Will of William Mason of St Clement, Worcester, 1577

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

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of William Mason, a tanner of the parish of St Clement, Worcester, Worcestershire, England. William wrote his will on 19 August 1577 when he was "sicke in bodie", and the will was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 26 October 1577 by a Notary Public appearing on behalf of Margaret his widow. ^[1] William also ordained his son Thomas to be the other executor, even though he was a minor. If Thomas was also Margaret's son, then he would have been aged about six years old at most, as William and Margaret were married in 1571.

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 (black and white scans of the originals), and the handwriting was readable.

Persons mentioned:

• William Mason Testator, of St Clement, Worcester
• Margaret Mason my wief wife of Testator. Married 1571. Margaret was probably not his first wife, as in her own will Margaret names her son from her second marriage as her eldest son. Co-Executrix
• Thomas Mason my Sonne Eldest son and co-executor. Under the age of 21 years.
• Arthure my Sonne Under the age of 21 years.
• Anne Mason my daughter Under the age of 21 years.
• Ellen Mason my Daughter daughter of Testator and Margaret. Under the age of 21 years.
• Fraunces Hackett my Daughter in Lawe perhaps stepdaughter from first marriage. Under the age of 21 years.
• William Hackett my Sonne in lawe perhaps stepson from first marriage. Under the age of 21 years.
• my Brother John Mason Overseer of will
• my Cosinne Elizabeth Mason his daught[e]r daughter of John Mason, Testator's neice
• Anne Cowlinge my Sister
• my Cosinne John Atkins her Sonne son of Anne Cowlinge, which indicates that she had previously been married to a man named Atkins.
• my Sister Jane Lie Testator's sister
• my Cosin Richard Lye Testator's nephew, son of Jane Lie
• my Cosin John Lie Testator's nephew, son of Jane Lie
• my Cosinne Thomas Lie Testator's nephew, son of Jane Lie
• my Cosin Daniell Lie Testator's nephew, son of Jane Lie
• my Cosinne Susan Lie Testator's neice, daughter of Jane Lie
• my Cosinne Jane Lie Testator's neice, daughter of Jane Lie
• my Cosinne Ellen Lie Testator's neice, daughter of Jane Lie
• my Cosin Joyce Lie Testator's neice, daughter of Jane Lie
• my servante John Page
• my Servante Henry Higgins
• my servante James Hill
• Edward Ninden my Apprentice
• Raphaell Badlam my Apprentice
• Rowland Nott myne Apprentice
• Richarde Taylor relationship not stated
• Elenor Hewes relationship not stated
• Thomas Cowlinge of the Citie of Worcester Cloathier Testator bought property from him.
• my Cosinne Robert Masonne of Ludlowe Overseer of will.
• Thomas Leighte mercer witness to will
• Humfrey Webbe witness to will
• Humfrey Tomes Cloathier witness to will
• Ric[hard] Packer Clerk witness to will

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[folio 283 recto]
In the name of God amen Anno D[omi]ni 1577, The Ninetenth daie of August / I William Mason
of the parishe of St Clement in Worcester, sicke in bodie by of perfect mynde and good Remembrance doe make and
ordaine my last will and Testament in mann[er] and forme followinge / First I give and bequeathe my Sowle to Almightie
God my Creator and Redeamer and my Bodie to the earth to be laide in so decent a place of Buriall, and after so conve=
nient a mann[er] as shall seme good to myne Executors /

Item I give and bequeath to be paide of my goodes and Chattells to
Margaret Mason my wief one hundred poundes /

Item I give to Thomas Mason my Sonne one hundred poundes / Item
I give to Arthure my Sonne A hundred poundes / Item I give to Anne Mason my daughter A hundred poundes / Item I
give to Ellen Mason my Daughter A hundred poundes / Furthermore my will is that theis Legacies be paide of my
goodes and Chattells by myne Executors to ev[er]ie Childe his or Legacie when he or she shall attaine to the age of
Twentie one yeares But if my daughters or eyther of them shall chaunce to be married before the foresaide time So that
it be by the consent of my wief and of my Ov[er]seers my will is that then they have theire Legacies at the time of theire mariages
Alsoe if it come to passe by thappointment of God to to whose tuic[i]on I committ them that anie of my Children die before the
Foresaide time Then my will is That the Legacies of the deceassed remaine to those my Children that shalbe the Survivors
And that they maye be well and vertuouslye brought upp I doe wholie in theis respects comitt them to my wellbeloved wyef
Together w[i]th theire Legacies /

Item I give to Fraunces Hackett my Daughter in Lawe Six poundes thirtene Shillinges
foure pence in money / Item I give to William Hackett my Sonne in lawe fyve poundes in moneye Moreov[er] my will is
That the Legacies of the aforesaide William and Fraunces be paide to eyther of them at the age of Twentye one yeares
But if it happen that they or eyther of ^them doe die before the foresaide tyme That them his or theire Legacie remaine to my Executors

Item I give to my Brother John Mason five poundes in money / Item I give to my Cosinne Elizabeth Mason his daught[e]r
Fortie Shillinges /

Item I give to Anne Cowlinge my Sister Fortie shillinges / Item I give to my Cosinne John Atkins her
Sonne fourtie shillinges /

