11-0062-379_MaryLeveson_1580
In the name of God Amen, the thirtieth day of the month of December [1578] in the year of our Lord God one thousand five hundred three score and eighteen and in the one and twentieth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth by the grace of God Queen of England France and Ireland defender of the faith etc, I Mary LEVESON widow late wife of Nicholas LEVESON whilst he lived citizen and mercer of London being whole of mind and of good perfect memory thanked be Almighty God, considering the frailty of man’s life how that death to every creature is certain and the hour and time of coming thereof is uncertain not minding therefore by God’s grace to die intestate, do ordain and make this my present testament and last will in manner and form following, to wit; first and principally I give and recommend my soul unto Almighty God my maker and redeemer and my body to be buried at the discretion of my executors. ITEM; I bequeath to the poor of the parish of St Andrews Undershaft where I now dwell six pounds of lawful money of England to be distributed in [costs] in six years the first yearly distribution of twenty shillings thereof to be made about the feast of Christmas next coming after my decease. ITEM; I bequeath to ten poor women of the same parish to every one gown price five shillings a yard. ITEM; I bequeath to the poor prisoners of Newgate, Ludgate, the King’s Bench and Marshalsea to every of the said houses thirty shillings of lawful money of England. ITEM; I bequeath to the spital at St Bartholemews and to St Thomas’s hospital to either of them five marks of lawful money of England. ITEM; I bequeath to twenty poor maids marriages six shillings and eight pence apiece. ITEM; I bequeath to ten poor of my kindred to every of them twenty shillings of lawful money of England. ITEM; I bequeath to Elizabeth Newman my servant six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence of lawful money of England and I will that my executor do give and deliver to some good honest person as will keep Agnes the fool the sum of forty shillings of lawful money aforesaid. ITEM; I bequeath unto my cousin Elizabeth LEVESON six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence of lawful money of England and I bequeath to every of my household servants twenty shillings of lawful money aforesaid; more I bequeath to every of my household servants a gown price eight shillings of every yard. ITEM; I bequeath to poor mistress Harrington a black gown of cloth of the same price. ITEM; I give to Rafe Sydall and Oliver Bradforde to either of them twenty shillings of lawful money of England. ITEM; I bequeath to my daughter Margaret ROBOTHAM the value of one hundred pounds of lawful money of England to be delivered her by my executor of my best bedding linen and household stuff; more I bequeath to my said daughter four of my best gowns or cassocks my best kirtle two of my best foreparts for kirtles and my best petticoat; more my ring with a table diamond three cornered one hoop ring with a ruby one ring with a snake figured upon it and one ring with a diamond having the letter S in the middle of it. ITEM; I bequeath to my goddaughter Grace ROBOTHAM the residue of all my rings jewels bracelets and charms and all my lekerchers riffs and wearing linen to be delivered her at her lawful age or marriage. ITEM; I give to my brother Henry MATTHEW so much of the lease and term of years of and in the house wherein I now dwell and of the two tenements thereunto appertaining as may be to come until the said Grace Robotham shall come to her full age or marriage; and I will that the said Grace Robotham shall then have the residue of the said lease and term of years then to come. ITEM; I forgive my said brother Henry Matthew one hundred pounds of lawful money of England that he owes me by one bill obligatory and also I forgive him forty pounds of like money that he owes me otherwise; and I bequeath unto my said brother Henry Mathewe one hundred pounds of lawful money of England my best gilt salt two gilt pots two bowls and six silver spoons with wreathed knopps which bowls are commonly employed about my house; and I bequeath unto my said goddaughter Grace Robotham the residue of my plate not bequeathed to my said brother Mathewe. ITEM; I bequeath to my said brother Mathewe and to his wife to my sister FANSHAWE to my son in law John ROBOTHAM and to my daughter his wife and to my brother William LEVESON I say to each of them one black gown price sixteen shillings every yard. ITEM; my will is that the residue of my plate before bequeathed to Grace Robotham is to be delivered her at her lawful age or marriage. ITEM; I bequeath to my brother Mr John GRACE to my good friends Mr William Dixon Mrs Hazlekinden Mrs Good Mrs Bingham Mrs ClarkeMrs Dryson my sister CALTHORPE my cousin Henry FOSTER