Medieval and Tudor Kent wills of the Shoreham Deanery, part 4

The following list of mediaeval wills for the Shoreham Deanery, which was a peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury, was compiled by Leland L. Duncan and recorded in six quarto volumes around 1895.

The wills at the time of his writing were all that remained prior to 1600 in the Registers of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and in the Lambeth Palace Registers.

The 34 parishes which made up the Shoreham Deanery were as follows:- Bexley, Brasted, Chevening, Chiddingstone, Crayford or Eard, St. Mary Cray, Darenth, Downe, Eynsford, East Farleigh, Farningham, Gillingham, The Isle of Grain, Halstead, Hayes, Hever, Hunton, Ifield, Ightham, Keston, Knockholt, Lydsing, East Malling, Meopham, Northfleet, Orpington, Otford, East Peckham, Penshurst, Sevenoaks, Shoreham, Stansted, Sundridge, and Wrotham.

Transcriptions in quarto exercise books held at the Kent Archaeological Society's Library in Maidstone. Examined by me, Zena Bamping, in March 2001, who made the following list of wills extracted by Mr Duncan. The originals are written in pencil and seem to be almost complete transcriptions with a few abbreviations, e.g. P for Parish.

Index of Notebooks

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Book 4

Book 5

Book 6

Jump to Transcriptions

Index of Wills

Book 4

Register	Testator	Date of Will	Date of Probate	Lands in Kent or connection with Kent	Page No.
	Robert REDE [continued]		1518 Jan 24		337
3 Bennett	William CLERK tallow chandler of London	1508 Jul 6	1508	Eynsford church	340a
3 Bennett	John MARCHALL of Carshalton	1508 Jul 26	1508 Aug 8	Ightham	340b
5 Bennett	Walter BEDYLL	1508 Aug 3	1508 Sep 26	buried Sevenoaks church	341a
8 Bennett	Richard BERY	1508 Jul 22	1508 Dec 13	Orpington, Yalding  churches of East Peckham, Eltham, Orpington, St Mary Cray, St Paul Cray, Yalding	341b
9 Bennett	Otwell BUTLER esquire, burgess of Calais	1508 Aug 5	1508 Nov 27	Farningham	346
11 Bennett	Thomas GRENE Rector of Wimbledon and Sundridge	1505 Jul 11	1508 Feb 10	---	349
15 Bennett	Stevyn TUDOR of Cliffe	1509 Jul 7	1509 Jul 12	Allhallows, Cliffe	351
20 Bennett	Henry GARDYNER son & heir of John Gardyner gentleman	1509 Apr 19	1509 Oct 19	Sevenoaks church	353
29 Bennett	Thomas BOYDON of Northfleet	1508 Jul 29	1510 Jun 15	Northfleet	355
29 Bennett	Dame Agnes PASTON widow late the wife of Sir John Paston knt	1510 May 31	1510 Jun 19	to be buried in Sundridge church if I dye in Kent	357
29 Bennett	William KEYSER senior of East Peckham	1510 Apr 24	1510 Jun 26	East Peckham, Hadlow, Ryarsh, Tudeley	362
32 Bennett	Peter NEWMAN	1510 Sep 13	1510 Oct 16	buried Sevenoaks churchyard	369
38 Bennett	Clemens BROKE of Sevenoaks, widow	1510 Sep 8	1510 Mar 20	buried Sevenoaks church Friars of Aylesford	370
1 Holder	Isabell CHEYNN	1508 Oct 6	1513 Mar 22	Otford church	372
6 Holder	Thomas PECKHAM of Wrotham	1515 Apr 28	1515 May 15	Otford	375
9 Holder	Maryone PAWLEY of London widow	1515 Jul 3	1515 Sep 26	Shoreham church	376
19 Holder	Robert WARDE of the Isle of Grain	1515 Sep 17	1516 Jul 29	Isle of Grain	379
23 Holder	Walter WALSHE of East Peckham	1515 Oct 22	1516 Oct 10	East Peckham church	381
29 Maynwaring	Thomas GOLDSMITH of Crayford	1525 Jun 8	1526 Dec 7	Boxley, Crayford, Dartford	383
