Will of William Lane, grocer of London 1552

Date: 1552 [unknown]
Location: London, England

The Will of William Lane, grocer of London, written on 21 August 1552 and proved on 14 December 1552. Administration granted to Thomas Chamber and John Mere.^[1][2]

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the register copy. Capital F is rendered as F rather than ff. Abbreviations are expanded and additions noted in [square brackets]. Paragraph breaks (where added) and bold text for names are my own for ease of reading. Very difficult to read and not a very clear copy in either location.

People mentioned in the Will.

• Willyam Lane (testator)
• Thomas Lane (father)
• Anne (wife)
• Thomas Whetnall (lessor)
• Luke, Gabryell, Anne and Elizabeth Lane (sons and daughters)
• Elizabeth Osburne widow
• Peter Osburne (brother in law, son of Elizabeth)
  • Anne Osborne (wife, sister - not clear if this is William's sister or in law)
• Edward Jackman grocer, Edward Cole grocer, Henry Mylles grocer (tenants)
• Elynore (testator's illegitimate child)
• Thomas Lane (brother)
  • Thomas Lane (son of Thomas)
• Sybell Lane (servant)
• Robert Mere (brother in law)
  • John Mere (Robert's son)
• John Trenell (brother in law)
  • Alice Trennell (sister)
• Richard Lane (brother)
• William Shardvill of East Havant
• John Lane (uncle)
  • William Lane (John's son)
• John Mychell (servant)
  • Avere Mychell (John's brother)
• Nycholas Lane (brother, deceased)
  • Lettice Lane (sister in law, deceased)
• Thomas Walker Lether Seller of London
• John Butteler
• Albon Dubyll
  • Raffe Dubyll grocer of London (brother of Albon)
• Mistress Morton, wife of Edward Morton, grocer deceased (debtor)
• Thomas Stryklande grocer (debtor)
• Thomas Castell draper
• George Badcoke grocer (debtor)
• Roger Warffild grocer (debtor)
• Richard Pay (previous servant, debtor)
• Thomas Hazell pewterer of London
• Willyam Twym clothmaker
• Thomas Lane (kinsman)
• Thomas Chamber grocer
• Willyam Laxton Alderman (father in law or stepfather?)
• Edward Saxbye (brother in law)
  • Anne Saxbye (Edward's wife, sister)
• Joane Extone, Ellyn, Denyse (maids)
• Thomas Glasyer, Robert Jaksone (servants)
• Willyam Bennynge (tenant)
• Anne Adames the wife of Richard Adames mercer
• Symond Ludford grocer
• Mr Barin Saxby
• John Machell (brother in law)
• Witnesses William Laxton, Nycholas Luddington grocer, Thomas Chamber, George Badcok grocer, Galfrid[..] Johns, Richard Adams, John Mere

---

In the name of God Amen, I Willyam Lane thelder grocer of
London the sonne of Thomas Lane of fyshebyrne Beside Chechester Being hole of
mynde and memory. Thankes be to Almightie god therfore utterly refute all former
willes and testamentes /. Do nowe ordeyne and make this my last will and testament in
maner and forme folowing / First I bequeath my soule unto Almightie god and to his
sonne Jh[es]us Christe the seconnde parsone in trynitie throughe whose deathe & [...]
onlye I hope to inherite everlasting life as and heyre [thereunto?] bought by his death and
precious blood / [withunto?] all or every of my [...] / And trust at the last daye to aryse
agayne emonge theym unto whome yt shalbe sayd by hym / [...] wayse into the
Kingedom of my father prepared for you from the begynning [...] / And my Bodye to be
buried in the same p[ar]yshe churche wherin I shall happen to dye / with as litle cost as may
be / And yf myne Executours do bestowe a bond fourtie poundes upon my buryall to paye yt
them selfes oute of suche porc[i]on as shalbe growinge to theym / And yf my wyfe mynde
be to have yt buryed / sothat fourtie poundes will not do yt / then what is spent above to
be borne / half oute of suche porc[i]on as I do give her / and thother half by my Execut[ors]
And con[ser]ning my substance I will to be bestowed in forme folowing / And for they
I knowe the custom of the Citie of London . to have my goodes devided in thre p[ar]tes
I will therfore so devyde my goodes that nether my Wief nor my children shalbe [inyured?]

