The Will of John Chambers
Proved 1590, Swaffham Prior
PCC, Copied from Microfilm in
Public Records Office
In the name of God Amen the eighteene
daye of Marche in the yere of our Lord God a thousand five hundred and eightie
nyne I John Chambers of Reache in the parishe of Swaffham Pryorie within the
countie of Cambridge yeoman thoughe sike in bodie yet of good and perfecte
remembrance thanks be given to Allmightie god revokinge all other willes
heretofore by me made do make and ordayne this my laste will and testamente in
manner and forme folowinge Ffirste I bequeath my soule to Allmightie god my
saviour and redeemer and my bodie to the earthe from and whence yt came. ITEM I
give and bequeath to Joh my sonne my house wherein I now dwell withall the
buildinge there unto belonginge and one ? which I boughte of my brother Richard
Chambers with all and ? the ?. To have and to holde to the saied John John my
sonne and to his heires for ever from and after he shall accomplishe and come to
the age of eighteene yeres. ITEM I will that Briget my wife shall have the use
of the saied house and crofte untill my saied sonne John shall come to the full
age of eightene yeres (she keeping the house in reparatone and bringinge hym up
in ? learning and disipline. ITEM I give and bequeathe to my saied sonne John
and to my sonne Edward the somme of there fore pounds a piece of good and
lawfull money of England whith saied somme of one hundred and twenty pounds my
will and meaning ys that my executor shall paie ? ? to be paide unto the hands
of my brothers William and Robert Chambers within three months next after my
deafe to be employed for the best school(?) of my saied two sonnes until they do
come to the age of eighteene yeres at which tyme my will ys that my two brothers
do paie unto my two sonnes the saied ? of one hundred and twentie punds and the
? thereof to be paied yerelie towards theire bringinge up. ITEM I give and
bequeath unto Edward my sonne all my landes and tenements bothe free and
custumarye and beynge in the towne and ffieldes of Swaffham pryor aforesaied
which I late bought of John Bonodom(?): to have and to holde the saied free
landes and tenements to the saied Edward and his heires for ever. And to have
and to holde the saied coppieholde landes and tenements to the saied Edward and
his heires for ever accordinge to the custome(?)of the mannor and mannors of
the[crossed out] which the saied coppiehoulde premisses are houlden provided
allwayes and my will and meaninge ys that Brigitt my wife shall have the use of
the saied landes and tenements bothe free and custumarye before given to my
sonne Edward untill my sonne Edward shall accomplishe and come to
the full age of eighteene yeres (she keeping the house in good reparatons and
bringinge hym up in ? learninge and disipline. And I have given the surrender of
all my saied coppiehoulde landes and tenementes unto the handes of my brother
William Chambers coppyholder of bothe the mannors of ? the premisses ar holuden
to the use of this my will in the presence of Robert Chambers my brother and
Thomas Grange. I give and bequeathe unto Margaret my daughter the somme of three
fore pounds of currant money of England to be paied by my exequutore into the
handes of my ? John Grange and my brother in lawe Thomas Grange ? three monthes
after my deafe to be ymployed for the use of saied daughter Margret and they to
repaye the saied somme of three fore pounds and ? thereof unto my saied daughter
daughter when she shall accomplishe and come to the age of eighteene years or
upon the day of her marriage which shal firste happen ITEM I give and bequeathe
unto my saied daughter Margarett my best Bedstead standing in the ? with the
ffeather bed and all the furniture therunto belongine. And if it shall fortune
my saied wife to be with child at my deafe then I give and bequeath unto the
saied childe the somme of ffitie pounds which somme my is shall paied by my
executrix unto my uncle John Grainge and to my brother in law Thomas Grainge
within one month after the ? delyiveral of the saied childe: And if she be not
with childe the daye of my deafe then my will ys that the saied fiftie pounds
shal be equallye devided amongeste my aforesaied children the saied somme of
fiftie pounds being paide by my executrix to my uncle John Granige and my
brother Thomas Granige then my will be that they shall repaye the saied somme
unto the saied childe when yt shall come to the age eightene yeres provided
allways that yf any of foresaied children shall happen to dye before they come
to the age of eighteene yeres that then my will ys that the landed tenements and
hereditaments and sommes of money to them or to any of them bequeathed shal be
equallye devided amongeste them or any of them which lyvethe ITEM I give and
bequeath to Alice Colborn my daughter wife unto John Colborun and to margarett
Colborun their daughter the sum the somme of ffyve pounds a piece to be paide to
John Colborun for the use of his wife and daughter within three months after my
deafe ITEM I will and bequeathe to the poore of Reache and Swaffham Pryorie
aforeseid the somme offfortie shillings to be paide presentlye upon my deaffe.
All the rest of my goods and chattells both moveable and unmoveable with ? and ?
whatsoever ys not bequeathed my debts and legaceys beinge dischardged and my
ffunerall expenses ? I give and bequeathe them to Brigett my wife whome I
ordayne and make my sole executrix of this my last will and testament. ITEM I do
? my uncle(?) John Grainge my brother in law Thomas Grainge and my brother
William and Richard Chambers to be ? fore this my will and to be aydrige and ?
to my wife and children with their good advices and ? in all things requisite
and ? for theire benefitt provided and yt is my further will that yf Brigit my
wife shall fortune to marrye againe with ? a husband ? shall not be ?full for
the good education and bringinge up of my children bothe in ? learninge and good
discipline and also in decent and ?amelye apparrell untill such tyme as theire
porton shall growe due unto them: Then that ? in the ? or ? to be ? then my
brothers William and Robert Chambers and Thomas Grainge shall have the custodye
and bringinge up of my children and allso the use benefitt commodity and
proffitt of all my lands and tenements both free and ? towardes theire saied
bringinge up for and during the tymes before in this my will ? and appoynted for
my wife any thinge to the contrarye in this will confeyed not withstandinge. My
further will is that Bridet my wife within one yere after my deafe shall build
one wall of my maultehouse from the newe wall to the ? dore and ? and build up a
newe rouffe over my olde tillhouse and ? ? ? on the farme. ITEM my will is that
the ? of the portione of money before bequeathed unto my children shal be paied
yerelie to the bringinge up of my saied children. John Chambers. Sealed
subscribed and delyvered in the presence of us William Vernon. Andrew Miller.
Gregory Royston.
paulmchambers@paulmchambers.co.uk