(Layout and punctuation added to help readability. Words  in ( ) are my best guess. Because of the poor quality of the microfilm copy some words at the start and ends of lines are unreadable. Also there is a diagonal crease across the first 10 or so lines which obscure some words.

* denotes explanation in the glossary at the end of the document)

 

In the (name of God) Amen.  The fyrst day of febriarii in the fythetenthe yeare of the Raygne of our sov(reyn) lady (Elizabeth)* ,  By the grace of god of England france and Irelande,  Queine, deffender of the fayth. ???e of our Lord God ?? I Wyllum Malen of Churche Tyso in the Countie of War(wkshyre) (being) of perfyt memorie, god be thankyd, do ordeyne and make this my last wyll & testament ?? First  I bequethe my soule to allmyghty god my only maker and redemer by whose ?merrett?  I ?saissely? be Savyd and …..be burryed in the churche yard of tyso   Item: I geve unto the mother churche  (at?)  w?cestr*   6?d    Item: I geve to the may…  of the bells of tyso 20d     Item: I geve to the poore mens box of tyso ? *   Item: I geve unto Thomas Malyn my eldest sonn …..   ?alle ?semple of all my Landes and tenemntes  which I have or shulde have within the parryshe of tyso or elsewheare ….. all my ?tackes and leasese   Item: I geve and bequethe unto Wyllum Malyn my sonn £10 of lawfull englyshe monneye…. to be payd unto him in manner and forme followge   ?vr? At the feast (of) saynct john baptyst*  next cummynge ?46s 8d ? and at the invencio[n] of the crosse * then next followinge the say feast of saynct John baptyst (the) other 46s 8d and the other £3 6s 8d ??? w{?}? The rest of the wholle sum of ten pounds  [£2 outstanding?]  to be payd at such tyme and tymes as the most part of my ovrseeres shall  appynt and thynke good at their desscressyon so thatt my brother Thomas Malyn by (be?) one of them.    And I wyll that Thomas Malyn  my sonn shall pay and discharge unto one ?ndr? Wyght of Coventre, over and besydes the sayd Legacy for my sonn Wyllum, £6 so that he may peaceblye and quyethe (quietly?) receve and take £4 towards the payment of the sayd £6 which  shallbe due at eastr next cummynge by one Phyllyp Greene of Stratford.  And yf he do not gyve the ?eniaye the sayd £4  then I wyll that their shalbe so muche money rebaytyd of the Legacy to hym before geven by this my wyll   Item: I give & bequeth unto George Malyn, my sonn, £10 of lawfull englyshe monneye.   3 shepe over and besydes his owne  I wyll shalbe kept & feed  upon the sayd  ground untyll  Hollowrowde day* next cummynge    Item: I give and bequeath to Nicholas Malyn,  John Malyn, Rafe Malyn and Marten Malyn,  my sonns,  & to everie of them,  £10 a peyce of lawfull Englysh monneye.  All which Legacye or Legacyes I wyll  shalbe payd to them and everie as hearaftr folowethe    ?vr? When the or any of them  shall accumplysh and  cum  to the age of 20 yeares or else when they or any of them shall depart and go from my executr   then  I wyll that he and everie of them shall have halfe their  Legacies payd them and the other halfe to be payd within 4 yeares from next aftar any of his or their departure to be usyd and set forthe at  the disscreshon and appoyntment of my overseers    Item: I geve and bequeath unto Margaret Malyn,  my  daughter,  21 markes* of lawfull Englysh monney & my best  fether bed with all thynges of  the best their unto beloyngying,  2 peare of sheetes,   a fyne chryssnynge sheete,  a fyne  flaxin boord  clothe*,  a fyne  flaxin towell  wroyht with blew* , a hempton boord clothe,  my wyfes best gowne, my grete pott,   4 pewter platters,  2 pewter dyshes,  2 sawsers and the best of my  ?red heysers? and a cofar*.   I wyll that if she marries within one yeare next  aftr my decease that then she to have but halfe her legacie payd  her at her marryadge and the other  half to be payd to her within one yeare then next after her marrydge.  And yf she happen not to  be married within one wholle yeare next after my decease then I wyll that she shall have all her sayd  Legacie, before geven, payd unto her at the day of her marrydge    Item: I geve  unto Elizabeth Malyn, my daughter, £10 of lawful Englyshe monneye, A good mattress, 2 peare of sheetes, a bowrd clothe, a towel,  2 pewter platters, 2 pewtar dyshes , a sawcer and a coffor.   