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of their third partes. but to have more then there third p[ar]tes / So that they take as herafter
shalbe apoynted there[in] by this my will / First I bequeathe to Anne myne wife foure & twentie
Hundreth poundes / In parte of payment whereof / I will that she have the lease of my dwelli[n]g
House of xxv yeres / And also the grannte of aleace of xv^ti yeres / after thexpirat[i]on of the said
xxv yeres / the which grannt I have in wrytinge of Thomas Whetnall under his seale
In parte of payment of the which xxiiij £ . I will that she shall have the said lease and
grannte / and all my houshold stuffes and furniture of the same, even as yt nowe standith
at the daye of my deathe . the whiche she shall take and receyve for the some of four hundreth
poundes . as it is so well worth / and further to have two thousand poundes in money to be
payde her / one thousande poundes w[ith]in . Sixe monthes after my deathe / and thother thousande
poundes to be payde her at thende of eightene monthes after my saide death / and this muche
I do geve her / So that she clayme not enny thirde parte of my two houses w[i]^t[h] ther app[ur]renances
in Buckelersbury in london or dowerye therof / And yf that she be not herewith content / then
I will she have the thirde parte of my goodes and howses according to the Custome of
the said City / and she to abyde the ricovery of all suche debts and marchanndyse that
shalbe Recovered and be inforraigne Realms accordinge to my Books / But I most hartily Require
her to except and stand to this my said bequest the whiche shalbe unto her most [...] / Item
I bequeath unto my foure Children . Luke, Gabryell, Anne and Elizabeth Lane, Three
Thousande poundes with the same money that ys in my hands of the bequest of my brother
Nicholas Lane and Lettyce his wyef which is two hundreth poundes / And more I bequeath
unto my saide foure Children two hundreth sixe and thirtie poundes which ys due to
me by obligacion . by Elizabeth Osburne widowe. and Peter Osburne her sonne / [Some?]
that I bequeath unto my foresaid children . Two and twentie hundreth sixe & thirtie
poundes / p[ar]cell wherof ys the saide two hundreth poundes of the bequest of my said Brother
Nicholas Lane and his said wief. The whiche some of xxij^C xxxvj^£ to be devided
betweene my saide foure Children porcion and porcion lyke / And yf any of theym dye
before Lawfull Ages then the survivors to be executors / to the deceaseds porcion lyke
which said Childrens porcions . I will to remayne in thandes of myne Executours untill
Luke and Gabryell Lane be of Lawfull Age / And also Anne and Elizabeth Lane be
maried / And that my Esecutours paye all such charges for the bringing up & fynding
of my saide Children untill full ages . for the occupacion of their saide money / so that
the saide Children have their hole money without enny deduction at their yeres
before saide . Item I bequeath unto luke Lane my sonne in fee tayle my greate howse in
Bucklersbury in london Cawled [s.vis] Toware the whiche ys nowe in thoccupacion of
Edward Jackman grocer / And I bequeathe unto gabriell Lane my sonne in fee tayle
the next tenement adioyning unto the said [s.vis] tower with the greate ware house and
celler byhynde the saide tenement . the which house ys also nowe in thoccupacion of
Edward Cole grocer and Henry Mylles grocer / And yf enny of my saide two sonnes dye
then the survivor shalhave the saide two howses warehowse and seller as before rehersed
But and yf both my saide sonnes dye without yssue/ Then those howses ware houses & seller
shall remayn bytweene my foresaide two daughters Anne and Elizabeth Lane in fee taile
and yf my saide daughters dye, then to remayne unto the right heyre of me willyam lane
Item I bequeath the rentes of my saide howses warehouse and seller which ys xxij^£ by
the yere for nynetene yeres unto the newe erected ospitalles in London / to bedyne at the
first quarter next after my deathe / with Condicion that the Receyvers of the same Rent
shall cawse and se the Ten[emen]tes of the said howses warehouse and seller / for to do [the?] repa[ra]c[i]ons
accordinge unto their leases made or grannted by me . Item I bequeath unto Elynore my
bastard daughter in flanders in the towne of Andwarpe fyftie poundes flemyshe to be [...]
into the towne howse of the saide towne of Andwarpe ymedyatlye after my deathe to her
use untill the daye of her mariage / but and yf she dye before she be lawfully maried
Then the said fiftie poundes shall be for thospitall for the poore in Seynt Barthomes Spitell
in London / Item I bequeathe unto the saide hospitall of Seynt Bartholmewes in London
fourtie poundes to be payde by twentie poundes ayere / Item I bequeathe unto Sybell
Lane my s[erva]nnte tenne poundes / Item I bequeath to the Children of Thomas Lane my
brother twentie poundes p[ar]cell of anobligacion of foure score poundes . that I have made
all redy / in the whiche fourescore poundes . this some of twenty poundes ys includyd / Item
I bequeathe to the Children of Robert[mere] my brother in Lawe twentie poundes / and John
Mere his sonne to have no parte ofthe said xx^£ / Item I bequeathe to the children of
John Trenell my brother in Lawe twentie poundes / Item I bequeathe to my brother Richard
Lane all suche money as he owith me and more twentie poundes / Item I bequeath unto Will[ia]m
Shardvill of east havant beside Chechester [xls/x£] which he owith me / Item I bequeath to Alice
Trenell my syster agold ringe with a deathes head of the waight of half [...] /
Item I bequeathe to my sister the said Robert Meres wief tenn poundes to be paid her by hir

