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Sunday, 4 January 2015

Will of Henry Boode, of Burnham on Crouch (1500)

BOODE, HENRY. - 19 February, 1500.[1]  Of Burnham, in the co. of Essex. To be buried in the aisle of St. Peter in the church of Burnham, before the image of St. Peter. To the high altar, for tithes forgotten, 20s.  To St. Peter's priest, 20 marks for his salary for 2 years to sing for my soul in the church of Burnham at St. Peter's altar, and all my friends' souls, "wt all the brethren and sustern of the Guylde of St. Peter belongyng, and all Xp'en soules." To the church of Burnham, two torches of wax to the value of 20s. To the buying of two legends[2] to Burnham church, 4 marks .  20 marks to buy a cope and vestment, "wt dekyn and sub-dekyn," of black damask, to the church of Burnham.  30s. to buy "a stone of marbill to ley upon my body, wt the ymage of a man graven upon the stone wt the iiij eu'ngelists on eu’y corner of the stone, and the ymage of our lady graven wt the scripture, '0 Mater Dei memento mei.'" To the makin g of the highway from Burnham  Waie to Burnham church, to have it  substantially done, 6l. 13s. 4d. … 4d. in money to be distributed to 4 of the "most pouerest creatures" dwelling within the parish of Burnham, by two of the "moost credable" persons of the said parish, every Sunday 6 years following, and at 4 principal feasts, 4s., that is to say for every principal feast, 12d . to poor folk.

To old Geffrey during his life, every week, 4d., to be paid every Monday.  To John Oldman, his wife and his sister, weekly during their lives, 8d.  To Bradwell {Bradwell-on-Sea} church, 6s . 8d.  To Tyllyngham {Tillingham} church, 6s . 8d. To Dengey {Dengie} church, 20s., to the most "nedefull reparacons" of the same . To Achildam {Asheldham} church, 6s. 8d.  To Southmynster {Southminster} church, 40s.  To Seint Laurence {St. Laurence} church, 20s., to "beye wt all prossessionaries."[3]  To Stepull {Steeple} church, 13s. 4d., to buy withal 2 torches. To Maylond {Mayland} church, 20s., to a thin g most necessary to be bought.  To Althorn {Althorne} church, 6s. 8d. To Crixheth {Cricksea} church, 6s . 8d. To the Freers of Colchester, 20s.  To the Freers of Chelmesford {Chelmsford}, 20s.  To the Freers of Maldon, 20s.

To Rayleigh church, 40l., "to bey wt all a sewte of vestments of cloth of tyssue, that is for to say , a cope and a vestment for the preest, wt dekyn and subdekyn, according to the best cope that longeth to Burnham church.  To Rayleigh church, 20l., to beye wt all a crosse of silver and gilt wt a foote[4] therto longing, and a chalice of silver and gilt, wt a staff and a crosse cloth. iiij marcs of money to peynt wt all the covering of the font in Rayleigh church."

"To seint Margaret Guylde of  Canyngdon {Canewden}, 6s. 8d.  To seint Kateryn Guylde of Maldon, 6s . 8d. To seint Geo rge Guylde of Maldon, 6s. 8d.  "To every of my servants, as well my herds as my household servants , 6s. 8d.  To John Mellis, 40s.  To Margaret Sangers, my servant, 20s.  To Thomas Wilson, 20s.; to John Wilson, 20s; to Margaret Wilson, 20s.  To my godsons and goddaughters, each 20d.  To my wife, Johane, my tenement called Felse a bowes, the which I dwell in, with all the houses thereto belonging except "the berne in the which my salt lyeth,[5] and a newe shape wt an inner chambre, the which salt lyeth yn, she not to medle wt them unto the tyme the salte be owte."  To my wife, two crofts of land, the one called Poles and the other Clerks, and all household stuff, as well plate as other·pledges only excepted.  To my wife, all my estate and term of years of and in Stepulhall, together with 42 score sheep of mine called "moder ewen" and 40 rams, 94 kine and 80 "theve"[6] lambs; all which cattle I will be delivered to her at Michaelmas next after my decease.  To be delivered at the same time, 60 "theves" and 10 bullocks of two years of age.  To her, a colt of donne colour.  To my wife, Johane, "all my harowes and ploughes; also as much corn as she and her hirds shall reasonably occupy a hole yere next after my decesse yf she kepe hirself so long sole and unmaryed and ells not.

