| The Will of Richard Meredith, Bishop of Leighlin | |||||||
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| 1 | That lambe of god that dyed for my synnes to | ||||||
| 2 | hime I bequeath my soule and my bodie to be buried | ||||||
| 3 | in the north side of St Patricke Church beneth | ||||||
| 4 | Edwarde the consistorie[?] in the wall. Ite[m] whereas the | ||||||
| 5 | most reverend father in god Adam Archbishopp | ||||||
| 6 | of Dublin and L[ord] Channcelor of Ireland together | ||||||
| 7 | w[it]h Edward Loftus sonne to the saied most re= | ||||||
| 8 | verend Father and Adam Loftus gent sonne also to | ||||||
| 9 | the saied most reverend Father by their deede obliga= | ||||||
| 10 | toine beringe date the xxith day of Aprill 1597 | ||||||
| 11 | stand bound unto me Richard Bishop of Leighlin | ||||||
| 12 | in the sum of one thousand poundes sterlinge cur= | ||||||
| 13 | rant and lawfull money of England in and at upon | ||||||
| 14 | the circumsic[i]on of o[ur] lord next ensuinge the date hereof | ||||||
| 15 | in at and upon the Font stone of St Patricke | ||||||
| 16 | in Dublin or [new?] Font place in St Patricke Church | ||||||
| 17 | aforesaied between the houres of xij and three | ||||||
| 18 | of the clocke in the after noone of the saied day | ||||||
| 19 | as by the said hand more at lardge doth and may | ||||||
| 20 | appeare I the said Ric[hard] Bishop of Leighlin for | ||||||
| 21 | the [pre]ferment in marriage of my Deare daughter Anne | ||||||
| 22 | Meredith do geve and bequeth as well the saied | ||||||
| 23 | bond as the iiij[..] hundred poundes by the saied bond | ||||||
| 24 | due to paied to the saied Anne by myne execu= | ||||||
| 25 | tors hereafter to be named. And whereas also the saied | ||||||
| 26 | most reverend Father and his saied two sonnes | ||||||
| 27 | Edward and Adam do [..] stande bounde | ||||||
| 28 | in an other bond of eighte hundred pounds beringe | ||||||
| 29 | date as aforesaied stand bound for the payment | ||||||
| 30 | of iiij[..] hundred pounds currant money of England | ||||||
| 31 | at the place and day aforesaied [...] shalbe | ||||||
| 32 | in the yeare of oure lord god 1598 as by the | ||||||
| 33 | said bond more at lardge appeareth. I the saied | ||||||
| 34 | Richard Bishop of leighlin do geve and bequeth | ||||||
| 35 | the said second bond [...] the saied iiijth hundred | ||||||
| 36 | pounds theirin specified to the preferment in | ||||||
| 37 | marriage of my Daughters Margaret [and] | ||||||
| 38 | Ales equalle to be devided And my will is | ||||||
| 39 | that yf one of them three [departs?] this lyfe | ||||||
| 40 | before they shalbe lawfullie espoused | ||||||
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| 41 | that then or there parte?] shall descend to the Surviv[or] or | ||||||
| 42 | Surviv[ors]. And I will also that yf any of my saied daugh= | ||||||
| 43 | ters shall defile their bodies w[it]h fornicatione before they | ||||||
| 44 | be lawfullie espoused in mariaige that then her or there | ||||||
| 45 | [parte?] shalbe wholly to the benefitt of them as live in the feare | ||||||
| 46 | of god and honest conversations. Item I geve to Thomas | ||||||
| 47 | Meredith my sonne all such leases as I have in his | ||||||
| 48 | name and to his use w[it]h in this realem of Ireland | ||||||
| 49 | upon the [rente?] [wherof?] , my will is as soone as his | ||||||
| 50 | aige will [per]mitt he be kepte at skoole and mayntained | ||||||
| 51 | And for his further mayntenance I geve and | ||||||
| 52 | bequethe [to] the saied Thomas my sonne the sum of | ||||||
| 53 | one hundred pounds, when he shall fully have accom= | ||||||
| 54 | plyshed the age of xxi yeares yf he obay the directio[n] | ||||||
| 55 | and government of his master, yf not, the saied hundred | ||||||
| 56 | pounds to waste[?]. Item my will is that my execut[ors] | ||||||
| 57 | shall pay to [Shane] O [Leighane] of Dublin [ cooke?] | ||||||
| 58 | for a lease that I boughte of the saied OLeigan | ||||||
| 59 | the sum of x[..] [....] w[hic]h lease and the benefitt | ||||||
| 60 | thereof shalbe converted to the saied Thomas | ||||||
