MRP: Spencer Breton will
Spencer Breton will
PROB 11/289 Pell 150-199 Will of Spencer Bretton of Smyrna 25 April 1659
Editorial history
29/11/11, CSG: Posted transcription to wiki
Contents
Abstract & context
Spencer Breton (alias Bretton) was an Smyrna merchant, working most probably as a factor for Samuell Barnardiston, a London merchant, who he made his sole executor in England. He appointed Arthur Barnardiston as one of his assignes in "Turkey."
Suggested links
See Smyrna
See 18th July, 1656, Letter from Spencer Bretton to Levant Company, Smirna
To do
(1) Check the transcription
Transcription
Spencer Bretton [In LH margin to side of first text]
In the name of God Amen on the Nyneth day of November Anno Domini one Thousand Six hundred ffifty and Eight I Spencer Bretton Esquire the unprofitable servant of God being weake in body but strong and perfect in memory for which God bee praysed, doo make, ordaine and declare this my last will and Testament in manner and forme following That is to say ffirst and above all thinges I commend and committ my soule to Allmighty God my Creator Trusting most assuredly through the onely Merritts death and passion of Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer to be saved and made partaken of life Everlasting
And I committ my body to the Earth whereof it is made to be devoutly Interred w:th Christian Buriall And for my worldly Estate wherew:th God hath blessed mee I dispose of as followed My will is that whatsoever debts cann be duely [CHECK] and justly demannded (sic) of mee by any person or persons whatsoever bee justly and uprightly payd, to witt such legacies as I Give and bequeath to any of my freinds and kindred in England my will is to share them payd within six months after my decease by Mr Samuell Barnardiston Merchant in London which person I doo hereafter name and appoint my sole Executor and Overseer in England
And for what I give and bequeath to any of my friends and servants here at Smyrna or dispose of to charitable uses my wish is that these bee payd w:thin two months after my decease here at Smyrna by M:r Arnold White and M:r Arthur Barnardiston whom hereafter I appoint and ordaine my Assignes and Overseers here in Turkey
ITEM I give and bequeath to my Mother in Law M:rs Dorothy Digby Tenn pounds sterling to make her a ring;
ITEM I give and bequeath to my Brother in Law M:r Henelme (sic) Digby ffive pounde sterling to make him a ringe
ITEM I give and bequeath to my sister M:rs Elizabeth Grigson ffive pounds sterling to make her a Ring.
ITEM I give and bequeath to my Brother in Law M:r Richard Heywirth (sic) And (sic) to my sister Anne his wife the Sume of fforty poundsto buy a new ring for either of them.
ITEM I Give and bequeath to my nephew Spencer Egxx [OR Bretton] Ten pounde sterling to make him a ring.
ITEM I Give and bequeath to my neece Anne Egale [???] Tenn pounde sterling to buy her a Ring
ITEM I give and bequeath to our present Minister at Smyrna ffifteen gxxxxx of blacke velvett which on the day of my Buryall is to cover my coffin To which velvett I add ffifty Dollars for preaching my ffunerall sermon.
ITEM I Give and bequeath unto Giulio Graianing [Graiaming?] Cuntroller [OR controller] dollars forty to buy Mourning
ITEM I Give and bequeath XXX to my chiefe Dragoman George dollars sixeteene [MAT read "fifteene"] And to the other two Dragomen Oxxxx and Ignatius dollars tenn each to buy them morrning (sic)
ITEM I Give and bequeath XX to my cooke Juni [?] Tenn dollars
ITEM I Give and bequeath unto my housekeepers Dollars tenn.
ITEM I give and bequeath unto my scullion [??] Dollars Eight.
ITEM I give and bequeath Towards the redemption of English Captives out of Turkish Slavery Dollars one hundred XXXX person or persons to bee redeemed to bee XXXXXX as my Assignes at Smyrna shall chose and they to see this charitable Act performed here in Smirna and not performe it into England [??]
