Will of John Davy, husbandman, 1516 (proved 1518)

Herts RO 2AR168

In the name of god Amen the xvth day of Aprill the yere of o(ur) lord god mdxvj and in the yere of the reigne of kyng Henry the viijth the vijth I John Davy of Wynslowe in the countie of Buk’ husbandman beyng of hole mynde & hole in body thankid be god make & ordeyn this my p(re)sent testament & last wyll in man(er) & forme ensuyng  First I bequethe my soule to almyghty god and to his mother Marye & to all the holy company in hevyn and my body to be buryed in the churchyard of Wynslowe aforesaid toward the eest end.  And for the brekyng of the ground w(i)t(h)in the same churcheyard where my said body shall happen to be buryed to the hye awter viij d  And to ev(er)y awter besyde vj d  For the wastyng & the brennyng of the torchys xvj d  And to the bells xij d  It(e)m I bequethe to the Rode lyght of the same chirche xij d & ij lb of wex to make a tap(er) for the sepulcre lyght.  It(e)m I bequethe to ev(er)y of my godchildren a busshell of malt.  It(e)m I bequethe my house that I dwell in w(i)t(h) all the lands & other com(m)odities therto belongyng sett & lying in the town & felds of Wynslowe aforesaid unto Thomas Davy the son of Richard Davy my son Except iij half acres whereof oon lyeth in Long land the other at Lowe furlong & the other at Gosharppe in Shipton feld the whiche I will that my dought(er) Alys shall have.  It(e)m I bequethe to the foresaid Thomas Davy a pott of brasse & a pan a chafyng dissh ij platers a pair of shets a blankett a materes & a cov(er)let.  The residue of all my goods not bequethed my detts payd my legacies p(er)formed I com(m)ytte to the orderying & disposicion oonly of Elisabeth my wyff whom I make & ordeyn myn Executrice & also Thomas Miller another of myn executors to help my wyff in executyng of this my last will and to the same Tho(ma)s Miller I geve & bequethe for his labor in that behalf an aker of lond lying in Sparlowe be Claydon Waye which acre to be except of the lond longyng to the howse aforesaid.  It(e)m I bequethe to my doughter Annes an ewe & a lambe.  It(e)m to my dought(er) Johan a busshell of malt.  It(e)m my wyll is that the said Tho(ma)s Davy shall kepe yerely a dyryge & a masse for my soule his mothers & other of his frends that (th)is lond hath co(me) by  also if the said Tho(ma)s Davy co(m)yth not to lawfull age or dyeth w(i)t(h)out issue I will that all my bequests to him that is to say the house & the lands w(i)t(h) the com(m)odities (th)erof returne & be sold to the behoffe & welth of my soule his mo(ther)s & his frends that is to say the money taken for the house & the lands to be sent & bestowed in this man(er) First xl s to buy a pair of sencers & the residue to fynde a prest syngyng for me my wyfe & my chyldern in the said churche of saint Laurence as long as it laste.

[Probate granted 12 August 1518]


Notes

A John Davy (d.1464?) held extensive lands in Winslow and Shipton in the 1450s, including a half-acre in Langelond which he acquired in 1430 (Winslow Court Books).

Copyright 21 August, 2015