The Wills of Thomas Gilborne, Died 1627
1. A transcription of National Archives document PROB/11/152/407.
In the name of god Amen. I
Thomas Gilborne of Chaldwell in the Countie of Essex gent having been longe
under the hande of god by reason of sicknes by wich the lord hath been pleased to chastice
me, and thereby to put mee in remembrance of the uncertainty of this life being desirous
to bee dissolved and to bee made ?p-tater? of eternall felicitie? in the kingdom of heaven in and through
Christ Jesus my onely lord and savior who hath purchased the same for mee And being in good &
perfect memory I doe make and ordaine this my last will and testament in manner and forme
following viz. ffirst and principally I commend my soule into the hands of allmightie god And
my body to the earth from whence it came to bee buried in decent and convenient manner at the
discretion of my executor hereafter named And for the disposing of my worldly estate wherewith the
lord of his great mercy hath blessed mee I do dispose thereof as followeth ffirst I do will and appoint that
the debts wch I do owe to any person or p-sons whatsoever shallbe iustlie and truly payed out of the rents and profitts
^of my freehold lands and tenements and out of the rents and profitts
of my leases of my lands and tenements wch shalbee first ?recconed? after my decease And after
the same my debts are soe paid I doe appoint that in the next place out of the same the rents and profitts of
the same my lands and leases the severall legacies by mee hereafter given and bequeathed shalbe iustly and
truly paid at the severall tymes hereafter expressed and in manner and forme hereafter ?mentioned? and
with the severall ??? herein conteined. Item I do give and bequeath unto Alice the daughter of my
daughter Mercy (Mary?) Banton the some of twentie pounds to be paid unto her ffather for her use wthin
three years next after my decease to bee paid unto her by her said ffather at her age of one and twentie
years or daie of marriag wch shall first happen. Item I doe give unto my Cosen Mary Wood the some
of ten pounds to be paid unto her by five and twentie shillings a quarter The first quarterly payment
to be made within three years after my decease and so from thencefoorth five and twentie shillings
ev'y quarter untill the ten pounds bee paid. Item I do give unto my cosen Dennys the some of ten pounds
to be paid within the space of three yeares after my decease. Item I do give unto master Henry Bridges
Browen the some of fortie shillings to make him a ring with this ?poetic? to bee engraven therein "Ask not
what this ring did cost, I had it by a friend I lost." Item. I doe give unto Peter Betsworth and his wife
fortie shillings a piece to make them rings with the same poetics to bee ingraven in the same. Item I doe
give unto the poore of the parish of Chaldwell the some of fortie shillings to bee distributed amongst
them at the discretion of the parson and churchwardens of the same parish. Item I doe will and devise
the rents and profits of all and every my freehold land and tenements and alsoe of my leases (deducting
thereout such moneys wch I doe owe and the legacies hereby given wch I doe will shalbe first paid out
of the same as aforesaid. And alsoe the rents wch are to bee paid for the same leases) during the life of
Richard Astley husband of my daughter Anne , unto Thomasin and Margaret the now children
of my said daughter Ann and unto such other child or children as my said daughter Ann shall here-
after have to be equallie devided betweene them and the survivor or survivors of them at the ages
of one and twentie years of the sonnes and at the ages of one and twentie years or daie of marriag
of the daughters, Provided allwaies and upon this condition that if the said Richard Astly my
daughters husband shall happen to dye or depart this mortall life before my said daughter Ann
then it is my expresse minde and meaning and I do hereby will and bequeath unto the said Ann Astly
my daughter after the said my debts and legacies are paid the same rents of the same my freehold lands & leases
as well such as shalbe ????? before the death of the said Richard Astly as afterwards during the life of
the said Ann my daughter shee paying the rents for the same leases wch are to be paid to the ?cheife?
