Transactions of the Essex
Archaeological Society, ‘New Series’, Volume 21 Part 1 (1933)
Archaeological Notes
Weeley Church: abstracts from Wills dating from 1510 to 1550. - The existing wills of Weeley folk down to 1550, in the Commissary Court of London (Essex and Herts) and the Archdeaconry Court of Colchester, at Somerset House, have recently been searched,
mainly for bequests relating to the church. The meagre results are embodied in the following notes, and with the exception of the two wills in the Commissary
Court, of which full abstracts are given, the references are to
wills preserved in the latter Court. When a
will is devoid of interest it has seemed desirable to record
the name of the testator, with the date of execution,
in order to complete the list. The few place·names that occur have also been
noted, and these are enclosed
in square brackets.
GEORGE STONE of Wily.- 6 August, 1510. (Clerke 171b.)
WILLIAM BURWELL Wely. - 13 May 1512. To be
buried in the churchyward of St Andrew at Wely. [Parcel
of ground called Rogers.]
To
Poully's pardon, 6d.
To
the pardon of St. Thomas of Rome, 4d . To the making of the church stepull, 10s. (Clerke 197b .)
This, and a subequent will, shows that the church has preserved its ancient dedication. For "Paul's
Pardon" see Trans. E.A.S., vol. xx, p.52. {Essex Wills at Canterbury
(Part 1} "St. Thomas of Rome" is evidently an
allusion to the chapel
of St. Thomas of Canterbury at Rome, the site of
which is now marked by the chapel of the English College. Weeley church was entirely rebuilt about 50 years ago, with the
exception of the massive tower of
red brick.
The reference to the "making" of the latter corroborates the architectural evidence that it is of early sixteenth-century date.
KATERYN TANNER of Wyly. - 31
December, 1518.
To the church, a sheep to help buy a "crose" cloth; and 6s. 8d. to buy such ornaments as shall be to the honour·of God and
the health of my soul at the "sithe" of
Master Parson. (Francys 92b.)
The cross cloth is often confused in glossaries with the rood cloth, and even the N.E.D. defines it as a cloth or hanging before the rood. Actually,
it was a processional
cross bann er, and
is represented by
the littl e banner hanging from
the cross staff generally
depicted
as borne
by th
e Ag nu s Dei, or
as held in the Hand of the Risen
Christ. It is not unusual to find the cross cloth associated with the
processional cross in
inventories
of church goods, as for example, St. Mary
the Great, Cambridge, 1508: "a cross of
silver, with Mary
and John silver, with a staff copper and gilt, with the cr oss cl oth"[1];
"a cross of copper with
the banner and staff to the same"
also occurs in the inventory of
Castle Hedingham Priory, 1536.[2] These
cloths, which were commonly made of
silk, were sometimes
elaborately stained or embroidered with
various devices, as in the case of the "cross
cl oth, with the images of
the Crucific, Mary and John, layd with gold," which Thomas Pedecok, vicar, bequeathed to Holy Cross, Canterbury, in 1501.[3] The
cross cloth of St. Margaret Pattens, London (1470), was
decorated with
repr esentations
of the Ass umption, SS. Margaret and Katherine
and the Five Wounds of our
Lord, and had two small bells on the staff.[4]
JOHN BATEMAN of Wyley. - 17 April, 1520. To Poules
pardon, a cow. To the church of Wyley,
for that is most needful, 10s. [To
Barford bridge, 12d.] (Francys 96.)
MARGARET MARTYN of Wyley. – 1520
(Francys 103.)
JOHN WRIGHT of Wyly. – 8 February
1520[-1]. [Houses called Berforddes and
Westhowses]. (Francys 107b.)
HENRY PETERSON of Wyley. – 16 November
1525 (Francys 191.)
JAMES WODE of Wyley. – 13 December 1530. To be buried in the churchyard of St
Andrew. I bequeath a cow, the best of
three that be with John Sager, for a foredrove and for tithes negligently forgotten. To the church, 2 kyne for to ffynde with for
ever bell ropes. [Highway between my house and Brettes cawsey, 40s.; land
called Brokhowse; Barkers in Thorpe.] A cow to find a light afore St. Katheryn
yearly at Wyley church. (Francys 230.)