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sonne John Mere my [...] abovesaide whensoev[er] she shall demannd yt / Item I bequeathe to
Wyll[i]am Lane the sonne of John Lane my uncle grocer of London threescore and fyftyne poundes
p[ar]cell of one hundreth poundes that he owith me / Item I bequeathe unto John Mychell my s[er[va]nnte fyve
poundes besides the Twenti poundes bequeathed hym by my syster Lane my brother Nycholas Lanes
wyfe / the whiche I must paye hym / And more I owe hym fourtie poundes that I owe hym which is
not in my bo[o]k / so that he must have in all with my bequest Threscore and fyve poundes . the whiche
I will shalbe payde hym when his yeres by Indenture of apprentishod dhalbe complytid / and for
the saide fourtie poundes . I and my brother Nicholas Lane stand bound to obligac[i]on unto the sayd
John Mychelles mother or unto his brother Avere Mychell unto whether of them I am not serteyn
but to the Obligacion . I refer me / Item I bequeathe unto Thomas Walker Lether Seller of London that
sumtyme was s[erva]nnte to John Butteler twentie poundes / Item I bequeathe unto Albon Dubyll brother
unto Raffe Dubyll grocer of London tenne poundes in recompence of a bargayne of Corante, that
his saide brother wo[u]lde not take of me / And where Mystres Morton late the wief of Edward
Morton grocer . ought to paye me Sixe hundreth threescore and sixtene poundes / I will that she
have Respitt for the payment therof from the daye that yt was due to me untill Christmas
next after the date hereof, and longer at the wille of my Executours /. Also where Thomas
Stryklande grocer ought to pay me nowe at Burtylmewtyd^[3] for my halfe of all the dattes
that he bought of me and Thomas Castell Draper which were receyved oute of Spayne & p[ar]table
betwen us , I have agreed with hym for my parte and have given hym three yeres daye of paym[en]t
every yere one thirde parte untill the hole some be paide / Also I do Respyte George Badcoke grocer, one
yere after my decease for the payment of all suche money as he owith me as in my books may appere
Also where as Roger Warffild grocer owith me foure score poundes payable at Christmas next / I do
Respyte hym for the payment thereof one yere after the daye that yt was due unto me /. Item I will
that all my plate and Jewelles what soever they be shalbe praysed as p[ar]cell of my goodes (Except all
suche Jewelles as my wief brought with her / and also all her Ringes that I gave her and one
Lyttle chayne for her neck and a tablett given her by my syster Nicholas Lanes wiefe / Item I beque[a]the
to my father Thomas Lane threescore poundes / and to my mother in Lawe his wiefe now beinge
fyve markes / And where Richard Pay that was my s[erva]nnte owith me a hundreth and fourtie poundes
by a statute marchannt . I clerely release hym and forgyve hym the debt therof / Item I bequethe
unto Thomas Hazell pewterer of London xls / Item I bequeathe unto Willyam twym clothmaker
