Thomas Brewer's Will

In the name of God Amen, the Seventh day of September 1616 and in the fourteenth Yeare of the Reigne of our Sovereign Lord James by the Grace of God Kinge of England France and Ireland, Defender of Faith etc. and of Scotland the fifeth, I Thomas Brewer of Winthorpe in the Countie of Nottingham yeoman being weak in bodye but of good and perfect remembrance I praise God for the same Doe ordaine and make this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following. 

First I give and bequest my Soule to Almighty God my Creator Redemer and Sanctifier trusting to saved by faith in the precious Death and passion of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour and I will that my Bodye be buried in the parish Church of Winthorpe aforesaid.

Item. I give unto Grace Brittine five pounds to be paid unto her within one yeare after my Decease and to Ann Lomas, Daughter of William Lomas, I give other five pounds by my Executors within one year to be put forth for her use until she come to Twenty and one yeares of age.

Item. I give to Christopher Pratt his wife one cow to be chosen out of all my Kyne and I give to Tenant Henrye Smith one cow which he hath in his own possession and to William Horton one cow that he hath on his own possesion.                          

Item. I give unto Christopher Britten one Quie which was Richard Inkersalls.

Item. I give to Widdow Gilman one cow which is at Watholme.                                                                  

Item. I give John Thorpe one blck rugged heffer.                                                                                                       

                                                                                                   

Item. I give to William Hale one cow at the discretion of my Executors and I give to Richard Inkersall my yealow ambleringe mare and to Nicholas Barrowes one black Quie calfe. 

                                                                                                                                           

Item. I give to Bridgett Hayes one rugged Quie calfe  I give to every one of Richard Skelton children one Ewe and Lambe at the discretion of my Executors and by their parents to be put forth for their uses until they come to ther full ages, and to every one of Reginald Skelton children one Ewe and a Lambe to be put forth as is aforesaid by their parents. 

                                                                                                

Item. I give to Henry Rige 10/- parcell of the three pound ten shilling which he oweth me. I give to every one Edward Blouke children 10/- apiece to be put forth by my Executcrs untill ther full ages and I give to Ann Fisher and Robert Fisher to either of them an Ewe and a Lambe.

I give unto every one of Thomas Taylers children and William Legattes children one Ewe and a Lambe a peece.

I give to every one of Henry Hatfields children one Ewe and a Lambe a peece and to every one of Anthony Beech children one Ewe and a Lambe.

Item. I give to every one of William Spaffords children and to everyone of Pecks children I give one Ewe and a Lambe.

I give to every one of Henrye Cookes children one Ewe and a Lamb.

I give to Hatfield and his wife 10/- and to Nicholas Beech child one Ewe and a Lambe and to the two daughters of Nicholas Beech wife 10/- a peece.

I give to every one of John Robottome children 10/- a peece, and I give to Humphrey Catley besides that he oweth me I give to young Edw.d Birche 10/-.

Item. I give toWiddow Upon, Widdow Easle and Widdow Hitchine to every one of them 20/- a peece.

Item. I give to Mr. Roger Bacon my Gryay Fylle.

Item. I give to my Servants Fishe, Bryan Tayler and Crosbye to every of them 10/- a peece. To my servant Katherine 10/- and to Ann Eaire 2/6.

Item. I give to Mr. Edward Fulward 20/- and to Mr. Gertase Mollineaux 20/-.

Item. I give to Matthew Dasserne 10/-. I give to Richard Rediant Sen.r one bald mare and Fole and I give to Edward Oldham and Robatre Cutbert three shillings a year of his now house rent so long as he continueth in it. I give to my tenants Courtney Symon and Harwood to every of them two shillings 6d a peece. I give to William Newbold 10/-.

Item. I give to Robatre Womache 10/- over and besides the money he oweth me and I give to Mr. John North 20/-.

Item. I give to Thomas Hutchinson Crosbyes wife and Widdow Borodale to every one of them 5/- a peece.

Item. I give to the children of William Hoole 40/- of  that £5  which he oveth me.

Item. I give to every one of Humphrey Eizekebies children 20/- a peece to be put forth by my Executors for thcr use untill they come to ther full ages.

