Wills
(Abstracts from London Commissary Court Index)
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William atte Mede, 1389
In the name of God Amen, in the year of our lord 1389, I William atte Mede, being of sound mind, make my testament in this form. First I give my soul to God my creator and my body to be buried in the church of St. Paul's, London. Item I give to the rector of the church of Saint Michael Queenhithe for my tithe forgotten XII d. Item I give John Reynold my servant a lamb skin coat (?). Item I give all and in London John Essex my _________________. The residue of all my goods I give to Alice my wife after my debts have been paid and my bequests have been made, to dispose of for the health of my soul, and I make the aforesaid Alice the executrix of my testament. In witness whereof I place my seal. Witnesses Richard F___, John Fesalke, John Fent and others. This day in London the year above written.
1389 William atte Mede, London St Paul, page 791
His will, of London St Paul
Mentions Alice his wife; John Reynold; Davy Man, tanner; John Essex, apprentice
1389 Alice atte Mede, London St Paul, page 791
1398. John Mede, John Mede, priest, London, page 1750
In will of Roger Ryot, St Vedast, London
1416. John Mede, London, page 1296
In will of Thomas Rustall of London, brewer
1418. John Mede, London, St Clement, Temple Bar, page 1507
In will of Robert Horden, of St Clement, Temple Bar
1418. Margery Mede, London, St Clement, Temple Bar, page 1507
In will of Robert Horden. Wife of John Mede
John Mede, 1427
In the name of God Amen, the fourth day of September in the year of our Lord 1427, I John Mede ______, of London, being of sound mind and good memory, make, order and dispose my testament in this form. First I give and commend my soul to God almighty my creator and saviour and to the virgin Mary his mother, my body to be buried in the church of St Hildegarde in London next to the font in the body of the said church. Item I give ___ to the said church for my tithe forgotten for the exoneration of my soul. The residue of all my goods not bequeathed, after my debts have been paid and my legacies performed and my funeral done, I give them entirely to John Lynne of London and to Joanne his wife ______. And I do constitute my faithful executors John Lynne and Johanna his wife. In witness whereof I place my seal. This day in London the day and year above written.
1427. John Mede, London, page 2245
His will. Of London St Mildred ad Fontem, courser
Mentions John Lynne, husband of Joan
1432. Christian Mede, London, St Paul's Cathedral, page 2805
In will of Joan Hoke, St Paul's Cathedral, widow
John Mede, 1446
In the name of God amen, the XXVII day of August in the year of our Lord 1446 and in the XXIV year of the reign of Henry VI, I John Mede of London, being of sound mind and being in good memory, make my last testament in this form. In primis I give my soul to almighty God my creator and to the virgin Mary his mother, and my body to buried in the church of St. Olave in London after all my debts have been paid. Item I give for the fabric of said church St Olave XX d. Item I give to the church St. Margaret of Lothbury in London for my tithe forgotten III d. Item I give for the fabric of the said church of St. Margaret of Lothbury XX d. The residue of my goods moveable and immovable, after my debts have been paid and my legacies performed, I give entirely to Agnes my wife. I make my executors my faithful wife Agnes, William Robin, and John Richmond, and I give to William Robin and John Richmond for their labours III s IIII d. In witness whereof I have placed my seal. This day in London the day and year above written.
1446. John Mede, London St Olave, Old Jewry, page 1590
His will. Of St Olave, Old Jewry, pastry cook.
Mentions wife Emote; William Robyns, brewer; John Rchemond, pastry cook
1446. Emote Mede, London St Olave, Old Jewry, page 1590
1464. William Mede, Great Ilford, Essex, page 866
In will of Margery Serles, of Great Ilford, Essex
1517. Henry Mede, London St Benet, Paul's Wharf, page 1236
In will of Henry Roper, of St Benet, Paul's Wharf, servant
Henry Mede, godson, son of John Mede
Robert Meade, purser's mate, The Diamond, 1620
In the name of God amen the 23rd of June 1620 I Robert Meade purser's mate in the good ship Diamond being in perfect good memory do here make my last will & testament in manner & form following. First & principally I bequeath my soul into the hands of almighty God trusting assuredly by the death & passion of Jesus Christ to be partaker of everlasting happiness and my body to the earth to be buried after the manner of Christian burial whence it shall please God to call me, & for my worldly goods which he hath endowed me withal I bequeath as follows. Item I give & bequeath unto Susan Meade my wife and to my daughter Ann Meade all my goods, chattels, wages, dues, rights due unto me now or hereafter may arise unto me equally to be divided between them two. I am debtor unto Judith Cooke wife of Edward Cooke a pottaker living in Fanchurch Street the sum of four pounds. I think you have paid it, if not I pray you to pay it. Item I make & ordain my wife Susan Meade and my daughter Ann Meade my full & sole executors to retain all my wages which do elong unto me in this voyage, they aying my debts as shall appear by the purser's books to testify truth. I have put my hand & seal Robert Meade as sealed in the presence of Frances Stephens, Joshua ___, Walter Sparow.
