William Jonson or Johnson

Prerogative Court of Canterbury will made: 6th June 1557
Probate Date: 31st October 1558
Proved by Lawrence Eton
National Archive Catalogue reference: PROB 11/41

The original document is in the custody of the National Archives

See also: Leighton Buzzard Prebendal Manor

Transcript

In dei nomme amen. I William Jonson of Leighton Bussard in the Countie of Bed[s]h[ire] gentleman by the grace of god being hole of bodye and and of parfite mynde and memorye thankes be unto god, doo call unto my remembrannce how danngerous athyng it is in the howre of death to be  troubled w[i]t[h] the disposicion of worldely goodes and transitory vanities, and also not forgetting that death to all men is mooste certayne and the hower therof moost uncertayne, and considering that woorldelie things in this worlde ought so to be distributed that no occasion of perrill to the soule may ensue. Whiche considered and being in the faith of Jesus Christe this present the vj^th daye of June anno d[o]m[in]i millimo quingentesimo guinguacemo septio Doo make my last Wille and testament of all my goodes and Cattalles in manner and fourme following that is to say First I bequeath my soule unto allmghte god and my bodie to be buried in the churche of Laighton aforesaide Also I bequeathe to the mother churche of the diocesse of Lincoln xii^d Also I bequeathe unto the hiegh aulter in Leighton aforesaid in satisfaction and recompence of all my tithes forgotten and unsatisfied xx^d. Also I will that myn executors w[i]t[h]in one monneth next after my deathe and burial shall deale and distribute at their discreacion among the poore people inhabiting within the parrishe of Leighton aforesaid tenne quarters of malt. Item I will that myn executors shall bestowe and deale and distribute for my soule at the daye of my burial w[i]t[h] the costis charges and distribucions at my mournethis? daye the some of xiij^li vj^s viij^d Furthermore I give and bequeath unto Will[ia]m Jonson myn eldest sonne all that my interest and terme of yeres yet to come of and in the prebende and p[ar]sonnage of Leighton aforesaid with all the glebe lande and tithes and all other profites and commodities to the same p[ar]sonnage bilonging and appertaining. And also all and singulier my housholde stuff cartes and cart geares whiche at the daye of my deathe shalbe in or aboute the mansion or dwelling house of the personage aforesaid upon this condicion following, that is to say that he the saide William Johnson shall yerelie bestowe and distribute for my soule to be prayed for from the day of my deathe unto thende of xxj yeres next following. xl^s. That is to say amonge the preestis and clerkis in the queyer of Leighton aforesaid tenne shillings. And amonge the poore of the same towne and parrishe xxx^s. Also I geve and bequeathe unto the said Will[ia]m my eldest sonne all that myn interest and terme of yeres yet to come of and in the ferme at Studham in the said Countie of Beds Wherin one Thomas Clerke nowe dwellith And also all my interest and terme of yeres yet to come of and in that parte and portion of the pasture called Groveburrie situat and being w[i]t[h]in the parrishe of Laighton aforesaid whiche I now foo hold and occupye of the demyse and lease of William Duncombe of Ivinghoo in the Countie of Buckingham[shire] gent[leman]. Also I give and bequeath to the same Will[ia]m fyve Carte horses tenne kye one bull and three hundred sheepe. And wheras I have a lease of the hole pasture of Groveburye aforesaide for the terme of certayne yeres to begynne at the feast of thanundciac[i]on of o[u]r ladie which shalbe in the yere of our lord god m^l v^c lxiiij. I will the same pasture shalbe divided in two p[ar]tes or moyties, thone parte or moitie that is to will that parte or moytie from the Chappell there unto the cloase of medowe called Rackley Hookes, accompting the cloase wherin the saide Chapell is situate and buylded, and the cloase there called Colarke as parcell of the same moite or parte. I give and bequeath unto the said William for and during all the yeres contayned in the said lease which at the daye of my deathe shalbe to come in the same yelding and paying therfor yerelie unto the said Deane and Canons and their successors the hole rent repaid by the said lease. Thother parte or moytie of the said pasture called Grovebury I geve and bequeathe unto Baldwyn Jonson one other of my sonnes and to William Jonson my youngest sonne for and during all the yeres whiche at the daye of my deathe shall be to come in the same lease yelding and paying therefor yerelie unto the said Will[ia]m myn eldest sonne his executors and assignes the some of xiij^li xij^s viij^d of lawfull Englishe monney at the feastis of Saint Michaell tharchanngell and the Anundciacion of our ladie by even porcionnes provided all waies that if it happen the saide Baldewyn and William Jonson my youngest sonne bothe to dye before they shall accomplishe ther said ages of xxj yeres Thatthenne the said parte or moytie of the said pasture of Grovebury shall come and remayne unto the saide William my sonne eldest and to his assignees during all the yeres w[hi]ch after the deceace of the longer liver