Wills: 21 Henry VI (1442-3)

Calendar of Wills Proved and Enrolled in the Court of Husting, London: Part 2, 1358-1688. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1890.

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'Wills: 21 Henry VI (1442-3)', in Calendar of Wills Proved and Enrolled in the Court of Husting, London: Part 2, 1358-1688, (London, 1890) pp. 499-502. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/court-husting-wills/vol2/pp499-502 [accessed 21 April 2024]

ANNO 21 HENRY VI.

Monday next after the Feast of S. Faith, Virgin [6 Oct.].

Welles (fn. 1) (John), grocer, and Alderman of the City of London.— To be buried in the chapel of SS. John the Baptist and John the Evangelist which he built in the church of S. Antonin. Bequest for observance of his obit and those of Margery his late wife and others for the space of thirty years next after his decease, specific sums of the bequest being paid by the Wardens of the Mistery and Commonalty of Grocers of the City of London to the Mayor, Sheriffs, and Swordbearer of the City, and to each of the three Wardens of the Grocers attending his obit. Among other bequests are the following:—For the new making and erection of a certain standard in Westchepe, (fn. 2) the boundary of his ward, fifty marks; twenty pounds sterling for the repair of aqueduct and conduit, and a similar sum for the repair of London Bridge. His feoffees of lands and tenements in Tourestrete are directed to make a good estate in the same to the Wardens of the Mistery and Commonalty of the Grocers of the City of London, for the relief of the poor of the mistery, living in a newly erected tenement near their hall in the parish of S. Mildred in the Poultry, so that the said wardens duly observe his obit. Certain lands and tenements in the parishes of S. Mary Magdalen near the Old Fish Market, S. Peter near Pouleswharf, S. Michael de Pateraosterchirche in the Riole, and S. Swithun in Candelwykstrete to be sold for pious and charitable uses, and his feoffees in trust of the same to make a good title to the purchaser. His manor of Sippenham in the parish of Leuesham, co. Kent, to be likewise sold, saving an annuity of forty shillings to William Osbarn. His leasehold mansion and shop in the parish of S. Antonin to be sold to some honest man of his mistery and the proceeds devoted to pious and charitable uses. Dated London, 7 June, A.D. 1442.
Roll 171 (2).

Monday next before the Feast of S. Ambrose, Bishop [4 April].

Eyr (Johanna), widow.—To be buried according to directions contained in her will touching her movables. A certain tenement in the parish of S. Antonin in Watlyngstrete to be sold in aid of a chantry founded in her other will. Her son Thomas to have her lands and tenements in the street of Lothebury in the parish of S. Margaret (except a tenement which she leaves to Thomas Scales), provided he pay to her executors the sum of thirty pounds out of the forty pounds which she had expended upon the recovery of certain lands and tenements in the vills and parishes of Teaston (fn. 3) and Barmelynge, (fn. 4) co. Kent, which lands and tenements she also leaves to her said son in tail; remainder to William Moille and Margaret his wife in special tail. Also to the said Thomas she leaves her reversionary interest in two tenements and shops in Bredstret in the parish of All Hallows in tail; remainder in trust for sale for the maintenance of a chantry in the church of S. Mary Wolnoth in Lumbardestrete. Dated London, 8 January, A.D. 1442.
Roll 171 (26).

Hildy (John), "pulter." (fn. 5) —To Sir John Saxton, the rector, and churchwardens of the church of S. Mildred in the Poultry, he leaves his brewery called "le Cok," situate near the tenement of Thomas Haseley called "le Compter," (fn. 6) in the parish of S. Mildred, so that out of the issues and profits they duly observe the obits of Richard Merlowe and of Alexander Bartelot, late "pulter," in manner prescribed, for the good of the souls of the said Richard, Margaret and Agnes his wives, the said Alexander, Emma and Alice his wives, and others. In case of default made in carrying out the terms of the devise the property is to go over to the Wardens of the Fraternity or Guild of Corpus Christi in the chapel of S. Mary de Conynghopelane (fn. 7) for similar purposes. Dated London, 16 July, A.D. 1441.
Roll 171 (32).

