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Will of Henry Marwood (1547)

From

Charles Worthy. Devonshire Wills. London: Bemrose & sons (1896)

Transcribed by David Carter

1547. Henry Marwood, of Halberton.

In the name of the father, the sonne and the holy Gooste, three parsons and one God and lyke power, so be yt. The twentye daye of June yn the seven and thyrtye yere of our moste trysty, victoryous, and imperyall prynce Henry the Eyght by the grace of God of England, France and Ireland Kynge and in erthe the supreme hedde next under God of the spyritualtye and temporalte wtin hys graces seyde domynyons.
I Henrye Marwood of Lyncolnes in, touched wt the handes of God, and wt longe sickenesse of bodye, for my great and many offencys worthely afflicted and punnyshed, notwthstandynge as one unworthye, havenge my pfet remembrance, thanks be to God, do make and order thys my last will and testament of my sowle, bodye, and goods as hereafter esunthe.

Fyrst and chefflye I most wretchyd synner beynge penytent, and sorye for my sayde offencys do humblye comyt and bequeathe my sowle unto Allmythye God as unto my maker, to Jesus Cryste hys onlye sonne borne of the Vyrgyn Marye as unto my redeemer, and unto the holy gooste as to my co'forter. Unto them thre as unto one god yn whome I perfctlye belyfe, and have a lyvelye faythe and co'stant hope that throwghe the merytes of Crysts passyon hys bludde beynge plenty fullye shedde on the crosse for me and all mankynde, I shall surelye and wtowte my debts enheryte the kyngdom of heven and throwghe hym receve my salvatyon accordynge as he hathe promysed yn hys gospell, and not throwghe anye deserts or woorks of myne wer they never so manye or so good, as they are both few and vaine, ne by any other worlye meanes but only by Jesus Cryste beynge the pfyt waye throwghe, and lyfe unto salvacyn.

Secondarylye, as by the Creatr, all thyngs, my bodye was formyd and made of the slyme of the erthe, borne and browghte ynto thys vale of myserie yn wrechydnes and synne, so I geve and comyt my sayde bodye yn erthe to remayne, untyll the blyseyd comynge of Cryste my redemer, and then from thenc to ryse agayne and to receyve hys m'rcyfull jugement bothe yn bodye and sowle. I will farther, that my sayde bodye be browght yn the erthe wt as small charges as may be convenyentlye, hether wythe ryngynge, pypynge, ne syngynge, nether wythe any other maner of creymony, but only wt the styll prayer of devout psons, and a sarmon the daye of my buryall to be made and preachyd for the edyfyenge of suche as shal be there present, by sum Catholycke and lernyd pson; the sayde Srmoner to have of my executryxe for hys stypent or wages syxe shyllyngs and eyght-pens; not yn tendyngne herebye to dysalowe or neclecte the sayde ceremonyes, but accomptynge the other to be better and more acceptable, both for my Sowle, and also for the edyfyenge, and fedyng of Crysts flocke, wythe the worde of God whyche ys the hevenlye ffoode of the Sowle, and the chyfe setter four the of the glorye of God, whyche I, and all other hys sarvants, ofte cheflye to seke and folowe, and no other pompe ne glorye of thys world to accept or use, for yt ys all vayne, and shall vanyshe and wether awaye as dothe the floure.
Also I wyll that my executryx shall geve and dispose, syxe shillings and eyght-pens to the powrest of the people beynge present at my buryall.

Thyrdlye, and last, I geve and bequeythe my goods to the wordly, that ys to saye I geve to my goodmother, a rynge of golde wt a turkes set theren, and also I geve her another rynge of golde callyd a hoope of golde.
I geve also unto my brother John Marwood, my best gowne. Unto my brother Barnard Marwood, my second gowne. To Mr. Peter Osborne, my bed fellowe and specyall frynde, my sealynge rynge of golde, wherwythe I have sealyd this my last wyll.
I geve also to Master Peter Browne my daggar trymed wt sylvr, and unto hys wyfe, a rynge of goolde wt a whyte hedde sett theron called a came stone; and a cussynge wt the armes of mine Ancestres wrought with corell and sylke.
I geve also to Master Thomas Poules wyfe, my other cussynge wt armes wrowght yn lyke wyse wt corell and sylke.
I allso geve to Master Thomas Waller a rynge of golde wt a blewe saver sett theron.
The rest of all my goods I geve to Mastris Johan Marwood my mother whome I ordayne and make my executryx, she therewth to content and pay my debtys as far as theye shall extende, and yf my sayde goods shall not suffyce to paye my sayde debtys, I wyll that my next heyre, to whome my lands shall dessende, shall cotent and paye the rest of all my debts.

Fynally, I shall most hertelye desyre all such as I have offendyd charytablelye to forgive me my offencys, and wrongs comyttyd agenst them; and frelye I forgeve them and all other, endyng my lyfe yn pf yt faythe, constant hope, and godly charyte. Thus I comytt agayne my sowle yn to the hands of Allmyghtye God, to whom be all honor, glory and impery world wtout end Amen.
In wytnesse thys to be my last wyll I have wrote hyt wt my hand, wtout entirlynge, blottynge, or rasynge thereof, subscrybed my name and sett to my seale, the day and yere above wryten.

pr me Henery Marwood.
Administration granted 13th Sept, 1547.


NOTE. The above interesting Will is an exact copy of the document, as collated, in an old book of the Archdeaconry, page 45. The original, in testator's own hand has disappeared. It is the more important, as it is not referred to in the account of the Marwood family, "Genealogist," N.S. Vols. I. II. which deals chiefly with Dr. Thomas Marwood, Physician to Queen Elizabeth, and his descendants, one of whom, his grandson, Thomas Marwood, attended James I. in his last illness, of which he left a MS. account, in Latin, and which has been recently printed. Testator appears to have been a great uncle of Dr. Thomas Marwood the elder, who died 1617, aged 105 years. Testator's mother, "Johan," was the daughter of Humphry Courtenay of Bickley, by his wife Elizabeth Pomeroy of Berry.

Arms of Marwood. Gu. a chevron Arg. between three goats' heads erased Ermine.