17 Bodfelde	William BONDE gent. household servant & clerk of the Grene cloth to our soveraigne Lord Kyng Henry the VIII	---- Aug 5	1523 Mar 9	Chiddingstone, Cowden	387
31 Bodfelde	Reynolde PEKHAM the Elder Esquire	1523 Jul 12	1524 Mar 27	Ash, Chevening, East Peckham, Ightham, Kemsing, Kingsdown, Otford, Seal, Sevenoaks, Shipbourne, Shoreham, Stansted, Wrotham	389
33 Bodfelde	Henry STOK of London	1524 Sep 3	1525 May 5	Eynsford, Meopham	393
11 Bodfelde	Sir William BANSTRET of Hever in Kent	1523 Jun 18	1523 Jul 24	---	394
25 Porch	John CLERKE of Bexley husbandman	1527 Jul 2	1527 Nov 5	Bexley, East Wickham, Hayes	395
20 Porch	Thomas HAWLE of Upton in Bexley yeoman	1526 Jul 4	1527 Jun 22	Bexley, Upton	397
35 Porch	Edward ISLEY	1525 Dec 18	1528 Jul 15	Braborne and Tymberdens churches of Allhallows, Sundridge, Addington in Sotherey	400
2 Porch	William BROKE LLD vicar of Preston besides Faversham, parson of Harrietsham and Ightham	1525 Sep 7	1525 Feb 9	[see under Preston] (M.282) [will not transcribed]	403a
39 Porch	Robert THECHER of East Peckham	1527 Sep 21	1528 Oct 29	East Peckham church	403b
19 Porch	Robert OWTRED of Crayford yeoman	1527 Mar 26	1527 May 21	Crayford, Dartford churches of Crayford, East Wickham, Plumstead	404
35 Porch	Stevyn SMYTH of Crayford	1528 May 2	1528 Jul 21	Crayford church	411
34 Porch	Nicholas GYBSONNE otherwise TAILLOUR of Eynsford yeoman	1528 Apr 12	1528 Jun 26	Ash, Dartford, Farningham, Kingsdown, Meopham	412
17 Porch	Richard HANCOCK of the Isle of Grain	1526 Mar 15	1526 Mar 22	Allhallows inthe hundred of Howe, Isle of Grain	417
22 Porch	Thomas MICHELL citizen and Iremonger of London	1526 Feb 9	1527 Apr 12	Halling, Meopham	418
19 Porch	William GODFRAY of Gillingham the Elder yeoman	1525 Nov 24	1527 Jun 1	Cliffe, Gillingham	422
28 Jankyn	William MARLER citizen and haberdasher of London	1527 May 1	1527 Jul 17	Crayford, Wilmington	428
1 Jankyn	Thomas POLLEY of Eynsford	1528 Dec 21	1528 Feb 5	Aylesford, Brasted, Chelsfield, Detling, East Malling, Eccles, Eynsford, Knockholt, Orpington, Shoreham, Sundridge	430
20 Jankyn	John KEMSLEY of Gillingham	---	1530 Sep 14	Maidstone  churches of Bredhurst and Chatham chapel of Lidsing	435
22 Jankyn	Andrew KEYMSLEY of Ligeginge in Gillingham	1530 Sep 16	1530 Oct 25	Bredhurst, Chatham, Detling, Gillingham, Maidstone churches of Aylesford, Boxley, Bredhurst, Burham, Chatham, Detling, Hartley, Lidsing, Rainham, Rochester, Stockbury, Wouldham	438
20 Thower	Robert MULTON of Otford	1532 Mar 30	1532 Nov 8	Kemsing, Otford, Seal	443
18 Thower	Thomas WIBORN of Shoreham agricola	1532 May 12	1532 Oct 14	Knockholt churches of Knockholt, Shoreham	446

Transcriptions

Reynold PEKHAM will - 1523

REYNOLDE PEKHAM - 1523 PCC: 31 Bodfelde

Reynolde Pekham, the elder, Squyer, 12 July 15 Hen VIII. To be buried in the Church of Saint George of Wroteham biside the grave of my uncle William Pekham, Squier. To reparacions of the same church xxs. To the high auter of the parish church of Ightham 3s.4d. To reparacions of the same church vs. Prest shall synge and pray for my soule my wifs soule my fader soule my moder soule and all cristen soules in the parish church of Wroteham oon hole yere and for his salary or wagis £6.13s.4d. To my nevewe Edward Asshe my suster Alice Asshe sonne £6.13s.4d. Unto Robert Cawode 6s.8d. Thomas Benk, my coke, 6s.8d. Elizabeth Baily my servnt xs.

