bliszard
my two younger sonnes to be equallie devided betwixte them And my will is that each
of my ^said two younger sonnes shall receive his parte of my said estate when he shall accomplish
the age of one and twentie yeares And in the meane tyme to be imployed by my executors
to the beste use and proffitt of them my said two younger sonnes

Lastlie I doe make constitute
and ordaine William Warmstrie Esquire Thomas Rotherame gent and John Haselocke executors
of this my Last will and testamente and I doe give unto each of them for there paines to bee
taken about the same Tenne poundes appece Witnesses hereunto Geo: Smith John Haselock Thomas Rotheram

Memorandum that at such tyme as the Testament above menc[i]oned was reade unto the said
William Bliszard after the makeinge thereof he confessed it was well and according to his
true meaning but said that one thinge must be altered which was That whereas
there was menc[i]oned of an Annuytie from Frannces Streete Jun[ior] for twelve yeares yt
muste be but for eleavan yeares and a halfe for that they had beene with him that day
and had wrangled him oute of halfe a yeare Geo: Smith

Probate [in Latin] the will was proved at London before the venerable John Benet knight and Doctor of Laws presiding at a commission of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury the eighteenth day of February AD by the English Computation 1619 Judgment given to William Warmstrie, armiger, Thomas Rotherame, gentleman and John Haselocke the executors named in this testament to administer all and singular the goods and credits of the said deceased well and faithfully having been sworn &c.

Sources

1. ↑ Will of William Bliszard 1620: "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: 135
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #973536 (accessed 22 August 2022)