MRP: John Crowther will

John Crowther will

PROB 11/294 Pell 400-456 Will of John Crowther, Merchant of Stepney, Middlesex 19 August 1659

Editorial history

29/11/11, CSG: Posted incomplete transcription on wiki

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Abstract & context

John Crowther wrote his will in February 1658/59. In his will he described himself as "of the parish of Stebenheath otherwise Stepney in the Countie of Midd Merchant."

Stepney parish vestry records show that he was a resident of the hamlet of Mile End (alias Myle End), within the parish of Stepney, along with the merchant Maurice Thompson, who the historian Robert Brenner has characterised as a leading "New Merchant."

John Crowther's father-in-law was the mariner Roger Tweedy, who was born in Berwick-upon-Tweed, but who, at his death in 1653, was also a resident of Mile End. Crowther's brother-in-law was Captain William Ryder (knighted in 16XX), who likewise was married to a daughter of Captain Roger Tweedy. Captain Ryder lived in Bethnal Greeen, roughly a mile and a half to the west of Mile End.

Sir William Ryder refers in a letter to Sir George Oxenden dated August 22nd, 1667, to Thomas Crowther's widow, who he believed was likely to be a great sufferer by John Lambton, whose death had become public.

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Suggested links

See Roger Tweedy will (father-in-law of John Crowther)
See Thomas Crowther will (brother of John Crowther)
See Sir William Ryder will (brother-in-law of John Crowther)

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To do

(1) Complete the transcription

(2) Look for John Crowther's kinsman, William Crowther of Ratcliffe, in 1666 hearth tax returns

(3) Look for Cuthbert Atkinson of Ratcliffe Chirugion (husband of "my kinswoman Alice Atkinson") in 1666 hearth tax returns

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Transcription

Transcription is incomplete

In the name of God Amen the Eighteenth Day of ffebruarie in the yeeare of our Lord according to the accompt used in England One Thousand Six hundred ffiftie Eight I John Crowther of the parish of Stebenheath otherwise Stepney in the Countie of Midd Merchant being at present under some weaknes of Bodie yet blessed be God of sound and perfect minde and memorie doe make theise presents to be and containe my last Will and Testament:

And before all things I commend my Soule into the hands of the most blessed and glorious Trinitie hoping and assuredlie beleiving through the pretious death and onlie merritts of the second person Jesus Christ my mercifull Redeemer: to have free pardon and full remission of all my sinns and to be saved from Wraith to Come by him

My Bodie I committ to the Earth or otherwise as God shall please to dispose of it onlie if the Lord please to graunt mee the favour to be buried in a Grave or Tombe I desire my Executors hereafter named That my Bodie may be interred Two howers att the least before sunn sett That soo there may be a convenient time for a word of Instruction to be procured att that opportunitie That may doo some Soule good to eternitie

And it is my desire that noo unnecessarie monie may be spent on ??Scutchions or in Wyne rings sweet meates or anie thing else that may hindertyme and that such whoe shall accompanie my Corpes may have onlie a Sprigge of Rosemarie given them

And as touching and Concerning all such Estate as it hath pleased Almightie God by his good hand of bountie and providence to give mee and make mee a Steward of in this World I doo hereby devise and bequeath the same as followeth

Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my deare brother Master Joseph Crowther one Annuitie or yearely summe of Twentie pounds of lawfull monie of England to be paid unto him for and during the full Tearme of his naturall life att fower equall payments in everie yeare which Annuitie my will is shallbe issuing and payable out of the rents issues and profitts of all that my Messuage or Tenament and Orchard and Garden with the Appurtenances situate in Stepney wherein I now dwell

And I doo remitt and Release unto him his Executors and Assignes all such monies as he oweth mee upon Bond Bill specialtie accompt or otherwise And I doubt not but my children shall find him as carefull an Uncle for theire ?good as he hath found mee faythfull to him

ITEM I give and bequeath unto my brother Thomas Crowther of Rattcliffe Marriner and to my sister Hannah Crowther his Wife the full summe of Twentie pounds of like lawfull monie To
be paid unto them within Two Months next after my Decease as a token of my Love and to buy them mourning

ITEM I give and bequeath unto Thomas Crowther Sonne of the said Thomas Crowther the full summe of ffifteene pounds of lawfull monie to be also paid as a token of my love to him and for his mourning within Two months next after my decease