xiij£ vjs viijd upon condicion ; that he receyve the Gold Woole that he bought of me , betw[e]ne this p[rese]nte
daye and Christmas daye next / Item I bequeathe unto Thomas Lane my kynsman dwelling
nowe with Thomas Chamber grocer the soume of fyve poundes / Item I bequeathe to Elizabeth
Mere my Cosyn dwelling nowe with the aforesaid Thomas Chamber the soume of five poundes
And over this my last will and testament / I ordeyne and make Thomas Chamber grocer
of London and John Mere my s[erva]nnte and Peter Osborne my brother in lawe to be myne
Executours / And to the said Peter Osborne I give for his paynes one hundreth markes . I say
Threescore sixe poundes thirtene shillinges and foure pence / And all the rest of my goods cattelles
Leases or what soever they be, and where soever they be unbequeathed . I frely give unto
Thomas Chamber and John Mere my other two Executours . In wytnes whereof and of this
my last will and testament . I the saide Willyam Lane hath hereunto set my seale and
subscrybed my name wrytten with myne owne hande the xxj daye of August in the vj^th
yere of the Reigne of our soveraigne Lorde Kinge Edward the Sixte / And in the
yere of our Lorde god a Thousande fyve hundreth fyftie and two /. Also I bequeathe
unto the foresaid Thomas Lane my father, my Crofte called fre Crofte in the p[ar]ishe of
fisheburne to hym and to his heyres forever / Also I bequeathe unto Joane Extone my
mayde fourtie shillinges / And unto Ellyn my mayde fourtie shillinges / And unto Denyse my maid
Twentie shillinges / And unto Thomas Glasyer my s[erva]nnte xls / And unto Robert Jaksone my
waterberare xx^s / And also I will that Willyam Bennynge my tennant next unto my dwell[in]g
howse to have foure nobles Rebatyd hym of his yerely Rent . I saye xxvj^s viij^d / And where I
have sayd before in this my last will and testament . that Peter Osborne my brother in law
shalbe one of myne Executours . nowe I will that he shalhave nothinge to do with this my
said will / untyll he paye the foresaid CCxxxvj £ . that he and his said mother owith me . the
whiche I have bequeathed unto my Children as before said of the said peters' & his mothers'
proper goodes / p[er] me Willyam Lane grocer thelder / For witnesses p[er] me Will[ia]m Laxton
p[er] me Nycholas Luddington grocer . by me Thomas Chamber. by me George Badcok grocer
Further . I the abovesaid Willyam Lane will that the companye or feloshipp of the
Lyvery of the grocers to have for adynner amongste theym the some of fyve poundes Also I
bequeathe unto Willyam Laxton Alderman my father in lawe a Ringe of gold with a
deathes hedd of the value of one [...] of gold / and another Ring of gold with a deathes
head of the value of foure Angelles for my lady his wiefe / And another Ringe of gold with
a deathes hedd of the value of foure Angelles for Nicholas Luddington / Also unto Master
Edward Saxbye and my sister Anne his wief to either of them a ringe of golde of the
value of foure Angelles / And also a Ringe of golde of foure Angelles with a deathes head unto

