Warks

Thomas Maydes 1533

Offchurch, Warwickshire

In dei nomine amen, the year of our lord God 1533, the 3rd day of January, I Thomas Maydes, sick in body but whole in mind & remembrance, make my last will in this manner of form. In primis I give & bequeath my soul to almighty God & to our blessed lady Saint Mary & to all the angels of heaven & my body to be buried in the churchyard of Saint Gregory at Offchurch. Also I give & bequeath (unclear) to the high altar viii d. Also I give the mother church of Coventry iiii d. Furthermore I give to Agnes my daughter a cow. Also I give to Elizabeth my second daughter a red cow & to John my son a yearling calf & to Thomas my son another yearling calf. And all my other goods unbequeathed, my debts paid, I give to Agnes my wife, whom I ordain & make my sole executrix & my brother in law Thomas Durand the elder to be my overseer of this my last will. These witnesseth, my ghostly father John Crosse, William Langschaf, John Palmer, Gregory Rabond with diverse others.

John Maydes 1541

Radford Semele, Warwick

In the name of God, amen, the year of our lord 1540, the 20th day of February, I John Maydes, whole in mind and of good remembrance, make my testament and last will in manner and form following. First I bequeath my soul to almighty God, to our lady Saint Mary & to all the holy company of heaven and my body to be buried in the parish churchyard of Saint Nicholas at Radford. Also I bequeath to the mother church of Lichfield iii d. Also to the altar of Radford viii d. Also I bequeath to the repairing of the parish church of Radford xx s. & ii ewes. Also I bequeath to any child of my son John Maydes a sheep. Also I bequeath to have v masses of the wounds of our lord said for my soul xx d. The residue of all my goods not bequeathed, my due debts paid, I give to John Maydes my son & I make him my full & sole executor to see my body honestly brought home and to dispose for my soul as he thinks most convenient. (Unclear) Williams, Harry Yardely, John Norton, John Whithead with others.

An inventory of the goods of John Mayde of Radford late deceased, taken and appraised by Harry Yardely, John Norton and Thomas Adkyns.

Imprimis an ox, iii kine & ii calves appraised at £iii

Item 50 sheep appraised at £v

Item pots and pans appraised at xx s.

Item pewter vessels appraised at x s.

Item his bedding appraised at xxs.

Item a (unclear) ii coffers & other coopery ware x s.

Thomas Mayds 1579/80

Weston under Wetherley, Warwick

In the name of God amen, the 11 day of January in the year of our lord 1579, I Thomas Mayds of Weston under Wetherley in the county of Warwick, yeoman, being in good and perfect remembrance, do ordain and make this my last will and testament in manner and form following. First and principally I give and bequeath my soul unto almighty God my creator, trusting that by the merits of Jesus Christ my saviour and his precious death and passion to be saved and to be received into his heavenly kingdom, and as concerning my temporal goods I dispose them as hereafter followeth, that is to say. Item I give and bequeath Agnes my wife all my household stuff, wholly moveable and unmoveable. Item I give and bequeath to Edward my eldest son the sum of £12 to be paid unto him within two years next after my decease. Item I give and bequeath unto Paul my youngest son the sum of 12 pounds to be paid unto him when he shall accomplish the age of twenty years. Item I give and bequeath unto Mary my daughter the sum of twenty pounds to be paid unto her at the day of her marriage or when she shall accomplish the age of 20 years, whether shall happen to come first, and if it happen that any of my said children before named to die and depart out of this world before their several times appointed to receive ther portions, that then my will is that he or she or any of them so departed shall remain to be divided one half to my executors and the other half to their survivors of these my children then living. Item I give and bequeath unto iii children of Philip Skarle, that is to say Thomas, John & Agnes, either of them one sheep or iii s. iiii d. whether they will. Item I give and bequeath unto iii children of Robert Kolloster, that is to say Ann Linse, William Kenet and Mary Kenet, either of them one sheep or iii s. iiii d. whether they will. Item I give and bequeath unto John Wolleson the son of John Wolleson deceased ii sheep being ii chilver sheep or else vi s. viii d. whether he will. Item I give and bequeath unto the poor in Weston ii s. viii d. to be divided among them at the discretion of my overseer. The rest of all my goods and chattels not bequeathed, my debts paid, my funeral expenses discharged, my bequests performed and my body brought to the ground, I give unto Agnes my wife and Thomas my said son whom I make mine executors, and further my will is that Agnes my wife and Thomas my son shall jointly occupy my house with the appurtenances that I now dwell in, for and during all the years to come and unexpired, and I will and desire my well-beloved in ChristWilliam Bageld and Henry Bere of (unclear) be my overseers to see this my last will and testament performed.

Thomas Meades 1617

Weston under Wetherley, Warwick

In the name of God amen, I Thomas Meades of Weston under Wetherley in the county of Warwick, yeoman, being sick in body but of sound and pefect memory (all laud and praise be give to almighty God therefore) do make and ordain this my last will and testament viz. I do commend my soul into the hands of almighty God with full and steadfast persuasion and assurance to obtain remission of my sins by the bitter passion and merit of Jesus Christ my only saviour and redeemer, and my body to be buried in the parish church of Weston aforesaid. And all my worldly goods I dispose in manner and form following viz. Imprimis I give and devise my house in the burrough of Warwick now called the Vincarne (?) in the Smiths Street be it messuage or tenement or by whatever name it hath been anciently named and being lately purchased by me of Paul Meades my brother, I say I give and devise the said house with all the appurtenances belonging unto it to Anne Meades and Alice Meades the two daughters of my said brother Paul Meades ad to their heirs forever, and for want of heirs of one of them to the surviving and her heirs forever, provided always and my will is that the said Paul Meades my brother and Alice Meades his now wife, my sister-in-law, shall quietly and peaceably enjoy the said Vincorne and all the appurtenances belonging to it during their natural lives, yielding and paying unto their two said daughters x s. by the year in lieu of a rent. Item I give and bequeath unto Anne Meades my said kinswoman thirty pounds of current English money to be paid unto her by my executors within two months after my decease. Item I give and bequeath unto Alice Meades my said kinswoman thirty pounds of like current English money to be paid unto her by my executors within two months after my decease. Item I give and bequeath unto Samuel Blackwell my kinsman twenty pounds of current English money to be paid unto him within one quarter of a year after my decease. Item I give and bequeath unto the poor of the parish of Weston aforesaid x s. to bedelivered unto them by the discretion of my executors and the vicar. Item I give and bequeath unto John Ladbrook my manservant and to Mary Hames my maidservant v s. apiece. And all the rest of my goods and chattels as well movable as unmoveable, my legacies being paid and my funeral expense discharged, I give and bequeath unto Edward Meades and Paul Meades my two brothers, to be equaly divided between them both, whom I do make executors of this will, and I do utterly revoke, renounce, and disannul all other former wills, legacies or deeds of gift whatsoever heretofor made, given or bequeathed, and I acknowledge this to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and seal the day and year above written in the presence of the witnesses subscribed.

Item I give and bequeath unto any godchildren I have xii d. piece. Item my will is that my kinswoman Alice Meades do marry with her father's consent, then to have her legacy upon the day of her marriage, if not then to stay for it four years after her marriage.