Difference between revisions of "MRP: Christopher Willoughby will"

Revision as of 09:10, January 8, 2012

Christopher Willoughby will

Editorial history

08/01/12, CSG: Created page

Abstract & context

Links

To do

(1) Check the transcription

Transcription

[In the RH margin at top] Christopher Willoughby armigeri

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN the Nynteenth day of October One Thousand six hundred Eighty I Christopjer Willoughby of Bishopston in the Countie of Wilts Esquire being at present under greate indisposition of Bodie but of perfect sence memorie and composure of minde, praised be God and as a Christian considering that nothing is more certaine than death and its tyme nothing more uncertaine and to the end that when it shall please God to call mee out of this mortall life I may have noe worldly thing to perplex my thoughts with, have made and declared and doe make and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and former following (that is to say)

FIRST and principallie I committ to the earth to be decently and Christianlike buried by my Executor hereinafter named or by such other freinds as shall be with mee att the tyme of my decease in the Chauncell of the parish Church of Bishopston aforesaid as neere unto my late good wife as may be ordering that my funerall expences exceed not Two hundred pounds besides what is expressed in this my will for mourning

And as touching the worldly Estate which it hath pleased God to blesse mee withall I will give and devise thereof as in manner following (that is to say)

FFIRST my will and minde is that all such juste reall and true and conscionable debts and summes of money which I shall truely owe unto anie persons whatsoever at the tyme of my decease shall be satisfyed & payd w:th all convenient speed

ITEM whereas I have purchased a liveing called Dawdings of the yearely value of Thirtie three pounds lying in the parish of fframpton Cotterill in the countie of Gloucester wherein I now have fower lives that is to say) Cicely ?Edy now Madox Mary Locke now Maddox Hannah Sambrooke the daughter of M:r samuel Sambrooke and Christopher Lock Now I the said Christopher Willoughby doe here by give and bequeath the said Living called Dowdings and all the rents issues and profitts thereof to them and there assigns as it shall fall to them according to the Custome of the Mannour.

ITEM I give and bequeath into my cousin M:r George Willoughby of London Marchant for and during the terme of his naturall life all that Rectory and parsonage of Bishopston and the Mannour and all the proffitts and Appurtenances thereunto belonging which I have by Indenture bearing date the Twentie fourth day of February One thousand six hundred seaventie one demised greannted and to farme letten unto Humphrey Edwyn of London Marchant and Giles Stoole cittizen and scrivener of the London for the terme of nyntie nine yeares from the say of the date of the said Indenture (if Mary Willoighby my wife Cicely Maddox wife of John Maddox and Christopher Locke sonne of William Locke of Wyley deceased or anie of them should soe long live) att for and under the yearlie rent of one pepper Corne And whereas alsoe the said Humphrey Edwyn and Giles ??Steale by theire Indenture bearing date the Twenty Seaventh day of february One thousand six hundred seaventie one have demised graunted and to farme letten into mee the said Rectory and parsonage with the Appurtenances and all the profitts thereunto belonging for the Terme of fourscore and eighteene yeares Three Quarters of a yeare Two months and Twentie six dayes commencing from the date of the said Indenture (if the said Mary Willoighby Cicely maddox and Christopher Locke or any of them should soe long live, and after the decease of the said George Willoughby I doe hereby give and bequeath the said Rectory and parsonage of Bishopston and the Mannor and Copiehold thereunto belonging into his sonne Christopher Willoughby during the Terme of his naturall life and after his decease I give the said Rectory and parsonage unto the issue of his bodie lawfullie begotten and for want of such issue liveing at the tyme of his death, Then I give and bequeath the said Rectory and parsonage unto and betwixt his two Systers Barbara and Elizabeth Willoughby equally part and part a like and the heires of theire Bodies lawfully begotten and to be begotten And it is my Will and
Minde

NEW PDF PAGE

MINDE that the said Premisses are given as aforesaid upon the condition that whoever shall enjoy the said Rectorie and Parsonage by vertue of this bequest shal pay or cause to be paid unto my wife M:rs Mary Willoughby during the Terme of her naturall life Fiftie pounds per Annum as by certaine Articles bearing date the Fourth day of July One thousand six hundred seaventie one made upon my marriage with the said M:rs Mary Willoughby (and by my Bond amongst other things) I am obliged to pay her

ITEM I give and bequeath all that Rectorie and Parsonage of S:t Martins in or neare to the Citty of New Sarum in the County of Wilts (which is now fully ??slated (Or "stated") with three lives and all the profitts and Appurtenances to the smae belonging unto my said Cosin M:r George Willoughby for and during the Terme of his naturall life and after his decease I give and bequeath the said Rectorie and parsonage unto his sonne Christopher Willoughby and the issue of his bodie lawfully to be begotten and for want of such issue to his sisters Barbara and Elizabeth to be equally devided

Notes

Bishopstone, Wiltshire

"Bishopstone

Bishopstone is 10 km. east of Swindon on Wiltshire's border with that part of Oxfordshire which was formerly part of Berkshire. The parish, 3,520 a. (1,424 ha.), was increased to 2,299 ha. (5,681 a.) in 1934 when its neighbour Little Hinton was added to it. It was long and narrow, 7 km. by 2 km., one of several such parishes running north-west and south-east across the flat clay land of the Cole valley up the chalk of the Marlborough and Berkshire Downs, and, with roughly equal amounts of each kind of land, it conformed to the type....

