Will of William Leynthale of Latchford c 1495

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

The Will of William Leynthale of Latchford was written on 31 May 1495. The probate states it was proved on 27 August in the "year before written", but the date it was written is the only date on the record. The surrounding records have the probate date of 1497, and there is a brass in Great Haseley Church which gives his date of death as 28 August 1497.^[1] Both records have the place mistranscribed as Rutheford/Ratheford.^[2][3]

Transcription conventions used in this text:

• Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
• 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.
• Illegible words or parts of words are marked [...]
• The image quality was average, and the handwriting legibility very poor, the copy at Ancestry being only slightly better, so there may be errors.

Persons mentioned:

• William Leynthale of Lacheford (testator)
• Thomas Leynthale (son, there is one instance of his name written Bynthale, which is presumably an error)
• Katrine (wife)
• John Leynthale (son)
• Edmunde Lenthale (son)
• Alice and Johanne (daughters)
• Walter Rhodes (sold land to testator)
  • Kat[hr]ine (his wife, testator's aunt?)
• Richard Martyn
• Sir Stephen Slober
• John Martyne
• Robert Mortymer
• Edmonde Godburye
• Nicholas Grene
• Thomas Danners of Waterstoke [Waterstock]
• Thomas Harrop parson of Stoke Talmage, Oxfordshire
• Richard Crofte of Cheping Norton
• Richard C? (proposed husband of daughter Alice)
• John Leynthale of Tawnton (cousin)
• Sir Thomas Tyler clerk, Hugh Tyler his brother
• George Briggew...? of Leynthale Starkes
• Nicholas Bekynhill of Wigmore
• No witnesses named

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[folio 91 recto]
In the name of god Amen the last day of May the yere of oure lord god m^t cccc lxxxxv And
the yere of the Reigne of oure soveraigne Lord King Henry the vij^th the xj . I William Leynthale of
Lacheford in the Countie of Oxenford being in my good and hoole mynde make ordeyne and dispose
this my p[rese]nt testament and last Wil in man[ner] hereafter expressed / Firste I bequeth my soule to Almyght[ie]
god my Creator and maker his blessed moder Marye the virgine / my bodie to be buried in Cristin
buriell Within church as god shall Dispose for me / Also I bequeth to the p[a]rsone of Grete hasley for
tithes forgoten and mystithed vj s viij d Also to the Cathedrall church of Lincoln. iiij d Also I be
queth to the Chapell of our blissid lady of Leynthale where I was borne xx s. Also I bequeth to the
Church of Stoke Talmage of Marie Magdalene. iij. s iiij d Also I bequeth x s to be Distributed to
poore folkes to pray for my soule, and the soules of them that I have had my goodes of not Recompe[n]sed
nor satisfied Also I Wil that myne Executour do to be deliv[er]yd in contynent after my deceasse . to
the Churchmen of Grete haseley. iiij kyne or Heyferds Whiche I bequeth to the Mayntenyng of
certayne lighters there that is to say to the Trinitie light ij of the said kyne or Heyfers . the other
ij to the Roode light of saint [Katrine] saint Katrine Saint Cristofre. and to other lightes there that be
nedefull to be [holpin] . Also I bequeth to the mayntenynge of the bellis. iij s iiij d Also I bequeth to my
sone Thomas Leynthale my Cheyne of goold. Also I bequeth to my sone John Leynthale myn Agnes
of goold . Also I bequeth to my Wife Katrine xx ^Li of money or value thereof of my goodes . As she and
I be aggreed . Also I bequeth to my Childerne Thomas Leynthale John Leynthale Edmunde Lent
hale . Alice and Johanne my dought[er]s . alle myne other goodes Cattailles and Dett[es] What soev[er] they be equally
to be dividid by twixt my said Childern for there finding and promoc[i]on . And to be put into an Indifferent
mannys handys and guiding to the improvement and increase of my said Childern finding sufficia[n]t
surerte to Answere it to thaim and trewly to dele . taking the thirde [...]d of gayne for his labo[ur] and be
synes / And yerely to yelde to the exhibicion and finding of my said childern there nede is./ Also I Wil
that my said Wife Katrine have the Rewle and encreas. of alle my goodes plate Detts and Cataill. tyll
Thomas Bynthale ^[4] come to his ful age / toward the finding of him . and of all myne other Childern to then
tent ^[5] afore expressid yf she kepe hir silf soole. and not to marye. Also I Wol that my sone John Leyn
hale have an Annuyte of xl s yerely to be made to him by my sonne Thomas Lyntehale. at his
fulll age . yf I do it not / And to the heires mascules of the said John body Lawfully begotin To
be taken and yerely to be [p[er]ceived?] atte ij termes there usuell, w[ith] a clause of distresse [...es] and
expenses. aftre vj Wek[es]. oute of my fee simple landes in Wigmore land, in Pechefeld and
Leynthale whiche I p[ur]chasid of Walter Rhodes. and of Kat[hr]ine myne [Aunte] his Wife . With
a proviso. That if hereaftre the heires of me purchese Landis, and tenement[es] to like value
over the Reprises. and make astate to my said sonne John Leynthale or to his heires masculis to
thentent and effect afore exp[re]ssid. That thenne the said graunt of Annuytie to be voyde and Re
[stored] to be cancellid . Also I Wil that my feoffees of and in c[er]teyn Landes made by me and my
said Wife of Landes being fee simple in the par[r]issh of Haseley in the Towne and Feld[es] of
Lacheford. Do make and graunt like Annuyte With like promise to my sonne Edmonde Leynthale
and to the herese [mascules] of his body laufully comyng of xls yerely. And aftre that to [Relaxe] the
said Landes and tenement[es] to my sonne Thomas Leynthale and to the heires masculis of his body lau
fully comyng. In Defalte of suche heires to my other childern and their like heires [seriatum]. And in
Defalte of suche heires To the heires generall of me and my[ne] wife forev[er]more Also I Woll that of
the xx ^Li whiche Richard Martyn and Sir Steph[e]n Glover prest stande bounden for be gevin xj ^Li
xiiij s iiij d to an honest preste to singe att Whitechurch for the soule of John Martyne his Fader moder

