Will of William Bullock of Layer Breton 31 May 1549 transcribed from Essex Record Office doument D/ABW 3/154
Copia p[er] Regia[m] [Copy for the court Registered]
Abstract
The son of Margaret Bulloke of Great Wigborough 1528 , no wife is mentioned. His children are John, William, Joan, Anne and Margaret. He mentions Sir John de Vere and his estate at Elmesthorpe (Leicestershire) presumably as Lord of his copyhold land. He mentions both brothers, John the Elder and John the Younger, bequeathing his land and property to their children should his own die without issue. Named properties are Grovelands, Bunsters and Gunnecroft all in Tolleshunt Major, a leased tenement called Waystlyns in Layer Breton, Shervyns in Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Burned Down in Layer Breton, Birch and Great Wigborough. He has stock at a tenement called Clarkes. His effects include oxen, horses a cart and a plough and utensils for brewing, cheesemaking, baking and milking, he also leaves bows and arrows. The will ends with a verse of poetry in a different hand.
Transcription by Elaine Barker February 2021
1. In the name of god Amen the last day of may in the yeare of o[ur]
2. lorde god M C xlix [1549] I willyame bullocke of leir breto[n] in the
3. Dioces of london hole of mynd, and of p[er]fite reme[m]bra[u]nce thank[es]
4. be to god dothe ordeyne, & make this my last wyll and testame[n]t
5. in man[er] & fourme folowyng first I bequieth & com[m]end my soule
6. into the hand[es] of almyghtie god, & my body to be buryed in the
7. churche yerde off leir breto[n] aforenamed. Also I wyll & bequieth
8. to John bullocke my sonne one crofte called groveland & Another
9. called bu[n]ster[es] crofte beyng & lying in tolshunt maior Also
10. the lease off one tenement called waystlyns w[i]th thapp[ur]ten[au]nces
11. th[ere]to belongyng lying in laer breto[n] It[em] xvj keyn one bulle
12. vj bullock[es] ij wenyng calfes, xl ewes, x ewe shepe off the
13. age of one yeare & vij store hogges It[em] to the same John ij
14. fether bedd[es] \one/ off the best the other off the second sorte of
15. fetherbedd[es] ij payer of sheitt[es] ij blankett[es] ij bolster[es] ij
16. materys lying under the said fatherbedd[es] ij coveryng[es]
17. ij hangyng[es] & the bedstead[es] belongyng to the said bedd & ij
18. pylows It[em] one leade Ha[n]gyng my kytchyn at wastlyns to brew in
19. It[em] halfe off all the brasse & pewter w[i]th halfe off
20. the bruyng & mylkyng vessell one chayer And
21. A qwyscio[n] [cushion] ij trough[es] one to knedde in cheise [cheese] thother
22. for dow [dough]. A table & a forme standyng in the hall &
23. A bow with one sheiff off Arows It[em] the wheat & barly
24. growyng in one crofte called northland ij late[n] [Note 1] ca[n]dlestick[es] iij
25. late[n] ladles & a late[n] base[n]
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26. It[em] I gyve & bequieth to wyllyam bullock my sonne one crofte
27. called shervyns beyng & lying in tolshint darcy & one crofte
28. called gunnecrofte beyng & lyng in tolshynt maior & the lease
29. of burnedow[n]e lewmans heck[es] hanke w[i]th thapp[our]ten[aun]ces
30. th[ere]to belongy[n]g lying in laer delehay & muche byrche and
31. muche wiggborow xx northeryne steres ij cou[n]tre steres lx
32. wether shepe, xl lambes & the wheate now growyng in
33. westdowne. It[em] ij fetherbedd[es] one of the best the oth[er] of the
34. seconde sorte off fetherbedd[es] ij materys lying under the said
35. fetherbeddes ij bedstead[es] ij payer of sheitt[es] ij bolster[es] ij
36. blankett[es] ij coveryng[es] ij hangyng[es] belongyng to the said
37. bedd[es] & ij <..> pyllows It[em] one leade to brew in standyng in
38. the backe howse off one tenement called clark[es] It[em] one new
39. table lying in the barne at wastelans & one caldro[n]
40. w[i]th ij ryng[es] & the halfe off al the residew off the brasse
41. pewter brewyng vessell & mylkyng vessel[es] \podering/ trough
42. one harnesse & a byll my game bow & shaffes ij \late[n]/ candle
43. stick[es] & a ladle & a chaffyng dyshe off late[n] one chay[er]
44. & a qwysthyn A sow & a bore It[em] I gyve to jone my doughter
45. one materys j sheitte j blanket j coveryng & a bedstede
46. & a bolster. It[em] to margarite my doughter one materys j
47. sheitt j bla[n]kett j covery[n]g A bolster & a bedstede It[em] to
48. Anne my doughter one materys j sheitte j blankett j covery[n]g
49. A bolster & a bedstede It[em] I gyve & beqwyeth to every one
50. of my said doughter[es] vj li[bre] xiij s iiij d to be delyveryd to
51. every one off they[m] by my executor[es] or their assignes at
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50. the age of xx year[es] or soner if any off they[m] do marye
51. And if any of my said doughter[es] do fortune to dye
52. before the age of xx year[es] & not beyng maried the[n] I
53. wyll the said some or som[m]es off money & thother bequystes
54. off hyr or they[r] so deade to remayne & be gyven equally to
55. they[m] that be lyvyng or the sole to hyr lyving Also I wyll
56. th[a]t my executor[es] shall receyve one stocke off catell & shepe
