Will of John Whityng or Whiting of Kentisbeare (1530)

© Crown Copyright

National Archives PROB 11/23/269, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury

Proved 5 April 1530

Transcribed by Debbie Kennett and Martyn Loveys

THE WILL OF JOHN WHITING (16)

Test[ament]um Joannus Whiting armig[e]r¹ 

In dei nomine amen et eius matris marie. The xxijth day of July the yere if our lord god a thousande fyve hundred twenty and foure  

I John Whityng of Woode Esquire of the parishe of kentisbeare in the Countie of devonshire  being in he[a]lth of body and in hole mynde and memorye thanked be almighty god to eschewe the evyll infortunes of the worlde that hereafter to me as deffende mough[s]t fall And also manyfold grevous and paynes of sekenesse and Infirmities which mough[s]t Ravishe my mynde have ordeyned and made this my testament in this maner of wise First hooly and intierly I beque[a]th my soule to almighty god my maker and savyor and to his moder saint mary and to saint John the Ev[a]ngelist and to all the saint[e]s in hevyn  

And my mortall body to be buried in the parishe Church of kentisbeare or ells at such place where iot shall please almighty god at such season as shall dep[ar]te from this worlde  

moreover I beque[a]th to the high awter of our Lady of kentisbeare forsaid vjs viijd for my tithes ad offering[e]s necligently forgotten and withdrawen  

Also I geve and bequethe to the fraternitie and brotherhed of saint John Baptist within the p[ar]ishe Church of kentisbeare forsaid vj^s viij^d  Item to the store of the high crosse vj^s viij^d  Item I will that every man s[er]v[a]nt being in my householde wages at the tyme of my dep[ar]ting owt of this worlde have every of them vjs viijd over and above their wagis and every woman serrv[an]t likewise soo that they be diligent and true to my wife after my dep[ar]ting from this worlde Also I geve and beque[a]th to Mary kaynes and to Agnes Walrond all my plate of silver and silver gilt and p[ar]cell gilte and bugilt after the deccease & dep[ar]ting of me and my wife owt of this worlde   

Also I geve and beque[a]th unto my said doughters Mary and Agnes all my stuffe of householde both brasse and pewter with almaner of hanging[e]s bedding that shall remayn after my death my wife to have the using and occupying of the same with reasonable wearing w[i]t[h]out any accompt therof gevyn unto theym.  And the resudue of all my goodes and Catall[e]s over the said bequest[e]s I geve to Anne my wife whom I make and ordeyn myn executrice and will that she dispoase such p[ar]te of the said goodes for the he[a]lth of my soule after her conscience  

And also I will that henry walrond and humfrey kaynes be overseers of this my last will In witnesse wherof I have written this my will w[i]t[h] myn[e] owne hand and have set to my seall the day and yere abovewritten 

Codicill eiusdem Joannus

A Remembrance and a playn declaracion of parcell of any testament concernyng my two sonnes in lawe for the distribucion of my plate and housholde to Mary and Agnes my doughters and howe Isabell my thirde doughter nowe being unmarried shuld have hir thirde parte with my forsaid two doughters 
first where as I John Whityng have made my last wille written w[i]t[h] myn[e] own hande being sate in the yere of our lord god a thousande fyve hundred twenty and foure the xxij day of July wherin I have gevyn and bequethed unto Mary and Agnes all my plate stuffe of houshold all my bedding Naprye Coffers with all  hanging[e]s kechyn stuffe w[i]t[h] all
brewing vessell[e]s and all other trumprye of housholde as all my waynes Caryngs and ploughgere after the deceas of me and my wife And forasmoche as if I shulde have declared my wille to Isabell my forsaid iij^de doughters as I have to my two other forsaid doughters then it shuld have Ren’ and be employed to him that shulde p[er]chaunce be hir gardy[a]n and she never to be the better for it wherfor the very true meanyng and entent of my forsid wille is that my forsaid thirde doughter named Isabell shuld have the thirde parte of the plate stuffe of houshold with all other thinges before written in as ample maner as though she had be named in my said testament And for the consideracions before written I have left her owt of my said testament  

Trusting assuredly that my two sonnes in lawe called henry walrond and humfrey keynse whom I have made my Sup[er]visors of my said wille of very confidence  and trust that I have in theym that they will see my said doughter Isabell have her parte of my said goodes before written as they wille hereafter answer before god at the dredfull day of Iugement according to the true meanyng and word[e]s before written of me John Whityng In Witnesse wherof I the forsayd John Whityng have written this remembraunce in myne owne hande and have setto my seall The xxiij day of July the xvj yere of the Reigne of king henry the eight 

Memorand[um] th if my doughter Isabell aforsaid decesse or dye unmaried Then I will that hir forsaid thirde parte Remayne to my two foughters Mary and Agnes beforenamed. 

Probatumm fuit testamentum suprascripti defuncti una cum Codicill eiusd[e]m Cora[m] prefatis Com[missarijs in eccl[esia] Cath[edra] d[omi]ni [? Pa—i] london quinto die mensis Aprilis Anno domini mill[es]imo quingen[tesi]mo xxix^o Iurarament Anne Relicte & executricis in hui[m]o[d]I test[ament]o no[m]i[n]atus In p[er]sona Ric[ard]I Felde procur[um] s[uu]m in hac p[ar]te Ac approbatum & informatum Et com[m]issa fuit admi[ni]stracio auc[torita]te prefectorum R[evere]n[d]orum patrum o[m]n[i]a & singulorum bonorum Iur[a]m[entes] & creditorum dicti defuncti prefat[i] executrici In p[er]so[n]a dicti procur[i] de bene et fidel[ite]r admi[ni]strand Ac de pleno et fidel[ite]r In[venta]rio secundo die post festum Cop[or]i [Christi] prox[imo] futur[o] exhibend Necnon de plano & vero compoto reddend Ad s[an]c[t]a dei ev[a]ng[elie] dei [?----] in debita iur[e]s forma Iurat  ²

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¹ An ‘armiger’ had the right to bear a coat of arms.
² Debbie Kennett