Thomas Mead, citizen & draper of London, dated 1633 proved 1644
In the name of God amen, the ninth day of August Anno Domino 1633 and in the ninth year of the reign of our sovereign lord Charles by the grace of God king of England, Scotland, France & Ireland, defender of the faith, I Thomas Mead citizen & draper of London being sick & weak in body but of sound & perfect mind & memory (praise be given therefore to almighty God) do therefor make & declare this my last will & testament in manner & form following that is to say, first & principally I commend my soul into the hands of almighty God my most merciful father assuredly trusting & believing that through his mercy & the death & merit of Jesus Christ my only saviour & redeemer I shall have remission of all my sins & transgressions, and after the end of this transitory life be made partaker of those ______ which are prepared for the elect in Christ. And my body I remit to the earth to be decently interred in Christian manner according to the discretion of my executors hereafter named. And touching such temporal goods ubstance as God of his mercy hath blessed me withal in this life I dispose thereof as follows. First my will & desire is that all & every such debt & sum of money whatsoever as at the time of my decease I shall truly owe to any person or persons shall be truly satisfied & paid by my executors within as short time after my death as conveniently may be, and the debts owing to me & my funeral charges being first paid & deducted the residue of my goods, chattels, debts & personal estate shall according to the laudable custom of the City of London be divided into three equal parts, one of which said three parts I will shall remain unto Thomasine my loving wife as due to her by the said custom. Another of the said three parts I give unto my ten children here named, viz. William, Thomas, Nicholas, John, Katherine, Thomasine, Sara, Joane, Judith & Elizabeth, equally amongst them to be divided as and for their orphanage. And the other third part I reserve for the performance of the gifts & legacies hereafter expresed that is to say first I give and bequeath unto my said wife Thomasine one hundred pounds in money over & above her customary part aforementioned. Item I give unto my son in law Hamon Gibbon & to my daughter Anne his wife either of them three pounds apiece to make them rings to wear in remembrance of me. Item I give & bequeath unto my servant & kinsman Nicholas Meade one hundred pounds in money to be paid unto him at the end of one year next after my decease, nevertheless my will & meaning is that he shall not demand any money of my executors due unto him at my decease for his service but the same shall be included within the said legacy of one hundred pounds. And I desire him that he will be helping, aiding and assisting unto my executors both in accounts & otherwise concerning my adventures, goods & personal estate, not doubting that he will truly perform my requests herein. Item I give to my loving friend Raph Durant a ring of gold of the value of forty shillings for him to wear in remembrance of me. Item bequeath to every maidservant that shall be dwelling with me at the time of my decease forty shillings apiece. Item I give to my servant Richard Taylor forty shillings. Item I give to _________ Williams that now attendeth me in my sickness forty shillings. Item I make, name & appoint my said wife Thomasine & my said son William Meade executors of this my last will & testament, and overseers thereof I appoint my loving cousins Robert Meade & Edward Meade, desiring them & either of them to see, cause & _____ that my last will and testament to be truly performed & to be assistants with their best counsel, advice & direction unto my said executors, and for their pains & care therein to be taken I give unto either of them a ring of gold of the value of three pounds apiece to wear in remembrance of me. The residue unbequeathed of all & singular my goods, chattels, debts & personal estate I give & bequeath unto my said children here named, viz. William, Thomas, Nicholas, John, Katherine, Thomasine, Sara, Joane, Juith, Elizabeth, equally amongst them to be divided. And if any of them happen to depart this life in his, her or their minority or minorities that then both their orphanage part & legacy part of him, her or them so deceasing shall remain to & amongst the survivors of them equally amongst the same survivors to be shared, parted & divided. Item I give & bequeath unto the said Thomasine my wife during her natural life all that my messuage, tenement with the houses, buildings, orchards, gardens & appurtenances thereunto belonging now or late in the tenure or occupation of one Edward Heydon yeoman or his assigns, scituate, lying & being in old Braynford in the county of Middlesex. Item I give to my servant Robert Hungerford forty shillings to make him a ring. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand & seal the day & year first above written, Thomas Alcad there present being written in five sheets of paper whereby the said Thomas Mead signed, sealed, published & overlaid as & for his very last will & testmen the day & year first above written in the presence of Ra: Hartley & Jonathan Blackwell his servant.
