Philobiblon

It has taken me far too long, and I really can’t complain about the writing, but I have now finally completed the transcription of the will of my amazing dame, who died the year following the making of this will, at the age of 90.

I’ve put the full transcript below the fold, since in detail it isn’t exactly gripping reading. Any of my early modernist readers who feel like taking a shot at the italicised words (which I can’t identify fully) would be most welcome to do so; also I’d greatly welcome any general thoughts on the contents.

I think Dame Helen broadly fits into the “godly” mould – in fact an expert was telling me her second husband certainly did, but the will seems to me quite light on that sort of rhetoric. (Although of course that might in part be the influence of the scribe.)

Generally the form is pretty standard, but there are a couple of places where I think the words and character of Dame Branch come through – in the preamble when she humbly gives god thanks for being in “perfecte memory” (at the age of 89!) and in the careful listing of all of the jails and hospitals to which money was to go. Also perhaps the way it rambles a little – an old lady just thinking her thoughts out loud, rather than starting at the biggest bequest and working her way down the list.

Her executor is her brother’s son Robert Nicholson (which I already knew), although I didn’t know the brother Beniamyne (possibly Robert’s father – got to chase that) was still alive. He presumably must be also a pretty significant age – some good genes in there, although the fact that Robert got all the work suggests he’s fully “retired”. (All the father gets is a black gown, presumably to attend the funeral.)

One thing that strikes me about the will is how broad Dame Helen’s social circle still is, even at her great age. There are godchildren being left gold rings, lots of neighbours and widows (presumably friends) – although unfortunately many of them have common names, which is going to make them hard to track down.

Interesting too that she wants to be buried as near as possible to her first husband (Mynors), not her second – and that neither husband’s family has an obvious role in her life (although no way of knowing at the moment if there are female relatives from them along the line – at present I know nothing at the Wismans/Wisemans, or the Hide/Hydes or which side cosen Thomas Smyth comes from. Why did he have to have such a common name?!)

In the name of god amen the fourth day of Ffebruarye in the yeare of our Lorde one thousand fyve hundred and four score and thirteane and in the six and thirtyth yeare of ye Reigne of our Soveraygne Lady Elizabeth by the grace of god queene of Englande, Ffraunce and Irelande Defendor of ye fayth I Dame Hellen Branch of ye Cittye of London widdowe beinge at this presente tyme of perfecte memory (I humblye give god thankes for ye same and for all other his manyfold blessinge graciouslye in his mercye bestowed uppon me his unworthie servaunte’ callinge to mynde ye ontententye of ye ?ontyhuaunte of my lyfe and myndinge to list in sayde order much as in me lyeth touchinge all my goodes chattells & debtes and other things whatsoever agaynste the tyme when yt shall please ye lord to take me out of this vale miserye soe make and ordeyne this my presente testamente conteyninge herein my last will in manner and forme followinge, that ys to say ffirst and princypally I bequeath and commende my soule into ye handes of god Allmightye trustinge by ye merrisie of ye death and resurrection of his only sonne my lord and saviour Jesus Christe to be saves and to enjoye eternall life ub his spngdor and so to worthinge my naturall body (non corrupte) which I am afflicted at ye last days shal be raysed and with my soule shall be putt on incorruption I committ yt to ye earth and will be ye it be buryed in Sorh [south?] Porte as becometh lupian in the parish church of St Mary Abchurch in London where I am a parishioner & neare unto ye place where my late husbands John Mynors was buryed as convenyently may be, and I will and chardge myne executor. If it be performed in such comely and covenyente sorte as is meate and as my state may reasonably bear.

Item I will ye all my debtes which I shall owe at ye tyme of my death eyther in righte or confriente conscience be truly, and justly satisfyed and payd by myne executor hereafter named, whom I ffreqyntly chardge yt he deteyne not due debt nor delay payment thereof as he will authorise before ye greate judge before whom the ferreates of all hartes shall be revealed, as to nothinge my goodes and chattells moutable and unmoutable and ye debtes which shall be owinge unto me at ye time of my decease I will bequeath and ordeyne in manner and forme followinge that ye may say.

Item I give and bequeath to ye poore and needye people of ye parish of St Mary Abchurch ye some of ten pounds of faithfull money of Englande to be bestowed and distributed parte in money and parte in loafes? where neede shall be by ye direction of my executor which shall have ye execution of this, my preserne testamente wythin foure monthes nexte after my decease wyth the advise of ye churchwardens of ye parish aforesaid.

