Will of William Stodart, Leek 1558

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

The Will of William Stodart, Leek - date missing from Will but Inventory was taken 27 April 1558.^[1] Damaged at the top and this is a very difficult to read Will, there is also a difficult to decipher list of debtors on the back, and a separate inventory.

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the register copy. Capital F is rendered as F rather than ff. Abbreviations are expanded in [square brackets]. Paragraph breaks (where added) and bold text for names are my own for ease of reading.

• Wylliam Stodart (testator)
• Jamyes Stodert (son)
• Helyn (daughter)
• Cycyle (daughter)
• Katryne Wordle daughter of James Worlde
• Jane Lynfford daughter of John Lynfford
• Wylliam Knight
• John Steveson, wife of
• Wylliam Rushton
• Agnes Rushton
• Robert & Wylliam (sons)
• Jone (daughter)
• John Heggynbotham (overseer)
• Witnesses: Henry [B?]oth, Hugh Gordron and Thomas Heggynbotham

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I Wyll[ia]m Stodart of the p[aris]he of leke Beyng Sycke in Bodye and of [...]
my Testament Conteynyng herin my last ^^Wyll in mannere And Forme f[o]lowyng Fyrst I beque[a]th my soule to Almyghtye God to the ladye
Saynt marye and to all the holye companye of hevyn and my Bodye to be Buryed in the Churche yarde of Seynt [...]
at Leke / Also I beque[a]th to Rushton Chapell iijs iijd / Also my Wyll ys that Jamyes Stodert my son hall have all
the tylth of Corne aft[er] my decesse Whethe[r] ytt be in the fylde or in the barne and that he the same Jamyes shall kepe
suche of his Bretherne and Systerne as shall have nede so longe as the same Corne shall last / Also I
Wyll that the same Jamyes my son shall have all weynes ploughes youkes & harroes [...] [...] [...] & all other
treen ware^[2] afte[r] my decesse So that the said Jamyes my son do nott [marye?] [...] / also I gyve & beque[a]th to helyn my
doughte[r] one heyfe[r] with calve / also I gyve & beque[a]th to Cycyle my doughte[r] one [...] heyfe[r] / Also I gyve & beque[a]th to Wyll[ia]m
my son one Blacke heyfe[r] of iij^[...] yeres of age / Also I beque[a]th to Katryne Wordle doughte[r] of Jamyes Wordle ij Shepe / Also I beque[a]th
to Jane Lynfford doughte[r] of John Lynfford ij Shepe / Also I beque[a]th to Wyll[ia]m Knight one shepe / Also I beque[a]th to Wyll[ia]m
Rushton one Shepe / Also I gyve & beque[a]th to the Wyffe of John Steveson one Shepe / Also I beque[a]th to Rushton Agnes Rushton one
Shepe / Also I beque[a]th to any ^^{one of my} Children iiijd of money / Also my Wyll ys that afte[r] my Bodye Buryed my dette[s]
peyd my legeceyes dyscharged and thys my last Wyll p[er]formed & Fullfylled that all the resydue of my good[es] Chatt[les] remeyne
Uppon my three Children that ys to Wytte Rob[e]rt & Wyll[ia]m my sonnyes & Jone my doughte[r] equallye to be devyded amonge them / Also
I ordyne and make my true and lawfull execut[ors] Jamyes and Rob[er]t my sonnes to execute thys my last Wyll / And Wyll[ia]m
my son[ne] and John Heggynbotham to be my ov[er]seer[es] to See thys my last Wyll p[er]formed and Fulfylled / [Damaged] Wyttenes
henry [B?]oth hugh Gordron and Thomas heggynbotham [...] [...]

Sources

1. ↑ Probate: "Staffordshire, Dioceses Of Lichfield And Coventry Wills And Probate 1521-1860"
   FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 13 September 2023)
   William Stedart probate in 1558. Residence Leek, Staffordshire, England, Leek, Staffordshire, England.
2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Treen," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Treen&oldid=1172130366 (accessed September 16, 2023). Thanks to Francesca Murphy for finding the meaning.