Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 1
1562-09-20
In the name of god Amen. The xxth daye of September Anno Domini 1562, I Adam Wyntrope2 of Groton in the Countie of Suffolk, gentleman and late clothworker and Cittezen of London, being whole of mynde and in good and parfect remembrance, thanks be giuen to almightie god, doe ordayne and make this my presente testamente and laste will in manner and forme followinge; revoking and disannulling all other willes and testaments heretofore by me made, or caused to be made. First I bequeath my soule to almightie God, and my boddie to be buried in the parrish churche yarde of Groton aforesaide. Item, I doe giue to the poore people of Groton xl s. to be giuen and distributed to the most needest
or daughters, That is to Alice, Bridget Mary and Susan, to them and to theire heires, then and when the premiss shall soe dissende and come, equally to be divided betwene them parte and parte lyke. Item I doe giue and bequeath vnto John Wyntropp and Adam Wyntropp my sonnes, vjl a peece at theire age of xxiti yeres, to be payed yerely vnto them and vnto eyther of them by the handes of Agnes my wief during her naturall lief. Whiche saide some I will yt be levied and taken yerely oute of all my landes and tennements, goodes and cattalls, bequeathed to Agnes my wief. Item I doe giue vnto Alice Wyntropp my daughter threescore and six poundes thirteene shillings and iiijd which is in the handes of Willyam Wyntropp my sonne as yt appereth by his bill obligatorie. Item I doe giue vnto my daughter Bridget other threescore and six poundes thirtiene shillings and fower pence whiche is also in the handes of the saide Willyam, deliured to hym by my wief, as also yt doth appere by his bill obligatorie; whiche saide some I will yt be payed to the saide Alice and Bridget at the daye of theire marriage, or at theire seuerall age of xxiij yeres, yf they be not married before. Item I doe giue vnto my ij daughters Mary and Susan to eache of them fiftie poundes a peece, to be payed to them by my executors at the daye of theire marriages or at theire seuerall age of xxjti yeres, yf they be not married before. And yf any of my fower daughters doe departe this worlde before theire legacies be payable by this my will, That then I will that her or theire parte and parts of suche as shall departe be equally devided emonge the residue that ouerlive of the saide iiijor daughters. Item I doe giue vnto Thomas Hen all and singular suche leace and terme of yeres as he hath 21of me by indenture, accordinge to the purporte and tennure of the same Indenture: And I will hym also to haue yerely other fower lodes wood towards his fuell ouer and besides that which is alreddie graunted to him in his saide lease. Item I giue vnto John Wyntropp my sonne all such Implements and moveable household stuf as hereafter followeth. Fyrst the Seeling in the hawle of wainscote rounde aboute the hall in my mancion house, The wyndowes, portalls and skreenes, a frame and a longe table in the saide hawle. Item a fetherbed with a bedsteede in the parlour wholye furnisshed, the Cupboorde there, all the shelves in the Kitchen Buttrie and backhouse, the leade in the back house with all the necessaries there groundefast and nayldfast, the presse in the storehouse and in the chamber, all which premisses I will them to John Wyntrop my sonne and to his heires. Nevertheless I will them to remayne still there, and that Agnes my wief to haue th’ use and occupieng of every of them during her lyef tyme. Item I doe giue vnto Willyam Wyntropp all my Implements and householde stuf whatsoeuer they be, now being within my house in Sainte Michaells in Cornehill in London, excepted and reseruid to the saide Agnes my wief, the vse hauing and occupieng of them during her naturall lief, with a Chamber in yt my saide house at all tymes whensoeuer she the saide Agnes shall come to my saide house in London, with also her deputie or servants with her freely, withoute any let or interrupcion of the said Willyam hys heires or assignes, frely and withoute eny monney or charge payeng for them during her lief, And also the best chamber, with all the pewter, Brasse, bedding and other necessaries and ymplements there, to be at th’ use and occupieng of the saide Agnes freely at all tymes at her coming to London, with all the other commodities of the saide house to her also as freely as is aforesaide. Furthermore I will that yf Willyam Wyntropp my sonne his heires executors or assigners, John Wyntropp or Adam Wyntropp my sonnes, or any of them, or theire heires executors or assignors of any of them, or any other for them, or for either of them, or in eny