MRP: Nathaniel Letten will

Nathaniel Letten will

PROB 11/370 Cottle 55-110 Will of Nathaniel Letten, Merchant of Saint Dionis Backchurch, City of London 15 August 1682

Editorial history

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Abstract & context

The Letten family were of Dutch origin.

The father of the London based merchants Nathaniel and John Letten was John Letten, of Norwich. He may well have been a Norwich hosier. It has been suggested that Jean (alias John) Lettin (alias Letten) came found refuge initially in Sandwich, Kent, before moving to Norfolk.

The brothers John and Nathaniel Letten were probably in partnership, and appear together as co-plaintiffs or co-defendants in a number of Chancery suits. Nathaniel Letten mentions in his will that "the books of our partnership are kept in Dutch the which my wife doe not understand," and chose to appoint a former servant, John Mason, to assist his wife.

In July 1662 Nathaniel Letten's dwelling house was recorded as being in St. Botolphs Lane, London; in 1677 Nathaniel Letton's (sic) address was recorded as "Fanchurch-street, London" and that of John Letton (sic) as "Turn-wheel-lane, London". Nathaniel predeceased John, dying in 1682, with John dying six years later, in 1688.

The two brothers were involved in an extensive series of Chancery suits. A good number of these suits are for jurisdictions outside London and Moddlesex, suggesting perhaps that they were involved in county estate land deals as well as commercial trading adventures

Nathaniel was born ca. August, 1620 in the parish of Saint Gregory, Norwich, and was buried in May 1682 in the parish of Saint Dionis, Backchurch. He married Sarah Lant, daughter of Richard Lant Esq:r, of Kingston upon Thames, on December 6th, 1666. Their children were born and christened in the parish of St. Helen Bishopsgate (1667-1669) and in St. Dionis Backchurch (1677-1680) Sarah is stated in an unverified secondary source to have subsequently married Richard Mioll.

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Family summary

Sister Mary De La Port
Brother John Letten
My three sons, Nathaniel, Richard and John

Stock in Hudsons Bay Adventure, in Bermudas, in Walefishing
Part of the Lease in the waterhouse of Brokenwharfe
Eldest daughter Susanna Letten, second daughter Sara Letten, third daughter Elizabeth Letten
Niece Martha Letten
"the books of our partnership are kept in Dutch the which my wife doe not understand"
John Mason, formerly my servant, appointed overseer and to assist with explaining books to Nathaniel Letten's wife Sarah Letten

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Suggested links

See John Letten will

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To do

(1) Complete the trasncription of the will

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Transcription

This transcription has not yet been complted, and will require checking

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I Nathaniel Letten of London Merchant of the parish of S:t Dyonis Backchurch being of sound and perfect memory thankes bee to Almighty God Doe make and ordaine this my last will and Testament in writing In manner and forme following that is to say I commend my Soule unto the hands of Almighty

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God that gave it, My body after this life ended I committ unto the Earth to bee decently buried in Christian buriall in the parish church of S:t Dyonys Backchurch Lodnon in the vault belonging to my now Dwelling house there in expectacon of a glorious Resurreccon and in confidence that by and through the only meritts and mediacon of Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer all my Sinns shall bee pardoned and done away and both body and Soule bee made partaker of eternall Joy and happyness And to the manner and charge of my funerall I referre to my private Instruccons given to my Beloved wife

And for and concerning that worldly estate whereof it hath pleased God to make mee a steward my debts being first paid and funerall charges defrayed I dispose the same as followeth viz:t

I give and bequeath to the elders of the Dutch Church in London the summe of ffifty pounds to bee a stock towards the maintenance of the Ministers there

ITEM I give and bequeath to the Deacons of the said Dutch Church the summe of ffifty pounds for y:e releife of the poore of the said church

ITEM I give and bequeath to the Deacons of the Dutch church of Norwich the simme of ffifty pounds for the Releife of the poore of the said Congregaconn

ITEM I give unto the poore of the parish of S:t Gregories in Norwich where I was borne 20:li Twenty pounds

ITEM I give into Christs Hospitall fro the Blew Coate Boys and Girls 20L Twnty pounds

ITEM I give unto the poore of the parish of S:t Dionys Backchurch the summe of ffive pounds

ITEM I give the Thirty pounds by mee subscribed and lent towards a stock for the poore french Protestants at Ipswich to sett them a work I give to the Deacons of the ffrench Church in London to bee disposed on by them for the Releife of the said poore Protestants that come over for their Religion and if the said Thirty pounds should nott bee allpaid Then my will and mind is that my Executors doe pay the Residue of the said summe unpaid to the aforesaid Deacons of the ffrench church