Item I give and bequeath to ye govermors of ye severall hospitalls raffedcalled or known by ye name of Christes and Boitall St Thomas Hospitall in Southwerke, St Barthus Hospitall in west Smithfirld and Baydwell towardes ye releife of ye children and poore people in every of ye same severall hospitalls the some of twelves poundes (that be to say) to ye governers of everye of ye sayde hospitalls, three poundes which I will shall be payd wiythin fours monethes next after my decease.

Item I give and bequeathto ye master wardens and others of ye spnorye of ye Companye of Drapers of London to be formes for a repast for lurheach of them as shall accompanye my corpse to ye church ye day of my funerall the some of three poundes.

Item I give and bequeath to be bestowed uppon twenty poore maydens at there severall marryage ye some of ten poundes (that ye to say) to every of them ten shillinges to be paid by myne executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath to George Thomas Cuthberte: and Richard sone of my cosen Thomas Smyth Cyttizen and cordweyner of London ye some of forty poundes of good and lawfull money of Englande (that be to say) to every of them ye some of ten poundes to be payed to ye sayd Thomas Smyth, wythin four monthes nexte after my decease, he puttinge in suffyciente suertyes to be come bounde to ye Chamberlyne of London for ye tyme being, for the true paymente of ye sayd severall somes to them severally at there severall lyes of one and twentye yeres or wythin three monethes next after ye accomplishmente of every of there severall ages of one and twnetyt yeares respectyvlie, togither wyth three pounds of lawfull money of England yerelye for the use of ye same duringe for longe tyme as be ye sayd Thomas Smyth shall have ye use thereof, (that is to say) to every of them fyrteane shillinges for every yeres use of the mony, and I will allso and my mynde and intente further if yt if any of ye sayd George, Thomas Cuthbert and Richard shall dye before he or they shall atteyne so the age of one and twentye yeres, then my will mynd and intent so yt ye porton of every of them which shall for dye shall be equally divided amongeff or remayne unto ye survivor or survivors of them to be payd as aforesayde.

Item I give and bequeath to my sayd cosen Thomas Smyth ye some of fortye pounds of lawfull money of England to be payd unto him wythin foure monethes nexte after my decease uppon condition yt he shall wyth ye same use parte thereof satisfye and pay to my nephewe George Nicolsone of London yeoman all such money as he shall owe unto ye sayd George at ye tyme of my decease specyfied in ye condition of one obligation bearinge date ye thirteane day of May in ye yeare of our Lord god one thousand five hundred foure score and ????, and yf ye sayd Thomas Smyth shall dye before he shall retouer or receyve ye same somme of fortye poundes, then I will yt my executor hereunder named ye same somme of fythye poundes, then or wyth parte thereof satisfye unto ye sayd George Nycolsonne for much of ye debte specyfied in ye conditon of ye sayd obligation so shall then remayne unpuyd and it shall remayne and give and bequeath of ye syd some of fyftye poundes of any residue shall remyane besides ye debte payd unto ye sayd George Thomas Cuthberte and Richard sonne of ye sayd Thomas Smyth to be equally divided amongeff them and to ye survivors and survivor of them.

Item I give and bequath unto sy sayd nephew George Nicolson ye some of two hundred and twenty pound of lawfull mony of Englande to be payd wythin fouer monthes nexte after my decease for his sayd legacye.

Item I give and bequeath to ye five universities of Oxforde and Cambridge to eyther of them fortye shillinges .

Item I give & bequeath to be payde for and towardes ye relieife of poore prisoners in these severall prisons followinge (that ys to say) Ludgate newgate ye kinges bench the marshallseye ye Comptor in ye pounterye ye comptor in Wood streete ye white Lyon ye watchehouse Bethelem and ye Elyntke ye somme of twenty poundes (that is to say) to ye feliefe of ye poore prisoners in every of ye sayd prisons fortye shillinges.

Item I give and bequeath to be be formed to and amonge the poore people in breade ye day of my funerall twenty shillinges.

Item I give and bequeath to my lovinge freindes Nicholas Spencer, Edmund Hide and Richard Wisman every of them ten pounds of lawfull money of England.

Item I give and bequeath to my goddaughter Ursula Wiseman one golde ringe of ye value of fortye shillinges or in money, and to my godsonne George Hide one other gould ringe of ye lyke value of forty shillinges or fourtye shilllinges in money.

Item I give and bequeath unto my nephew Roberte Nicholson ye some of one?? hundred poundes of lawfull money of Englande soe affivayed and uppon condition ye he shall take uppon him ye execution of this, my presente testamente and last will and shall well and faythfully performe to ye same arrondnige to my meaning thereby declared.

Item I give and bequeath to twenty poore women twenty gownes of blacke cloth of ye value and price of sixe shillinges the yarde.