| 61 | Item I do geve and bequeth to Robert my sonne | ||||||
| 62 | the sum of iij hundred pounds [...] together w[it]h the | ||||||
| 63 | remainder of such lands as I have in Pembrockshire in | ||||||
| 64 | Wales after the decease of his mother as by the deedes | ||||||
| 65 | and evidences thereof doth and may appeare. | ||||||
| 66 | And for the [.][.] [.] my will is that they shall | ||||||
| 67 | remaine in the occupac[ i]on and use of his mother, shee | ||||||
| 68 | putting in sufficient security [...] for the payment | ||||||
| 69 | of the foresaied [.][.][.][...]when he shall accomplysh | ||||||
| 70 | the aige of xxi yeares and in the meane tyme to | ||||||
| 71 | putt in the like equity for the yearly payment | ||||||
| 72 | of the sum of twentie poundes to such [per]son or [per]sons | ||||||
| 73 | as I by this my will shall appoint to bringe up my | ||||||
| 74 | saied sonn his securyty to remaine from tyme to | ||||||
| 75 | tyme in the Custody of his Tutor. | ||||||
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| 76 | Item the rest of all my goods cattell and chattels | ||||||
| 77 | plate houshoulde stuff or other detts by specialtys | ||||||
| 78 | or other wyse whatsoever as fully and amply as | ||||||
| 79 | yf they were here named I geve unto Sara | ||||||
| 80 | Meredith my wyfe whom I do hereby ordayne | ||||||
| 81 | constitute and appointe my whole and sole executrix | ||||||
| 82 | [...] [...] for the iiij [hundred pounds] formerly bequethed to my | ||||||
| 83 | Daughter Anne and also the other iiij [hunded pounds] w[hic]h I | ||||||
| 84 | gave bequeathed equally to be divided betweene | ||||||
| 85 | my daughters Margaret and Ales my will is [that] | ||||||
| 86 | the saied eight hundred pounds or anie [part?] | ||||||
| 87 | thereof shall [pre]sentlie w[it]hin one moneth after the | ||||||
| 88 | receipte thereof to be tendred to the Mayo[r] and | ||||||
| 89 | Corporatione of merchannts in Dublin upon good | ||||||
| 90 | sequrity under there Comen and Cyty seale [...] | ||||||
| 91 | for the repayment of the saied [som] to them offered | ||||||
| 92 | as for the yearly payment of the sum of vi[pounds?] | ||||||
| 93 | xiij[shillings?] iiij[pence?] [...] oute of every hundreth. And yf | ||||||
| 94 | the saied mayor and corporac[i]on do refuse then | ||||||
| 95 | the same to be tendred to the cyty of Brystol | ||||||
| 96 | and London the saied sum of vi[pounds] xiij[shillings] iiij[pence] oute | ||||||
| 97 | of every [hundred]th pounds to be yearly bestowed [..] | ||||||
| 98 | the bringing up of my saied Children whose bodies | ||||||
| 99 | and bringinge up I referre to my executrix, | ||||||
| 100 | either to keepe them or otherwyse to bestoue | ||||||
| 101 | them. And I also pray and do give my good | ||||||
| 102 | cosen David Ellyse m[aster] of Arte to take unto | ||||||
| 103 | his chardge and bringinge up the bodie of my | ||||||
| 104 | saied sonne Robert. And I do hereby appointe | ||||||
| 105 | the saied David Ellis his [Tutor?] overseer [and] | ||||||
| 106 | bringer up duringe his minoryty. And that | ||||||
| 107 | this my will accordinge to the [firme?] meaninge | ||||||
| 108 | thereof may be [per]formed accomplyshed and putt | ||||||
| 109 | in execution I do appointe overseers also of the | ||||||
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| 110 | same the most reverend Father in god the archbishop | ||||||
| 111 | of Dublin M[r] Richard Batho [pre]bendary of Typperkevin | ||||||
| 112 | M[r] David Ellis M[r] Anthonie Longhtoy | ||||||
| 113 | Thomas Bay[..] or anie to of them whereof the said Ellis | ||||||
| 114 | to be one and in considerat[io]n of those paines | ||||||
| 115 | I do geve unto every one of them xl[pounds] [..] to make | ||||||
| 116 | every of them a ringe or a ringe of the same | ||||||
| 117 | valew to be delivered by my Executrix. Item | ||||||
| 118 | I geve and bequeth to my [....] [Smyth] a | ||||||
| 119 | ringe of the same valew w[it]h his armes and | ||||||
| 120 | my name to be engraven. Item I also geve | ||||||
| 121 | and bequeth unto M[r] David Ellis aforesaid | ||||||