[folio 91 verso]
And other yf he soo canne be gotin for ij yeres or else to the said prest aftre vj ^Li by the yere Also I Wol that
a stone with myne Armes of Marbill with an ymage and scripture be lined according uppon my buryell
Also I will that I have ev[er]y yere the space of x yeres a trental ^[6] yerely Also I will that my monthis
mynde there be a Trental songe for me. Also, I Woll there be songe for me Immediatly aftre my decesse
Cl ^[7] masses of Requiem ev[er]y prest so singing for ev[er]y masse, ij d Also I Wil that Cl masses De nomine Jh[es]u
et quinq[ue] vulneritz ^[8] be like wise as is aforesaid . songe for me. Also I will that the Abbot and Covent
of the Abbey of Thame have an Annuyte of xviij s yerely for ev[er]more owte of my fee simple Londes. Which
I and my wife Kat[hr]ine have made a state of to Divers Fees if it may be doe to the suerte of them And els to
geve to the use of the said place xx ^Li in money in fulsatisfac[i]on and Recompense of the same . for the . I Rob[er]t
Mortymer and Edmonde Godburye stande bounde by oure obligac[i]on ev[er]y man[ner] in x marc Reseyv ing the said
obligac[i]on and Acquietaunce under [Coment] seale discharging the same Also I Wol that ev[er]y Godchild W[ith]in
the parissh have an Ewe and a Lambe./ And of this my p[rese]nt testament I make and ordeyne myn Exe
cutours my sonne Thomas Leynthale and my gossip^[9] Nicholas Grene of Haseley./ And theire overseers my
moost singuler and sp[e]ciall maister. my maiste[r] Thomas Danners of Waterstoke esquier. And my Wife Kat[hr]ine
and my moost betrusted gossip maist[er] Thomas Harrop p[ar]sone of Stoke Talmage. In Whome I put my hoole
confidence and trust to do for me . as they Wold in caas like I did for them / Also I Woll that ev[er]y of them have
for there labo[ur] and besines xl s ./ In Witnesse Whereof to this my p[rese]nt testament Wretin W[ith] myn owen
hand I have put my seale and subscribed my Name the Day and yere above Wretyn.

