MRP: John Modiford will
John Modiford will
Editorial history
04/12/11, CSG: Created page & pasted transcription to wiki
Contents
Abstract & context
Suggested links
See Sir Thomas Modyford will (son of John Modiford)
See Dramatis personnae (Thumbnail biographies/James Maddiford/Modyford; James Modyford was another son of John Modiford)
To do
(1) Comple the transcription
Transcription
This transcription has not yet been completed
IN THE NAME OF GOD the eigth daie of August, And in the first yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne, of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of god of great Brittaine ffrance and Ireland kinge defender of the faith xr And in the yeare of our Lord god accordinge to the Computacon of the Church of England, One thousand sixe hundred, twentie and ffive I John Modiford of the cittie and Countie of Exon, Marchant, Consideringe the weaknes and frailtie of mans estate and especiallie of my owne, and the uncertaintie of life, am resolved and moved to declare my last will and testament, touching my landes Tenements goodes chattells and credditts, and doe nowe make and declare the same in manner and forme followinge, that is to saie ffirst I commende my soule into the handes of Allmightie god my maker and Redeemer, of whom I had the same assuredlie trustinge by the meritts of Jesus Christ to Inheritt the kingdome of heaven And my bodie to Christian buriall, to be buried with such decent funerall, as it shall please my Executrix, and trustie Overseers hereafter to be named.
ITEM I give devise and bequeath unto Marie and Grace Modeford my two eldest daughters the some of five hundred pounds of good and lawfull money of England to each of them to be paid at the end of one yeare after my decease
ITEM, I give devise and bequeath unto Sara, Anne, Joane and Margarie Modeford, my fower yonger daughters the some of five hundred poundes of good and lawfull money of England to each & everie of them to be paid unto them as the (sic) shall severallie accomplish the full age of one and twentie yeares, or ells at their severall daies of marriage which first shall happen
ITEM I give devise and bequeath unto Thomas, John, James, Henrie and Robert Modiford (sic) my five sonnes the some of five hundred poundes of good and lawfull money of England to each and everie of them to be paid unto them as the (sic) shall severallie accomplish the full age of two and twentie yeares And if it shall fortune, and if it shall fortune, that anie of my said children shall die or decease before he she or they shall accomplish the ages aforesaide, or not be married. That then I will and bequeath her, his or their porcons or legacie soe deceasinge unto thother my children them lyvinge equallie to be devided amongst them and to be likewise paide unto them when as they shall severallie accomplishe the ages aforesaide, or ells be married And alsoe my will and meaninge is, that the legacies before herein given and bequeathed unto my said children amountinge in all to the some of ffive thousand five hundred poundes, shall goe and be paide out of that third part of my goods chattells and credditts, which by the orders and custome of the Cittie of Exeter, shall after and upon my death belonge and appertaine unto them And further that if it shall chance, that if the said part shall not amount or comme unto soe much as the legacies are, which before herein are given and bequeathed unto my said children That then I will give and bequeath unto them out of the third parte of my goods, chattells and creddits that belong unto me such and soe much moneys as shall want of their said third part to make upp the somes of money for legacies before herein given unto them to be paid unto them in manner as aforesade
ITEM I will devise bequeath and appoint that Marie my wiefe shall after my death have possess take and inioye all the yssues and proffitts of all my Messuages, landes and Tenements, Reverccons and services, Scituate, lyinge, and beinge at ?Shothanger within the parish of
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Halberton in the Countie of Devon, and alsoe of my dwellinge house with the appurtenances in Northgatestreete within the said Citttie of Exon wherein I nowe dwell duringe her naturall liefe And alsoe I doe will and devise and appointe that my said wief shall likewise have possess take and enioye, all the yssues and proffitts that shall growe and increase out of all my Messuages Landes and Tenements whatsoever which I have for terme or termes of lives or yeares after my death during her naturall liefe if my terme or termes therein soe longe shall contynue, and endure, yealdinge and payinge and doinge for the same all such rents, reservacons, and agreements as are in and by the lease and leases thereof unto me made reserved menconed and lymitted to be made and done for the same, Alsoe my will and further meaninge is, and doe give bequeath will and devise unto my said sonne Thomas Modiford after my decease, and the death of Marie my said wiefe all my said Messuages Landes tenements rents Reversons and services with the appurtenances at Shathanger within the parrish of Halberton in the said Countie of Devon, And alsoe my said dwellinge house, togeather with all the ?sealinge, glasse, gallerie, Tablebords, formes, stooles, chayers, Beddsteads, Gutters of leade, sesterns, Pipes and Pumps of leade as nowe the art placed and doe stand in my said dwellinge house To have and houlde the same Messuages Landes tenements Rents Revercons and Services, and the said dwellinge house, and all other the premisses with the appurtenances unto my said Sonne Thomas and to the heires of his bodie lawfullie begotten or to be begotten And for default of such yssue I give graunt willand devise the foresaide Messuages Landes tenements rents Reversons Services with the appurtenances, and my said dwellinge house with all other the premisses unto my sonne James Modiford, and to the heires of his bodie lawfullie begotten or to be begotten And for deafault of such yssue I give