ITEM I give and bequeath unto my kinsman John Crowther sonne of the said Thomas Crowther The full summe of Twentie five pounds (That is to say the Summe of ffive pounds to buy him mourning within one month after my decease And the Summe of Twentie pounds as a token of my Love my will is shall be paid unto him when he shall attaine the full age of Twentie one yeares or on the day of his marriage which shall first happen

ITEM I give and bequeath unto my Kinswoman Hannah Crowther daughter of my said brother Thomas Crowther :

THE

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THE like summe of ffive pounds to buy her mourning within One Month after my decease And I also give unto her the full summe of Twentie pounds of lawfull monie to be paid unto her when she shall attaine the full age of Twentie one yeares or the day of her marriage which shall first happen

ITEM I give unto my kinswoman Alice Atkinson Wife of Cuthbert Atkinson of Ratcliffe Chirugion the full summe of Twentie pounds of lawfull monie of England as a Token of my love and respect to her and to buy her mourning within one Month after my decease

ITEM I give and bequeath unto my kinsman William Crowther of Ratcliffe Two of my cloth suites and cloakes (That is to say) one black suite and cloake And one coullored Suite and Cloake And I further give unto him the full Summe of ffower pounds a yeare during the Terme of his naturall life To be paid unto him Quarterlie or all fower equall payments in the yeare

ITEM I give and bequeath unto the poore of the devision of Ratcliffe and in the devision of Chadwell and in Lymehouse and in Popler and in Blackwell and to the Devisions of Milend Bethnell Greene and Spittlefields the full summe of ffiftie pounds of lawfull monie of England (That is to say to Ratcliffe Tenn punds To Shadwell Tenn pounds To Lymehouse Tenn pounds To Popler and Blackwell Tenn pounds And to the devisions of Mile Ende Bethnell Greene and Spittlefields Tenn pounds Which monies my Executors are to deliver to the Church Wardens of the respective devisions and Hambletts aforesaid to be distributed to and amongst the poore and aged Seamen theire Widdowes indistresse And to some others the greatest Want

And I desire my Executors That they require an accompt of all the names of the sevearll poore to whome this my Legacie shall be distributed And that the same be performed within [BLANK LEFT BY ORIGINAL COPIEST] after my decease

ITEM I doo freely and willingly give for the honour of God and his name unto the Towne of Poplar All that my coppyehold Tenement with the Yard or Garden ground and Appurtenances thereunto belonging situate lying and being in Poplar aforesaid and now in the occupation of Widdowe Anthonie and Alice Wright Widdowe and of Thomas Brooker to and for the use of y:e poore of that Towne and to noo other use whatsoeverto be setled for over in such xsion as by Councell shall be thought fitt And I leave it to the discretion of the ffeoffees hereafter named to imploy the same either for severall houses or beings for poore and aged Seamen and theire Widdows and in age or to be lett for the best advantage

And the profitts and rent thereof to be truely laine out in Bread and delivered every Lords Day to poore Seamen and Seamens Widdowes and others that Attend Gods Ordinances (unlesse prevented by siknes and Infirmitie And I doo appoynte that Widowe Wright and Widdowe Anthonie shall enjoy the Bounds wherein they now are free to them untill they shall marrie or remove themselves or happen to decease And att either of theire marriage removall or death my Will is that theire Roome Come into the hands of the ffeoffees And I name for ffeoffees in succession the Minister of Poplar or publique preacher of the Gospell there Provided he be an ordained Orthodox Minister) otherwise not to be and The Church Wardens and Worthie men with the Collector of the poore to be the Rest of the ffeoffees whoe by best use of this my Will shall have full power to dispose of the same and the rents and profitts thereof as they shall growe due To the use intents and purposes aforenamed

AND

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And noe other And that anie order under the hands of anie seamen or more of them whereof the Minister if qualified as aforesaid) and Church Wardens to be part shall be a good order to place and displace anie Tenant or paritioner in the same And that once in everie yeare att least my devise is That the ffeoffees doo cause to bee sett downe in writting in a Booke provided for that purpose what hath been received and paid if lett for the Inhabitants to live in or otherwise The names of all persons placed or displaced and my expresse minde and will is That if the ffeoffees aforenamed shall refuse to accept of this trust on the behalfe of the poore and neglect theire duly intended and suffer the Tenement with its Appurtenances attaching to this my will in other Trust or by the Councell learned in the Lawe he shallbe advised And in case my children when they come of age, after the decease of of my Executors see this legacie for the use of the poore to be converted to anie other use and the house unrepayed and the poore unreleeved