Item. I give to my cosen Alice who was my sister Horobins Daughter40/-.

Item. I give to my Aunt Smith 40/- and to every one of her sones 2/- a peece.

Item. I give to Robart Mason and every of his children two shillings a peece.

Item. I give to the Towne of Winthorpe £30 which my will is to continue for ever and to have it lett forth yearly at 20d the pound to foure inhabitants of Winthorpe  everyone of them putings in two suerties for the payment yearly of the money and stocke to the Parson of the Towne and the Church Wardens for the tyme being and they the said Parson and Church Wardens to deale the yearly use of the money to the Poore of the Towne of Winthorpe at St Thomas the Apostle Day and Good Friday by even portions at ther Discretion the said Parson and Church Wardens allowing themselves yearly 1/- a peece out of the said use money for ther paynes and I further give to the said Towne of Winthorpe for ever my new Whyte House in Winthorpe and two oxgangs of arable land meadow and pasture with the appurtenances to the same belongonge which my Brother William lately purchased ther which house and land.  I will that it shall be let forth for the yearly rent at the discretion of the Parson and Church Wardens for the time being for the poore of the said Towne of Winthorpe at ther discretion: at the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle and Good Friday by eaven porcions.

Item. I give unto my sister Hellen Walhead all my Freehold Lands and Tenements in Newarke and Northgate next Newarke for and during her natural life and after her death. I will that the said Land and Tenements shall remaine to the Heires of her Bodie lawfully begotten and for want of such issue my will in that the said Lands and  Tenements shall remain to my Cosen Roger Atkinson and his heires for ever.                                                                                                                                   

Item. I give to Mrs. Bacon my Bay Fillie and to Peter Hayes my reade Bullocke calfe.

Item. I will that my Executors shall deliver all such cattell and Ewes and Lambes as are legacied and bequeathed within this my Will to the parties or ther children parents to whom they are given within one month of my decease they giving acquitance for the same and the moneys which I have herein given to be paid by my Executors before Candlemas next.

Item. 1 give to Cecily Robothome the black Quie which I bought of her. All the rest of my Goods Chattels and Debts not before herein given and bequeathed my Debts rents and Legeceys paid my funeralls discharged and my body honestly brought to the ground. I freely give my Brother William Walhead and to my aforesaid Cosen Roger Atkinson

 

(The paper was worn here as they had been kept in the parish chest.)

Executors of this my last Wills and Testament and I appoint Mr. Roger Bacon and Mr. Hindmarsh Supervisors of this my last Will and Testament Intreatinge them to see the same performed to the best of ther powers as my trust is in them and I give to either of them for ther paynes therein 10/- a peecc.  This beinge Witnesses Roger Bacon, Clarke Mathew Dasserne, Edward Birch, Peter Hayes.

This copy agrees with a copy of the will of the said deceased proved in the Exchequer Court of York being duly proved compared and examined therwith by me.

Edw. d Chough

Notary Publick

Notes on Thomas Brewer's Will

 

  • In Brewer's Account Book for St. Thomas' Day 1777 £1-11-6 was paid for a copy of the Will, the former being lost.

 

  • The word ‘Quie' before ‘calfe' is from the Danish ‘Kuie' meaning heifer.

 

  • An Oxgang is an agricultural unit used by the Danish in Danelaw and was probably 1/8 to 1/10 the size of a ploughland.

According to Old English Law it is an uncertain quantity of land but according to some opinions it contains 15 acres.

Another explanation is:-

A bovate or 1/8 of a carucate of ploughland. The share attributed to each ox in a team of eight averaging 13 acres.

A bovate is a measure of land as much as one ox can plough in a year varying from 10 to 18 acres.

 

  • The Feast Day of St. Thomas the Apostle is on the 3rd of July.

 

  • Candlemas Day is on the 2nd of February.

NOTE.

Further readings can be found in  

         Thomas Brewer's Charity in Volume 1.

         People mentioned in Thomas Brewers Will in Volume 4.

         Thomas Brewer - Yeoman in Volume 4.

         Thomas Brewer's Charity Trustees in Volume 4.

         Winthorpe in the Early 17th Century in Volume 4.