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ITEM I doe will devise appoint that my sister nowe the wife of Robert Stibborne after my death during her lief shall have the some of Threescore pounds of lawfull money of England soe as first the (sic) give securitie unto my executrix hereafter to be named for the payment of the said Threescore poundes unto her children upon her death as aforesaide, That then the said Threescore poundes shall remayne in the hands of my executrix, and then she shall paie yearlie unto my said sister the some of fower poundes and sixteene shillings duringe her lief And after and upon my said sisters death, my will is, that my executrix shall pay the said Three score poundes equallie unto my sisters children then lyvinge
ITEM I give and bequeath unto the sonne and daughter of my brother in lawe Christopher Potter a peece of plate to each, worth five poundes to be delivered to either of them at their severall daies of Marriage
ITEM I doe gove devise will and
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Notes
John Modyford was mayor of Exeter, 1622. He was an alderman in the 1620s until his death c. 1628. It is likely that he was a long term resident and parishioner of St Mary Arches, Exeter, being described in a feoffment dated 1612 as a parishioner and inhabitant of that parish, along with fellow merchant and later mayor Thomas Walker, and others. “Thomas Walker, esq., Jeffery Waltham, John Modyford, Peeter Collyton, Peter Bolte, Alexander Mawdry, John Hackwell the younger, George Passmore, John Snellinge, George Mawdytt, Nicholas Bolte, Richard Bevys, son of Nicholas Bevys, parishioners and inhabitants of St. Mary Arches.” There are IGI christening records for an Anne Modyforde, christened 20th July 1611, and an Elizabeth Muddiforde, christened 3rd April 1607, both in the parish of Saint Mary Arches, with father Mohn Modyforde/Muddiforde.
It appears that John Modyford’s father-in-law was Thomas Walker, esq, , who, together with Nicholas Ducke, recorder of the city and his his brother-in-law, and John Ackland, merchant of the city of Exeter, were appointed John’s overseers. The third overseer was John ?Ackland, merchant of Exeter. It is unclear whether this John Ackland was the later Sir John Ackland of Columb John (1591-1747), or whether he diedin Exeter in 1630. The witnesses to Modyford’s will can be partly identified. William Duck is probably related to Nicholas Duck, recorder of Exeter, who predeceased Modyford.
The will of Thomas Walker, alderman, mentions Thomas Modiford “eldest son of John Modiford late one of the Aldermen of the said Cittie of Exon deceased. Thomas Modiford, together with another merchant’s son,is to receive Walker’s tenement, Barton, and farm of ?Trewigles in the parish of Saint Merryn, Cornwall, in the event of the default of issue of James Walker, his son. The same will refers to “my daughter Marie Modiford”, presumably the widow of John Modiford, who is to receive £900, with the instructions that £100 a piece should be given by Marie to her five eldest children “namely Marie Modiford, XXXX Modiford, Sarah Modiford, Anne Modiford, and Thomas Modiford”, and 100 marks a piece to her six youngest children (totalling £400) “namely John Modiford, Joane Modiford, James Modiford, Margery Modiford, Henry Modiford, andHesther Modiford”, specifiying that he was their grandfather. He refers to his other daughter, Anne Amy, with the request too that she pass money on to her children. Amongst his executors are Adam Bennett and Robert Walker, his son, merchants of Exeter. I think another daughter is Grace Ducke. Witnesses to the will include John Hakewell (sic)
John Modyford is buried in St. Mary Arches, Exeter, with the following memorial inscription in the nave of the church: “Here lyeth interred the body of John Modyford alderman of this city who departed this life the 10 May 1628. Angels, men, worms XXXXX//XXXX this prize each with a share//To angels soule, to men his name//To worms his flesh commends ye same.” When the “Puritans” reduced the number of Exeter churches to four, St Mary Arches was one of the four retained.
John Modyford was considered to be an extremely wealthy merchant of Exeter. William Kiste in a letter to Mr James, Secretary to James I, dated September 24 1625 judged "John Muddiford" to be worth 30,000l. In comparison the same writer judged Thomas Walker, a fellow alderman of Exeter, and probably John Modyford’s father-in-law, to be worth 70,000l. Both Muddiford and Walker, together with Henry Rolls Esq, executor of Sir Henry Rolls, knight, of near Torrington, Devon, are described as "tho greatest men of wealth I know lending his Majesty money..."
