11-0031-373_JamesLeveson_1547

In the name of God Amen. This eighth day of April in the year of our Lord God 1545 and in the thirty sixth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King Henry VIII by the grace of God King of England France and Ireland defender of the faith and supreme God under God of the Church of England and Ireland, I James LEVESON being of whole mind and in good health of my body laud and praise be to almighty God make and ordain this my testament and last will in manner and form following: First I bequeath my soul unto Almighty God to our blessed Lady Saint Mary and all the holy company of heaven to pray for me. My body to be buried whereas it pleases Almighty God and whereas my executors and friends shall [find] convenient with a memory to be made upon my grave or near it of me my two wives Alice and Margery and my children by the discretion of my executors and friends, and I do make my executors my wife Margery LEVESON and my three sons Richard Walter and Edward LEVESON and for burying and month’s mind I remit to the discretion of my executors aforenamed howbeit I would have no common dealing of money called a debt [nother] at my burying nor at my month’s mind but after this manner as hereafter following: I will that by my life or [immediately] after my departing out of this world that there shall be sent and dealt in every parish and town hereafter following the sums of money hereafter specified and I will that the same money shall be delivered to the parish [priest] and to the upper church warden of every of the said parishes there to divide and give the same money to the most poor and impotent people inhabited within the same parish to wit to every parson three pence or more or less by their discretions as the number of the said poor people shall be indifferently and by no favour upon their conscience and I remit therefore to every such parish priest and church warden with the same one bill wherein shall be contained the sum of moneys that so shall be sent them to that parish so that they shall take thereof for themselves of the same money either of them three pence for their pains and the rest to give and dispose upon their conscience to the most poorest people within their parish after the manner and form afore specified and further that they shall give warming and knowledge as well to the same poor people as openly in the church how much money they have received to be given among them to pray for my soul and all Christian souls in the stead of a dole [xxx] at burial or month’s minds declaring unto them that there shall be no such dole made nor gown for my mother at my burial nor month’s mind but this only.  First I give to the parish of Woldhampton to be dealt there as through [the whole] parish as afore is said ten pounds sterling to be dealt by one of the parish priests an upper church warden or else by any of my executors as aforesaid. [Stobing] ten shillings. [Enville] ten shillings. To the parish of Walsall thirteen shillings and three pence. To Wodesbury parish thirteen shillings and three pence. To [Segole] parish thirteen shillings and three pence. To Dudley parish thirteen shillings and three pence. [Dalaston] five shillings. Tipton six shillings and eight pence. Kinver ten shillings. Bobington five shillings . Fowley six shillings and eight pence. Hymley six shillings and eight pence. Hallysowen ten shillings. Kings Swynfite six shillings and eight pence. [Broche] six shillings and eight pence. Chewley thirteen shillings and three pence. Wyeveld thirteen shillings and three pence. Woborne thirteen shillings and three pence. [Perd] thirteen shillings and three pence.[Tetwall] thirteen shillings and three pence. Partignand thirteen shillings and three pence. Codishall six shillings and eight pence. Stockton six shillings and eight pence. Sutton Maddock six shillings and eight pence. Bekbery six shillings and eight pence. Boningale three shillings. Panshall three shillings. Albrighton six shillings and eight pence. Donington ten shillings. Sherenall thirteen shillings and three pence. Shrevehales ten shillings. Birshbury thirteen shillings and three pence. Cannock ten shillings. Norton five shillings. Panking ten shillings. Shurshall Brewd twenty shillings. Lupley six shillings and eight pence. Ting thirteen shillings and three pence. Drayton in Hales thirteen shillings and three pence. Childe Durall ten shillings. Stoke upon Tern ten shillings. Hodnett ten shillings. Staunton six shillings and eight pence. Hye Aurall thirteen shillings and three pence. Roksyter ten shillings. Wellington thirteen shillings and three pence. Dawley ten shillings. Bowles six shillings and eight pence. Lylshull twenty shillings. Newport twenty shillings. Egam thirteen shillings and three pence. Stafarde twenty shillings. Lichfield twenty shillings. Dring in Worth twenty shillings. Longdon five shillings. Byndsley six shillings and eight pence and though from but the town yet my meaning is to be divided through the whole parish.  ITEM; I give unto the Parish Church of Wolverhampton to be bestowed upon the reparations of the church or else as ornaments by the discretion of my executors five pounds.  ITEM; I give to the marriage of fifty poor maidens within Staffordshire or Shropshire every one six shillings eight pence sixteen pounds eight shillings and three pence. And I give to fifty poor widows or [husbandmen] [xxx] two sheets every one six shillings and eight pence. Sixteen pounds eight shillings and three pence. My tenants customers or friends to have the performance of these two gifts by the discretion of my executors.  ITEM; I give to the making of the highways in Shropshire or Staffordshire by the discretion of my executors forty pounds. I give to Henry Southwike forty pounds and a gold ring of ten pounds I mean him that was my apprentice.  I give to Thomas Corbett six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence and to every household servant that I shall have beside at the time of my departing as well men and women twenty shillings and a black gown or coat.  