For the observance of the "foredrove,"a rare Essex word for a special mortuary offering, see Trans.
E.A.S., vol. xx., p. 53.
ROBERT BROKE of Wylye – 13 April, 1541 (Sargeant 154).
JOHN BROKE of Wylye. – 28 February,
1542[-3]. To be buried in the church.
(Sargeant 190).
The names of William Brooke and Agnes his wife appear as donor·s on the second bell, which can be dated about
1508. Although William Brooke's will has not been discovered,
it is recorded that that of Agnes Brooke, dated 1509, is in existence[5]; but a wide search has failed to bring it
to li ght.
THOMAS
TONE, clerk, parson of the parish church of Wyleye. – 3 August 1547. To be buried in the chancel, before the
Blessed Sacrament. I bequeath all my
goods to Thomas Lawrens, my kinsman, whom I make my executor; and Sir Rauff
Gyson, vicar of Lyhill Clastyn, supervisor.
Witnesses: Sir James Rothewell, parson of Tendering; Sir John Sherman,
vicar of Much Bentley; Sir John Hopson, curate of Thorpe. (Comm. Ct. Land –
Essex and Herts.: filed will.) {Now held
at the Essex Record Office and available online on Essex Ancestors: ref. ERO
D/ABW 39/49}
Thomas Tone (or Toone) was rector of Weeley from 1516 until his death, in 1547.
Ralph Gibson was vicar of Little Clacton, 1538-60; James Rothwell, rector of Tendring,
1546-54; and John Shereman, vicar of Great Bentley, 1541-57.
The following will has little reference to the church, but as
one of the most interesting of the Weeley wills it seems to merit a full
abstract.
THOMAS HAYMER of Weley, yeoman. – 8 March,
1549[-50]. I desire to be buried in
Weley churchyard. I bequeath to
Elizabeth, my wife, 2 feather beds and so forth: to her and my daughter, Alice
Roger, 9 silver spoons; to the latter, a bed.
To my wife, one of my 29 milk beasts and a bull, a gelding, 3 score of
sheep, and 26s. 8d. every year out of my farm of Weley Hall for 12 years, to be
paid to my son, Thomas Haymer; also my gown faced with tawney chamlet, a chest
and hutch in the parlour, 10 of my store pigs.
To my wife and son, Thomas, a quarter of salt fish, all my cheese, half
a hundred hops, all my bacon, my rye which is sown in Much Bentley, 2 seam of
oats, 7 bushels of wheat, 5 seam of malt, 2 bushels of peas, and the better
part of all of my poultry, hens, capons, geese and ducks; all her own pewter
and brass; to her and my son, Thomas, a piece of russet of 18 yards. To Joan Curtys, 40s. To my son-in-law,
William Roger, 20 marks and another 20s., and to his wife, an angel noble, and
to his children, an angel noble each.
Nicholas Combe to take an “indifferent man” and make his ditch, and if
it be proved that no part of the tree be “my Lady Marys gracys”, then the said
Nicholas to have for his tree which was burnt, 3s. 4d. To Joan Swallow, my wife’s daughter, an old
angel. To John Crowe, my servant, a doublet and jacket; and to my servants,
Alice Maschele and Joan Rande, 12d. To
Thomas Sadler, Thomas Mausser, Ellen Houlte, Joan Coper, John Mylleward, small
money legacies. Residuary legatee and executor: my son, Thomas, and he to have
the lease of Weley Hall Farm. Supervisor: Thomas Swallow. Witnesses: John
Clarke, priest; William Swallow; John German.
Proved 8 April [1550]. (Comm Ct Lond – Essex
and Herts: filed will). {Now held at the Essex Record Office and
available online on Essex Ancestors: ref. ERO D/ABW 18/92}
G MONTAGU BENTON
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