NEI Exhibition: More Wills and Local History documents images and transcriptions

Image of the codicil of Dame Elizabeth Freville, widow. Ref: DPRI/1/1630/F9/3

Transcript of the Codicil of Dame Elizabeth Freville, widow

Wheras I dame Elizabeth Frevile of Wallworth in the county palatyne of Durham widow did make my last will & testament dated the first daie of July 1630, I do by this present Codicill to be annexed to my will, give & bequeath to Mr Ferdinando Morecroft one of the prebendaries of Durham & vicar of Highington & to Mr Raph Richardson vicar of Acliff unto whom I have ben muche beholden in the time of my present visitacon of sicknes iii [3] ^li a peice. Item I give to my Nephew John Jenison as an additament to that which I have bequeathed to him by my will xxx [30] ^li. Also I give to my servant Ann Parkinson twenty nobles & to Ann the wife of Nicholas Petifer five poundes & two laced aprons & a band of my wearing linnen. Item I give all the residue of my wearing clothes & linnen (not disposed of) to be equally devided betwixt Mary Dighton widow & the said Ann Parkinson my servant. Item I give to Elizabeth Gifford & Francis Gifford daughters of Mr Symon Gifford twenty shillinges a peice. Item I give to Robert Bellarby my late servant fower markes. Item wheras I have placed of late my Nephew Richard Frevile at Cambridge & did give to him ten poundes a yeare hetherto for his better maintenance out of my desire of his well doing I do referr the continuance therof for three years longer to the discretion of my Nephew Sir John Calverley & my brother Thomas Jenison. Item my further will is (in consideracion of the dearth & scarcity that is like to ensue this present yeare) that my Executor shall give <every fortnight> tenn shillinges to be distributed unto the poore of Heighington parishe by Christofer Rayne & the said payment to begin [from] the time that my said Executor shall break up howse at Wallworth & to continew untill Michaelmas next following. And wheras by my said [will and] testament I did give & dispose so muche of suche howsehold stuffe as should be remainyng in my handes undisposed of which was my late h- … … -ference unto a Booke or Inventory bearing date the xxiiii^th [24^th] daie of Frebruary 1624 it more fully appeareth … … question, doubtes or differences be made or do arise by my Nephews George Frevile Richard Frevile Robert Frevile & Nicholas [Frevile] … of them, touching the appraysement valuacion devision & distribucion of the same or anie parte therof; or question be made by th- … of them, what were truly the goodes of my said husbandes in the said booke expressed & sett downe the decision & determinacion the … -erred wholy to my said Nephew Sir John Calverley & my brother Thomas Jenison. And I do further declare that whatsoever … howsehold stuff is marked onely with the lettres E F was no parte of my said husbandes goodes, but provided by my selfe … -s death. Item I give to Mr Robert Robson of Bishopp Aucland five poundes. In witnesse wherof I have herunto sett my hand [&] seale the second daie of October in the sixt yeare of the raigne of our soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God Kyng [of] England Scotland France & Ireland, defendor of the faith &c. 1630.

Elizabeth Frevile

Glossary

mark : a coin worth 13 shillings and 6 pence
noble : a coin worth 6 shillings and 8 pence
visitacion : a time of sickness

[End of page 1 of 1. Ref: DPRI/1/1630/F9/3]

Image of the will of Clemet Red [Clement Reed] of Elsdon. Ref: DPRI/1/1582/R2/1

Transcript of the Will of Clemet Red [Clement Reed]

In the name of god amen the xiiii [14^th] day of september
the yere of oure lord god m ccccc lv [1555] I clemet red of the
hould toun sek in my body and holl of mynd makes
my last woll and testyment In manere and fourme
followyng: fyrst I geve my soull to god almeghty and
my body to be bered within my pareche cherche of elsden
with my dutes thereto belongen. Item I mak my son
thomas red and my son archebald red my exsekcutors
Item I geve to my son thomas red all my steden In the
hould toune and I woll that he be gud to his breder
In hys steden that he maye for goye so long as thye
and he dothe gre Item I geve to my son thomas red
my two douhgters. Item I geve to my doughter Janet
red xii [12] ky and oxson and <I> woll that my son arche
red be pait, and the rest of my gudys not legeset
I geve to my son thom[a]s and edward and to my yongest
doughter Item I mak gawyn red and James foster
supervisors to se my woll perfurmet mad the day and
yere above sad before thes wetnessys <William Hall Clerke> jur[atus] [sworn]
curet of elsden Jhon red lord of trowen [Troughend] robart red
clowys feld & peter red

Glossary

for goye : forego [?], with the sense of not disturbing him
legeset : legacied or legated [i.e. bequeathed in legacies]
perfumet : performed
the hould toun : the Old Town
steden : farm-house and outbuildings

[End of page 1 of 1. Ref: DPRI/1/1582/R2/1]

Image of the Inventory of Thomas Harrison of Durham City. Ref: DPRI/1/1664/H9/1

Transcript of the Inventory of Thomas Harrison of Durham City

The Inventory of the goods & Chattells of Thomas Harrison late of South Street nere Durham in the Chappelry of St Margarets in the County of Durham yeoman deceased, made & apprised by Thomas Harrison Rowland Walker William Rawe & Jacob Gibb the One & twentieth day of September In the yeare of our Lord 1664.

