WILL OF GEORGE THOMASON

The document is hand-written, apparently by a clerk of the period, as there are parts of other documents on the image all written in the same hand. There were few periods, commas or paragraphs so I did not edit them in. Underscores indicate words I could not decipher. ? before and after indicate the word I think is written. ^ indicates an insertion, the word being written in the margin of the original with an insertion mark in the body of the text.

I, George Thomason Citizen and Stationer of London being in health of body and of sound and perfect mynde and memory Thanks be given to Almighty God yet considering the frailty of human ?condition? and the certainty of my departure out of this present life and likewise the ?uncertainty? of the day & hour when it shall please God to call for me out of it I so therefore make & declare this my personal last will and testament in writing in manner and forme following That is to ?say? First and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God that ___ it _____hoping & sincerely believing that by and through the only ______ of his only begotton sonne my _____Savior Jesus Christ I shall be saved and after this short & transitory life ended be made p______ with the holy Saints and Angels of his everlasting kingdom of Glory. And my body if ?committ? to the earth to by buryed in

?decent or devout? and ?seemly? manner at the discretion of my executors hereafter named. And if I dye within the citty of London or within Tenne miles thereof my desire is to be buryed in the South ?Ile? of the parish of Saint Dunstan in the west London as near to my late Deare and only wife Katherine Thomason as ?reasonably? may be. And as touching that ?portion? of temporal estate, which God of his infinite mercy and goodness hath conferred upon me in this life I give and dispose thereof in manner and form following. That is to say I ________ do give to each of my executors my children grandchildren and servants living with me at my death mourning at my funeral and

________(maybe knoe?) other And I do will that each other person that is invited and doth come to my funeral shall have there delivered one small volume which I have long since pakt up for that very purpose. And if there be any left undispersed of at my funeral my will is that my executors do distribute them amongst such of my friends and acquaintances as shall not be present at my funeral which are mentioned on a list written with my own hand where ever their habitations and in such convenient tyme after my funeral as may be. And my will also is that what other charge is ?usual? expended maynly upon funeralls be distributed amongst the poor of the parishes of Saint ?Faith? and St. Dunstan's in the west London. ______ the ______at the _________of my executors. And whereas I being a freeman of the City of London and a widower by the ?current? and laudable customs thereof my estate ought to be divided into three parts. Two parts whereof are in my owne disposition and the other third part ought to come to my children unprovided for. I do therefor after payment of my debts and funerall expenses according to that current and laudable custom give and bequeath ^ unto my four younger children vizt Edward Grace Henry & Thomas one third parte the whole into three ^equal parts to be divided of all my estate so: ________equally and proportionally part and parts alike : My eldet sonne George Thomason and my eldest daughter Katherine now wife of William Stonestreet being both advanced in marryiage have had and received from me liberal and plentifull portions of my estate.