Manors and Other Estate

...In the early 16th century the bishops leased their demesne lands to members of the Precy family and in 1542 Bishop Salcot granted a lease of them until 1605 to John Precy. In 1548 the bishop leased the whole manor, subject to the Precys' interest, to John Knight for 99 years. Knight was possibly a trustee of the Precys. Charles Precy held the manor from 1600 or earlier until his death in 1626. It passed to Thomas Precy and Henry Shelley, possibly his executors. In 1626–7 they sold the lease to Gilbert Keate (d. 1657–8) to whom new leases were granted in 1629 and 1636. Gilbert was succeeded by his son Jonathan (created a baronet in 1660) to whom a new lease was granted in 1661. Keate assigned his lease in 1663–4 to Christopher Willoughby (d. 1681) and it passed to Christopher's cousin George Willoughby (knighted in 1686, d. 1695). In 1692–3 Willoughby settled his leaseholds of the manor and prebend of Bishopstone and new leases were granted to his trustees. They passed together to his son Christopher (d. 1715), to Christopher's son George (d. 1751), and to George's son Henry....

In 1647 there was on the manor a ten-room house, built of and roofed with stone, with thatched outbuildings. It stood south-west of the church, between the church and the Swindon-Wantage road, and was lived in by the Willoughbys. In 1757 it was settled for life on Jane, relict of George Willoughby (d. 1751). From 1803 it was held by James Puzey (d. 1837) who kept a school in it. In 1840 the house was said to be large, dilapidated, and only partly occupied. Drawings of it made in 1845 show it to have been in a mixture of styles. Wings were taken down in 1852. In 1862 the house was taken into the prebendal estate by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in exchange for land, and was demolished."^[1]

Possible primary sources

Berkshire Record Office

Berkshire Record Office: Miscellaneous Unofficial Collections, Catalogue No 1: Journal D/EX 10 1675-1802:
- Volume described as 'Journal Belongeing to Christopher Willoughby, Esq., Begineing 1675 No.6' but containing tithe and some form of estate accounts for the Kintbury and Hamstead Marshall area, 1771-1802 [includes pp.38r and 39r census figures for Hamstead Marshall, 1801]. D/EX 10/1 1675-1802
- Note: it is possible that this is Christopher Willoughby (b. ?, d. ca. 1681), since Kintbury lies ca. thirteen miles from Bishopstone

Cambridge University, King's College Archive Centre

Cambridge University, King's College Archive Centre: Estate Records [KCAR/6/2/133 - KCAR/6/2/180: Kersey (including Groton, Lindsey, Semer, Whatfield), Suffolk KCAR/6/2/095 c.1150-1947: Upavon, Wiltshire KCAR/6/2/161 1615-1902: Title deeds KCAR/6/2/161/01 1615-1860: Deed poll UPA/23 22 Jan 1661 (1661/2)]
- 1 item, parchment; Contents: Poll whereby Samuel Sambrooke and Edward Anthony state that £2,500 paid in assignment [UPA/22] was the proper money of Christopher Willoughby, merchant.

Cambridge University, King's College Archive Centre: Estate Records [KCAR/6/2/133 - KCAR/6/2/180: Kersey (including Groton, Lindsey, Semer, Whatfield), Suffolk KCAR/6/2/095 c.1150-1947: Upavon, Wiltshire KCAR/6/2/161 1615-1902: Title deeds KCAR/6/2/161/01 1615-1860: Farm lease UPA/30 14 Jul 1662]
- 1 item, parchment; Contents: Tripartite indenture by Samuel Sambrooke and Edward Anthony, leasing Barons Farm at the instruction of Christopher Willoughby to Elizabeth Strutt.

Cambridge University, King's College Archive Centre: Estate Records [KCAR/6/2/133 - KCAR/6/2/180: Kersey (including Groton, Lindsey, Semer, Whatfield), Suffolk KCAR/6/2/095 c.1150-1947: Upavon, Wiltshire KCAR/6/2/161 1615-1902: Title deeds KCAR/6/2/161/01 1615-1860: Will of Christopher Willoughby UPA/31 19 Oct 1680]
- 1 item (12 pages), paper; Contents: Attested copy

Cambridge University, King's College Archive Centre: Estate Records [KCAR/6/2/133 - KCAR/6/2/180: Kersey (including Groton, Lindsey, Semer, Whatfield), Suffolk KCAR/6/2/095 c.1150-1947: Upavon, Wiltshire KCAR/6/2/161 1615-1902: Title deeds KCAR/6/2/161/01 1615-1860: Rectory demise UPA/32 29 Oct 1680]
- 1 item, parchment, Contents: Indenture demising Upavon rectory and Barons Farm to specific uses, by Christopher Willougby to George Willoughby. A seal is attached.

