Transcription and translation by Elaine Barker August 2023

Abstract
Alice Marshall, widow, of Peldon commends her soul to God, the Virgin Mary and all the saints and requests she be buried in Peldon's churchyard. She makes bequests to the high altar and also to the building of St.Paul's in London.
She asks her executors to recover a property in Litte Wigborough called Hunters and to use the proceeds to pay her and her recently deceased husband's debts but if they fail to do so then she asks them to sell her property called Bakers also in Little Wigborough to pay her debts. What remains is to be distributed amongst her sons and daughters. She bequeaths the rest of her goods to her son, Thomas Marshall whom she makes executor. She makes Thomas Coke of Great Wigborough supervisor of her will. The witnesses are Thomas Webbe, Joanna Appylton and others.

The will was written on 3rd February 1500 and proved on 27th February.

The will is in Latin. There is an English translation further down the page.

Transcription
In dei no[m]i[n]e Amen Terc[i]o die mensis Februarij Anno D[omi]ni Mill[es]imo quinq[u]en
tesimo Ego Alicia Marshall Vidua de p[ar]ochia de Peldon compos mentis saneq[ue] memorie
condo Testamentu[m] meu[m] in hunc modu[m] Inp[r]imis do & lego a[n]i[m]am mea[m] deo om[n]ipo
tenti beate Marie Virgini & om[n]ib[us] sanctis eius Corpusq[ue] meu[m] sepeliend[um] in
Cimiterio eccl[es]ie beate Marie de Peldon predicta Item lego sum[m]o Altari eccl[es]ie
pred[ic]te p[er] decimis meis et oblac[i]o[n]ib[us] oblitis ijs Item lego fabric[e] eccl[es]ie Cath[edralis]
sancti pauli London' iiijd Item volo q[uo]d si execut[ores] & assignat[es] mei possunt recu
pare Tenementum meum voc hunters iac[ens] in Villa de Wygborow p[ar]va p[ro]ut ple
nius patebit p[er] quoddam extract[um] de Registro Videlicet de Testamento mariti
mei q[uo]d tunc ex sumpt[u] d[ic]ti ten[emen]ti mei ut ipse solvant debita \mea/ & debita mariti mei
nup[er] defuncti Et si dict[i] execut[ores] & assignat[i] mei non possunt recupar[e] d[i]c[tu]m ten[ementum]
tunc volo q[uo] ipse vendant Tenementu[m] meu[m] vocat Bakers situat[um] in Villa de
Wygborow p[ar]va p[re]dict[a] et ex sumpt[u] eiusdem debita mea & debit[a] marit[i] mei sol
vant[ur] et q[uo]d residuu[m] fuit distribuet[ur] p[er] equales porc[i]ones int[er] filios & filias
meas Residuu[m] vero omni[um] bonorum meorum sup[er]ins no[n] legatorum post debita & lega
ta mea p[ri]us p[er] soluta do & lego Thome Marshall filio meo que[m] constituo
executorem meum et Thoma Coke de Wygborow magna sup[er]visorem meam
Ut ipse disponant & distribuant om[n]ia hustiliamenta int[er] filios & filias meas
p[ro] ut eiu[]s? melius videbit Hijs testib[us] Thoma Webbe Johanne appylton & multis alijs
dat[um] die mens[e] & Anno domini supradict[o]

Probatu[m] fuit hoc p[rese]ns Testament[um] sive Ultima voluntas p[re]dictam Cora[m] Ven[erabi]li vi
ro mag[ist]rio Thoma Skypwith in decret[es] bacallario Offic[ii] d[omi]ni Archi[diaconi] Colcestr[ie]
penultimo d\i/e mens[is] Februarij A[nn]o d[omi]ni s[u]p[ra]d[i]c[t]o ac p[er] ip[su]m approbatu[m] &c[etera] Commiss[um]q[ue] fuit
admi[ni]strac[i]o bono[rum] executori in test[ament]o no[m]i[n]at[e] p[ri]mit[us] in forma Jur[is] Jurat[us] recept[us]
& admiss &c[etera]

English translation
In the name of God Amen the third day of the month of February in the year of our Lord 1500,
I, Alice Marshall, widow of the parish of Peldon compos mentis and of good memory
make my testament in this manner. First I give and bequeath my soul to almighty God,
the blessed Virgin Mary and all his saints, and my body to be buried in
the graveyard of the church of the blessed Mary of Peldon aforesaid. Also I bequeath to the high Altar of the church
aforesaid for my tithes and oblations forgotten two shillings Also I bequeath to the fabric of the Cathedral Church
of St. Paul in London 4d Also I will that if my executors and assigns are able to recover
my tenement called Hunters lying in the town of Little Wigborough, as will be made more fully
clear through a certain extract of the Register namely from the Testament of my husband,
which then out of the cost of my said tenement they themselves pay my debts and those of my husband
lately deceased and if my said executors and assigns cannot recover the said tenement
then I wish that they themselves sell my tenement called Bakers situated in the town of
Little Wigborough aforesaid and out of this amount my debts and those of my husband be
paid and, what remains, to be equally distributed in equal portions amongst my sons and daughters
The rest moreover of all my goods above, previously not bequeathed, after my debts and legacies
are paid I give and bequeath to Thomas Marshall, my son whom I constitute
to be my executor and Thomas Coke of Great Wigborough to be my supervisor
They themselves disposing of and distributing all my household between my sons and daughters.
In order that it will better seen These witnesses Thomas Webbe, Joanna Appylton and many others
dated the day month and year above said

This present Testament or the last will aforesaid was proved before the worshipful
Sir Thomas Skypwith Bachelor of Decrees of the office of the Lord Archdeacon of Colchester
the penultimate day of February in the year above said and by him approved etc. and
administration of goods was granted to the executors named in the will having first been sworn, in
form of law, received
and admitted etc.

MARG - Mersea Archive Research Group
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