MRP: Dr Edmund Trench will
Dr Edmund Trench will
PROB 11/332 Penn 1-66 Will of Edmund Trench, Doctor of Physic of Saint Olave Hart Street, City of London 07 January 1670
Editorial history
08/03/12, CSG: Created page & posted transcription to wiki
Contents
Abstract & context
Dr Edmund Trench made his will on December 14:th 1669. He described himself as "of London, D:r of physick."
He had been "a long time weake in body," and died shortly after making his will, since it was proved on January 7th 1670.
A post-mortem inventory was prepared on January 12th 1669/70, after the proving of Trench's will, and was signed off on May 16th, 1670.
Edmund Trench appeared in the 1666 Hearth tax return on the north side of what was probably mark Lane in the parish of All Hallows Staining. However, his inventory shows him resident in 1669/70 in the nearby parish of St Olave Hart Street. Trench referred in his will to All Hallows Staining, desiring to be buried there "as neare my children as may be." His wife, Mary Trench, survived him, as did his two sons, Edmund and Thomas, and his unmarried daughter, Sarah Trench.
The published diary of Dr Trench's son Edmund provides some background on his family and on his medical education.
Dr Trench was son of a Norfolk younger son, also named Edmund (b. ca. 1575, d. 1658), who became a London factor and then Norfolk merchant (p.4). Dr Trench (b. 1608, d. 1669/70) himself was the eldest of four children surviving to adulthood. He attended Sidney-College, Cambridge, from the age of eighteen. His son, with some imagination, described his growth at Cambridge "in Grace, and Learning, happily escaping many Temptations, and frustrating the Designs of some Superiors wo wou'd have debauch't a Puritan as they call'd him, tho' he was still sufficiently conformable to the establish't Ecclesiastical Orders." (p. 7)
Having taken the degree of M.A. from Cambridge, Edmund Trench "study'd Physick some time at Paris, and took the Degree of Doctor at Bourges." (p. 9) On his return to England he married in 1639 Mary Middlesmore (b. 1622, d. XXXX), the eldest daughter of the London merchant Samuel Middlemore.
As to his medical practice, his son presents an idealistic picture of care, dutifulness and absence of covetousness:
His Employment was considerable, and which he more rejoyc't in, his success. He was eminent for faithfulness to all that had recourse to him, frequently visiting, deliberately considering their Cases, watchfully observing the turns of their Distempers, and accordingly with great care and judgement varying his Prescriptions....In all his Practice he was generously free from Covetousness, not using any Tricks to encrease it, nor unworthily seeking to, of humouring his Patients, weary of numerous though profitable Visits, and industriously speeding their Recovery, prescribing no more than he judg'd needful, and frequently refusing Fees which even his Patients thought he might as well have taken (p. 11)
Details of the lengthy illness which led to his death are provided:
About 8 years before his Death, he fell into an incurable Jaundice, accompanied for a while with a Scirrhus in his Liver, frequent troublesome Itchings, Aguish Shiverings of long continuance, little and disturbed sleep, violent Fits of the Colick, great appetite with ill Digestion, and other very troublesome Symptoms22 (p. 12)
Suggested links
See PROB 4/16236 Trench, Edmund, of St. Olave, Hartstreete, London, Dr. of Physick 1670 16 May
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Transcription
I EDMUND TRENCH OF LONDON D:r of Phyisck of a long time weake in body but well in mind make this my last will and testament My soule I commend upon good evidence unto my good God & ffather , in Jesus Christ, My body I leave to be decently interred without pompe in the parish church of Allhallowes Staining as neare
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NEARE my children as may be And for the good things of this life which it hath please God to intrust me with I dispose of them as followeth