?Lord? thereof And so it is my minde and meaning that my said daughter Ann in the case shee survive her
said husband shall have the rents and profits of the same my lands and leases after my debts and
legacies are paid from the tyme of my death during her naturall life to and for her owne use for her
better maintenance advancement and preferment, shee paying the rents and p-forming the
covenants to bee paied and performed for or in respect of the same leases. And then in that case I doe
give and bequeath unto the said Thomasin and Margarett the some of ten pounds to make up the
fowerscore and ten pounds wch is remaining in theire fathers hands and by mee already in my
life tyme given unto them, the some of a hundred pounds viz to either of them fiftie pounds. And
alsoe in the same manner I doe give and bequeath unto such child or children as my said daughter Ann
now goeth wth all the some of fiftie pound. And if any of them die then the whole to the survivor or
survivors of them to bee paid at the age of one and twentie years of the sonnes and one and twentie
yeares or daies of marriag of the daughters. And if all of them dye before they attaine to that age
or bee married as before then I give the whole to bee equallie divided betweene such other child or
children as my said daughter shall hereafter have and from and after the decease of my said daughter
Ann I doe give and devise all and every my freehold lands, tenements and hereditaments what-
soever And alsoe all of my leases of any houses or lands unto the said Thomasine and Margarett,
children of my said daughter Ann and of such other child or children as she shall hereafter have to
bee equallie divided betweene them and to theire heires and assignes forever. The rest and residue of
all and singular my goods and chattels rights and ?credits? my debts wch I shall owe at the tyme
of my decease being payd and my legacies and funerall discharged according to the true meaning
of this my will I give and dispose thereof as followeth viz. in case the said Richard Astley shall survive and
overlive my said daughter Ann his wife then I do give the same unto Thomasin and Margarett the
children of my said daughter Ann and such other child or children as the shall have after my decease to bee
equallie devided betweene them And to bee paid unto them at theire severall ages of one and twentie yeares
of the sonnes and of the age of one and twentie years or daies of marriag of the daughters wch shall
first happen. And if my said daughter Ann shall happen to survive the said Richard Astlye her husband
then I do wholly give the same unto the said Ann my daughter hoping that she wilbe carefull to dispose
thereof for the good of her children wch she hath or shall have. And I do make constitute and appoint the
said Thomasin and Margarett the children of my said daughter Ann Astly executors of this
my last will and testament ?intreating? that all maie be done carefully for the well ordering of
my estate according to this my will. And I do appointe the said Henry Bridges and Peter Betsworth
overseers of this my will intreating them to give their furtherance in what they maie for the well
ordering and disposing of all things according to this my will. In witness whereof to this my last will &
testament contayning five sheets of paper written on the one side thereof and somewhat more I have
sett my hand and seale and writt my name unto every sheete thereof this eighteenth daie of August
one thousand six hundred and twentie seaven. And in the third year of the raigne of our soveraigne
Lord Charles now King of England . Tho: Gilborne sealed delivered published and
declared by the said Tho: Gilborne for his last will and testament the daie and yeare above said in
the presence of Rich: Astley. Thomas Lathum. William Drywood
Proved 28 day September AD 1627 ... Richard Astley, Anne Astley
2. A transcription of National Archives document PROB/11/190/158.
In the name of God Amen.the
Twelfth day of August Ao Domini 1627. And in the third year of the
raign of our sovereign Lord Charles by the grace of god king of
England, Scotland, ffrance and Ireland, defender of the faith I
Thomas Gilborne cittizen and clothworker of London being sick of body
but of good and perfect minde and memorie (blessed be god for it) have here
under myne owne hande made my last will and testament in manner and forme
hereafter following. And first I do commend my soule unto Jesus Christ my sweet
saviour requesting him to receave? it ?? one of his redeemed to be satisfied for my
sinnes in his owne self sacrificed and to ?cover my uncleaned wth the robe?
of his righteousness? Now? I do bequeath my body to the earth to be buried
as becometh it in ??pplan?? burial. And for the worldly goods wch I enioy
(whereof? I stand but gods Steward) I doe dispose and dispense of them in the
?sort? ensueing And first I give unto my daughter Ann Astley the wife of
Richard Astley of Chaldewell in the countie of Essex clarke? and to the
heires of her body lawfully begotten all that my ?freehould? lands conteyn[ed?]
and being in the parish of St. Anne and Agnes nere? Aldersgate in London
wherein? one Peter ?Bo??over ???? John Morley? citizen and Goldsmith
of London doe now dwell and inhabite? Item I do give unto Thomasin and
Margaret the daughters of the said Richard and Anne Astley those? five
bonds wch are due and owing unto me by the said Richard Astley their
father conteyning in the due debt four score and tenn pounds to be equally
divided betwixt them wch makes to each of them five and fortie pounds a
peece. Item I give more unto the said Thomasine and Margaret five pounds
a peece to make up ?theabovsaid? five and fortie pounds fiftie pounds apeece.
Item I give unto the childe which my said daughter Anne Astley now beareth
in her belly if it be born alive and be baptized fiftie pounds. And if it so
happen shee beareth more than one I will that the said Ll [₤50] be devided
equally amonge them. Item I give unto Alice the daughter of my daughter
Mercie the wife of Andrew Barton gouldsmith? ffourty? pounds? to be
payed unto her at two years after my death and departure? Item I give
unto my cosen Mary Wood tenn pounds to be payed unto her by five and
twentie shillings a quarter and the first payment to begin two yeares after
my death and departure. Item I give unto my cosen George Dennis that was?
brought up in Christs hospitall in London tenn pounds to be paid him
at three years after my death and departure. Item I give to Peter
Betsworth goldsmith and his wife xls [₤10] a peece to make each of them a ring
with this ?poerie? [poetrie?] "Aske not what my ring did cost. I had it by a friend I lost" Item
I give to Mr. Bridges a brewer at the Labour in Vaine in the parrish of St.
Mary Mounthaw? London ffortie shillings to make him a ring with the
Peerey [poetry?] aforesaid. Item I give unto the poor of the p'sh of Chaldwell in Essex forty
shillings. The rest of my goods and chattles lands and tenements
I give and bequeath unto my daughter Anne Astley whom I make and ordain
to be th'executrix of this my last will and testament. And I doe appoint
Mr. Bridger and Mr. Betsworth aforesaid to be overseers herein? for the
well and true performance of the same. Tho: Gilborne in the p-sence
of ?? Peter Betsworth William ??keath x marke
Proved 5 Aug AD 1642 Thomasina Astley