of the saide Baldewyn and William my youngest sonne shalbe to come in the same lease. Also I give and bequeath unto George Jonsonne one other of my sonnes one hundred poundes of lawfull englishe money to be paide unto the saide George when he shall come to thage of xxiiij yf he doo solong lyve. And if it happen the saide George to die before he shall come to thage of xxiiij yeres Thenne I wille that the saide some of Cli. shalbe agallie divided and distributed among suche and so manny of my sonnes and daughters hereafter named as shalhappen to be living untill they shalbe married or accomplishe the age of xxij yeres being unmarryed, that is to say amongst the said Baldewyn and William the youngest and amongest Alice, Mary, Frannces and Barbara. Also I give and beq[uea]the to Roger Jonson one other of my sonnes the some of one hundred poundes of lawfull englishe monney to be paid unto the said Roger when he shall accomplishe thage of of xxj yeres if he so longe do lyve. And if it happen the said Roger to dye before he cometh to the age of xxj yeres Thenne I will that the said some of Cli. shall likewise be divided among suche and so manny of the said George, Baldewyn, Will[ia]m the youngest, Alice, Mary, Frannces and Barbara as so shalhappen to live to be married or to accomplishe thage of xxij yeres unmarried. Also I give and bequeathe unto the saide Baldewyn and William my youngest sonne fower score poundes of lawfull englishe money that is unto either of them xlli. to be paid unto either of them at their severall ages of xxj yeres if they solonge shall live. And iff it happen either of the saide Bladewyn or William the younger to die before he shall come to the age of xxj yeres Thenne I will that his porcion of mony so dying shalbe egally distributed betwene the saide Baldewyn or Will[ia]m the younger then overliving and my said sonne George. And if it happen the said Baldewyn and William the youngest bothe to die before they or either of them shall come to the age of xxj yeres Thenne I will that bothe their said porcionnes of monneye shall remayne and be eguallie unto thesaid George Johnson and the saide Roger. Also I give and bequeath to ev[er]yeone of my daughters that now be unmarried taht is to say Alice, Mary, Frannces and Barbara the some of one hundred markes of lawfull englishe monney to be paid unto ev[er]y one of them at their severall marriages or at their sundrye ages of xxij yeres being unmarried. And if happen any of the said Alice, Marye, Frannces or Barbara to dye before their marriages or before their age of xxij yeres Thenne I will all their porcionnes of money of them that shall so dye shalbe egallie divided and distributed amongest all my sonnes and daughters before named (my eldest sonne William excepted) whiche shalhappen to live untill they shall accomplishe suche age and tyme at whiche I have herin appoineted unto them any legacie to be paide Also I wille myn Executorrs at their costes and charges shall provide and see that my saide sonne Roger be kepte at scoole and studie in one of the universities of Oxforthe or Cambridge untill he doo accomplishe thage of xxj yeres. Also I wille and bequeathe unto the said Roger Jonson that advowson gifte and nominacion whiche I have in or to the p[ar]sonage and prebende of Clifton in the Countie of Nottingham[shire]. And if it happen the said Roger to die before he shall come to the age of xxj yeres and before he shall present any Clerke unto the saide prebende by reason of the said advowson gifte and no[min]acion Thenne I wille the same advowson to remayne unto William my eldest sonne and to his assignees. Also I give and bequeathe unto my daughter Isabell Redes fyve poundes. Also I give unto my brother John Sachewell? xiij^li vj^s viij^d and my best gelding. Also I give and bequeathe unto my brother in lawe Edward Willoughby five poundes and one mare. Item I give unto my sonne in lawe Lawrence Eton vj^li xiij^s iiij^d and one mare. Also I give unto my daughters in lawe Katherine Holyman and Elizabeth Hill to either of them fyve poundes. Also I give and bequeathe unto ev[er]y one of my godsonnes one ewe sheepe. Also I give and bequeath unto ev[er]y one of my sarv\an/tes one half yeres wage over and besides all their dueties to them and ev[er]ye of them due before the daye of my deathe. Also I give and bequeathe unto John Hobbes and Thomas Frithe to either of them xx^s and to Robert Cooke x^s. Also I give and bequeathe unto Thomas Spenser and Thomas Warreyn unto either of the vj^s viij^d Also I ordaine constitute and make the foresaid Edward Willoughbee, Lawrannce Eton and John Sachevecell? myn executors of this my testament and last will, whome I hartilie desire to doo and execute the same accordinge to the true entent and meanyng of the same as my truste is in them. And I desire my veray freende M^r Lawrannce Wasshington to be overseer of the same To whome I give and bequeath fortie shillinges and my best mare. All the Residewe of my goodes and Cattalles moveable and unmoveable I geve and bequeathe unto my said Executors towardes the bringing up and fynding of my aforenamed children at scoole and Lerning. p[er] me Will[ia]m Johnson and sette my seale.