Item I to sixe bearers to carrye my corpes to ye grave everye of them one gowne of blacke cloth of ye lyke value or price of sixe shillinges the yarde.

Item I give and bequaeth to ye Ladye Allott late wife of Sir John Alloff knyghte deceased, to ye honorable Cuthberte Buckle Lord mayor of ye Cittye of London and my lady his wife, to my very good freindes Mr Thomas Wisman my counsellor in matters of laws, Edwarde Hide and his wife Nicholas Spense Richard Noifman and his wife, to my brother Beniamyne Nicholson and to my cosen Thomas Smyth and his wife to every of them one blacke gowne cloth of ye value or pryce of twenty shillinges every yarde.

Item. I give and bequeath to ye wife of Thomas Carter my neighbour one blacke gowne cloth of ye value or pryce of eighteane shillinge ye yarde.

Item I give and bequeath to widdowe Cowper and to Margreate Johnson widowe every of them one blacke gowne cloth of ye value or price of ten shillinges ye yarde.

Item I give and bequeath to Xtian Barlowe, widow Tatam and Mrs Starn every of them one blacke gowne cloth to ye value or pryce of sixteene shillinge ye yard.

Item I give and bequeath to my goddaughter Ccrare ye wife of Ian? Walker clothworker and to Alyce Goodwyne eyther of them one blacke gowne cloth to ye value or pryce of ten shillinge ye yarde.

Item I give and bequeath unto Richard Bridger/n? servaunte to ye syd Roberte Nicholsonne ye some of twenty poundes to be payd wythin fyve yeres after my decease by my executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath to ye sayd Cuthbert Buckle Lord Mayor whom I entreate to further ye performance of this, my present Testament one white silver playghted tupp whith nous his dotten thomes.

Item I give and bequeath to ye sayd Thomas Wisman for his paynes heretofore taken about my business one standinge tupp of Pyluer silver guilte. Item I give and bequeath to ye wife of ye sayd Richard Wisman my bracelettes of gould.

Item I further will ordeyne and my mynde and intente further is ye of any parson or parsons whatsoever to whom I have hereby gyven and bequeathed any legacy or legacyes of any some of money or other goodes or chattells whatsoever shall happen to dye in my lyfetyme that then ye legacy and legacyes of ye somme and somes of money and goods and chattells whatsoever to them and every of them which shall soe happen to dye gyven and bequeathed and no herein by further lymitaton otherwise appoynted shall be to ye use pf my executor, And sowthinge contynewe ye residue of all and singular my goodes and chattells moutable and unmoutable whatsoever they be wythin ye cyttie of London or else where wythin ye realme of England by this my presente Testamente and last will not otherwise gyven or bequeathed nor hereafter by me bequeathed my funerall thardyes debtes and legacyes deducted, my will mynde and intente is shall be unto ye use of my executor Robert Nicholson. And of this my presente Testament and last will I doe make and ordeyne my sayd nephewe Roberte Nicolson my full and sole executor soe to remayne and rontyneure continue untill he shall fayle in execution or performaunce of this my last will and testamente charging him to see ye same trulie hereby executed and performed in everythinge attendinge to my purpose intente and meaninge hereby dersaved, Provided allways this my will mynde and intente further ye and soe hereby declare condition and ordeyne ye if the sayde Roberte Nicolson shall dye before me or shall fayle to take upon him ye execution of this my presente testamente or last will in ye execution or performaunce of ye same contrarye to my meaninge hereine declared, then from ye tyme of his death or of such failing whith souer whichsoever of them shall first happen ye sayd Richard Wisman shall by vertue hisself stand remayne and be my ( ) sole executor of this my last will and testament.

And of this my presente Testamente and last will I doe make and ordeyne ye said Richarde Wisman one of ye overseers be soe to remayne wyth my other overseers hereafter named, untill such tyme or tymes as yt shall happen ye he shall take uppon him as executor of this my sayd testamente, and I doe also make and ordeyne ye sayd Nicholas Spencer and Edwarde Hyde ye other overseers of ye same by last will and testamente desiringe them and eyther of them to further and assist every of those who shall have ye execution thereof, in ye due execution of ye same in everythinge attendinge to my meaninge hereby declared, and I doe hereby revoke and anull all former willes and testamentes by me heretofore and In witnes whereof to this my presente testament and last will. I ye sayd dame Hellen Branch have putt my hand and seale, Dated ye day and yeres first above written. Signed Helen Branch, Signed and sealed in ye presence of ye Robert Smyth, Thomas Webber/, the sayd dame Hellen acknowledged this to be her last will in ye presence of Laurente Streate.