That then they or anie of them shall by vertue hereof also dispose settle and instruct the premises according to the intent and purpose by mee declared in and by this my Will Item I give and bequeath unto my deare and loving Wife Mistres Joanne Crowther the full summe of Two hundred pounds of good and lawfull monie of England

ITEM I further give and bequeath unto my said deare and loving Wife Mistres Joanna Crowther one Anuity or yearely summe of Two hundred pounds of good and lawfull monie of England during the full terme of her naturall life payable att fower equall payments in everie yeare The ffirst payment to begine on the next Quarter day after two full months past after my decease

ITEM I give and bequeath unto my Eldest sonne James Crowther all those two customarie Tenements scituate in Poplar aforesaid with the yards and Appurtenances thereunto belonging to have and to hold the same Tenements unto him the same James Crowther his heires and assignes for ever to be paid unto her by my other Executor within Two months next after my decease and I also give unto her all my Goods housholdstuffe and implements of household and all such plate Jewells rings and other perticulars of and belonging to mee and which I shall be possessed of att the time of my death in my aforesaid dwelling house att Stepney aforesaid except such perticulars only as are in and by this my Will given and bequeathed unto and amongst our children part whereof I have left to her own discretion And I hereby declare my minde and will that whereas I have referred [?] anie of my children to her that she my said Wife should give them something of the Goods and I beleive that she will, yet it [xxxxx] be given them and theire ffathers' Gift [?]

Text is missing

And I give unto him all Wainscoates and cisternes of Lead and other materialls as are yett remaining unto the same tenements And also to all that house or Tenements scituate in Ratcliffe given unto him by his Grandfather And also I give unto him my sonne James his heires Executors and Assignes the ?Sommer house att the north end of the house or Tenement last mentioned and also all that peece or slippe of Ground lyeing on the westward of that tenement & the rents & profitts of the said peece or slipp of ground as now leased to Master John Hawkins Chirugion And I also give unto him my same sonne the plate and Linnen locked upp in a Cheste or box whereof my same Wife hath the key

And I hereby further declare that for once by reason of the severall Annuities given and bequeathed in and by this my Will I can not appoynte such competent share of my Estate to him my same sonne whoe is now att age as I intend and therfore I doo hereby give unto my same sonne

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WHOE is now att age as XXXXX and therefore I doe hereby give unto him my said sonne James Crowther the full summe of Twenty pounds a yeare to be paid by my Executors Quarterly or by fower equall payments in every yeare during the full trem eof seaven yeares or untill the time that Tweedy Crowther one other of my sonnes shall attayne the age of twentie one yeares And I doe

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OTHER

SON

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SONN

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IN every yeare

MEMORANDUM

XXXXXXX

BY

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BY Thomas Tyndall

THIS WILL was proved att LONDON the nynteenth day of the Moneth of August in the yeare of our Lord God One Thousand six hundred ffiftie and Nyne before the Judges for probate of Wills and granting Administation lawfully authorized by the oaths of Joanna Crowther the Relict and Captaine Williamm Ryder ioynt Executors named in the above written Will To whome Administration of all and singular the Goods Chattells and debts of the said deceased was granted and committed they being first legally sworne truly and faythfully to administer the same.

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James Crowther the full summe of Twenty pounds a yeare to be paid by my Executors Quarterly or by fower equall payments in every yeare during the full terme of seaven yeares or untill the time that Tweedy Crowther one other of my sonnes shall attaine the age of Twentie one yeares And I doe appoynte the said Annuity to beginne the next usuall Quarter day after my decease att which time (sic) I have provided for his portion

ITEM I give and bequeath unto my sonne Tweedy Crowther all those my three Acres of Marsh Ground customary with etheire (sic) Appurtenances scituat in Poplar Marsh in the same County of Middlesex and now in the occupation of Master John White Butcher or his Assignes To have hold and injoy the said Three Acres of Masrsh Ground with The Appurtenances unto him the said Tweedy Crowther his heires and Assignes from and [?] after such tyme xxxx when as he shall attaine the full age of Twentie one yeares or from the day of his marriage which shall first happen And I further givve unto himthe said Tweedy Crowther the biggest greatesilver cupp with his name on it and one cyppris chest and one silk Quilt and one Turkie Carpet as his Mother shall thinke to fitt for him Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Crowther all the Northernmost Tenement scituate in my Garden Ratcliffe now in the occupation of [BLANK LEFT BY ORIGINAL WRITER IN TEXT] or his Assignes,