Monday next after F. of Trans, of S. Thomas, Martyr [7 July].

Holym (Margaret, wife of John), formerly wife and executrix of John Tetford, brewer.—Makes her will with the permission of her then husband, with a view to carrying out the several wishes of her former husband, her co-executors having died. Desires to be buried in the church of S. Laurence Pounteney near her late husband. Appoints executors to carry out the wishes of her late husband, and John Carpenter, Clerk of the Commonalty of the City of London, to survey them. Dated London, 4 December, A.D. 1436.
Roll 171 (35).

Monday next after the Feast of S. James, Apostle [25 July].

Aston (John), fishmonger.—To be buried in the church of S. Sepulchre without Newgate. To Matilda his wife all his lands and tenements in the suburbs of the City for life, so long as she remain unmarried; remainders as to the whole, or, in case of remarriage, as to a moiety, to the Masters and Commonalty of the Art of Fishmongers of the City of London, charged with the maintenance of a chantry within the church of S. Sepulchre aforesaid for the space of one year next after his decease, and with the perpetual observance of his obit in manner prescribed. (fn. 8) Dated London, 2 July, A.D. 1436.
Roll 171 (42).

Footnotes

  • 1. 1 Of Langbourn Ward. Sheriff, 1420; Mayor, 1431, not, as stated by Stow, in 1433. He took an active part in the building of the Guildhall College and Chapel, and is said to have left a sum of money by will for glazing the east window of the chapel (Price's 'Hist. Account of the Guildhall,' p. 121). No specific bequest for this purpose appears in his will as enrolled, but his executors a few months after his decease covenanted to build a great window at the east end of the chapel, a presbytery, two niches for images, and an altar approached with marble steps, out of his effects (City Records, Jor. 3, fol. 151 b). He was buried in the Guildhall Chapel, and his name commemorated by "the likeness of wells" engraved both on his tomb and on the east window (Stow's 'Survey,' Thoms's ed., 1876, p. 103).
  • 2. 2 Soon after the testator's death his executors obtained licence from the Crown, confirmed by Parliament, to replace the old Standard in Cheap, which had become very ruinous, with "another competent standard of stone. together with a conduit in the same." The date of the erection of the first Standard Stow was unable to discover (Stow's 'Survey,' Thoms's ed., p. 99).
  • 3. 3 No information touching the property here devised appears to be given either in Mr. Hare's Report on the charities of the Grocers' Company, made in 1863, or in the Company's own return to the Livery Companies Commission appointed in 1880.
  • 4. 1 Teston, near Maidstone.
  • 5. 2 Barming.
  • 6. 3 Poulterer.
  • 7. 1 "Compters" was the name given to prisons belonging to the Sheriffs, one of which was situate in the Poultry, and the other in Wood Street, afterwards removed to Giltspur Street.
  • 8. 2 West of the Compter mentioned in the will there was, says Stow, "a proper chapel, called of Corpus Christi and St. Mary, at Conyhope lane end.....in which Chapel was a guild or fraternity that might dispend in lands better than twenty pounds by year; it was suppressed by Henry VIII. and purchased by Thomas Hobson, haberdasher; he turned this chapel into a fair warehouse and shops towards the street, with lodgings over them" ('Survey,' Thoms's ed., p. 99).
  • 9. 1 From Mr, Hare's Report on the Fishmongers' Company in 1861 we learn that the testator left to the Company certain premises in the suburbs of London, "which appear by a document in the Record Office, Guildhall, to have been three messuages and gardens in St. Andrew, Holborn, three messuages and one garden in St. Sepulchre without Newgate, and four messuages and one garden in St. Botolph without Aldgate "(Livery Companies Commissioners' Report, 1884, vol. iv. p. 224). A rent-charge of thirteen shillings and fourpence in respect of the property here devised appears to be paid annually by the Company to the parish of S. Sepulchre (id. vol. ii. p. 212).
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