I give unto my good wife M:rs Mary Trench all the rings & Jewells halfe my platt & householdstuffe three hundred poundes in money besides Twenty pounds which I have of hers, also twenty poundes yearly out of the ffifty pounds by the yeare which I purchased of M:r John Bridgate dureing his life Moreover my Lands and Tenements knowne by the name of the Manno:r or ffarme of Ducketts in y:e Parish of Tottenham in Middlesey now in the tenure of M:r John Benning during her naturall life Providedalwaies and upon this conditon y:t my said wife in consideration of y:e aforesaid Legacies doe within three months after my death release unto my heir and Executors all her right title & interest which shee hath shall or may have as well to & in her thirs as also to & in a certaine summe of one Thousand Marks of English money which by covenant I was obliged to leave her & deliver sufficient discharges for the same. I give unto my sonn Edmund Trench after my said wifes decease all my aforesaid Lands & Tenements called y:e Manno:r or ffar,e of Ducketts with y:e appurtenances to him & his heires for ever I give him also the remaining Thirty pounds by the yeare of the ffifty which I purchased as aforesd I give unto my said son Edmund Trench my two new built houses on Breadstreet hill in London whereof one knowne by y:e name or signe of the Boares Head is now in the tenure of M:r Phillip Cawthorn & y:e other not yet lett, is thereunto adjoyning to him & to his heires for ever. I give him also ffive hundred pounds in money all my bookes & halfe the remayning plate & householdstuffe I give to my son Thomas Trench six hundred pounds & one moiety of the plate & householdstuffe not already disposed of I give to my daughter Sarah Trench seaven hundred pounds besides thirty pounds which I have of hers to be paid unto her when she shall have attained the age of one & twenty yeares or day of marriage & I will that to the first of the said termes the whole Seaven hundred and thirty pounds shall be improved for her best advantage by my son Edmund Trench & y:t she be maintained out of it And if my said daughter shall dye before y:e terme aforesaid then my will is that my said son Edmund Trench shall within three months after her death pay two hundred & thirty pounds thereof to my good wife her mother & other two hundred pounds to my son Thomas aforesaid & the charges of her buriall being defrayed reserve the remainder to himselfe I give to my cousen M:r Benjamin ffairfax y:e elder ten pounds & to his son M:r John ffairfay six pounds, I give to M:r Joseph Church & M:r Sam: Rolfe ffive pounds a peice I give to Mary Herbert ffive pounds & to Anne Narker fforty shillings if they continue my servants to y:e time of my death And I will that all the aforesaid Legacies be paid at or accounted for from y:e end of three moneths after my decease All which being discharged ffunerall expences defrayed & my debts paid what shall further remaine I give & bequeath it into my two executors whom I hereby appoint to be my good wife M:rs mary Trench & my son M:r Edmund Trench
IN WITNESS whereof I have sign'd seal'd & declared this to be my last will & Testament the ffourteenth day of December in y:e yeare of our Lord 1669 & of y:e reigne of our soveraigne Lord King Charles the 2:nd y:e twenty first
EDMUND TRENCH
Signed sealed & declared to be his last will & Testament by y:e sayd Edmund Trench in y:e p:rsence of John Bridge John Holland
PROBATUM FUIT Testamentum suprascript:m apud ades ExXXXXX scituatas in the Strand in Comitas Middlesex coram XXX viro Richard LLoyd Legum Doctore Surrogato ven:rabilis et egregij
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EGREGIJ viri XXX Leolini Jenkins Militis Legum etiam Doctoris Curiae Prargate Cantuariensis Magister Custodis sive Commissarij legitime constituti Septime die Mensis Januarij (nixta cursum et computaXXX Enlesiae Anglicane) Millesimo Sexcentesimo Sexagesimo XXXX Juramento Edward Trench Executorum XXXX in XXXXXX Testamento nominaz cui commissa fuit Administraco omnium et singularum bonorjurium et creditorum dicti defunc de bene et fideliter Administrando ead:m ad Sancte Dei Evangelia Jurat Reservata potestate XXXX commissionem farioX Maria Trench vid et relicta Executor altori in ead:m Testamento nominat cum venerit ead:m petitur x:r
Notes
Possible primary sources
TNA
PROB 4/16236 Trench, Edmund, of St. Olave, Hartstreete, London, Dr. of Physick 1670 16 May
PROB 11/332 Penn 1-66 Will of Edmund Trench, Doctor of Physic of Saint Olave Hart Street, City of London 07 January 1670
PROB 11/447 Lort 180-223 Will of Edmund Trench, Gentleman of Brenchley, Kent 30 September 1698
PROB 11/453 Pott 168-208 Will of Thomas Trench, Merchant of Hackney, Middlesex 23 December 1699