Which Tenement amongst other I hold by Lease of the Cittie of London for a long time yett to come and unexpired To have hold and to enjoy the samewith the Appurtenances and unto the said Elizabeth Crowther her Executors Administrators and assignes att such time and soo soone as she shall attaine the full age of Twentie one yeares or att and from the day of her marriage which shall first and next happen. And I also give unto one silke Quilt which her Mother please to be also given unto her att her age or marriage Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne John Crowther All that my Xxghm[xxrie] Tenement with The appurtenances scituate also in in Ratcliffe in the occupation of Master Thomas Wright or his assignes

To have hold and enjoy the same with the Appurtenances unto him the said John Crowther - his heires and assignes for ever from and after such tyme also and soo soone as he shall at [xxxx] the full age if Twenty one yeares or happen to be married and I give and bequeath unto the said John Crowther the second greate cuppe of silver and refer him to his Mothers gift which my is may may be delivered unto him att his [xxxx] age or marriage

ITEM I give and bequeath unto my daughter Priscilla

This transcription needs to be completed

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Notes

Captain Thomas Davis, mariner, Mile End Green, friend of Captain John Crowther, 1639

"[At a vestry meeting held on September 20th, 1639, 'M:r Thomas Dauis' was one of two men chosen as vestry men for Ratcliffe.] Captain Thomas Davis, mariner, of Mile End Green, in partnership with Henry Lee, and others, obtained Letters of marque, in June, 1627, for the Marigold of London, 200 tons, Cap:t Pulberry. Six months later he and his partners obtained Letters for the privateer Paragon, 300 tons, and this time he took command himself. He died in 1651, and was buried on September 25 of that year. His will, which was made verbally to his friends, Captain John Crowther and Thomas Hill, left all to his wife, Anne, and at her decease to his son Roger Davis. - State Papers, Domestic; Will at Somerset House; Stepney Registers."

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John Crowther, Vestry meeting, Stepney, 1653

On April 11th, 1653, a meeting was held of the Justices of the Peace within the parish of Stepney, together with the Minister, Churchwardens and other officer and parishioners of Stepney, to elect the churchwardens to serve for the year. One of the twenty five signators was "Walter Mainard". Another of the signators was "John Crouther."

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John Crowther, vestryman & parishioner, Myle End, 1654/?1666

"ffebruarie the 27:th 1654

Att a Generall Meeting of the Parishion:rs in the Vestry house the daye & yeare afforesaid, the house being full Itt was taken into consideracon the greate want of Meetings for the settling and carrieing on of the weighty Matters of the Parish, the regulateing of all abuses and the more speedy effecteing of such good and wholsome orders & y:e execution of all good lawes that tends to reformacon & that haue thought fitt att this Meeteing to avoyde tumolteoues appearances for future and referr the Matter & consideracon vnto the severall Gentlemen whose names are hereunder to be a representative of pish of Stepnie & bee called a vestry and that they & every of them by their consents and meeteings or adiounem:ts to doe and act to all intents and purposes as the whole Parish, And that all Meeteings appoynted by them or any twelve of them together w:th two of the Churchwardens for tyme being, shall bee held deemed, and hereafter accounted a lawfull number:

In Ratcliffe

[Names ommitted for this wiki note]

In Lymehouse

[Names ommitted for this wiki note]

In Ratcliffe

[Names ommitted for this wiki note]

Poplar & Blackwall

[Names ommitted for this wiki note]

Myle End

M:r Morris Thomson
M:r Walter Cooke
M:r Thomas Hart
M:r John Crowther
M:r Thomas Mempris
M:r James Dentere
M:r Joseph Cope
Cap:t Nathaniell Tilley
M:r John Claye"

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Possible primary sources

TNA

PROB 11/294 Pell 400-456 Will of John Crowther, Merchant of Stepney, Middlesex 19 August 1659
PROB 11/308 Laud 53-107 Will of Thomas Crowder or Crowther, Mariner of Stepney, Middlesex 03 June 1662

- Possibly the will of John Crowther's brother, Thomas (who was married to Hannah, according to John Crowther's will)