of their names of either of them, or by any by or of theire procurement doe molest or troble Agnes my wief her executors or assignes, or doe attempte or otherwyse goe aboute to disproue or adnichillate or disanull this my will, in all or eny parte thereof, That then I will that the parte and parte gifts and bequests, as well of houses lands and tenements both free and coppie with th’appurtenances as other moveables and bequests, made and giuen to them, and to them and theire heires, and to the heires of eyther of them that soe shall molest or troble Agnes my wief, or attempte or otherwise goe aboute to disprove adnichillate or disannul 22this my saide will, in all or in eny parte therof as is aforesaide, to be frustrate and voyde and of none effecte and to haue no benifite of this my laste will, but then I doe giue all the parte and parts gifts and bequests of hym and them, or made to hym and them and theire heires of hym and them that soe shall molest or troble Agnes my wief, her executors or assigners, or attempte or otherwise goe about to disprove adnichillate or disanull this my will, in all or in eny parte thereof as ys aforesaide, vnto Agnes my wief to her heires, executors or assigners, eny thing or things contayned in this my will to the contrary notwithstanding. Provided alwayes and I will, that yf there be any Article, Worde, clause or sentence in this my laste will that is not or be not made perfecte and formall according to the lawe, That then I will that Agnes my wife her executors and assignes shall take lerned councell in the lawe, from tyme to tyme to make them perfecte and formall according to the law, and as the said Agnes my wief her executors and assigners and her lerned councell in the lawe shall make them; not altering my legaces and bequests I will to be my will and to stande as my laste will and testamente. All the residue of my goods Cattalle, Chattells, debtes householde stuf, plate, Juells and all other moveables and vnmoveables whatsoeuer they be vnbequeathed I doe giue them wholy vnto Agnes my wief, whome I doe ordayne and make my whole executrix of this my will. And I will that Richarde Burde of Ipswiche to be Supervisor of this my will. And I doe giue hym for his paynes xl s. And to my syster his wief11 xx s. to make her a Ringe. And to my sister Whiting other xx s. Witnesses hereunto Thomas Gale, John Spencer, Thomas Osborne, Richard Bronde, and John Warde. Furthermore I will that Agnes my wief her executors or assignes shall saue
Probatum fuit hoc Testamentum coram Magistro Waltero Haddon legum Doctore, Curie prerogatiue Cant. Commissario apud London Decimo 22
rio. Necnon de vero et plano computo. Reddend. Ad sancta Dei Evangelia Jurat. etc.
Adam Winthrop, born at Lavenham, October 9, 1498, and died November 9, 1562. He was son of Adam Winthrop of Lavenham and Joane Burton, and married (1) Alice Henny of London, November 16, 1527. She died January 25, 1533–34, and he married (2) Agnes, daughter of Robert Sharpe, of Islington, co. Middlesex. She was born c. 1516 and, surviving her husband, married (2) William Mildmay of Barnes, Springfield, co. Essex. By his first wife Winthrop had a son, William, and by his second, four daughters—Alice, Bridget, Mary, and Susan—and two sons—John and Adam. Adam, the maker of the will, citizen and clothworker of London, was free of the city of London 1526, was granted Groton Manor in 1544, inscribed armiger by Edward VI in 1548, and master of the Clothworkers’ Company in 1551. Muskett, 25; supra, pp. 1–7.
John Winthrop, born January 20, 1546–47; died July 26, 1613. He was of Groton Manor but removed to Aghadowne, co. Cork, Ireland. Muskett, 25.
Adam Winthrop, born August 10, 1548; died in 1623. Supra, pp. 4, 7.
William Winthrop, born November 12, 1529; died March 1, 1581–82. Supra, pp. 2, 5.
Alice, born November 15, 1539; died November 8, 1607. Supra, pp. 3, 6.
Bridget, born May 3, 1543; died November 4, 1614. Ibid.
Mary, born March 1, 1544–45. Supra, p. 3.
Susan, born December 10, 1552; died August 9, 1604. Supra, pp. 4, 6.
Lindsey, a parish in the hundred of Cosford, co. Suffolk, about four miles from Hadleigh. There exist, on a farm called the Chapel Farm, the remains of an old chapel dedicated to St. James, now used as a farm building. “According to the Pyncebeck Register of the Abbey of St. Edmunds, St. James’ Chapel in Lindsey was endowed with twenty-eight acres of land and seven acres of wood in Groton.” On Lindsey Castle and Chapel see Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology, XIII. 243–251 (1909).
Maryon (Cely) Byrde, apparently a stepsister of Alice Henny or Hunne, first wife of the second Adam Winthrop. Muskett, 166.