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Samuel
Merrill, 1928, reprint 1983
The
Wills of Three John Merrells - Chapter IV,
pp32-47
Will
of John Meryell 1551
The
second of the Ipswich wills to claim our attention is
that of “John Meryell of Wherstead” (1551).
(Archdeaconry of Suffolk, book xvi, folio 22 9b.)
Like many wills of that period, this instrument bore no
signature.
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In
Dei Nom Amen. The xiijth. day of Decembre
in the yere of or. lorde god a m!ccccclj
I John
Meryell beyng of the towne of Whersted
of hole
mynde and good memory make and orden thys my |
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5
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last
wyll ffyrst I bequethe my sowle to Almyghtye
god, and my body to be buryed at the churche of
Whersted before named Itm I bequethe unto
my
eldeste son John my howse wyth all my londe that
there unto parteyneth bothe free and copye, &
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notwythstandyng
I wyll that Kateryne my wyef
shall have her dwellyng in the sayde howse wyth
my sone John before named and also to have the
occupyeng of the one halfe of the aforsayde londe
so long as she kepeth her a wedowe beryng the one
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halfe
of all maner of coste and charges for the
sayde tyme, but and yf she chaunce to mary, then
I wyll that my sone John before named shall
have the sayde howse and the londe before named
into hys howne hands payeng to Kateryne my |
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wyef
xls. yerely enduryng her lyef. forthermore
I wyll that Kateryne my wyef shall have all my
howsholde stuffe Itm I geve unto these my chyldren
Wyllyam Myghell Thomas and John my yongest
sone Mary Margett, Alyce Katheryn and Agnes to every |
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of
them xxs. The resydue of my goods not bequethed
nor geven moveable or onmoveable I geve to Kateryne
my wyef and to my eldest sone John and all suche
dettyes as be atteynyng unto me to be equally devyded
betwyxte them dyschargyng and fulfyllyng my |
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legacyes
and bequests whome I also make myne
executours and Wyllyam Meryell and Myghell
my sones supvysours upon the same/ In wytnes herof
be these here folowyng Rycharde Clarke Jarome
Alderman Nycholas Wales Thomas Cason |
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35
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Symon
Blosse wyth dyvers other/ |
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Line 1.
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In
Dei Nom: In Dei Nomine, in the name of God. |
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9.
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free
and copye: freehold and copyhold estates. |
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14.
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beryng:
bearing. |
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23.
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Myghell:
Michael. |
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28.
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atteynyng:
due. |
This
will was proved 28 Jan. 1551/2.
In
this will the wife Katherine and five sons and five daughters
are named, as follows: John (I), William, Michael, Thomas,
John (II), Mary, Margaret, Alice, Katherine, Agnes.
Of
these sons John (I), William, Michael and John (II) were
evidently grown up, for the first-named was appointed
one of the executors, and the other three were named as
supervisors of the will. It would be interesting to know
if either of the sons whom we will call John (I) and John
(II) were the John Merrell who made his will in 1600.
Either may have been the testator of 1600; or, for aught
the records tell us, John Merrell, who died in 1600, may
have been a grandson of the John Meryell who died about
fifty years earlier. This question of relationship must
remain for the present unsettled.
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