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Anne Osborne . the wief [nowe?] beinge of my aforesaid ^Brother Peter Osburne / And also a Ringe
of foure Angelles for my mother mother in Lawe Elizabeth Osburne with the lyke deathes
head // More I bequeathe unto Anne Adames the wife of Richard Adames mercer foure
poundes / Also I bequeathe unto George Badcoke that was my s[erva]nnte the some of foure poundes
More I bequeathe another Ringe of gold of the value of foure Angelles with a deathes
head unto Roger Warfild / More I bequeathe unto the unniversities of Cambridge and
Oxford the some of three score poundes porcion [...] / and to be payd to the sayd unniversites
as [...] fourtie poundes of the late bequest of my syster Lettice Lane and the wiefe late of my
brother Nicholas Lane / And also I Devyse that there shalbe given fourtie Russet gownes
unto twentie poore men and twentie poore women / And also I will that baptist [...]
shall have a Ringe of gold with a deathes head of the value of foure Angelles / And I
bequeathe unto Symond Ludford grocer xls / And more I do forgive Roger Averell grocer /
the two third partes of all suche debtes as he owith me apon condicion that he paye the rest that
he owith me betwen this daye and Christmas daye next / And also I bequeathe a Ringe of
gold with a deathes head of the weight of halfe an[...] unto Robert Cresswell / per me
Willyam Lane grocer / for wytnes hereunto , p[er] me Galfrid[..] Johns . p[er] me Richard Adams
memorandum that I will that Master Alderman Sir Willyam Laxton and my
Mother his wiefe to have either of theym a blacke gowne / And M^r Barin Saxby a blacke
gowne / And Anne my wiefe and Thomas Chamber and his wiefe either of theym a blacke
gowne / And John Machell my brother in lawe a blacke gowne / and my brother Peter Osburne
a blacke gowne / my meaning ys that so many of the fornaymed parsons as be at my buriall
to have blacke gownes / else nott / And also I will . that Thomas Lane the sonne of my brother
Thomas Lane late deceased and nowe beinge in France at Roane / to have delyvered hym
by myne Executours at his age of xxij^ti yeres the some of twentie poundes / and also myne
Executours shall paye all his charges fo one hole yeare being in Roane / And I will y^t
yf the said Thomas Lane [enyure?] the lease of my father Thomas Lanes [ferme?] at fisheburne
that he nowe [o...] / then shall not he enyure not have the forsaid twentie poundes /
But yf that he have not the said Lease given hym by my saide father Thomas Lane / then
I will that he the said Thomas Lane the sonne of my saide brother Thomas Lane shalhave
the saide twentie poundes / But and yf the saide Thomas Lane the sonne of my said brother
do enyure the same lease and dwell upon the same ferme / then I will that the same xx£
that he shold have as beforesaide / be gyven unto my brother Richard Lane (yf he be then
Lyvinge) ellse to remayne to Thomas Chamber my Executour /. Item I bequeathe to
Thomas Chamber my godsonne twentie poundes /. Item I will that myne Executours
shall paye unto tenne madys mariages . that shalbe maried in the p[ar]ishe of fisheburne
next after my devease the some of tenn poundes (that is to saye to every one of the said
Tenne maydes twentie shillinges apeice / And the same money shalbe paide them their
at fysshburne / And more I will that myne Executours . shall for every whytsontyd for th^e
space of fyve yeares next after my decease give unto the p[ar]isheners of fisheburne / two
Shepe two Calves and two Lambes with so muche Breade and drynke as shalbe
[...] to be spente unto the said two shepe two Calves and two lambes / And that yt
shalbe eatone of the people of the said p[ar]ishe of fysheburne upon the high strete of
the same p[ar]ishe which id callyd fysheburne strete /. / Also I will that Willyam Benninge
grocer dwelling in the tenement next unto my dwelling house . shall holde & enyure
his saide dwelling house for the terme of his lyfe paying his due rent quarterly
Twentie shillinges which ys Just foure poundes every yere / And also I will that
every Childe of the saide towne of fyshburne shall have xij^d / all that be under
thage of xv yeres / And I will that allthe waightes skailles and [...] . that be
in my house shalbe praysed as p[ar]cell of my goodes / and not to be compted as anny
parte of my houshold stuff / And next I bequeath my best gowne unto Nicholas
Lodington / And unto my saide father Thomas Lane two gownes . thone furred & thother
lyned / And another gowne to Roger Warfild and another gowne unto George Badcoke
p[er] me Willi[a]m Lane grocer thelder / p[er] me Nich[ola]s Luddington grocer for wytnes / p[er] me
John Mere / per me Thomas Chamber /

[Probate in Latin, extract in header]

Sources

1. ↑ PROB 11/35/414 Description: Will of William Lane, Grocer of London Date: 14 December 1552 Held by: The National Archives, Kew
2. ↑ Will: "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: 35
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #937543 (accessed 21 October 2023)
   Will of Willmi Lane, granted probate on 14 Dec 1552. Died about 1552 in Londay.
3. ↑ Feast of St Bartholomew, held on 24 August.