Transcription and translation by Jools Hoyle and Jill Waters February 2022
There is a translation to Modern English further down the page

Abstract
William Street wishes to be buried at East Mersea in the churchyard of St Edmund, King and Martyr.
He leaves a sheep to the High Altar of the church to cover any tithe payments that he might have omitted to pay.
He leaves the house he lives in and the land with it to his wife Margery for the rest of her life, along with 2 other parcels of land. After her death, these properties are split between his sons John and Thomas.
He leaves an acre of land called North Acre to daughter Emma and directs that when his two sons get their respective inheritances, payments of 40s. are to be made to each of his 2 daughters (Joan and Emma).
He makes his wife his executrix, along with one other person and directs that they sell one piece of land, paying for a priest to say prayers for his soul.

Transcription

Test[amentum] Will[elm]i Strete de Estm[er]sey
1.   In the name of god Amen The iij day of June the yer[e] of our[e]
2.   lorde M^l V^C iiij^er y Willia[m] Strete beyng of hole mynde & in gode
3.   memory make my testame[n]t & laste will as her[e]aft[er] folowith
4.   First y bequeth my soule to god to our[e] lady saynt mari & to
5.   all the saynt[es] in hevyn my body to be buried in the chirch
6.   yarde of saynt Edmu[n]de [Note 1] in Estm[er]sey Also y bequeth to the
7.   hie Awt[er] of the forsaid chirch for tithes forgotyn [Note 2] a shepe
8.   Also y bequeth to Margery my wif my howse & my lande
9.   that y dwelin terme of her lif & after the deth of Margery my
10.   wif y will that John myn eldest son have it to gyve or to
11.   sell Also y will the said John my son pay to Jone my
12.   Dought[er] now the wif of John Rede aft[er] the space of iiij^er
13.   yer[e] he entery[es] in his lande xls [Note 3] Also y will that Eme (Emma?) my
14.   Dought[er] have an acre of lande callyd north acre im[m]ediatly
15.   after my deth Also y will that Margery my wif have ij (i.e., 2)
16.   p[ar]celles of lande called Stret[es]lande & north hill [Note 4] terme
17.   of her lif & after the deth of my wif y will that Thomas
18.   my son have the forsaid ij p[ar]cell[es] of londe callyd Stret[es]
19.   londe & north hill to gyve or to sell & the forsaid
20.   Thomas my son to pay in the space of iiij^er yer[e] aft[er] he en
21.   ters in the forsaid ij p[ar]cell[es] of lande to my dought[er] Eme
22.   xls & to my yongest dought[er] Jone xls Also y will that
23.   on[e] plott of londe callyd Fynches [Note 5] be sold by myn executo[ur]s
24.   to hym that will gyve most for it Also y will that on[e]
25.   prest of good condic[i]on [Note 6] have v (i.e., 5) marke [Note 7] to syng [Note 8] for my soule
26.   & all Cristyn soulys half a yer[e] [Note 9] The Residewe of the
27.   mony w[i]t[h] all myn other god[es] y put in the disposic[i]on
28.   of my wif whome y make myn execut[ri]x & Raff
29.   Mertyll w[i]t[h] her[e] Thes witnes John bawe John
30.   Rede Richard palfryman & other moo

Note 1 The church's full dedication is: St Edmund, King and Martyr
Note 2 He is making this bequest "just in case" he forgot or omitted to make any tithe payments during his lifetime, as such an omission could mean that his soul would spend longer in purgatory before ascending to heaven.
Note 3 40 shillings
Note 4 There is a plot of land by this name numbered 66 on a later East Mersea Tithe map.
Note 5 a property by this name is seen in other local documents, sometimes with slightly different spellings. See Robert Wolvet's 1517 will (MARG_246 ) and also John Burrill's will of 1667 (MARG_198_011 )
Note 6 i.e., a priest of good character, an honest priest
Note 7 a mark was 13 shillings and 4 pence (2/3 of £1)
Note 8 chant/say prayers
Note 9 i.e., for 6 months

Translation to Modern English

Testament of William Strete (Street) of East Mersea

1.   In the name of God, Amen, on the 3rd day of June in the year of Our
2.   Lord 1504, I, William Street, being of sound mind & good
3.   memory, make my testament & last will as follows:
4.   First, I bequeath my soul to God, to Our Lady, Saint Mary & to
5.   all the saints in heaven. My body is to be buried in the church
6.   yard of St Edmund [Note 1] in East Mersea. Also, I bequeath to the
7.   High Altar of the aforesaid church for forgotten tithe payments [Note 2], a sheep.
8.   Also, I bequeath to Margery, my wife, my house & my land
9.   where I live, for the rest of her life, and after the death of Margery, my
10.   wife, I will that John, my eldest son, should have it to give away or to
11.   sell. Also, I will that the said John, my son, should pay to Joan, my
12.   daughter, now the wife of John Rede, four years after
13.   he takes possession of his land, 40s (i.e., shillings). Also, I will that Emma, my
14.   daughter, should have an acre of land called North Acre, immediately
15.   after my death. Also, I will that Margery, my wife, should have 2
16.   parcels of land called Stretesland (Streetsland) and North Hill [Note 3] for the rest
17.   of her life &, after the death of my wife, I will that Thomas,
18.   my son, should have the aforesaid parcels of land called Streets-
19.   land and North Hill to give away or sell, and the aforesaid
20.   Thomas is to pay, within 4 years of when he takes
21.   possession of the aforesaid parcels of land, to my daughter, Emma,
22.   40s., & to my youngest daughter, Joan, 40s. Also, I will that
23.   one plot of land called Finches [Note 4] be sold by my executors
24.   to him who will give the most for it (i.e., they should get the best possible price for it). Also, I will that one
25.   priest of good character should have 5 marks [Note 5] to sing (i.e., to chant or say prayers) for my soul
26.   & for all Christian souls, for half a year ( i.e., for 6 months). The residue of the
27.   money (what is left of the sale proceeds of the land) with all my other goods (other possessions) I leave for my wife to deal with, I make her my executrix, together with Raff
28.   Mertyll. These bearing witness: John Bawe [Note 6], John
29.   Rede, Richard Palfryman & others

Note 1 The church's full dedication is: St Edmund, King and Martyr
Note 2 He is making this bequest "just in case" he forgot or omitted to make any tithe payments during his lifetime, as such an omission could mean that his soul would spend longer in purgatory before ascending to heaven.
Note 3 There is a plot of land by this name numbered 66 on a later East Mersea Tithe map.
Note 4 a property by this name is seen in other local documents, sometimes with slightly different spellings. See Robert Wolvet's 1517 will (MARG_246 ) and also John Burrill's will of 1667 (MARG_198_011 )
Note 5 a mark was equivalent to 13s. 4d.
Note 6 there was a William Bawe of East Mersea 1597, possible relation?

MARG - Mersea Archive Research Group
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