and his wife Robert LEVESON Helen LEVESON and my goddaughter Marie Clarke I say to every of them one ring of gold price twenty shillings of lawful money of England for a remembrance of me. ITEM; I bequeath to my good friend Thomas Stokes one ring of gold of the value of forty shillings of lawful money of England. ITEM; I bequeath to Nicholas GRACE the son of John Grace the sum of twenty shillings of lawful money of England. ITEM; I bequeath to and amongst the children of my cousin Henry Foster twenty nobles of lawful money of England. ITEM; I bequeath to my cousin CHAFF a ring of gold of the value of twenty shillings and unto her poor sister I bequeath twenty shillings of lawful money of England. ITEM; I bequeath to Mr Johnson parson of St Andrews Undershaft twenty shillings of lawful money aforesaid. ITEM; I bequeath to Mrs Hawkyn twenty shillings of like money. ITEM; I bequeath unto Christ’s Hospital five marks of lawful money of England. ITEM; I bequeath to the poor people being in Bedlam twenty shillings of lawful money of England. The residue of all and singular my goods chattels household stuff and moveables whatsoever my debts funerals and legacies paid and performed and this my present testament and last will in all points fulfilled I fully and wholly bequeath to the children of my daughter Margaret ROBOTHAM to wit to Mary ROBOTHAM one hundred pounds of lawful money of England to Elizabeth ROBOTHAM another hundred pounds of lawful money aforesaid and the rest to Grace ROBOTHAM to be paid to her and every of them at their lawful age or marriage and my will is that if the Company of the Goldsmiths will become bound for the just payment thereof that then they shall have the said residue to be put forth to such honest poor young men of their company as they shall appoint the same paying therefore yearly after twelve pence for the pound [5%] unto every of the said children for their parts of the said residue. ITEM; my will is that if any of the said children shall die before any of them shall come to their lawful age or marriage that then her or their part or parts legacy or legacies herein bequeathed shall remain to the survivor or survivors equally to be divided to be paid to them or any of them at the said lawful age or marriage and I will and desire my loving friends Mr a William Dixon and my cousin Henry Foster that they or one of them cause by their learned commerce to be devised one bill obligatory of one thousand pounds of lawful money of England to be paid unto them with condition that upon endorsed to the effect intent and purpose that John Robotham my son in law Margaret his wife shall not by fine security deed or any other debt or acts to be acknowledged suffered or done break alter or make void the devise or any part of the devise of Richard GRACE late of London Goldsmith and father of the said Margaret in his last will and testament made to working the disposition of all his manors messuages lands tenements and hereditaments with their appurtenances whatsoever set lying and being in St Albans in the County of Herts or elsewhere in the said county and in the parish of St Andrews in Holborn in the suburbs of the City of London in the which bill obligatory my will and mind is that the said John Robotham shall be bound and at my house wherein I now dwell shall seal and deliver it as his deed to my said friends within one month after my decease from the doing whereof if the said John Robotham shall absent himself or do not seal and deliver as his deed the same Bill obligatory with condition endorsed to the same effect and purpose devised at the place and within the time aforesaid my will and mind is fully and wholly that neither the said John Robotham or Margaret his wife my daughter shall take legacy benefit or profit by this my present testament and last will anything herein before expressed to the contrary notwithstanding and I do make my loving brother Henry Mathewe executor of this my present testament and I make and ordain my said loving friends Master William Dixon and my loving brother in law William Leveson supervisors or overseers of the same and I utterly revoke and disannull all and every other former wills testaments legacies bequests executors and overseers by me in any wise before this time made named given willed or bequeathed and I will that this my present testament and all things herein mentioned and recited shall stand remain and abide only for my very last will and testament and none other or otherwise. In witness whereof I the said Mary Leveson have to this my present testament put my seal the day and year above written in the presence of those who have hereunder written their names as witnesses thereunto called and required – Mary Leveson – per me John Johnson; by me Thomas Carys as witness hereunto by me James Wem
Proved 30th December 1580 by Henry Mathew