Item I give to my Sister Jane Lie Fortie shillinges / Item I give to my Cosin Richard Lye
Fortye shillinge / Item I give to my Cosin John Lie Fortie shillinges / Item I give to my Cosinne Thomas Lie Fourtye
Shillinges / Item I give to my Cosin Daniell Lie Fortie shillinges / Item I give to my Cosinne Susan Lie Fortie shillings
Item I give to my Cosinne Jane Lie Fortie shillinges / Item I give to my Cosinne Ellen Lie Fourtie shillinges / Item I give to
my Cosin Joyce Lie Fortie Shillinges

Item I give to my s[er]v[a]nte John Page vj^s viij^d / Item I give to my S[er]v[a]nte
Henry Higgins vj^s viij^d / Item I give to my S[er]v[a]nte James Hill six shillinges eight pence / I give to Edward
Ninden my Apprentice six shillinges eight pence / Item I give to Raphaell Badlam my Apprentice six shillings eight
pence / Item I give to Rowland Nott myne Apprentice six shillinges eighte pence / Item I give to Richarde Taylor
six shillinges eight pence / Item I give to Elenor Hewes six shillinges eight pence /

Item I give to the parishe of Saincte
Clement towardes the redeaminge of theire Comunion Cupp Thirtie shillinges / Item I give to the poore of the same p[ar]ishe
Twentie Shillinges, w[hi]ch money I will that it be reserved in this poore mans boxe to be devided by the Cheif of the p[ar]ishe at
suchtime and to such p[er]sonns as they at theire discreation shall thincke good /

Item my last will and Testament is That
whereas by the Custome of the Citie of Worceseter my wief is to have my howse or Tenement wherein I doe inhabitt
for Tearme of her lief The same howse or Tenement w[i]th thapp[u]rten[a]nces together w[i]th A Cloase lienge and adioyninge
thereunto Latelie purchased by me of Thomas Cowlinge of the Citie of Worcester Cloathier to come remaine and
descende after the Death of my saide wiefe unto Thomas my sonne and to the heires of his bodie lawfullie begotten And
for default of such yssue my will is That the saide house w[i]th thappurten[a]nces and the saide Cloase shall come and remaine
to Arthure my Sonne and to the heires of his bodie lawfullie begotten / And for lacke of default of issue of the bodie
of the saide Arthure lawfullie begotten my will is that the saide house w[i]th thapp[u]rten[a]nces and the saide Cloase shall come
and remaine to Anne my Daughter and to the heires of her bodie lawfullie begotten And for defaulte of such issue my will
is that the saide howse w[i]th thapp[u]ten[a]nces and the saide Cloase shall come and remaine to Ellen my Daughter and to

[folio 283 verso]
Theires of her Bodie lawfully begotten / And for defaulte of such issue That then the saide howse or Tenement w[i]th thapp[u]rte
n[a]nces and the saide Cloase shall come descende and remaine unto the right heires of me the saide william forev[er] / Item my laste
will and Testament is That my saide house w[i]th thapp[u]rten[a]nces be kepte in Rep[ar]acons ten[a]ntable and so lefte by my Executors to
such as shall have right title to the same from time to time / Item further it is my will That all the glasse abought the said
house w[i]th all the wainscott, Table boords formes Bedsteedes nowe aboute or w[i]thin the saide howse doe remaine there for
Standerdes to be enioyed of my Executors duringe theire naturall lieves And soe after to remaine to my heires from
one to anoth[er] for ev[er] w[i]thout removinge or takinge awaie of the same And also my will is That my Tanhouse w[i]th
the Toles and ymplements be kept from time to time in Reparacons and so to remaine accordinge as the rest of the
Standerdes for ev[er] w[i]thout removinge or takinge awaie / And of this my Laste will and Testament I make and ordeine
my welbeloved wief Margaret Mason and my sonne Thomas Masonne my Executors Chardginge them both
as they will annsweare at the dreadfull daie of Judgment to the contrarie to deale faithfullie and iustlye in the same
accordinge to the speciall trust I have putt them in / In consideracon whereof I give to them the Rest of all my goodes
and Chattells not alreadie or hereafter bequeathed and given after my debts and Funeralls by them dischardged &
paide And of this my last will and Testament I make Supervisors and Overseers my Brother John Mason
and my Cosinne Robert Masonne of Ludlowe prayenge them and eyth[er] of them for gods sake as ^they loved me in my
lief time, So they wilbe ayders and assisters to my Executors in p[er]forminge the same And to the rest of my childre[n]
in obeyinge theire righte and duties accordinge to the true Tenor, pr[o]porte and trewe meaninge of this my last will and
Testament And in consideracon of my Ov[er]seers paines to be imployed aboute this my last will I give to eyther of
them Fortie shillinges to be paide them by my Executors Wytnesse hereof Thomas Leighte m[er]cer Humfrey
Webbe Humfrey Tomes Cloathier Ric[hard] Packer Clerk

Probate [in Latin] This will was proved in London before Master William Drurye Doctor of Laws at the Preorogative Court of Canterbury on the twenty sixth day of October AD 1577. Judgement given to John Bowought Notary Public, procurator for Margaret the widow and executrix named in this will who swore to Administer &c the goods &c. Judgement reserved for Thomas Mason the son in a minor estate, also an executor named in this will when he will come to be admitted