The said Thomas Harrison in his life time & at the time of his death
was possessed by Lease dated the twelfth day of May, In the One &
twentieth yeare of the reigne of James the late King of England
of one garth being in quantity half an acre or thereabouts more or
lesse lying & being on the East side of South Street betweene an Orchard
on the North, & aparcell of free hold land on the South, extending
from the Kings Street on the South side, to the water of Weare
which the said Thomas Harrison held by vertue of a Lease made to
him thereof, by Richard Hutchinson late of South Street Organist
by Indenture dated the said twelfth day of May In the One & twentieth
yeare of the said late King James his reigne, To hold from the
making & sealing thereof unto the full end & tearme, of One thousand
yeares, thenceforth next & imediately following, which we value
& apprise to the summe of Twenty pounds.

Thomas Harrinson

Rowland Walker
William Rawe
Jacob Gibb

Glossary

garth	a small piece of enclosed ground, usually beside a house or other building, used as a yard, garden, or paddock
indenture	a deed between two or more parties executed in two or more copies, which copies formerly having their tops or edges correspondingly indented or serrated for identification and security

Note

This document, on first glance, is not in the expected form of an inventory. However, it does in fact list and value one item of the deceased's personal property, a lease of land in Durham city. Leaseholds, even with terms of 1,000 years such as this, were not classed as real property, and could thus be processed by the ecclesiastical court with the rest of the deceased's goods and chattels. While real property (freehold and copyhold land and tenements) could be devised by will, such property and any litigation surrounding its transmission fell outside of the jurisdiction of the church courts.

[End of page 1 of 1. Ref: DPRI/1/1664/H9/1]

Image of the Will of Charles Jackson of Newcastle upon Tyne, glass grinder. Ref: DPRI/1/1794/J1/1

Transcript of the Will of Charles Jackson of Newcastle upon Tyne, glass grinder

In the name of God Amen I Charles Jackson of the Town and County of Newcastle upon Tyne Glass Grinder, being of Sound, Mind, Memory, and Understanding, do make my last Will and Testament in manner and form following, And I give and bequeath unto John Watson of the said Town and County of Newcastle upon Tyne Cordwainer the sum of Five Pounds my Box Legacy from the Civil Society at Mr Joblins in the Close And in respect to all my Effects and Furniture and other matters and things whatsoever after Paying all my just debts and Funeral Expences, I give and bequeath the same unto the said John Watson and do also nominate and appoint him sole Executor of this my my last Will and Testament, And do hereby revoke All former Will or Wills by me heretofore made I make and declare this to be and to contain my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the Tenth day of September in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Four.

Charles Jackson

Glossary

cordwainer	a worker in cordwain or cordovan leather; a shoemaker
glass grinder	a skilled occupation grinding and polishing glass for the manufacture of mirror or plate glass, lenses for spectacles and scienitific instruments, and other glass-ware

[End of page 1 of 1. Ref: DPRI/1/1794/J1/1]

Image of the Will of John Clark of Heworth, labourer. Ref: DPRI/1/1846/C14/1-2

Transcript of the Will of John Clark of Heworth, labourer

This is the last Will and Testament of me
John Clark late of Heworth Shore but now an Inmate
in the Workhouse at Heworth in the County of Durham
Labourer made the thirtieth day of June in the
year one thousand Eight Hundred and Forty I
give and bequeath the Legacies or Sums Payable
on my Death in respect of my being a free Member
of the Universal Friendly benefit Society of Artisans
held at the Houses of John Newton Dolphin Tavern
Close, Newcastle upon Tyne out of the Funds of the said
Society And all other my Estate and Effects whatsoever
unto George Murray of Heworth aforesaid Farmer
his Executors Administrators and Assigns Upon
Trust thereout to pay my Funeral Expences and Debts
And I declare that all Sum or Sums of Money or
Relief received or to be received by me or by my late
Wife Margaret Clark as a Pauper or Paupers of the
Chapelry of Heworth aforesaid shall be and be considered
as a lawful Debt due and owing by me and chargeable on
my Effects And I charge the same thereon and direct my
Executor to pay and discharge the same as a Debt
accordingly And I appoint the said George Murray
Executor of this my Will and my Nominee to receive
the Legacy or Legacies Payable out of the Funds of
the said Society on my Death Pursuant to the Rules
thereof In Witness whereof my Name hath been
hereunto subscribed in my Presence and by my Direction
the Day and year first before written.

