Kemp Will 1560

Will of Dame Eleanor Kempe

of Wye, Kent


Source: Prerogative Court of Canterbury PROB 11/43/638
Submitted by Shelagh Mason
In the name of God Amen in the xxiiijth day of August in the yeare of our Lord God 1558 and in the fifth and sixth yeares of the reigns of our Sovraigne Lord and Ladye Phillip and Mary by the grace of God King and Queen of England Spain France both Sicilies and Jerusalem and Ireland Defenders of the Faith Archdukes of Austria dueks of Burgundy Milan and Brabant Counties [Countries?] of Hapsburg Flanders and Tyroll
I Dame Eleanor Kempe widow late the wife of Sir William Kempe knight deceased being of p�fect mynd and remmbrance (laud and prayse unto God) do ordain make and declare this my present testmaent and last will in manner and forme as hereafter ensues
First and before all earthly thinges I fully and wholly give and commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator and Maker to Jesus Christ hi son my Redeemer and Saviour by whose precious bloude and mercy I trust to be one of the partakers of life everlasting and to the glorious virgin his Mother Our Blessed Lady Saint Mary and to all the holy celestial company of seynts in heven my bodie to be buryed within the Savoy according to the due order of the Catholic churche of Christe *
* Dame Eleanor Kempe is buried in the church of St. Mary-le-Strand, Westminster, London. The register entry reads: �Dame Eleanor Kemp buryed the thirde daie of October in the same year.� [1559]

Item I bequeath for my fuenral charges and burial with the duties of the church belonging and so charitably given as far as it shall extend Cs
Item I will that there be given and distributed by myne executors at the same daie of my buryall to xxiij poore househoulders within the same parish where I shall be buryed and parishes thereabout to the most needy and poorest households and to every of them vs which amounteth to the sum of viijl xs

Item I will that my executors shall buy or cause to be bought twenty gowns of black frieze for every gowne sixe yardes after xijd the yard to be given to twenty poor honest men or every of them a mourning gown nd for the making of every gown xijd and that they be made and worn at the day or my buryall and my monethes mynd which amounteth to the summe of lxxiiijs
Item I bequeathe ti captive persons within the City of London that is to say Ludgate Newgate the Marshalsea and the Kings Bench to the prisoners of every of these prison houses and to every of them afore named Ls to be given and distributed immediaely after my decease which cometh to Xl

Item to the poore prisoners of the Fleet I give xxs
Item I bequeathe to the poore prisoners of the Gatehouse of Westminster another xxs
Item I bequeathe for the funeral charges at the day of my monethes mynd with the duties of the church so charitably to be given as far as it shall extend the sum of Cs
Item I bequeathe to xxxiij poore householders within the same parish where I shall be buried and parishes thereabouts to the most needy and poorest householders and to every of them 5s which amounteth to the summe of viijl xs

Item I bequeathe for my funerall charges and to the poor folks at my yeares mynd Cs
Item to my son Sir Thomas Kempe my ring with a diamond and a paire of saltes gilte with a cover weighing xxviiij ounces

Item to my son Anthony a featherbedd and boulster thereunto belonging with a paire of fustian blanketts ij paire of sheetes and my counterpointe of arras and a trusslle? bed a great flat standard? and a gilte bowle weighing xvij ounces

Item to my son Francis my best featherbedd and boulster 2 paire of sheetes a paire of fustian banketts a counterpoint of verdue with imagery and the best trussing? bedd and a little flat standard? 6 gilte spoones and my ring with a ruby? a goblet [of] parcell gilte weighing xxij ounces

Item to my son Edward to furnishe his bedd which he hath already received a paire of fustian blanketts ij paire of sheetes sixe spoones with gilte ends

Item to my son John to furnish his bedd which he hath alredy received ij paire of sheetes and the litle gilte salt weighing v ounces iij quarters

Item to my son George my bedd which I lay in at the court with all that belongeth to itt and ij paires of sheetes iiij spoones with gilte ends

Item to my son Anthony Kempe his wife a French gowne of black velvet and two yards and a halfe of black velvet a fair damask diaper tableclothe never worn a petticoate of silke say and a pott with a cover [of] gilte weighing xiij ounces and a halfe

To my daughter Oxenbridge 6 yards and a half of vlack velvet my best French kirtle of plain black velvet with sleeves to the same and a standing cup with a cover gilte weighing xxij ounce one quarter and a cypress chest

To my daughter Pollard a loose gown of black velvet with fringe a French kirtle of black satin a pair of French sleeves to the same my best petticoat of scarlett and a pot with a cover gilte weighing xxiij ounces

To my daughter Latham a gowne of black damask my best round kirtle of black velvet a little black chest with three tills? and all the linnen that is in it a paire of very fine sheetes and a pot with a cover gilte weighing xxij ounces my porringer of silver and my best sables

To my daughter Boughton a gowne of black satin a kirtle of wrought? velvet a litle coffer covered with black leather with all the linnen that is in it and a pot with a cover gilte weighing xviij ounce and a quarter