ITEM; I give to my cousin John LEVESON of London and my cousin WILKES either of them a ring of. Gold ten shillings apiece and to my sister Denys LEVESON, my cousin John SADLER and his wife, my cousin DAVENETT and his wife, my cousin HEWETT and his wife each of them a ring of gold of ten pounds. And to all other of my brethren or sisters child not heretofore remembered a ring of gold of twenty shillings to each one of them.  ITEM; I give to my son William SKEVINGTON forty pounds and to his wife my daughter Joan a cup of silver of three pounds and to either of them a ring of gold of ten pounds and a black gown and to every child that he now has ten pounds upon condition that he make my said daughter his wife a jointure of lands to the value of thirty pounds or all of these bequests to him his wife his children but only the black gowns and rings to be void.  ITEM; I give to Henry [Penne] that was my servant all such money as he owes me and besides that ten pounds. And also I give to John [Ofley] all such money as he owes me and in money ten pounds and a ring of gold of thirty shillings. Also I give to Roger [Hart] that married my sister’s daughter a ring of gold of twenty shillings and to him and his wife delivered a black gown. Also I give to my son in law Walter ASTON ten pounds and to my daughter his wife a cup of [silver] and to either of them a ring of gold of ten pounds and every of them a black gown but I will that neither of these things be given to them except the marriage betwixt them take effect and till they have live together and if it happen that the said marriage do not take effect then I will and give unto the said Elizabeth my daughter all such money as Sir Edward ASTON Knight owes to me by reason of the rents and profits that he has or shall receive of my lands in Warwickshire whereof he now accrues the profits with the land I have given to the said Elizabeth to her marriage as it appears by an indenture of [xxx] made for the same marriage between the said Sir Edward Aston one of the one party and me the said James Leveson one the other party and further I give unto the said Elizabeth my daughter two hundred and twenty pounds which I paid unto the said Sir Edward Aston for her marriage which he must repay me again if the said marriage take not effect as by the same covenant does appear. And further I will that if the same marriage between the said Walter Aston and my said daughter Elizabeth take not effect then I will that the said Elizabeth shall have during her natural life all the said lands in Warwickshire to wit the manors of Bethall, Shestoke and Ansley [Pewcroffter] and other with all other lands and tenements which I lately purchased of Edward Lord Denton or if any other which be now appointed to the said Walter Aston and the said Elizabeth by the said bargain between the foresaid Sir Edward Aston and me so that the same Elizabeth be advised and do marry by the counsel and consent of her mother Margery now my wife or else she to have no part of the same manors nor other the premises and after the death of the same Elizabeth the same manors lands and tenements and all other the premises wholly to remain to the heirs males of me the said James Leveson for ever.  ITEM; I bequeath to my brother in law Lawrence PENBURY a ring of gold of thirty shillings and also a black gown.  ITEM; I give unto Margery my wife all my plate and household wholly as it stands [and] in money five marks upon that condition that she claim no dowry in no lands that I have given to Elizabeth my daughter nor yet in no lands that I have sold to any person or persons and will that she bond self the same in her [widowhood] in a thousand marks by obligations to Richard and Walter Leveson my sons and if she denies so to be bound then I will that my said wife shall have my said plate and household and five hundredth mark in money and no more.  ITEM; I give to my son Richard Leveson two hundred pounds and to Anne Leveson my daughter two hundred pounds if she be ruled in marriage by my wife and by Richard my son or else to have no penny, and to Joyce my daughter five hundredth marks and to Walter and Edward my sons either of them five hundred pounds and the residue of all my goods my debts funerals and legacies paid I give to my three sons Richard Walter and Edward after this manner following that is to say to Richard a hundred pounds thereof and the rest wholly to Walter and Edward my two sons to be equally parted between them because Richard has the greatest preferment by my lands and if it happens either of my two daughters Elizabeth or Joyce happen to die before that they be of lawful age or married so that their husbands ought not to have the said portions of money to them given then I will that their portions of money or the portions of either of them shall come to the hands of Margery my wife she to dispose the same at her pleasure and amongst my foresaid legacies I will and give to Mary the wife of my son Richard Leveson a cup of five pounds and a ring of gold of ten pounds and a black gown and to my wife and my three sons each of them a ring of gold of ten pounds and a black gown and to Anne and Joyce my daughters in likewise. Also I give to William Auston twenty pounds and a ring of gold of thirty shillings and a black coat and to William Creswall ten pounds and a ring of gold of thirty shillings and a black coat and to William Nowood a ring of gold of thirty shillings and a black coat and to William Chorlton of [Moobruch] a ring of gold of ten pounds and a black gown and William Charlton of Charsall a ring of gold of thirty shillings and a black coat; and to George Dyton a ring of gold of twenty shillings and a black coat and to Richard Corbet ten pounds and a black coat and to Willian Eke Richard Woolaston every of them a ring of gold of twenty shillings and a black coat. And of this my last will I make overseers Sir Edward Aston and Sir Rowland Hill, Knights, and I do give to either of them for a remembrance a ring of gold  of value [xxx]. In witness hereof to this my last will with my hand written and name thereto put and subscribed with my hand and seal hereto put the day and year [above] by me James Leveson

Proved 28^th October 1547 by Richard Walter and Edward Leveson