Catalogue description Will of Will. Tompson.   In the name of God, amen. The first date of Marche in the yere...

Will of Will. Tompson.

In the name of God, amen. The first date of Marche in the yere of our Lords God one thowsand fyve hundrethe three scoore and fowretene, and in the seaventenethe yere of the raigne of our soveraigne ladie Elizabethe, by the grace of God, queens of England, France, and Ireland, defendour of the faithe, etc., I, William Tompson, of the Citie of Coventre, corvicer (shoe-maker), boyinge of good and perfecte mynde and remembrance, thankes be given to Almightie God, do ordayne and make this my testament and last will in maner and forme followinge

First, I bequethe and commend my souls to Almightie God, and my bodye to be buried in the parishe churche of the Trinitle, in the Citie of Coventre aforesaide, at the end of my seate nighe to my wyffe; and I geave and bequethe unto my trusty friendes of. Burton, of the Citie of Coventre, cardmaker; Will. Whartoppe, of the same Citie, corvicer; Tho. Smythe, of the same Citie, corvicer; and Each. Bennett of the same Citie, -bocher, a tenement with a garden and an orchard thereto belongings and Lee (field) of errable grounds lying on the back side of the said tenemente, all which now be in the teanure of one Joh. Carre, labourer, and do lye in Cowndon in Vrchenfeilde, near the City of Coventre, on the south side of the street there.

To have and to hold the said tenemente garden orchard and lee with their appurtenances to the said Will. Burton (etc.) and their heir to the onelie proper vse and behove of them and of their heir for ever; upon condition the said Will. Burton (etc.) and their heires shall yerelie for ever permytt and suffer the church wardens of the Trinitie Churche in the said Citie for the tyme beying to receave the Issues, Reveneives (revenues) and proffittes of the said tenement, and to distribute the same yearlie in maner and forme folowinge

That is to wytt, nyne shillingesthereof vnto the pooreste and impotent people of the same parishe to evrie on of them fourepence at the discrescion of the sayd Churchewardens; and other twelve pence thereof the said Churchewardens to take yerelye for their paynes; and the rest of the rent thereof to be bestowed vpon the reparations of the said tenemente yerlie; which distribution and alnes so to be geaven I will shalbe yerelye down in the Even of the Hativitie of oure Saviour Jesus Christ for ever and at no other tyme

And vpon further condicion that the said Will. Burton, Will. Whartoppe, Tho. Smythe, and Zac. Bennett, or so many of them as shalbe lyvinge, shall within sixe monethes next aftur my decease make a Feoffement in Fee with lyverie and Seizine therevpon to be executed of the said tenemente (etc.) to twelve such other persons and theire heires as my Overseers or on of them shall name and appoynte ... and when so many of the said twelve persons shalbe deade that there shall not be livinge of them above three, then I will a newe Feoffment to be by them so lyvinge made to twelve others and theire heires stand seised to the said vse and so to goo in Feoffment for ever.

Endorsed. The deedes of the howse and londes wythout the Sponne barrs, geaven by Nr. Will. Tompson, deceased, for the Releyffe of the poore people.

These deeds contain numerous references to the families we are all by now familiar with - the Damportes, Warrens, Talontes, Sewells, and Saunders. Thos. Banester (DR429/98) was town clerk and churchwarden at the time the chalice was given to Trinity Church, and his name is on it. He wrote in a not particularly good hand much of the Elizabethan part of the "Leet Book", and accompanied his entries with a scrawly flourish which at last I found to be the initials of his name. It is noticeable how many of the churchwardens and parishioners can write their names, some in the old English characters, some in the new Italian hand; at least the men can; women's education was very backward. I find no women's signatures until after this date; it is unlikely that Shakespeare's mother and his daughter Judith could write their names; at least they have only left marks on documents. Agnes Hurte (DR429/97a) made her mark. In those days legatees could not act as witnesses to wills, and Agnes' name appears attesting her mother's will, which is a very interesting document, although she received therein a legacy of a silver gilt salt-collar. Arthur Gregory, Esq., mentioned in the will, was one of Stivichall Gregory's, and there was "a Star Chamber matter" between him and the citizens in Elizabeth's time.