Item I bequeathe to Mistress Cicely Barnishe a French kirtle of wrought velvet and sleeves to the same
Item I will and bequeathe to Mrs. Brente a paire of sables
Item I will and bequeathe to my daughter Anne Scott xx poundes in money and a new jewel chest
Item I bequeathe to the poore folkes of Wye Cs (100 shillings) to the vicar of Coleman Street to pray for me xxxxs

Item I will and bequeathe to my servant William Bowthe to be paid to him yearly out of Chelworth by the heires of the said manor during his naturall life xxxxs

Item I will and bequeathe that my servants Francis Hitchecox and William Kyttes and every of them shall have ad peaceably enioy their severall annuities or yearely pensions by me the said Dame Eleanor to them granted according to the purport effect and true meaning of their patents or deeds of grant of the same annuities

Item I will that my servant William Kyttes shall quietley enioy his lease of the mannor of Marie Courte according to his indenture of lease thereof by me the said Dame Eleanor to the said William of late made and granted
Item I will and bequeathe to my servant Francis Hitchecox the bed [in] which he lieth in at the court with all things thereunto belonginge a litle flat chest bound with plates at the ends and my roaned gelding

Item to my servant William Kyttes a red chest bound with yron
Also I will that my servant[s] Francis Hitchecox and William Kyttes and William Bowth have every of them their years wages over and besides such legacies as is to them bequeathed

Also I will and bequeathe to Master William Roper a Flanders cup weighing xvij ounces and a halfe
Item To Sir Robert Oxenbridge a standing cup [of] gilte weighing xx ounces
Item To Master Robert a Lee? a gilte pot with a cover weighing xiij ounce in money five poundes and a paire of sables

And as concerning the free disposition and gifte of my mannor of Morris Court with the appurtenances in the county of Kent with all the landes and woods thereunto belonging known or taken to as any parte or parcell of the said mannor lying in the parishe of Baptechilde [Bapchild] Tonge Redmerson [Rodmersham] Muston [Murston?] and Lynsted I do freely give unto John Kempe my son all the said mannor and appurtenances to him for the term of his life and after his life to the heires of his body lawfully begotten

And for default of such heires unto my son Francis Kempe and to the heires of his body lawfully begotten and for default of such heires to my son Edward Kempe and to the heires of his body lawfully begotten and for default of such heires to my son Sir Thomas Kempe and his right heires forever

Also I bequeathe to my son[s] John Kempe Edward Kempe and George Kempe all my goodes unbequeathed to be equally divided among them all

Also I make my overseers of this my last will Mr. William Roper of Eltham aforesaid in the said county of Kent Esquire and my executors my son Sir Thomas Kempe, knight Sir Robert Oxenbridge knight Anthony Kempe Esquire Fancis Kempe and Robert at Lee? gentleman

In Witnes whereof I the above named Dame Eleanor have unto this my said last will and testament subscribed y name and set to my seal the day and year above written
Read and sealed in the presence of
Alexander Gate Parson of Sandon Roger Madhoges? and John Glascock with others

Probatum fuit 11th December 1560 at London before Master Walter Haddon Doctor of Laws Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury by the oaths of Francis Kempe and Robert Lee personally present
Thomas Kempe knight Robert Oxenbridge and Anthony Kempe Esquire in the person of the said Francis Kempe executors named in the same testament to whom administration was granted

Notes:
Eleanor Browne married firstly Sir Thomas Fogge in about 1509 by whom she had two daughters: Anne Fogge who married William Scott (who died in 1539) and then a Pollard, unknown.
Alice Fogge (who did not die until 1583) married firstly Edward Scott and secondly Sir Robert Oxenbridge.
Eleanor Fogge then married Sir William Kempe (1487 � 1539) � see his Will PROB 11/27/500 by whom she had 5 sons and 5 more daughters.

The daughters married thus:
* Emmeline Kempe married Sir Reynold Scott.
* Cecily Kempe married firstly William Latham and secondly William Strangman of Halstead, Essex.
* Fayth Kempe married Francis Neale of Lancashire.
* Mary Kempe married Sir Nicholas Boughton of Plumstead, Kent
* Margaret Kempe who had been a nun and later married Sir George Fogge

The sons were thus:
* Sir Thomas Kempe, Knight married Ann Moyle on 19th January 1551 at Eastwell, Kent.
* Anthony Kempe married a lady by the surname of Gage. His will is PROB 11/94/3 dated 5th February 1599 and he was of Slindon, Sussex.
* Francis Kempe married Eleanor Carew. No further information found.
* Edward Kempe married a Mary (unknown) in 1584 at Boughton Aluph, Kent and died in 1605.
* John Kempe married a Jane ? and died in Wye in 1599 (she died circa 1597).
* George Kempe died in London �Gentleman�. His Will (PROB 11/72/479) was dated 30th May 1588.

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 21st October 2018. All rights waived for personal use � BUT please quote source and reference.


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Will of Dame Eleanor Kempe
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