ITEM I Give and bequeath the summe of Dollars ffifty toward the xxxxffe of the poore of our Nation such as may bee here allready or come hereafter to Smirna. And my Will is that this summe of ffifty dollars within two Months after my decease bee putt into the Poore Boxes [?] left att the Disposall of the succeeding Consull and Minister of the parish [OR place].
ITEM I Give & bequeath to M:rs ffrances Mason widow for her paines Dollar Thirty
ITEM I give and bequeath unto my Eldest sonne Spenser [OR Spencer] Bretton Three hundred pounds sterling over and above his equall halfe of my whole Estate, As allso my Two silver fflaggons Given mee by the Muscovia Comp:ye whose Armes they have upon them w:th such other silver plate as I have w:th any coat of Armes upon them w:th such other silver plate as I have w:th any coat of Armes upon them, Except my silver Basin and Ewwer [?] which Basin and Ewwer I give & bequeath unto my youngest sonne Simon Bretton
Item I doe hereby ordaine and appoint my Assignes in Turkey my special l friende M:r Arnold White & M:rr Arthur Barnardiston to take care that this my last will and Testament bee punctually performed in every particulars Also to recover and receive what ever shall bee Due unto mee upon any person whatsoever And likewise to pay all my true debts, And I give and bequeath to either of my sayd Assignes Dollers one hundred to make them mourning who haveing ([?] received all my creditts and discharged my debts they are to remitt the rest into England to M:r Samuell Barnardiston who is to discharge of the same as hereafter declared.
Item I Give and bequeath to my brother M:r Charles Sheldon [Shelden?] Dollars twenty besides mourning. Item my will and desire is that my true debts and legacies being discharged, The Remainder of my whole Estate I Give and bequeath unto my two beloved sonnes Spencer and Symon Bretton to be equally divided betwixt them (to say) unto each of them the full and Intire (sic) halfe And in case it should please God to take out of this life either of my said two sonnes before come of Age then my Will is that my whole Estate should fall And bee wholly Given and appropriated unto the surviving sonne
And last of all I Give and bequeath unto my most deare and worthy friend M:r Samuell Barnardiston Merchant in London the soume of Twenty and ffive pounde sterlingto make him a ring And I doe hereby constitute and appointe him the saydd M:r Samuell Barnardiston my full Associate and lawfull sole Executor in England of this my last will and Testament delivering him to take Especiall care that whatever of my Estate he hath allready in his Trust As allso that part which by Gods permission shall be made home or sent from home by M:r Arnold White and Arthur Barnardiston in Turkey bee uprightly decided betwixt my sayd two sonnes (when come of Age as before Declared)
And my damask [?] quilt unto the sayd M:r Samuell Barnardiston my deare friend is That he soould [coould] please to keepe their portions [?] in his owne hands and cause the same to bee putt forth or Imployed for their most Advantage, unto so XX XXXX XXXX I comitt (sic) them for their virtuous and religious Educacion (sic) and Trayning (sic) upp And first shall please God to blesse and spare [??] them life untill they come to yeares of desicion [??] Then to dispose of them to such places and Imployments as hee shall find and Xxloge [??] most fitt
In Witnesse of the promises I have into this my last wil and testament putt my hand and seale the day and yeare above written In Smirna :
M:r Spencer Bretton
Signed Sealed and pronounced (sic) by the said Soencer Bretton as his last will and Testament in the presence of us Robert Winchester mister [does it say Minister?] Joseph Edwards Gulio [or Giulie [?]] Gratiany Consels (or Concels) [?]
Concordat cum originall Ita testator Gulio Gratiany Canesell I Joseph Edwards Consul for the English nation here in Smirna doo testify That the abovesaid Gulio Gratiany is a person of Trust and sworne XXXXXXXXX to the English Nation at this place unto whose Attestation and other writings in full faith is to be Given. Inquoorofidem at XXXXXXXXX in Smirna y:e 24:th 1658 Joseph Edwards XXXXXX
Notes