John Meade of Stepney, tobacconist, written 1671, probated 1681
In the name of God, Amen, I John Meade of Ratcliffe in the parish of Stepney at Stebonheath in the county of Middlesex, tobacconist, being in good health of body and of sound and perfect mind and memory, praise be therefore given to Almighty God, do make and ordain this my present last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say, first and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping through the merits, death and passion of my saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life. And my body I do commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executrix hereafter named. And as touching the disposition of all such temporal estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me I give, devise, bequeath and dispose hereof as followeth. First it is my only desire that my own proper and real debts that I do owe justly at the time of my death to any manner of person or persons whatsoever and th my funeral charges and other expenses at my burial shall be paid and discharged. Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Anne Starling the now wife of Richard Starling of Ratcliffe aforesaid in the parish and county aforesaid one piece of silver called one English shilling in full lien and satisfaction of her child's part or portion of my estate. Item I give, devise and bequeath unto my loving friend John Ampes of Milend in the said parish of Stepney and country of Middlesex, Grocer, my gold ring which I do usually wear with the effigies or portraiture of death's head upon it as a remembrance of my love unto him. Item all the rest and residue of my personal estate, goods and chattels movable and immovable whatsoever I do give, devise and bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife Anne whom I do hereby make, nominate, ordain and appoint to be my full and sole executrix of this my last will and testament and I desire that my body may be buried in the said parish church or churchyard at the discretion of my said eecutrix. And lastly I do hereby revoke, annul and make void all former wills and testaments by me heretofore made. In witness whereof I the said John Meade have hereunto set my hand and seal the nineteenth day of February in the twenty-fourth year of the reign of our sovereign lord King Charles the second by the grace of God king of England etc. Anno Domino1671. John Meade sealed, signed, delivered published and declared for his last will and testament in the presence of John Ampes, Meredith Lloyd, etc.
Whereas I have given to John Ampes a gold ring, he being now dead, I give it to my wife Anne Meade this nineteenth day of October 1680, my will in all other things standing as they did at the first making which was the nineteenth day of February 1671, John Meade signed and sealed this nineteenth of October 1680 in the presence of Robert Bedingfield, Henry Aytwey, Charles Trenor.
Thomas Mead of Enfield, Middlesex, victualler, 1693
In the name of God Amen, this fifteenth day of February Anno Domino 1693 and in the fifth year of the reign of our sovereign lord and lady William and Mary by the grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland King and Queen, defenders of the faith etc. I Thomas Mead of the parish of Enfield in the county of Middlesex, victualler, being weak of body but of sound and perfect mind and memory, praise be therefore given to Almighty God for the same, and considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof do therefore make and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say, first and principally I give and bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God my creator, saviour and redeemer, trusting to be saved through the death, merits and mediation of my blessed Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. My body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executrix herein after named. And as for the disposal of that small estate it hath eased God to lend me in this life I order and dispose of the same as followeth. Item I will that all such debts that I shall owe at the time of my decease be paid according to equity and good conscience. Item I give and bequeath unto my loving Aunt Elizabeth Hall of the parish of Amersham in the county of Bucks, widow, the sum of forty shillings of lawful money of England if she shall be living at the time of my decease. Item I give unto my kinswoman Sarah Hix daughter of my said Aunt Elizabeth Hall twenty shillings of like money. Item I give to my kinswoman Francis another daughter of my said aunt twenty shillings of like money. Item I give unto my kinswoman Susan Batchellour another daughter of my said aunt twenty shillings of like money. And my will and mind is that if my said aunt shall not be living at the time of my decease then the legacy so given unto her my said aunt as aforesaid shall be equally divided between my said three kinswomen share and share alike. All the rest and residue of my goods,chatels, plate, bonds, bills, ready money and personal estate whatsoever I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Elizabeth Mead whom I make and ordain my full and sole executrix of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I the said Thomas Mead to this my last will and testament in writing have hereunto put my hand and seal dated the day and year first above written. Tho Meade, signed, sealed, published and declared in the presence of us (my said Aunt) being first undersigned. The mark of John Greene, the mark of William Savage, William Wotherd.