ITEM I give and Bequeath to my Beloved wife Sarah All my householdgoods All my plate and all herJewells And in consideracon that I could not lett the house that ??M:r Thomas Death now liveth in by reason of passage through his hround for Two Coach houses and one Stable I was constrained to lett them to this house they being before settled with the now Dwelling house with a small slip of ground as part of my wifes Joynture and haveing since taken one of the houses in Philpot Lane which was also part of my wifes Joynture and added to this house to make a Stable although it can bee turned into a Tenement at pleasure In consideracon of the above mencconed

ITEM I give to my said beloved Wife Sara for her life my foure Messuages with the appertennces which I purchased of the Assignes of the Commissiomners of Bankrupt which was taken out against Edward ffrench which are now lett at Ninety eight pounds a yeare where of Two are in Salisbury Court one the White Swan in the possession of Augustin Leake the other in the posso of John Morley and on the back part of those Two houses In the Alley over against S:t Bridges Church yard One in possession of William ``Pease the other in the possession of the Widdow ffull which fowre houses are scituated in the parish of S:t Bridgett als Brides in London and after her decease I give the ffowre houses with the appertenances to my eldest sonne Nathaniell Letten and the heires of his Body And for want of such Issue then to my sonne XXXXXXXXX John Letten and the heires of his Body and for want of such Issue then to my Three Daughters Sara and XXX Elizabeth their herires forever equally to bee divided amongst share and

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ahare alike or the Survivor of them and for want of such Issue Then to my brother John Kettrern and his heires for ever A Court at Cliffirds Inn on the twenty sixth day of Janruary One Thousand Six hundred Seaventy and one where is was Decreed by the Judges that the ground whereon stood the house of Rachell Hungerford and the house of Anne Tissard which were demolished by the ffire with that peece of ground where one was A Cole wharfe where is Decreed by the Judges to Nathaniel Letten from S:t Michaell Tharchangell One Thousand Six hundred Seaventy and one for XXXty years paying to the Landlord Thirty fowre pounds a yeare for the whole and shall not bee chargeable for more dureing the said terme I have since Bought the house of Rachell Hungerford and such his hround Rent and now Reecive all the Rent for my selfe for the Remainder of the Lease from Michaelmas One Thousand six hundred seaventy and one And as for the Rent of Anne Tizzard I receive ffifteene poundes a yeare for Thirty nine Three quarters of a yeare from Michaelmas One thousand six hundred Seaventy and one Which houses and wharfe I give aunto my eldest sonne Nathaniel Letten The remainder of the Three Leases in Durham Yard the Cole wharfe In possession of James Gatton The house where the Venetian Resident liveth in on the Right hand of the gate way goeing downe to M:r Huttons wharfe also the house on the left hand leading downe to the said Colewharfe As by the Deceree of the Judges more at large doth appeare A Lease of the parsonage of Braborne in Kent granted to Nathaniel Letten for one and Twenty yeares from the Sixth of October One Thousand Six hundred Seaventy and eight by the Lord William Archbishop of Canterbury at Sixteene pounds Tenne shillimgs and to the XXX

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Notes

Manor of Burpham alias Burgham, Sussex

"John Pellett, plaintiff, and Nicholas Vanacker, Prudence Butler, wid, Nathaniel Letten, John Letten, Joseph Alport and John Morgan and Anne his wife, deforicants - Manor of NURGHAM alias BURPHAM and tenements in Burgham alias Burpham quitclaimed tp plaintiff and heirs (Trin, 18 Ch. II. [1661])."
- Joseph Alport, one of the stated deforciants above, may have been the eponymous scrivener, who was a signator to a mortgage between the London merchant Edmund Playdell on the one hand and Nathaniell and John Letten on the other, dated 30th July 1662 Joseph Alport, scrivener, was also a signator in 1653 to the will of Anne Delboe, wife of Simon Delboe
- See PROB 11/316 Hyde 1-56 Will of Joseph Alport, Scrivener of London 13 March 1665

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Possible primary sources

TNA

C 6/209/92 Short title: Waynwright v Dashwood. Plaintiffs: James Waynwright. Defendants: Francis Dashwood, Nathaniel Letten, John Letten, Peter Kesterman and Chrisostom Hamilton. Subject: money matters, Surrey. Document type: bill, answer. 1671

C 10/437/40 Anne Lant widow v Thomas Lant, Matthew Lant and John Lant: London, Lime Strut, Middlesex. Two bills and answer AND Thomas Lant, Matthew Lant and John Lant v Andrew Lant, Sir Stephen White knight, Christopher Boone, Nathaniel Letten, Richard Young, Rowland Wynn and others: Thorpe Underwood manor, Northamptonshire 1673 and 1674