57. beyng & goyng off one tenement called Clark[es] or els the
58. price off the same as it is specifyed in one payer of indentur[es]
59. mad betwix me & John stoyk[es] Also I gyve unto my saide
60. ij sonnes Johan & will[ia]m iiij horses vj oxe[n]
61. a carte A tu[m]beryll plough wyth all other thynges
62. th[ere]to belongyng to occupye the said horses oxe[n] carte And
63. plough ioyntly together for the tylling of their landes
64. and other their busynesses. And \if/ they can[n]ot so do the[n] I
65. wyll the said horses oxe[n] carte plough & oth[er] thynges
66. therto belongyng shalbe equally devided at the discretio[n]
67. off my executor[es] betwix my said ij sonnes Also I wyll if
68. either off my said sonnes dye w[i]thout[es] \yssue/ & not beyng maried
69. the[n] I wyll th[a]t he w[hi]ch is alyve shall have & eioye all the
70. said land[es] & bequest[es] off hy[m] so dead And if they bothe
71. decease & dye w[i]t hout ysshue & not beyng maried the[n]
72. I wyll the said land[es] & bequest[es] off they[m] so dead remay[n]
73. to my said thre doughter[es] equaly to be devided emo[n]ges
74. they[m] or any off they[m] the[n] lyvyng And likewise if \All/ my said
75. doughter[es] do dye w[i]thout ysshue & not beyng maried the[n]
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76. I wyll my said sonnes to have the hole legaces off my said
77. doughter[es] equally betwix they[m] or els the hole to hy[m] the[n]
78. lyvyng Also I wyll that my executor[es] shall have & e[n]ioye
79. all the said land[es] goodes leases & legacies As well off my
80. son[n]es & doughter[es] and the said legacies off my doughter[es] to
81. be gyve[n] to they[m] as is above me[n]cioned and \to/ my
82. sonnes as hereafter is specifyed first the legacies off John
83. my sonne to be gyve[n] hy[m] at the age of xxij yeares and in the
84. meane tyme to be under the rule off my executor[es] And
85. their assignes Also the legacies of will[ia]m my sonne to be
86. delyvered to hy[m] at the age off xxj yeares & he in the
87. meane tyme to be under the rule & governau[n]ce off my exe
88. cutor[es] and assignes the rest & residue off all my goodes
89. & catel[es] I gyve to my executor[es] to pay wyth my lega
90. cies & dettes whome I ordayne and co[n]stitute will[ia]m
91. redlay of woodomewater [Woodham Walter] and John whyter of muche horsley
92. thees beyng witnes Stephan caterall of laer delehay
93. clarke gyles polley, & richard cowaye off laerbreto[n]
94. with other moo [more]
95. Also I wyl & gyve to the poer mens boxe off laer
96. breto[n] xijd Also I wyll if all my said childre[n]
97. doe dye before the yeares
98. above named & not beyng maried the[n] I wyll the legacys
99. off my said childre[n] to be gyve[n] to the childre[n] off
100. my ij brothers John bullocke thelder & Joh[n] bullocke
101. the yonger equally to be devided emonges they[m] every
102. one to have like porcio[n] savy[n]g th[a]t it shalbe lawfull
103. for \my/ executor[es] \to/ deducte & alow \out/ off the said legacies vj li[bre]
104. xiijs iiijd to be gyve[n] by their discretio[n] to poer folkes
105. thees beyng witnes as they ar above named
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106. Provyded alweys that not w[i]t[h]standing the content[es]\and lease/ these p[re]sent
107. Indento[urs] it shalbe lofull to the w[i]t[h]in writen Sir John veer knyght
108. at any tyme comprised in the same indenture of and upon a
109. warnyng of a hole yere unto the w[it]hin named thom[a]s hervy of
110. the bihalve of the said Sir John veer [Note 2] to be made to entre into
111. his man[er] of Elmysthorp [Note 3] w[i]t[h]in w[ri]ten w[i]t[h] all the App[ur]ten[au]nces And
112. the said tho[ma]s hervy clerely from the same to be excluded yf
113. the said Sir John veer K[night] p[er]sonally will and lyketh to dwell
114. and abyde upon the same or ell[es] said indentour[es] to be in full
115. strenghth and effecte in the same conteyned
116. Myne owne Swete hart hamend [amend?] By my faith
117. Made me to smarte My love she mornyth for me
118. Byond the see I have My love she mornyth for me [Note 4]
[the final line is upside down]
119. I recomende me unto you testifying you that I have
Note 1 laten = latten, an alloy of copper and tin used for utensils
Note 2 Sir John De Vere 16th Earl of Oxford (1516-1562)
Note 3 Elmesthorpe in Leicestershire was the estate brought to her marriage by Elizabeth Trussell to John De Vere the 15th Earl of Oxford
Note 4 There is a medieval song 'My love she mourneth for me' still sung today. It was reputedly written by William Cornysh Junior (1465 - c 1523) who was a favourite musician of Henry VIII and was Gentleman of the Chapel Royal from 1496. He was probably responsible for 18 secular songs in the 'Fairfax and Henry VIII' manuscripts. This verse above bears little relation to the original except for the repeated line 'My love she mourneth for me' but it is quite possible the writer had heard the song and used part of it for his own verse.
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Abstract of Bullock Wills
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