Brook Will 1560/1

Will of John Brooke

of Ash-next-Sandwich, Kent


Source: Consistory Court of Canterbury, Canterbury Cathedral Archives PRC 32/29/31
Submitted by Margaret Glenn
In the name of God Amen The xxth day of November in the yere of or lorde God a thousand v hundred and threscore and in the therd yere of the Reigne of or Sovreign Ladye Elizabethe by the grace of God Quene of Englande, Frannce and Irelande, Defender of the Faythe &c
I John Brooke of the p[ar]ishe of Asshe next Sandwiche in the Countye of Kente Yeoman beinge of good and p[er]fecte remembrannce (thankes be to Almightye God) do ordayne and make this my present Testament & last will in manner and forme followinge
Fyrst and principallye I bequethe my soule to Almightye God my maker and redemer and my Bodye to be buried in the Churche yearde of Ashe Aforsayde besyde my first wife

Item I gyve to the poore mens Boxe ther(e) xxs [20s]
Item I bequethe to poore peopell withe in the sayde pishe to the honest men of the same pishe shall thinke most mete to have it x [10] quarters wheat & x quarters maulte
Item I bequethe to everye poore houshoulde within the sayde pishe twelve pence
Item I geve to everye of my servants menne & wemen beinge withe me at the tyme of my deathe over and above their wages vjs viijd [6s 8d]
Item I gyve to every one of my godchildren xijd

Item I gyve to John Nethersole my godsonne v Ewes
And to Richard Nethersole the sonne of John Redwood deceased other fyve Ewes
Item I gyve to Thomas Broke my godsonne v Ewes
Item I gyve to Marye Steele my dawghter twoo ould Ryalls
Item I gyve to my Cosens Mychaell Hougham and Richarde Hougham to ether of them twoo oulde Angelles
Item I gyve to Richarde Redwood x Ewes

Item I gyve to Pleasannce Redwood and Margarette Redwoode to ethr of them A Cowe and xls in monye to be delyvered and payed to ether of them at her age of xx yeres or at the Daye of ther(e) mariage if they marrye before that age
Item I gyve to John Redwood the sonne of Thomas Redwood vli [£5] to be payd to the sayd John at his Age of xxti yeres
Item I gyve to Lawrannce Miybredd? A yonge Cowe

Item I gyve to Johan Coke xxs a yere to be payed yerlye duringe her naturall life oute of my Landes at fower termes in the yere that is to saye at the feaste of the Birthe of or lorde God; The Annunciation of or Blessed Lady the Virgin; the Nativite of St. John Baptiste and Saynt Mychaell tharchangell [the Archangel] by even porcions withe clause of distres(s)

Item I gyve to Johan my wife one hundred pounds of lawfull mony of Englande to be payde to her or to her assignes within two yeres nexte after my decease, halfe my houshoulde stufe, that is to saye, bedinge, Lynnen and woollen, Brasse and pewter and not ells
And also I gyve har all her newe woollen Clothes uncutoute? Also I gyve unto my sayde Wife all that my p[ar]te of the houshoulde stufe remayninge at Stormolde my Best gowne hr baye Geldinge and the younge geldinge that Xpofer [Christopher] Redwood did ryde and breake for me and fower tenne? of the best

Item I will that my sayde wife shall have my Tenemente at Caste? Strete that John Rider doth nowe dwell in and all the lands that the sayde Rider dothe occupie that be myne owne lands and also eyghte acres of medowe nowe in myn owne occupinge lyeinge in Boshall Valleye for terme of her naturall life
upon Condicion that the sayde Johan my wife will dwell upon it and kepe the reparacions and if my sayde wife will not Dwell upon it then my will and mynde is that my sonne Johne Broke shall have the sayde house and landes payinge to my sayde wife iiijli [£4] by the yere duringe the terme aforsayde

Item I will & bequethe to my sayde wife xvjli [£16] more by yere of good and lawfull monye of England to be payde to her or her Assignes Yerlye duringe her naturall life by my sayd sonne Johne his heyers or assignes together withe the sayde iiijli if she like to take it at the feasts of the Byrthe of or lorde God; The Annunciation of or Blessed Lady the Virgin; the Nativite of St. John Baptiste and Saynt Mychaell tharchangell by even porcions
And if defaulte be made in payment of ether of the sayd somes in pte or in all over and above xiiij dayes nexte after any of the sayde feastes in whiche it oughte to be payed and if laufullye askede that then it shalbe lawfull for my sayde wife and her Assignes to enter and distrayn in and upon any Lands and tenements nowe of myne then in the Righte of my sayde sonne and the distresse there so taken to leade dryve Carye awaye and w[i]thoulde untill the sayde severalle sommes of monye together wt tharrerages [with the arrearages] if any be, be unto the sayde Johan my Wife and her assignes fullye satisfied and payde

Item I gyve to my sayde wife my litell cloke
Item I gyve to Roberte Redwoode my russett gowne Also I gyve to xpofer [Christopher] Redwoode my beste Cloke save one
Also I do forgyve to the sayde Xpofer all suche sommes of monnye as he dothe owe me
Also I forgyve Willm Redwoode, Richarde Redwood and James Redwoode all suche monye as I payde for the(m) at the Courte at Prestone [next Wingham] at Mychaellmas was twelmonethe
Item I will all the rest of myn silke? Apparell shalbe gevin to poore folkes at the discretion of myn executors

Item all the resydue of my goods and Cattels moveabell and ymmoveabell [unmoveable] not bequethed I gyve holye to the sayde John Broke my sonne whome I Ordayne and make my sole executor of this my present Testament and last will

Provided alwayes that my sayde sonne John shall prove this my last will and Testament wtin one monethe next after my decease
And also shall peaceablye and quietlye wuffer my sayde wife to take awaye and have all the sayde legaces & bequests to her afor geven without sute, vexation, Troubell or interruption accordinge to the playne and true meaninge of this my present Testament and last will or els he shall forfayte [forfeit] and paye to my sayde wife the somme of one hundred poundes of lawfull monye of Englande to be levied of the goodes and Cattelles of the sayd John by waye of distres as is aforsayde

Also I ordayn and make William Gibbes of Elmestoe [Elmstone?] Gent[leman] overseer of this my present Testament and last will and I gyve hym towarde his paynes therein xxs

In Witnes whereof I have caused this my present Testament and last will to be mad(e) redde & declared and have thereto sett my hande in the presens of
John Hottost, Curate; Mychaell Huffam and George Slawghter

Probatum fuit: 17th January 1560/61

Note: John Brooke was buried 15th January 1560/61 at St. Nicholas, Ash-next-Sandwich, Kent.

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 12th September 2022


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Will of John Brooke
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