PRO ref PROB11/98
T[estamentum] Richardi Fetherston
[Will of Richard Fetherston]
In the name of God, Amen.
The Twenty daye of Auguste One Thowsand Fyve hundreth nynety eighte, and in the fortye yeare of the raigne of our soveraigne Ladye Elizabeth, by the grace of God, Queene of England, Fraunce and Ireland, defender of the Faithe etc,
I, Richarde Fetherston, of Garrendon, in the Countye of Leicester, gentleman, beeing of good and p[er]fecte remembrance (thanckes be to God) doo make this my Testament and last will in manner and forme following, That is to saye,
Firste and pryncipallye I bequeathe my sowle to Allmightie God my Creator, trusting to be saved by the death and bludshedd of Jesus Christe my Saviour and Redeemer,
And my body to [be] buryed att the discretion of my Executors here after named.
And for my temporall goodes w[hi]ch God hath lent me, I will shalbe disposed as followeth, viz [that is to say],
Item I geve and bequeathe to the poore of Sheppesshed Tenne shillinges.
Item I geve and bequeathe to the poore of Hucknall Tenne shillinges.
Item I geve and bequeathe to the poore of Thorpeaker Six shillinges and eighte pence.
Item I geve and bequeathe to my sonne Charles Fetherston all my Freehould landes in Shepshed within the County of Leicester which I boughte of One Thomas Barwell,
And allso one Close in Shepshed aforesaid comonly knowen by the name of Brechclose, contayning by estimac[i]on Tenne acres, be yt more of lesse, neare to a place called Milcroke,
To have and to hould the said land and close, with all and singuler their premises, with all and every the appurten[au]nces, unto my said sonne Charles Fetherston, and to the heires males of his body lawfully begotten, for ever,
And for want of heires males of his body lawfully begotten, the same land and Close to remayne to Katherin now his wyfe during her naturall lyeff,
And for want of heires males of my said sonne Charles Fetherston, I geve and bequethe my said land and close, with their appurten[au]nces, to my sonne Richarde Fetherston, and to the heires males of his bodye lawefully begotten, for ever,
And for want of heires males of his bodye lawefully begotten, I geve and bequeathe my said land and close, with their appurten[au]nces, to my sonne Albyon Fetherston, and to the heires males of his bodye lawefully begotten, for ever,
And for want of heires males of his bodye lawfully begotten, I geve and bequeath my said Landes and close, with their appurten[au]nces, to my sonne in lawe Stephen Michell and Bridgett now his wife, and to her heires and assignes, for ever.
Item I geve and bequeathe to my sonne Richard Fetherston all that my messuage or Tenement, with the appurten[au]nces, scituate and being in Loghborow in the county of Leicester, in a streete there called Churchegate, in the tenure of me the said Richard Fetherston,
To have and to hould to him and to the heires males of his body lawfully begotten, for ever,
And for want of heires males of his body lawfully begotten, I geve and bequeath my said messuage or Tenement, with the appurten[au]nces, to my sonne Charles Fetherston, and to the heires males of his bodye lawefully begotten, for ever,
And for want of heires males of his body lawfully begotten, I geve and bequeathe my said mess[uage] or Tenement, with the appurten[au]nces, to my sonne Albyon Fetherston, and to his
heires and assignes, for ever.
Item I geve and bequeath to my sonne Charles Fetherston the somme of Tenne poundes of lawfull money of England, and my best gould ringe that hath my name graven in it, and my best sword and my best dagger.
Item I geve and bequeath to my sonne Richard Fetherston the som[m]e of Tenne poundes of lawfull Englishe money, and a sword and dagger, in full contentac[i]on of his childes parte.
Item I geve and bequeath to my sonne Albion Fetherston the som[m]e of Forty poundes of lawfull English money, to be paid unto him at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named, in full contentac[i]on of his childes parte.
Item I geve and bequeath to my sonne Charles Fetherston my farme at Hucknall, with the appurten[au]nces, during the yeares I have to expend in the same, with all my goodes and Chattelles
there (my quicke goodes onely excepted).
Item I geve and bequeath to my daughter Bridget and her sonne Stephen Mitchell the som[m]e of Twenty poundes of lawfull Englishe money, and my second gould ring, in full contentac[i]on of her childes parte, to be paid at the discretion of my Executors.
Item I geve and bequeathe to my daughter Elizabeth Fetherston the som[m]e of Twenty poundes of lawfull money of England, in full contentac[i]on of her childes parte.
Item I geve and bequeathe to my daughter Mary Fetherston the som[m]e of Fyve poundes of lawfull English money, and a gould ring, in full contentac[i]on of her childes parte.
Item I geve and bequeathe to Master Charles Morison, sonne to Sir Charles Morison, knight, my best gelding or my best mare.
Item I will that my said childrens partes shall be paid to them within Three monethes after my decease.
Item all the residue of my goodes and Cattelles, moveable and unmoveable, not given and bequeathed, my debtes being payd, my funeralls and legacies dischardged and my body brought to the ground, I geve and bequeath to Margery Fetherston my wyef and to my sonne Charles Fetherston, whome I ordayne and make my Executors of this my last will and Testament.
And I ordayne, will and desire my brother Lancelott Fetherston, and my sonne in lawe Stephen Mitchell, to be my supervisors of this my last will and Testament, to see my myne herein in all thinges fullfilled and donne,
And I bequeathe to my said brother Lancelott Fetherston one Cowe and a calfe of the valewe of fowre markes,
And to my sonne in lawe Stephen Mitchell Twenty shillinges.
In wytnes whereof I, the foresaid Richard Fetherston, utterly renouncing all former wills by me before this tyme made, unto this my last will and testament have sett my hand and seale, the day and yeare first above wrytten.
Theis being wytnesses, viz:
John Tomson of the towne of Nottingham, Scrivenor, the wryter hereof, and [blank]
Probate of Will of Richard
Fetherston, 1601
Probatum fuit Testamentu[m] suprascriptu[m] apud London cora[m] dilecto viro magistro Johanne Amy legum doctore Surrogato venerabil[is] viri magistri Johannis Gibson legum etia[m] doctoris Curie Prerogative Cantuariens[is] magistri Custodis sive Com[m]issarii l[egi]time constitut[i]
Duodecimo die mens[is] Septembris Anno Domini millesimo Sexcentesimo primo
Juramento Thome Lovell notarii publici procurator[is] Margery Fetherston Relicte et Caroli Fetherston filii executoru[m] dicti defunct[i] in huiusmodi Testament[o] nominat[orum]
Quibus com[m]issa fuit Administratio bonoru[m] Juriu[m] et creditoru[m] eiusdem defunct[i] de bene et fideliter Administrand[o] etc Ad sancta dei Evangelia Jurat[is]
[The above-written will was proved at London before the beloved Master John Amy, Doctor of Laws, Surrogate of the worshipful Master John Gibson, also Doctor of Laws, Master Keeper or Commissary, lawfully constituted, of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury,
On the twelfth day of the month of September in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and one,
By the oath of Thomas Lovell, Notary Public, the proctor of Margery Fetherston, the relict, and Charles Fetherston, the son, the executors of the said deceased named in the will,
To whom administration of the goods, rights and credits of the same deceased was committed, they being sworn, on God's Holy Gospels, well and faithfully to administer etc.]