| 122 | the whole [worcke] of St [Austen], Ambrose [...] | ||||||
| 123 | and Chist[...]me and the rest of my books by | ||||||
| 124 | inventaire to be delivered unto hime upon his | ||||||
| 125 | security for the redelivery of the same or | ||||||
| 126 | such other of the like nature to my Sonne | ||||||
| 127 | Robert and Thomas or w[hic]h of them shalbe | ||||||
| 128 | founde likeliest by two of my overseeres to [..] | ||||||
| 129 | a[scholer and to doe good in gods church | ||||||
| 130 | And yf neither of them, then I geve the | ||||||
| 131 | saied bookes not bequethed to Mr Ellis aforesaid | ||||||
| 132 | by hime to be dispersed to the use of som | ||||||
| 133 | publick library of England or Ireland | ||||||
| 134 | at his discressione. Item my expresse | ||||||
| 135 | will is that in consideratione of a p[romise?] | ||||||
| 136 | made by me in my late troubles in the | ||||||
| 137 | [towre?] that yf god in mercy would deliv[er] me | ||||||
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| 138 | and [...] me, that then I would geve | ||||||
| 139 | to the Mayor Corporac[i]on and Aldermen of | ||||||
| 140 | the Cyty of Dublin or by anie other name | ||||||
| 141 | they are incorporated the sum of one | ||||||
| 142 | [100] pounds to be delivered by the | ||||||
| 143 | saied mayor and corporac[i]on of the saied | ||||||
| 144 | Cyty for the tyme beinge unto foure | ||||||
| 145 | or [too?] of the youngeste m[er]chants of the | ||||||
| 146 | saied Cyty for the space of iiij[..] yeares | ||||||
| 147 | and no longer for ever They the saied | ||||||
| 148 | yonge m[er]chants puttinge in god and inde= | ||||||
| 149 | fesible securyty for the repayment of | ||||||
| 150 | the saied [100] pounds at the end of | ||||||
| 151 | the saied foure yeares. And also weekly | ||||||
| 152 | to pay in such place of the Cathedrall | ||||||
| 153 | Church of St Patricke Dublin as by | ||||||
| 154 | myne executrix shalbe appointed the sum | ||||||
| 155 | of iij[pounds?] [..] viz xviij[th] in [beeste?] or [Fysh?] | ||||||
| 156 | accordinge to the tyme of the yeare and | ||||||
| 157 | xviij[th] in brede[?] every Sababth Day | ||||||
| 158 | Duringe the foure yeares. And therefore | ||||||
| 159 | in accomplyshment of my humble dutie | ||||||
| 160 | and [pro]myse made to my god and to | ||||||
| 161 | the benefitt of the poore I geve and | ||||||
| 162 | bequeth unto the mayor and corporac[i]on | ||||||
| 163 | aforesaied the saied sum of one hundred | ||||||
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| 164 | pounds to be delivered by my executrix w[it]hin one [year?] | ||||||
| 165 | after my decease to the rest of the younge m[er]chants | ||||||
| 166 | aforesaied and the saied three shillings in brede | ||||||
| 167 | beest and Fyshe accordinge to the tyme of the | ||||||
| 168 | yeare [and] at the daye before limited or named | ||||||
| 169 | to the use of three poore [....] [...] to be | ||||||
| 170 | named and appointed by the saied mayor and | ||||||
| 171 | Corporac[i]on for the tyme beinge for ever Provided | ||||||
| 172 | that yf the saied [100] pounds be not ymploied to | ||||||
| 173 | such uses and [per]sons as aforesaied by the saied mayor | ||||||
| 174 | and corporac[i]on but committed to some other private | ||||||
| 175 | commoditie that then the saied hundred pounds | ||||||
| 176 | shall [..] to the next of my [...] . The mayor | ||||||
| 177 | upon deliv[er]y of the saied hundred poundes by | ||||||
| 178 | myne executrix to putt in securitie to the use | ||||||
| 179 | aforesaied [under?] there Comen seale of there | ||||||
| 180 | saied Cyty to accomplysh [per]fecte and fulfill | ||||||
| 181 | the fine meaninge of this Legacie or else to | ||||||
| 182 | loose the benefitt of the same In witnesse | ||||||
| 183 | of this my last will and testament I | ||||||
| 184 | gave [herewith?] subscribed my name the xxviij th | ||||||
| 185 | Day of July 1597. In the presence of these | ||||||
| 186 | [per]sons undernamed | ||||||
| 187 | Thomas Say | ||||||
| 188 | Humfrey Jones | ||||||
| 189 | Concordat [..] originali | ||||||
| [Transcription: Keith Winters 2010] | |||||||