And as touching the other two third parts The whole into three equal parts to be divided of my estate I give and bequeath those summes in manner and form following. That is to say I give & bequeath unto my said sonne George Thomason so many books of such quality as he shall ^_________ Personal of my stocks of books as may be resonably worth Tenne pounds to be sold in every year for the span of Tenne years next after my death. And I do will my executors to deliver the ?same or summes? unto him yearly and every year on the fowre and twentyth day of June in every year during the said span of Tenne years. The first delivery to be made on the fowre and twentyth day of June next after my death. And all the said deliverys to be made at the dwelling house of my executor Henry Thomason wherever it shall be. I also give unto my said sonne George my Bible which I dayly used being ______ with a pair of ________, with two hands and a heart in the ________ and all the loose papers in that Bible. And I give unto my daughter Avis Thomason wife of the said George my books of Martyrs[i] in three volumes out of my library called my late deare wifes library.[ii] I _______ I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Katherine Stonestreet as a testimony of my fatherly affection unto her _______ of my said library Tenne volumes of books in Folio Twenty volumes of books in quarto and thirty volumes of books in Octavo[iii] such as she shall make choise of ?except? books of Martyrs which I have given unto her formerly and the King Bible with ?Cutts? in it which was bound at __________ which King Bible I give unto my grandsonne William Stonestreet for the ?cutts? ?sake? wherein he taketh much delight. And I also give unto my said grandson Tenne pounds in money to be bestowed on a piece of Plate for him thereby the better to remember me. And my sonne George having ?received? a larger proportion of my said late ^ Deare wifes library already I do give and bequeath the remaynder of the said library unto and amongst my said children Edward Gace Henry and Thomas to be equally and proportionally divided amongst them parte and portion alike. That looking upon them they may remember to whom they did once belong hoping that they will make the better use of them for their presious and dear mothers sake. ?Then? I give and bequeath unto my daughter Grace Thomason her late dear Mothers watch and Ebony cabbinett and all the goods in it. And my best bed and ?furniture? I also give to my said daughter Grace six hundred pounds in money over and besides her customary part and other ?regards? before ?bequested? to her paid to her at the birth of her first child or within twelve months after her marriage[iv] which shall first and next happen after my death. And to my sonne Thomas Thomason I give my greate Iron Chest. Then I do give and bequeathe the summe of forty shillings per Annum during so long tyme as my sonne Henry one of my executors hereunder named shall live to be by him paid unto two such able and orthodox Divines as he shall yearly make choyce of to preach two sermons yearly the ?one? in the parish Church of St. Dunstans in the West upon Good Fryday in every year in commemoration of the sufferings of our Lord and blesed Savior for mankind. And the other to be preached at Saint P______ Church in London upon the thirteenth day of August in every year in commemoration of the greate deliverance from the Spanish invasion in Anno Domini one thousand five hundred f____ four and eight (note: the defeat of the Spanish Armada occurred in 1588) ?a mercy? to this kingdom still to be kept in memory and never forgotten. Then I do will my executors to bestow the summe of Tenne pounds in ?one? handsome piece of Plate and to present it as my gift to the company of Stationers London whereof I am a member and the like summe of Tenne pounds in another piece of Plate and to present it as my gift to the wor* Company of Haberdashers who have eevr honored me with their love and solemn _______ Then I give to my servant John Durham if he shall still be ;living with me at my death ?five? pounds in money. And I desire my sonne Henry to ?accept? him into partnership of ?stocks and trade? with him for one half or one third if able to accomplish it. And all other my man servants and mayd servants that shall be living with me at my death I give forty shillings a piece in money. And whereas I have a collection of Pamphlets and other writings and papers bound up with them of severall volumes gathered by me in the tyme of the late warrs and beginning the third day of November Anno Domini one thousand six hundred and forty and continued untill the ?happie? return and coronation of his most gracious Majestie King Charles the second upon which I put a very high esteem ?in? regard that it is so ?entire? a work and not to be paralleled and also of the long & ?greate paynes? industry? and charge that hath been taken and expended in & about the collection of them Now I do give the said collecton of pamphlets unto my personal friends Thomas Barlow Doctor of Divinity and now Provost of Queens College in Oxon and Thomas ?L__ly? Doctor of Divinity and principal keeper of the Public Library in Oxon and John Rushworth of _________ ______ Esquire upon trust to be by them sold for the use and benefitt of my three sonnes Edward Henry and Thomas to be paid unto them equally and proportionally parte and parte alike and I give to each of my said three honored friends Doctor Barlow, Doctor ?L___y? and Mr. John Rushworth forty shillings a piece money to buy each of them a ring to wear in remembrance of me. The ?rest? and ?residue? of my ____ money plate goods household stuffs and other Estate whatsoever I give and bequeath unto my three sonnes namely Edward Thomason, Henry Thomason and Thomas Thomason to be equally divided amongst them parte & portion alike. And of this my last will and testament I make and ?constitute? my said sonne Henry and my sonne in law William Stonestreet the full and sole executors commanding them to see it punctually performed according to my true meaning herein expressed. And I do desire my loving friends Mr. Anthony ?Dawse? Mr. _____Farmer/Farrier? and my cousin F_____ Griffith to be overseers of this my last will and testament. And to be ayding and _______ing unto my executors in the execution thereof. And in token of my love unto them I give unto each of them forty shillings in money to buy each of them a ring to wear in remembrance of me. And my will and mynd is, and I do declare the same so to be that whatsoever legacies I shall give to any of my friends & ?organisations? by any codicill written with my own hand and annexed to this my will shall be taken as parte of this my will and paid by my executors. In _________whereof I the said George Thomason have to this my last will and Testament contayned in seven sheets or leaves of paper subscribed my name to every sheet and prefixed my seale to the toppe and laste sheets this one & twentieth day of November Anno Domini 1664