Item: I geve unto Marie Malyn, my daughter,  £10 of lawfull Englyshe monneye,  a fether bed,  a coffr, a ?helynge,  a peare of blankets,  2 peare of sheetes,  a flaxin towell  wrowght with blewe, 2 pewter platters, 2 pewter dyshes,  2 sawcers, a coffor.   Item:  I geve to Elnor Malyn, Alyse Malyn, my daughters, & to everie of them £10 a peyce  of Lawfull englyshe monneye and to everie of them A good mattares with all thynges unto them belonging,  and to everie of them a ?toluett  & a bowrd clothe & to everie of them 2 pewtr plattars, 2 pewter dyshes, 2 sawsers and a cofor.  And I geve unto Elnor Malyn, my daughter, my wyfes best  shrfytt.   All which sayd Legacies before gevyn to my sayd daughters I wyll  shalbe payd unto them when she or any of them shall cum to the age of 21 yeares or else when they or any of them shall happyn to be married or which of them shall happen to be fyrst so that she nornon? of them do not mar(rie?) within two yeares next aftr my decease.   Also I wyll that yf Any of my ovrseers can at  any tyme  place Any of my  ('daughters' erased) sayd children where she may be well used and browght up ?? learnynge or else to learne sum occupacion that then my overseers shall have the usynge  and settynge forthe of his or their Legacy at their discraession  to the only use behowse  proffyt and commoditie of  my sayd chyld or chyldren untyll she shall be married  or else cu[m] to the Age of 21 yeares  in man(ner?) and forme aforesaid, or else which shall happen to be first.    Item: I  wyll that if my overseers do not  place my children as is aforsayd  that then Thomas  Malyn  [his son?] shall kepe them at his propar coste and charges:   ?vr?  to fynd them meate and drynke and  cl(othes?)  honest and lawfull to their estate and to kepe them to scool tyll he and everie of them  shall cum to  the age of 14 yeares so that there be a scollmr  [schoolmaster]  to teache them  within?  ?  of tyso or else within a myle cumpasse of the sayd parryshe of tyso.  And then their l?(egacies?) be sett  forthe to their use proffyt and commoditye as is forsayd.   Item: I wyll that yf it shall happyen any of my sayd sonns to dept out of this world before he shall accnnplyshe and cum to the age of 21 yeares that then his or their part or partes shall remayne and be devyded Amongst the longer lyver or lyveres of them and so lykewyse.   I wyll that the Legacyes before gvyen  and bequeithed unto my dawghtheres shall remayne to the lengr lyver or lyveres of them, to be devydyd Amongest them my sayd dawghtheres as is afore (said?) or whome the or they of them shalbe married or else cum to the age of 21 yeares or the soner [sooner?] of them.   Provydyd allwayes, yf it happen at antyme hearaftr, Any of my forsayd  chyldren do myslyke and not be contentyd w(ith?) this my Legacie to them before gyvyn by this my wyll that then the to have no part or percell ??  them before geven by this my wyll.   The resydew of all my goodes and chattelles not  ?m?ency? or gyven within this my last wyll testament, my Legacies payd and my wyll perfowrmyd and  my body being  honestlye  ?lacowght to the grownd, I geve and bequethe to Thomas Malyn,  my snn,  whome I make my whole executor.  And I wyll that John Pope of Foxston esquire,  Mr. Thomas Undroll [Underhill?] of Ettyngton gent , Sur Henrie Nanchell prof?d of Oxhyll and my brother  Thomas Malyn to be my overseeres  to see this my last wyll perfowrmyd and  to have the usinge of my children  ?utswpla?.  And I geve my brother towards his paynes  taxkynge my medley furred gowne and my wosted jackyt.   Sealyd & delyverried in the sight And presense of These whose names ar under wryttyen   By me thomas malyn By me thomas horsman Thomas byker   A latin inscription…   Inventory Page 1         (Only about the bottom third of the page is present and the top left corner is torn off)             ……hes & A?? of p?s 4 porringdysshes             } …....potte & a Bassoy p[re]ssed  (priced) att      } 40s     …...styckes p[re]ssed att  4s     ……es 2 Bere Barrelles p[re]ssed att 5s     …....pottes 2 possenettes 4 Brasse pannes 6 kettelles   } ……pannes 3 dryppinge pannes tow gryddyiornes     } 40s     ……ge dysshes and tow Branndars                          } (Itm t)here  4 spyttes A pere of cobberds A pere of Anndyiornes   } …….ffyertonnges  & A fyer bucke 2 pere of potte honckes ?w(?)the?  } ……..forne hangings And a fyer Shovlle p[re]ssed att } 10s     …    Itm ther ?osse of Bakon/w? p[re]ssed att 13s 4d     …   Itm there 2 Bultinge tobbes  2 trones A mouldinge bowrde 3s 4d     ..rimge              Itm there 2 yellinge ?s?aylles (or sayttes?) & A clossinge sysse  3s 4d     Housse The millhouse   Itm there A malt mill 5 tobbes  & A drye ?s?aylles & a vonlle 10s         Inventory  Page 2           The Shoppe Itm the Shoppe pressd att £10?   The Cattell Itm 4 horsses and A colte p[re]ssd att  £11?   Kyne Itm 4 Kyne  10 hebers and 3 yerlings p[re]ssd £13   Sheppe Itm 5 score (100) Sheppe pressed att £13 11s 8d   The Cartes  Itm tow (2) Cartes & carte gerres* 2 plowes & plow gerres} A great harrow & 3 smale harrowes p[re]ssd att                  } £3   Swyne Itm 3 swyne hogges ??ght stor? pygges 13s 4d   powltry Itm 12 henes and  two Cockes p[re]ssd att 3s 4d   gesse Itm tow Bramle? gesse & A ganderd 18d?   Corne in the barne Itm the corne in the Barne wheat & Barley £10?   Corne in the Byckeyarde Itm in the Byckeyarde a lytell cocke* of Barley Itm thereof A lytell cocke of pesse (peas?) pressed att 20s 30s   Corne Agraysst Itm corne Agraysst in the filde p[re]ssed att 33s 4d   Hay Itm the hay abowt the howsse p[re]ssed att 20s   The fyltse Itm the Barley fyltse p[re]ssed att 20s     Itm tow Sythes p[re]ssed att 2s     Itm tow Axes A hachett 2 Bills & A ?yorne? ?Crowt?    } 6s 8d     Tow shvlles  2 dgngpyckes   3 Augaures & 2 hand sawes  } Itm A Blacke bill & A brest bill pressed att 2s 8d     Itm 4 lokes 3 pere of ?ethers & A pyche panne 5s     Itm 3 whelles  wollen & lynen & a lanterne 2s     [spinning wheels for wool and linen] Itm the wolle [wool?]  Abowt the yarde p[re]ssed at £5   The ?w/n/m?ether ( mother?)       Howse atte grenelle? Itm ther A coffer 2 D?rye s/f?aylles (or “sayttes”) 2 (s/t?)otinge (?f/s/p)aylles 6s   (genelle?)       (gemelle?) Itm ther 12 strykes* of wheate p[re]ssed att 16s   Howsse Itm of malt ther 3 quarters p[re]ssed att 24s     Itm of Barley ther 3 quarters p[re]ssed att 20s     Itm in the Barne of Byely (barley?) estymacio[n?] 10 stryke* 10s     Itm in the Byckeyarde A lytell cocke of wheat & barley £3     Itm 3 stanlles* of bees p[re]ssed att 3s     Itm Bakes shappekes p[re]ssed at 3s 4d     Itm the wodde and Bowrds p[re]ssed att 13s 4d           Summ Totals £80 (xx/iiii) £7 5(or 10?)s 10d        = £87 5s 10d                         Signe thone (Thomas?) myster Signe henry clerke P{???}ant Thomas Biker By me Thomas horsman    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Glossary   “in the fythetenthe yeare of the Raygne of our sov(reyn) lady (Elizabeth)” = 1573    “the mother churche  ?  w?cestr “  i.e. Worcester Cathedral.  Tysoe was in that Diocese.  The original of this will is stored in Worcester Public Records Office.      “geve to the poore ?mens? boxo??yseg?“ – note from Cropredy history - The town (Cropredy)had a "pore mens box" also called "the common cheste," which had three locks like the parish chest.   “feast of saynct John baptyst “ is on June 24th   “the invencio[n] of the crosse “   the feast of  the invention of the cross,  ? May 3rd  some give this date as holyrood day.   “untyll  Hollowrowde day “ - Holyrood Day the feast of the exaltation of the cross, ?September 14th?   “21 Markes” A mark was 2/3 of a pounds, i.e. 13 shillings and eight pence, so 21 markes was worth £14.   “a fyne flaxin boord clothe” -  a fine flaxen board cloth or table cloth   “a fine flaxin towell wrogyt with blew”  - a fine dtowel made of flax and decorated with blue   “cofar/cofer/cofr” – a coffer or chest usually made of oak and used to store clothes etc   “a lytell cocke”  - a small haystack or haycock   “stryke” of wheat or barley.  A unit of measure of dry goods.  1 Strike or Stryke = 2 bushels = 16 pecks = 32 gallons.  A gallon = approx 280 cubic inches therefore a strike = approx 5 cubic feet   “staulle (= stall) possibly a wooden box, open at one end, in which bees have been encouraged to form their hive. Or “stanlle”, a  beehive