And forthermore I the said William Leynthale W[ith]in named com[m]itte the Rule and guydinge of my
Childerin to my moost best betrustid maister Richard Crofte of Cheping Norton esquire w[ith] alle suche lyvelode and
goodes as I by this my p[rese]nt Wil and testament have bequest and assigned . unto theim for his maist[er]ship to be
Emprowed of theire profit and promocion . And as they canne be hable to [grde] it ev[er]y of my Childern to have
there part and porcion of the said goodis into there handes and Disposicion[s]. And in Reformyng of the said good[es]
An Indenture to be made of the verrey due value thereof by tweine his maist[er]ship and my Wife and myne
Executours So that the certainte of ev[er]y Childes part may be knowen And yf so be that my said Wife
Kat[hr]ine mary not and have the charge and finding of my said Childern that thenne she to have the pro
fyt and encrese of the said goodes and londes to theim Assigned for hir charge and cost[es] With the good
oversight of my said sp[ec]iall maister Also I Wil that Richard [Cr...p...] be maried to Alice my dought[e]r . yf no
better promocion can be provided for hir. Also I Wil that the hoole grounde of Lacheford as Wele
fee simple land as Intailed lond be hooly put to ferme to one man With suffisaunt suerte / My Wife
Kat[hr]ine having to hir part thereof yerely xx ^Li That is to say. x ^Li as she and I had to ferme of br/> hir fader and x ^Li that is improwed by hir and me. And the Residue of the Rent of the said land[es]
With thapp[ur]ten[a]nc[es] to the finding of my Childern With the profitt[es] of my land in Wigmore Land As
she and I be aggreed. Also I wil that my cousin John Leynthale of Tawnton have yerely Duering his
lief . xx s yerely. oute of the Landes in Wigmore. And that Sir Thomas Tyler Clerk Hugh Tyler
of Covenhope his brother George [Briggewat?] of Leynthale Starkes and Nicholas Bekynhill
of Wigmore feoffees to myne use of suche Landes and tenement[es] in Wigmore. as I have of my
said cousin Do make a state in fee taile to my sonne and heire. And so fro heire to heire the Remaynder
And the said Sir Thomas Tyler and Hugh his brother to deliver to the use of myne heires. the
Evidences of the said landes and tenement[es] / In Witnesse that this is my Wil I have subscribed
my name With myne ownehand that Wratt alle this my Will and testament./

Probatum fuit sup[ra]scriptum testamentum Apud Lamehith vicesimo septimo Die mensis Augusti Anno
Domini sup[er]dict' Juramento Executorum &c ac App'batum et Infirmat' &c Et comissa fuit Administrac'o' omn' &
sing'loru' bonor' & Debitorum &c Executorib[u]s in d'c'o testamento nominat[ibus] &c De bene et fidelit[er] administrand' &c
Ac de pleno & fideli Inventar' &c ___ festum Omn[ium] s[anc]torem &c^[10]

[Probate in Latin this will was proved at Lamehith ^[11] the twenty seventh day of August AD written above. Bu the oath the executors &c]

Sources

1. ↑ Oxford University Brass-Rubbing Society; Oxford University Antiquarian Society, The Oxford journal of monumental brasses
   Oxford, Printed for the Society by H. Hart; 1897; page: 172
   Internet Archive (accessed 5 February 2024) Photo of the brass
2. ↑ PROB 11/11/53 Description: Will of William Leynthale or Lenthale of Rutherford, Oxfordshire Date: 27 August 1496 Held by: The National Archives, Kew
3. ↑ 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: 11
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #891367 (accessed 4 February 2024)
   Will of Willmi Leuthale, granted probate on 27 Aug 1496. Died about 1496 in Ratheford, Oxenford.
4. ↑ probably Lenthale mistranscribed
5. ↑ the intent
6. ↑ a series of masses for the soul
7. ↑ 150
8. ↑ Mass of the Five Wounds
9. ↑ Eidinow, Esther, 'Identifying Gossip', Envy, Poison, and Death: Women on Trial in Classical Athens (Oxford, 2015; online edn, Oxford Academic, 24 Mar. 2016), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199562602.003.0011, accessed 5 Feb. 2024.
10. ↑ Feast of All Saints (1 Nov)
11. ↑ Lambeth

Acknowledgments

• Many thanks to Andrew Millard for filling in some gaps and to Jo Fitz-Henry for proof reading.