Last Will and Testament of John Gilpin of Croydon (National Archives reference: PROB 11/138/39)

Summary

The will of John Gilpin of Croydon was made on 24 May 1621 and proved on 19 July 1621. The executor was his widow, Martha, and the overseers were Francis Butler and Thomas Wood. According to the probate register copy, John left:

• Various pieces of land to his son John:
  • all his land at Thornton Heath
  • a piece of land at Dubbers Hill
  • a piece of land called Jetters Haughe
  • the lease of Tibbulls (or Tibballs) Marshe in Kent
  • the lease of “xpian feildwood and Rye Crofte”, which covered three acres leased from the Hospital of the Holy Trinity in Croydon
• An annuity of £6.13s.4d. to Robert Ragg, to be paid out of the profits of John’s “lease in Kent called Whitefeild”.
• An annuity of £5 to his brother Edwyn Gilpin, also to be paid out of the profits of Whitefeild.
• £5 to the overseers of his will to go toward buying a silver flagon or some other such piece of silver for Croydon Parish Church.
• 40 shillings to the poor people of Croydon, to be distributed on the day of his burial.
• Nothing at all to his son Samuell.
• 40 shillings to Henry Riggs, vicar of Croydon.
• All the residue of his estate to Martha.

The bequests to John junior were on condition that said John paid an annuity of £20 to his grandmother, Ann Ireton, out of the profits of Tibbulls/Tibballs Marshe.

Below is my transcription of the probate register copy of the will. Many thanks to Brenda Hawkins for help with this. Bold formatting reflects a different (larger) writing style in the document, and I have added paragraph breaks to make it easier to read.

Transcription

In the name of God Amen: the ffoure and twentith day of May Anno Dm 1621 I John Gilpin of Croidon in the County of Surrey gent sicke in bodye but of good and p[er]fect remembrance (Almightie God be praised) Doe make and ordaine this my present testam[en]t conteyning herein my last will in manner and forme followinge that is to say

ffirst I commend my soule into the handes of Almightie God my Creator hopinge assuredlie throughe the onelye merites of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be made partaker of life everlasting and my bodye to the earth from whence it came

It[e]m I give unto John Gilpin my sonne and to his heires and assignes for ever all those my lands lyeinge at Thornton Heath in the parrishe of Croidon aforesaid and alsoe one close of land at Dubbers Hill in the same parishe together with a p[ar]cell of land called Jetters haughe lyinge likewise in the same parish

It[e]m I give unto my said sonne John one demise lease or grannt of certaine lands called Tibbulls Marshe lying in the Countie of Kent and alsoe one other lease demise or grannt of certaine lands called xpian feildwood and Rye Crofte conteyning by estimacon three score acres (more or lesse) holden of the Hospitall of the Holie Trinitie in Croidon and lyinge and beinge in the same p[ar]ishe

Provided alwaies that my said sonne John doe pay out of the profitts of the lease of Tibballs Marshe aforesaid unto Ann Ireton his grandmother yearlie duringe her naturall life twentye pounds of lawfull money of England on the ffeasts of the Nativitie of St John Baptist, St Michaell the Archangel, the birth of o[u]r lord god and the Annunciacon of St Mary the virgin by even porcons The first paym[en]t thereof to begin on the firste of the said ffeasts w[hi]ch shall next happen after my decease and for non paym[en]t thereof the said Ann Ireton and her assignes from time to time to distraine untill the same be fully satisfied and paid w[i]th the arrerage yf anye fortune to be unpaid

It[e]m I give unto Robert Ragg one annuitie or yearlie rent of sixe pounds thirten shillings and foure yerlie to be paid to him or his assignes during his naturall life by my Executrix hereunder named out of the profitts of my lease in Kent called Whitefeild on the ffeasts of the Nativitye of St John Baptist St Michaell the Archangell the birth of our lord god and the Anunciacon of the blessed virgin Mary by even porcons The first paym[en]t thereof to begin on the first of the said ffeasts w[hi]ch shall nexte happen after my decease and for non paym[en]t thereof the said Robert Ragg and his assignes from time to time to distrayne untill the same be fullie satisfied and paid w[i]th the arrerage if any fortune to be unpaid