Thomas Meade 1693
In the name of God amen, I Thomas Meade of the Parish of St Sepulchre, London, cony wool cutter, being weak in body but of disposing mind and memory, praised be God, do make and declare this my last will and testament in manner following, that is to say, first and principally I commit my soul into the hands of God that gave it, hoping and believing that by and through the alone merits of Jesus Christ my saviour and redeemer I shall obtain the full remission of all my sins and life eternal in the world to come with the elect children of God. My body I commit to the earth to be decently buried. And for my worldly goods and estate I give the same as followeth viz. In primis I give unto my son Thomas Meade the gold ring I usually wear. Item I give unto Richard Tyrrell all my wearing clothes and apparel that are woollen. The rest and residue of all and singular my goods, chattels, ready money, debts and estate whatsoever I wholly give and bequeath unto my dear and loving wife Mary Meade and I do ordain and appoint her to be the sole executrix of this my will. And I do hereby revoke all former wills and do appoint this to be my last will. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the thirtieth day of August Anno Domino one thousand six hundred ninety three Anno R R William et Maria Anglia Quinto. Tho. Mead signed, sealed, published and declared by the said testator as and for his last in the presence of Lan. Palmer, Thomas Bird, Ste. Mills.
Benjamin Meade of St Giles in the Fields, Middlesex, Gent. 1695
In the name of God, Amen, I Benjamin Meade of the parish of St Giles in the fields in the county of Middlesex, Gent, being weak in body but of a sound mind and disposing memory do make, declare and publish this my last will and testament, revoking and making void all former and other will and wills, testament and testaments heretofore by me made either by word or writing. First I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping to be saved by the merits, death and passion of my saviour and redeemer Jesus Christ and to inherit everlasting life in the kingdom of heaven. And I commit my body to the ground to be decently interred at the discretion of executor hereunder named. And as to the disposing of such temporal estate wherewith God hath blessed me after my debts paid and funeral charges satisfied I give and dispose the same in manner and form following. Item I give and bequeath unto my grandson Joseph Meade a shilling. Item all the rest and residue of all and singular my goods and chattels, rights and edits, estate both real and personal, movable and immovable of what kind soever of right belonging to me at the time of my decease I give, devise and bequeath unto my well beloving friend David Parry of the parish of St Giles aforesaid, coffeeman, and do make the said David Parry full and sole executor of this my last will and testament contained in one side of a sheet of stamped paper. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and seal this eleventh day of July one thousand six hundred ninety five and in the seventh year of the reign of our sovereign lord William the third over England king. Benjamin Meade his mark. Signed, sealed, published, declared and delivered to be his last will and testament in the presence of (being stamped with a lawful stamp) Bridgett Hayden, Ann Duward, Peter Harrison senior.
Daniel Meade/Meads of Fulham, waterman, 1696/97
In the name of God Amen, the eleventh day of December in the year of our Lord God 1696 I Daniel Meade of Fulham in the county of Middlesex, waterman, being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given to God therefore, calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men ever to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament (that is to say) principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it me, for my body I recommend it to the earth to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner at the discretion of my executor believing that at the resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give, devise and dispose of the same in manner and form following. Imprimis I give and bequeath to my well beloved son Daniel Meade the sum of twenty pounds of good and lawful money to be paid him with six months after my decease, which money shall be raised and levied out of my estate. Item I give and bequeath to Thomas Meade my well beloved son the sum of fifty pounds of good and lawful money to be also raised and levied out of my estate, the said fifty pounds to be paid unto my said son Thomas Meade when he shall be twenty one years of age. Item I give and bequeath to my dearly beloved wife Sarah Meade whom I likewise constitute and ordain my only and sole executrix of this my last will and testament all and singular my goods and estate whether in money or otherwise to be by her freely possessed and enjoyed. And I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and annul all and every other former testaments, wills, legacies, bequests and executors by me any ways before this time named, willed and bequeathed, ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written. The mark of Daniel Meade. Signed, sealed,pblished, pronounced and declared by the said Daniel Meade as his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers viz. Richard Hallwood, Ann Ellin, Richard Thorowgood.