Will of William Poler (Pooler) of Worcester, 1593

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

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of William Poler or Pooler, gentleman of the City of Worcester, Worcestershire, England. William wrote his will on 7 July 1592 when he was well, and the will was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 9 May 1593. ^[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.
ff has been rendered as F.
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 readable.

Persons mentioned (not in order):

• William Poler also Pooler, Testator
• Margaret my wyfe Inherited all of William's property for the duration of her lifetime. Executrix of the will and residuary legatee. Guardian of their four minor children.
  • Will[ia]m Poler my sonne and heire eldest son, under the age of 21 years. Inherited the properties on the English side of the River Severn
  • Hughe Poler my sonne younger son, under the age of 21 years. Inherited the properties on the Welsh side of the River Severn
  • Susan my Daughter unmarried, under the age of 30 years. Two hundred pounds as a marriage portion.
  • Elizabeth my Daughter unmarried, under the age of 30 years. Two hundred pounds as a marriage portion.
• John Milward and John Draper probably churchwardens of the parish of Bewdley

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[folio 257 verso]
In the name of god amen The seaventh daye of
July in the yeare of our Lorde god a thowsand Five hundreth ninety twoe And in the foure and
thirty yeare of the Reign of o[u]r Soveraigne Ladye Elizabeth by the grace of god Quene of
England Fraunce and Ireland Defendor of the faithe etc I William Poler of the
Citye and Dioces of Worcester gent being of good and perfecte memorye I praise god doe ordayne
this my testament concerning my Last will in manner and forme following that is to saye First
and principally I doe bequeathe my Sowle to god the Father the sonne and the holye ghost my
Creator Redeemer and Comforter three persons and one god in Trinitye and unitye throughe whiche
faithe and by the bloud shedding deathe and meritts of my saide Savyo[u]r Jesus Christ I stedfastlye
beleve to be saved and to be of his electe to enioye the fruition of his eternall kingdome And my Bodye
to be buryed in christian buriall where it shall please my executrix uppon her discreac[i]on

Item I reserve
to my Executrix like discreac[i]on what she shall think convenient to be given to the poore people of the
Citye of Worcester at my Buriall And to the poore people of the towne of Bewdly I give forty shillings

[folio 258 recto]
to be paide distributed by my saide executrix within one yeare next ensewing after the daye of my decease
by the oversighte of John Milward and John Draper

Item I give and bequeathe to Margaret my Wyfe all
and singular my Landes tenements Rent Reversions sevices and hereditaments with theire appurten[a]nces
scituate Lying and being in Worcester Bewdlye and n the parishes of Kythermister ^[2] and Hartilbery ^[3]
or either of them And in Droytwiche ^[4] or ells where within the Countyes of Worcesters and Salop ^[5] or any
other County within the Realme of England To have and to holdethe same to the saide Margaret my wyfe
from and ymediately after the Daye of my decease for and During the terme of her naturall lyfe / And
towching the Remainder or Reverc[i]on thereof of inheritance my full minde will and intenc[i]on is that Will[ia]m
Poler my sonne and heire after the Decease of the saide Margaret my Wyfe shall have my Fattes ^[6] Walling and
all other my Landes tenements Rents Reverc[i]ons services and hereditaments with theire appurten[a]nces
scituate Lyinge and beinge in Worcester Droytewiche and in the parrishes of Kytherminster and Hartlibury
or ells where scituate Lyinge and being in or uppon the Englishe side of the River of Severne within any
County or Counties within the Realme of England To have and to holde and enioye the same from the Daye
of the Decease of the saide Margarett to the saide Will[ia]m my sonne and to theires of his bodye Lawfully begotten
And for Lack of suche yssue to remayne to Hughe Poler my sonne and to theires of his bodye Lawfully
begotten And for lacke of suche yssue to Susan and Elizabeth my Daughters and to the heires of theire
twoe bodyes Lawfully begotten / And for Lack of suche heirs to the righte heires of me the saide William
Poler and Margaret my Wyfe for evermore /

Item I give and bequeathe to the saide Hughe Poler my
sonne all and singuler my Lands tenements Rents Reverc[i]ons services and hereditaments with all and
singuler theire apputen[a]nces comoditites proffitts and advantages scituate lying and being in Worcester
Bewdly Dowles or ells where within the Realme of England and scituate Lying and being in or uppon the
Welshe side of the saide River of Severne To have holde and enioye the same from and ymediatley after the
Daye of the Decease of the saide Margaret my wyfe to the saide Hughe Poler and to the heires of his body
Lawfully begotten. And for Lack of suche yssue to remaine to the saide Will[ia]m Poler my sonne and to theires
of his bodye Lawfully begotten . And for Lack of suche yssue to remaine to Susan and Elizabeth my saide
Daughters, And to the heires of theire twoe bodyes Lawfully begotten And for Lack of suche heires to the Righte
Heires of me the saide Will[ia]m Poler and Margaret my Wyfe for evermore

Item I give and bequeathe to Susan
my Daughter in money and money worthe twoe hundreth pounds to be paide at her Daye of mariage so that the
saide Margaret my wyfe Doe agree and consent to suche Mariage or ells at her age of thirty yeares and not
before

Item I give and bequeathe to Marg Elizabeth my Daughter in money and money worthe Twoe
hundreth pounds to be paide to her at her Daye of mariage So that the saide Margaret my wyfe Doe
Lykewise agree and consent to suche mariage or ells at her age of thirty yeares and not before And if it
happen the saide Susan or Elizabeth to Dye before theire or either of theire Legacies shall happen to
be paide to them Then my minde and will is that the survivor of them shall have one hundreth pounds being
the moitye or halfe parte of her saide sisters bequest so Deceasing And if bothe my saide Daughters happen to
Dye before payment of theire saide Legacies or bequests Then my Will is that my saide sonnes William and
Hughe, yf they happen to survive theire saide sisters shall have one hundreth pounds of theire saide sisters
Legacies or bequeastes that is to saye Fifty pounds apeece. And if it happen my saide Daughters and one
of my saide sonnes to Dye before payment made as aforesaide Then my minde and will is that the survivor
of my twoe sonnes shall have the saide hundreth pounds being parte and porc[i]on of their saide sisters bequests

All the residue of all my goods cattells chattells Debts plate Juells ^[7] implements of howseholde and ready
money my Debts paide my Funeralls discharged and this my Last will performed I give and bequeathe
to Margaret my Wyfe towards her maintenance and to bringe upp my children and to performe this my
Last will and testament whome I make and ordayne my sole executrix to see the same performed accordingly

Probate [in Latin] This will written aove was proved in London before the Venerable Master William Lewyn, Doctor of Laws at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury the ninth day of May AD 1593. Judgement given to Thomas Iles, Notary Public who appeared for Margaret Poler the widow of the said deceased and executrix named in this will, having sworn to administer well and truly &c

Sources

1. ↑ Will of William Poler of Worcester 1593: "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: 81
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #900739 (accessed 1 July 2022)
2. ↑ Kidderminster, Worcestershire
3. ↑ Hartelbury, Worcestershire
4. ↑ Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire
5. ↑ Shropshire
6. ↑ Archaic spelling of vats
7. ↑ Jewels