And my Will is further that if it happen the said Robert Ragg to outlive the terme of the said lease and the said lease not renued by my said Executrix that then my said sonne John and his heires shall pay or cause to be paid to the said Robert Ragg or his assignes yearelye duringe his naturall life sixe pounds thirteene shillings and foure pence to be issuing and payable to him or his assignes out of all the lands and ten[emen]ts formerlie devised to my said sonne John on the said ffeasts by even porcons the first paym[en]t thereof to begin on the first of the said ffeasts w[hi]ch shall nexte happen after the determinacon of the same lease and for non paym[en]t thereof the said Robert Ragg and his assignes from time to time to distraine untill the same be fullie satisfied and paid w[i]th the arrerage yf anye fortune to be unpaid

It[e]m I give unto Edwyn Gilpin my brother one annuitie or yearelie rent of five pounds yearelye to be paid to him and his Assignes during his naturall life by my Executrix hereunder named out of the profitts of my said lease called Whitefeild on the like feasts by even porcons The first paym[en]t thereof to begin on the first of the said ffeasts w[hi]ch shall next happen after my decease and for non paym[en]t thereof the said Edwyn Gilpin and his assignes from time to time to distraine untill the same be fullie satisfied and paid w[i]th the arrerage if any fortune to be unpaid

It[e]m I give and my Will is that there shalbe delivered into the hands of the Sup[er]visors of this my last will and testam[en]t five pounds of lawfull money of England towarde the buyinge of a silver flagon or some other fitting peice of plate serviceable at the ministring of the holie Communion in the p[ar]ishe Church of Croydon

It[e]m I give to the poore people of said p[ar]ishe of [sic] fourtie shillings to be bestowed upon them by the Overseers of the poore there for the tyme beinge on the day of my buriall

It[e]m my will and mind is that notw[i]thstanding anye of the bequests formerlie made and devised to my said sonne John that my lovinge wife Martha shall have the onlie ordering of the same legacies & of his education and bringinge upp fitting to his estate and degree untill he comes to the age of twoe and twentie yeares

and as for my sonne Samuell I leave him w[i]thout anie portion and doe give him unto my said loving wife as freelie as ever God gave him to me ?p[er]forming? and findinge by her motherlie care and kindnes w[hi]ch shee hathe alwaies shewed unto him in my life time that shee will not forgett him when I am gone out of this world

It[e]m I give unto Mr Henry Riggs viccar of Croydon ffourtie shillings

All the residue of my goods cattell and chattells whatsoever not before given or bequeathed my debts paid and funerall rites discharged I give unto my said lovinge wife Martha whome I make sole Executrix of this my last will and testam[en]t revoking all former Wills by me at any tyme heretofore made

and I moste earnestlie intreate my loving freinds ffrancis Butler Esquire and Thomas Wood gent to be Supervisors of this my last Will and testam[en]t beseeching them to be aydinge the best they can to my said wife in the honest p[er]formance of this my last will

In witnes whereof I have hereunto putt my hand and sealed the same upon a labell to theis twoe sheetes of paper annexed the daye and yeare first above written in the p[rese]nce of Tho: Wood the marke of RJ Richard Jones John Gilpin

Probatum: fuit testamentum suprascriptum apud London coram venerabili viro Domino Willmo Birde milite legum doctore Curie Prerogative Cantuariensis magistro Custode sive Commissario legitime Constituto Decimo nono die mensis Julii Anno Domini Millimo Sexcentesimo vicesimo primo Juramento Martha Gilpin relicte dicti defuncti et executricis in huismodi testamento nominat Cui Commissa fuit administratio bonorum jurium et creditorum dicti defuncti De bene et fideliter administrand &c Ad sancta Dei Evangelia Jurat &c