Signed sealed published and declared by the Testator as and for his last will &testament on the day of this date aforesaid in the presence of us. Richard Farmer George Jones John ?Stourton?

Now not knowing how my estate may fall out after my death attending as to my will lately made, in case it shall fall short Then I do give to my ^ two deare children, my daughter Grace Thomason and my sonne Thomas Thomason that full summe of money that my collection of pamphletts shall be sold for to be equally divided betwixt them both for their advancement, which collection is in the hands of Doctor Thomas Barlow Provost of Queens Colledge in Oxford who is now in ?treaty? _about them for the publique Library with me and I doubt not but near a conclusion which being concluded then shall I _______ and desire my good friend Mr. Matt Goodfellow to be asistant to my sonne his servant in that particular, which I have no cause to doubt of. George Thomason

January 20th 1664 Signed and sealed in the presence of John Durham William Fletcher

I have made my last will and Testament bearing date the one and twentieth day of November Anno Domini 1664 I do by this Codicill constitute and make my sonne Thomas Thomasson another executor to be added to his brother Henry Thomasson and his Brother-in-law William Stonestreet. I also ______ my loving friend Mr. Goodfellow "his/has? Mr" to be another overseer of this my last will, a person of whose integritie and and fidelity I am well assured of. My Iron Chest and all that is in it I bequeath to my deare sonne Thomas. That legacie to the company of Stationers I give under condition that they take into their hands, and discharge me of the rent of the five bigger warehouses I hold of them by lease at Stationer's Hall. And as for the six hundred pounds in money bequeathed to my deare daughter Grace if the customary parte fall short as I fear it may then that ?like? summe be paid to her out of that money which the pamphletts shall be sold for. And the like summe of six hundred pounds ?issuing? out of the sale of those Pamphletts I bequeath to my deare sonne Thomas now made one of my executors. And the remainder thereof to my sonne Henry and his brother Edward with the blessings of Almighty God upon them all. May the two and twentieth in the year of our Lord 1665 George Thomason

note: the dates as transcribed are correct as written in the record i.e. 21 November 1664 for the original will,

20 January 1664 for the addendum, and 22 May 1665 for the Codicil. I assume the addendum should have been written 1665.

Probatum : in Latin, including the names and date in order: Thoma Reade ______Doctor Surragato venerabilis, William Musick/Movick , sextimo dia ?monsia? Aprilis Anno Domini millimo sexcentisimo sexagesimo sexto

(6th day of April one thousand six hundred sixty and six ) William Stonestreet Henrie Thomason Thoma Thomason

References

[i] probably Foxes Book of Martyrs, printed in 3 volumes

[ii] Katherine Thomason disposed of books in her will

[iii] referring to page and/or book sizes wherein a sheet is folded and cut to produce a number of pages: folio= has the sheet folded once; quarto=sheet folded to make 4 pages; octave=sheet folded to make eight pages

[iv] will of Grace Thomason (from Public Records Office, England) says "spinster of Clapham, Surrey" d. 16 Sept. 1671