PROB 11/147 Clarke 103-147 Will of Daniel Letten 25 November 1625
PROB 11/184 Coventry 117-173 Will of John Letten, Hosier of Norwich, Norfolk 09 September 1640
PROB 11/316 Hyde 1-56 Will of Joseph Alport, Scrivener of London 13 March 1665
PROB 11/370 Cottle 55-110 Will of Nathaniel Letten, Merchant of Saint Dionis Backchurch, City of London 15 August 1682
PROB 11/371 Cottle 111-163 Will of Richard Lant of Kingston upon Thames, Surrey 29 November 1682, pp. 17
PROB 11/393 Exton 131-172 Will of John Letten, Mercht. of London 24 December 1688
PROB 11/411 Fane 147-194 Will of Nathaniel Letten, Merchant being now bound for the East Indies in the Ship Lancaster 22 September 1692
PROB 11/574 Shaller 98-147 Will of Richard Letten, Gentleman of London 04 May 1720

London Metropolitan Archives

Metropolitan Archives: Bedford [Duke of: Surrey Estate E/BER/S 1548-1840: Title Deeds and Related documents E/BER/S/T/II [n.d.]: General Evidences E/BER/S/T/II/GE 1607-1763: Legal papers E/BER/S/T/II/GE/001 1607-1677: Manors of Tooting Bec and Leighams Court, advowson of Streatham, messuages and lands, all in Streatham; including orig. will of Sir John Howland, 1648, probate will of Jeffery Howland, 1677/8, and marriage settlement of Nathaniel Letten and Martha Sas, widow, dau. of Jeffery Howland E/BER/S/T/II/GE/17-24 1647-1677. 8 docs]

Parliamentary archives

Archives: Main Papers 609 - 633 HL/PO/JO/10/1/380 25 Jun 1678 - 15 Jul 1678
- (h) 1 July -- Petition of John Buckworth and others, who have taken assignments from Mr. John Lindsay, goldsmith, as administrator in right of his wife, in satisfaction of their debts due from John Colvile, deceased. Signed by Fortune Dorrington, Eliz. Guilliom, Rich. Cradocke, Wm Johnston, Ja. Donaldson, Rich. Hawkins, Edw. Allen, John Letten, Francis Tyssen, John Middleton, John Wilson, Robt. Bodington, Geo. Cowart, Anthony Gregorie, Fran. Neve, Tho. Pinfold, John Frescheville, John Buckworth, Will. Moyer, Jane Jacson, Edw. Shelton, Mary Barrington, Jonadab Balam, and Pr Fontaine.

Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Record Service

Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Record Service: Deposit by Rooks, Rider, Solicitors: Marston Moretaine (Wroxhill) [no ref. 1652-1875: Manor of Wroxhill [no ref. or date]: [no title] X668/44 30 July 1662]
- Contents:
Mortgage by demise
i)Edmund Playdell, London, citizen and merchant tailor
ii)Nathaniel Letten
John Letten
Both of London, merchants
Consideration - £300 paid to i) by ii)
i) demises to ii)
- manor of Wroxhill etc
- messuage and 4 closes pasture (50a) at Wroxhill in Marston Moretaine late in occupation of William Purney term - 500 years rent - 1 peppercorn
To be repaid as follows at dwelling house of Nathaniel
Letten in St Botolph's Lane - £9 on last day of January 1662/3, £9 on last day of July 1663, £9 on last day of January next and £309 on last day of July 1664
Signature of i)
Endorsed witnesses Joseph Alport
John Hope
Jer Wells
His servants

See also Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Record Service: : [no title] X668/45 10 May 1667
See also Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Record Service: [no title] X668/46 20 September 1695

Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies

Archives and Local Studies: Title deeds and estate papers of the Pryor family of Weston Park, Weston, 13th C - 1910: TITLE DEEDS [no ref. or date: OTHER COUNTIES [no ref. or date]: Isleworth and Twickenham, Middlesex [no ref. or date]: Copy of Court Roll DE/Pr/78243 9 March, 1663/4]
- Contents:
Conditional surrender for £848.
1. Ellen Birkhead of Twickenham, widow, and William Birkhead of St. Saviours, Southwark, Surrey, merchant.
2. Nathaniel and John Letten of London, merchants.
Messuage and appurtenances in Twickenham, and orchard containing 3a behind the said premises.
Manor of Isleworth Syon

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Possible secondary sources

Carlos, Ann M. & Jill L. Van Stone, 'Stock Transfer Patterns in the Hudson's Bay Company: A study of the English Capital Market in Operation, 1670–1730' in Business History, vol. 38, issue 2, 1996, pp. 15-39
Dunkin, Edwin H., W., Sussex manors, advowsons, etc., recorded in the Feet of fines, Henry VIII. to William IV. (1509-1833), Sussex Record Society, vol. XIV (London, 1914)
Moens, William John Charles, The Walloons and their church at Norwich: their history and registers, 1565-1832, Parts 1-2, vol. 1 (Reprint, XXXX, 1969)

'Letter from Christopher Wren, Jer : Weyman, John Letten, George Baron, and William Walker to Edward Randolph. London, August 13, 1683', f. 76, in 'Letters Outward, 1680-1687'

'Letter from John Letten, George Baron and William Walker to Edward Randolph. The Hudson's Bay House, August 18, 1683', f. 78