Cambridge University, King's College Archive Centre: Estate Records [KCAR/6/2/133 - KCAR/6/2/180: Kersey (including Groton, Lindsey, Semer, Whatfield), Suffolk KCAR/6/2/095 c.1150-1947: Upavon, Wiltshire KCAR/6/2/161 1615-1902: Title deeds KCAR/6/2/161/01 1615-1860: Marriage settlement UPA/33 25 Oct 1692]
- 1 item, paper; Contents: Quadrapartite indenture over the marriage of Christopher Willougby and Martha Ernle, between Sir George and Christopher Willoughby, Henage Norton and Richard Northleigh, Walter and Martha Ernle, Michael Ernle and Samuel Eyre.
- Note: the Christopher Willoughby referred to in this above document is the nephew of Christopher Willoughby (d. ca. 1681), and Sir George Willoughby referred to in the same document is the cousin of Christopher Willoughby (d. ca. 1681)

Chippenham Record Office

CC/Bishopric 10/1: 'Book of Reference To the Plan of Bishopstone Manor in the Hundred of Ramsbury And County of Wilts Belonging to the Right Honourable Henry Fox Surveye A.D 1758'^[2]
- "The original 1758 survey was accompanied by a colourfully drawn map by Francis Howard Willington for Henry Fox, later to become Lord Holland"
- Includes the following information on 'Lifeholders':

• "Mrs Willoughby:

For Life Aged about 62
The Mansion House at Bishopstone, Offices, Yards and Garden 3 2 20
The Court Orchard now leased out for lives 0 3 10
The Wildernefs 1 0 26
The Drying Yard 0 2 16
Total Belonging to the Mansion House 6 0 32

NB. The Above is an Old Seat, and very fit for the reception of a Gentlemans
Family, as there is a great deal of rooms belonging to it, and the Gardens
kept in extreme good Order, therefore beleive, that it may be let for £40 a year,
(after the Expiration of Mrs Willoughby, who has her Life therein) as the
Premifses are in tolerable good repair"

TNA

C 5/435/110 Willoughby v. Willoughby: Gloucester. 1662

C 6/82/36 Short title: Rowden v Willoughby. Plaintiffs: Richard Rowden. Defendants: Christopher Willoughby. Subject: property in Little Langford, Wiltshire. Document type: answer only. 1679
C 6/109/162 Short title: Thynne v Thynne. Plaintiffs: Sir James Thynne kt. Defendants: Sir Henry Frederick Thynne kt and bart, William Hussey, John Bampfield, Benjamin Lewye, James Foster, Christopher Willoughby and others. Subject: manors of Warminster, Corsley, Whitbourne, Bugby, and Deverill, Wiltshire. 1650

C 6/236/67 Short title: Willoughby v Locke. Plaintiffs: George Willoughby. Defendants: Hercules Locke. Subject: property in Upavon, Wiltshire. Document type: bill, answer, replication. 1680
C 6/260/113 Short title: Willoughby v Tyte. Plaintiffs: Sir George Willoughby kt and Dame Dorothea Willoughby his wife. Defendants: Thomas Tyte. Subject: personal estate of the deceased Geoffrey Northleigh, of Wiltshire, and Middlesex. Document type: bill, answer. 1688

Wiltshire and Swindon Archives

Wiltshire and Swindon Archives: The Long Families of Rood Ashton, South Wraxall, Whaddon, Draycot Cerne and Elsewhere: FAMILY AND PERSONAL; 16TH-18TH CENTURIES [no ref. or date: Correspondence and associated papers [no ref. or date]: [no title] 947/1872 1667]
- Contents: Bond whereby Charles Jones of South Wraxall and others indemnify Walter Long of South Wraxall (d.1669), who had entered into a recognizance with Christopher Willoughby, sheriff of Wiltshire, for the appearance of Andrew Matthew of Trowle in the parish of Bradford at Westminster.
Bundle of receipted bills for personal, household, garden, park, stables and Home Farm expenses, and for subscriptions and charitable donations, settled by Richard Penruddocke Long of Rood Ashton.

Wiltshire and Swindon Archives: St Mary's Parish, Bishopstone (North Wiltshire): Register: baptisms, marriages and burials. PR/Bishopstone, St. Mary/1364/1 1573-1675

Possible secondary sources

1. ↑ D. A. Crowley (editor), A. P. Baggs, Jane Freeman, Janet H. Stevenson, 'Parishes: Bishopstone', A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 12: Ramsbury and Selkley hundreds; the borough of Marlborough (1983), pp. 3-12. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66513 Date accessed: 08 January 2012
2. ↑ http://pope-genealogy.me.uk/Bishopstonesurvey1758.htm, viewed 08/01/12