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Sunday, 22 February 2015

The Will of Richard Butler, of White Colne (1500)

BUTLER, RICHARD. – 13 December, 1500. Of Whit Colne in the diocese of London. To be buried in the churchyard of Erlys Colne {Earls Colne}, by my wife. To the high altar of the same, for·tithes forgotten, 12d . "To the sepulchre of Erlys Colne, my best redde couerlet. ii of my best laton candelstiks, to serve for the high awter on Cristmasse moming and Ester morning.[1]  To the church of Erlys Colne, vjs. viijd., to kepe myn obitt and myn wiff's. To the high awter of White Colne, for tithes and duties forgotten, xijd.  To the same, my best shete for an awter clothe[2]; also an ewer of laton, to doo service which shall be most expedient.”
''To Robert, my son, my fether bede and bolstar and also my best brasse potte.  To Thomasyn, William my sonnys daughter, myne other brasse pott. To Robert, my son, vjs. viijd.  To Thomasyn, my litell brasse pott, also a gowne of murrey and a blake hoode that was my wiff's, and a peyre of langettes bedes and blak gette,[3] and xij peces of pewter platers, dishes and sawcers, also a trevett and gredyron, and a spete of yron, and a brasse panne of a potell (half a gallon), and a ketill of a galon, and a laton ladyll, a sprewys cheste, also a matras, and a bolstar, a pelowe , a couerlet febyll,[4]  and a colrake of yron , and a frying pann e. To William Parker, xiijs. iiijd., if he be a preest. My grete panne to be sold and half of the money to be parted betwixt the wif of Thomas Hunt, his nese, and Jone Parker, his nese.''  Executors: Thomas Hunt; William Beulde, of Erlys Colne (6s. 8d. each).
Proved 17 March 1500, by Thomas Hunt.  (F. 77b ; also P.C.C., Moone 18.)

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



[1] Similar bequests of two candlesticks for the high altar are met with in wills of the period: usually they were of latton. but sometimes of silver. The evidence shows that it was the practice to set not more than two lights on the altar for mass, which is in accordance with Anglican tradition.
[2] A sheet or a table-cloth for use as an altar-cloth, was a frequent bequest: occasionally one or two sheets were given to make surplices or albs.  Legacies of wearing apparel for conversion into copes, vestments, etc., were also not uncommon.
[3] = a rosary of jet.  A pair of beads = a rosary; langett, or languet, is a tongue- shaped ornament, especially a drop of jet, amber etc. The N.E.D. quotes the exact parallel, dated 1490, j par procum de jete langettes.
[4] = feeble, i.e. of inferior quality

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