After my wife's decease my lands and goods to go to my son, William, or, if he predecease his mother, to my son, John, with remainder to my daughters, Agnes, Joan, and Fyne.  To my son, John, when he shall attain the age of 21 years, my "Bierhouse," with all the houses thereto belonging in Burnham, together with 2 crofts called Beletts crofts, and land called Gannok land , and my lands called the harpe, with a house which was sometime Rober Cater's.

To my son, William, my estate and term of years in Bacons and Sherle, together with all sheep and cattle on the same; but if the said William die before he comes to the age of 21 years, th e lands and cattle to be sold and the proceeds to be divided into two parts, one of which shall be spent on the "lengthening of the Ile of the Trinitie sett on the south side of Rayleigh church, and the other part to the lengthening of the Ile. of Seint Kateryn in Burnham church, so alwey that the parishens of the said two parishes goo in hand wt the new Iles.  And if they do not wtin xii moneths, then one part of the money to be spent in amending the high and noyous weyes between Burnham and Southminster, and the other part in amending the high weyes about Raylegh."  If my wife claims her dowry in the said Bierhouse, or in any part of my lands otherwise than I have bequeathed to her, then my bequest to her of my cattle above rehearsed be utterly void.  To Mr Aleyn, clerk, 10 marks.  To my wife, my six plough horses going at Stepulhall.

To every of my 3 daughters, Agnes, Joan, and Fyne, "xxij wey of salt, orells xl marcs in redy money, " on their day of marriage, with remainder to their brothers if  they die before marriage; and if my sons die, the money to be equally divided between the churches of Burnham and Raylege.  My tenements and meadow in the parish of Raylege to be sold after my decease, "and the money comin g from the said sale to be disposed towards the new making of the Roode loft at Raylegh, so that the parishens there fynyssh the same work at their own cost after the facion  and making of the Roode loft at Ligh {Leigh}."

My tenement called Crosehous, in Burnham, to be sold, and the money coming from the same to be disposed in amending of the lane called Bierhous lane leading from Bumham to the Key there.  To Richard Mellous, all my estate and term of years in a marsh called Polesmarsh.  To each of my executors, 5 marks.  Residue, after payment of debts and legaci es, to be disposed in amending highways and repairing poor churches, and in other deeds of charity. Executors: John Garyngton; William Aleyn; Thomas Purfote. Witnesses: Sir John Sweeting, priest; Thomas Shethe; William Bek; John Heweley.

Proved 23 April, 1501.   (F. 83b; also P.C .C., Moone 11.)

{Taken from ‘Essex Wills at Canterbury’, by Revd. G M Benton, Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society, Volume 21, Part 2.}




[1] This will, somewhat abridged, with notes by Mr. H W King, appeared in Trans. EAS vol ii (n.s.), pp. 370-374.
[2] Legenda, a lectionary or book of lessons, for Mattins. The earliest of the two printed editions of Sarum Use extant, known only from fragments, was issued c.1491.
[3] Processionale, a music book for use at litanies and other processions.  At least twenty-four printed editions of Sarum Use are extant, the earliest dating from 1502.
[4] A processional cross could often be detached from its staff, when it was furnished with a foot for use as an altar cross.
[5] Domesday Book records between 40 and 50 salt-pans on the Essex coast, and salt continued to be made regularly in the county up to the end of the eighteenth century. Its manufacture is now confined to Maldon.
[6] A female sheep of a particular age: most generally applied to an ewe of the first or second year. See N.E.D. under ‘theave’.

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