Wlll of Richard Hathaway, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, 1582

Date: 1581 to 1582
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
Surname/tag: hathaway hathway

This is a transcript of the will of Richard Hathaway, husbandman, of Shottery in the parish of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He will was dated 1 September 1581 and proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 9 July 1582.

His original will is held by the National Archives in series PROB 10/107. A digital image is available on the online exhibition SHakespeare Documented. A registered copy of the will is also among the records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury: see PROB 11/64/352, A digital image of the registered copy is also available on Shakespeare Documented.

This transcript retains the original spelling and punctuation. Paragraph breaks have been added to improve readability.

Transcript

In the name of gof Amen the ffirst daye of September in the yeare of our lorde god 1581 and in the Three and Twentithe yeare of the Raigne of our Sou[er]aigne ladie Elizabeth by the grace of god Queene of Englande ffraunce and Irelande Defender of the ffaythe &c I Rychard Hathway of Shottree in the p[ar]isshe of Stratforde vpon Avon in the countie of Warwicke husbandeman Beinge sicke in bodie butt of p[er]fecte memorye I thanke my lorde god do ordayne and make this my last Will and Testament in maner and forme ffollowinge

ffyrst I bequeth my soule vnto almightie god (trustinge to be saved my the merytes of Christes passyon) and my Bodie to be Buried in the Churche or churche yarde of Stratford aforesaid

Item I geve and bequethe vnto John Thomas my sonne vj^li xiij^s iiij^d to be paid vnto him att the Age of Twentie yeares

Item I geve and bequeth vnto Thomas John my sonne vj^li xiij^s iiij^d to be paid vnto him att the Age of Twentie yeares

Item I geve and bequethe vnto William my Sonne Tenne poundes to be paid vnto him att the Age of Twentie yeares

Item I geve and bequethe vnto Agnes my daughter vj^li xiiij^s iiij^d to be paide vnto her att the daye of her maryage

Item I geve and bequethe vnto Catheryne my daughter vj^li xiiij^s iiij^d to be paid vnto her att the daye of her maryage

Item I geve and bequethe vnto Margarett my daughter vj^li xiiij^s iiij^d to be paid vnto her att the Age of Seventeyne yeares

And yf yt fortune that one of my saide sonnes or daughters before named That ys to saye Thome John William Agnes Catheryne or Margarett to deceasse before they Receave there legacies Then my will ys that the legacies of he or shee so decessed to Remayne equallie Amonge the Rest and so vnto the longest lyver of them

Item my will ys (wth the consent of Joane my wife) that my eldest sonne Bartholomewe shall have the vse Comodie and p[ro]ffectes of one half yard land with all pastures of Joame my wife he onelie fyndinge feede duringe the naturall lyfe of wydowhode of the same Joane my wife To be severed from the other of my lande for his Comoditie and profecte And my will ys that he the same Batholomewe shall be A guyd vnto my saide wife in her husbandrie And also a Comforte vnto his Bretherne and Sisters to his power

Provided alwayes that if the said Joane my wife shall att anie tyme or tymes att after my decesse goe about to disanull or to take a waye from my saide sonne Batholomewe the forsaid half yard land with the appurtennc[es] So that he do not enioye the Comoditie and p[ro]ffecte of the same Accordinge to the true meaninge of this my Will and Testament Then my will ys that the saide Joane my wife shall geve deliuer and paye vnto my saide Sonne Bartholomewe wthin one yeare after anie suche denyall or discharge the Some of ffortie poundes of lawfull Englysshe money

Item my will ys that all the Seeling[es] in my haule house wth Two Joyned Beddes in my plour shall Contynewe and stande vnremoved duringe the naturall lyfe or wedowhoodde of Joane my wyfe And the Naturall lyfe of Batholomewe my sonne and John my Sonne And the longest lyver of them

Item I geve and bequethe vnto eu[er]ie of my god Children iiij d a pece of them

Item I geve and bequethe vnto Agnes Hathway and Elizabeth Hathway daughters vnto Thomas Hathway a sheepe a pece of them

This bequest done dettes paide and legacies Levyed and my bodie honestlie Buryed Then I geve and bequethe all the Rest of my goodes moveable and vnmoveable vnto Joane my wife who I make my sole executrixe to see this my last Will and Testament truelie p[er]formed

And i desire my Trustie ffryndes and neighboures Stephen Burman and ffowlke Sadles to be my supvisors of this my last will and testament and they to haue for them paynes therin to be taken xij d a pece of them

Wytnesses Sir William Gylbard Clarke and Curate in Stratford Rychard Burman John Rychardsone and John Hemynge w^th others
signum Richd Hathwaie testatoris

Debtes to be paide
In primis I do owe vnto my neighboure John Pace xl^s
Item I owe vnto John Barber xxxvj^s iiij^d
Item I owe vnto Thomas Whittington my Shepherd iiij^li vj^s viij^d
Item I owe vnto Edwarde Hollyhocke for woode xx^s

Probatu[m] ix^o Die mens[is] Julij Anno Dm 1582 Iuram Petri Johnson no^ry puc^ci pcur Joanne Relicte et ex^t[] Cui &c de Bene &c Iurat
Iu[] ex^t viijo