John Clark

Signed by Thomas Sill in the presence of the said Testator John
Clark and by his Direction as and for his last Will and Testament
in the joint presence of us who at his request in his presence and
in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our Names
as Witnesses

Thomas Winburne
Abraham Aisbitt

[End of page 1 of 1. Ref: DPRI/1/1846/C14/1]

Image of the Certificate of Michael Arthur of Newcastle, innkeeper. Ref: Newcastle Libraries, Local Studies and Family History Centre

Transcript of the Certificate of Michael Arthur of Newcastle, innkeeper

No.8Newcastle upon Tyne 26 day of March 1794
We the underwritten President & Stewards of the Liberal Society of
Tradesmen, for the time being: Do hereby certify that Michael Arthur Inn
Keeper Newcastle did on the second day of February last being made
a free Member of this Society & is hereby authoriz'd to Assign and Transfer for
a Valuable consideration such Benefit & Allowance as he may be entitled to
from the Funds of this Society at his Death, provided he die a Member
thereof; And by the Rules of this Society the Person to whom such Assignment
or Transfer shall be made is declared to be entitled to so much & such part of
the said Benefit & Allowance as shall therein be express'd to be Assigned, on
producing this Certificate. And in Case no Assignment or Transfer shall be made
thereof by the said Michael Arthur in his life time his Executors or Administrators
shall in like manner be entitled thereto on their producing this Certificate - Given
under our Hands the day and Year above written.

William PotterPresident

Cuthbert Robinson
M. ArthurStewards
G. Frost
Robert Kennedy

[End of page 1 of 1. Ref: Newcastle Libraries, Local Studies and Family History Centre]

Transcript of the Nuncupative Codicil of John Bedford, minor canon of Durham Cathedral

1597
Ultima voluntas
Johannis Bedford
nuper Civitatis
Dunelmensis defunctus
Inventarium non exhibitum
Administratio datur de
perimplendo eandem

[Last will
of John Bedford
formerly of the city
of Durham deceased.
lnventory not exhibited.
Administration granted
for fulfilling the same.]

…there good helpe as my hope and trust is they will
Item I geve to my deare and lovinge mother
if she be lyvinge a spurr Riall And to my
sisters Isable and Elizabeth to either of theme
one half angle in gold.
All the rest of my goodes moveable and
unmoveable not bequeathed my debtes and funerall
expenses discharged I geve and bequeathe to
be equally divided betwext Jane Harbert my
wyff and Francys bedford my doughter whome
I doo constitute and make joynt executors
of this my last will and testament And my
will is that if it fortune that my doughter
Francys die before that she canne come to
enjoye my legaties and other rightes due to
hir by my bequest that then all benifyttes due
to hir shall come goe and be equallie divided
amongst my brothers childrene and my sisters
childrene.

wytnesses herof.

Mr Henry Ewbank
that he so acknowledged
Richard Billsburie
and cuthbert nicholl
wryter herof.

in p.

Memorandum Mr John Bedford aforesayd the xiii ^th [13^th] daye
of Septembre 1597 willed and bequeathed to
the parishe <church> of St Marie in the south bailie of
Durham his best Surplesse havinge twoo sleaves
and beinge worth (as he sayd) xx ^s [20 ^s] before
Robert Thompsonne and Mr Cuthbert Nicholl and
divers others in the streat and willed me <so> to add
that his bequest therof to be or parte of his will
and testament Mistres prentesse Conand Fawell
Mistres Jacksonne Besse Martyne Bartie
Younge alias dronnken barty and other presand whene
he thus spoke and willed.

[Re]ceyved for this copie xii ^d [12 ^d]

Glossary

half angle [half-angel]	a gold coin worth, at this time, 5 shillings.
spurr riall [spur-royal]	a gold coin of the value of 15 shillings, chiefly coined in the reign of James I; so called from having on its reverse the form of the sun with rays, resembling a spur-rowel
surplesse [surplice]	a loose vestment of white linen having wide sleeves and, in its amplest form, reaching to the feet; worn by clerics over the fur garments which used to be worn in church as a protection against the cold

[End of page 1 of 1. Ref: DPRI/1/1597/B4/1v]