I bequeth and will as well the wardshipp of the body of my cosyn Reynold Pekham, the sonne of Thomas Pekham, squier, as the wardship of all the maners, lands &c. and soo from heire to heire in as ample maner as it is granted unto me unto my brother James Pekham ontill the tyme the said Reynolde the sonne and so from heire to heire com to his or their full age. I will my said brother shall repaye then unto the said Reynolde the sonne all such summes of money as the said Jamys shall make or receye and of for the marriage of the same Reynolde the sonne so that the same Reynolde the sonne discharge my executors against the executors of Sir John Peche, knyght, and for the summe of 50 merc the which shall be due unto the executors of the same Sir John in the day of the mariage of the said Reynolde the sonne.

Also I will myn executors shall provide a faire stone with the pictures of a man and of a woman and of children there in sett of latyn and hit to be laid over and upon my grave within the space of vj weks next after my decesse. Residue to my forsaid brother James Pekham whom I ordeyn executor with my cosyn John Lovelace, gentleman, and the foresaid Edward Asshe and overseers John Rooper the elder Squier and attorney generall to our soveraigne Lord the King, and Henry Fane, gentleman, Witness Sir Mighell Vaughan and William Loveles.

This is... 12 July 15 Hen.VIII of all my maners, lands &c. in the pishes of Sevenok, Chevenyng, Otteford, Shorham, Asshe next Dartford, Kyngesdowne, Sele, Kemsyng, Stansted, Wroteham, Ighteham, Shypborn and Grete Pekham. I will unto my brother James Pekham all the forsaid manours &c to him and his heires males and for defaulte the remaynder therof unto Reynolde Pekham the son of Thomas Pekham, squier, and for lak the remaynder unto the forsaid James, and for lak of such issue the remaynder unto the heires of the body of James Pekham my fader and for lacke of such issue the remaynder unto the forsaid Reynolde the sonne and for lacke to my right heires. Witnesses as before.

Probate 27 March 1524/25 by James Pekham exor with power reserved.

NICHOLAS GYBSON alias TAILLOUR will 1528

NICOLAS GYBSON als NICHOLAS TAILLOUR - 1528 PCC: 34 Porch

12 Aprill 1528 Nicolas Gybsonne otherwise called Nicolas Taillour of Aynesforde in Kent, yeoman.

To be buried in the parish church of Aynsford in the chapell of Saint Kateryn with in the same church nygh unto the place where my mother lyeth buried. Unto Kateryn my wife all my goodes moveable as longe as the same Kateryn lyvith sole and if the same Kateryn doo mary than I will half my householde stuffe to Elizabeth and Mary my daughters equally. To the said Kateryn all such detts as Robert Atwoode owith unto me and all my lease of the manor of Hodsoll in Asshe the which I have in ferme of my lady priores of Holywell. I geve unto Maister Xfofer Halys, solictor unto the Kings grace all other my leses which I have with in the shire of Kent paying of the profits threescore pounds that is to sey to the marriage of Elizabeth my daughter £4 and to Mary my daughter £20 and if the forsaid Maister Xpofer Hales doo refuse to take upon him the payne and labor of the forsaid leses then Kateryn my wife. Unto Robert Wolryche my servant to help him towards the payments of his detts 26s.8d. Residue unto Kateryn my wife. Executors Maister Xpoper Halys and Kateryn my wife and Edward Johnson son of the yomen of the Crowne and John Notte of Aynesford overseers. To Edward Johnson my woodknyfe and John Notte my medley tawny gowne. Unto Nicholas Sybill, gentilman, a newe cote of Saye the whiche I late bought at London.

This is... of all my londs within the parishes of Farnyngham, Kyngesdown, Dartford and Meapham. I will Kateryn my wife name all my londes &c in Meapham and Kyngesdon and a tenement with the orchards and gardeyns in Farnyngham the which I bought of Mortymer of London, browderer, for terme of her life and I will it remaigne to Thomas my sonne. I will that Maister Xpoper Halys have the tenement or Inne called The Swanne of Farnyngham with all the londes and tenements thereto pereynyng with the stock of household stuffe and implements the which I had of my father therwith to fynde Thomas my sonne and to paye my detts and such detts as I did owe unto William Gybsonne my father for suche bargeyns and covemants as were bitwene William Gibson my father and me, and the said Xpoper Halys to have the rule and guyding until the tyme Thomas my sonne come to 21 yeres then I will the forsaid Thomas my sonne have all the forsaid londes except such as I have givyn unto Kateryn his mother for the terme of her lyfe. If he decease without heires then my brother John Gybson the younger of Farnyngham have the tenement or Inn called The Swanne with all the londes paying to my executors £120 and if he be not abill to pay the £120 then I will my brothers John Gybsonne of Heth and Richard Gybsonne have them and if they be not abill to make and pay the £120 I will my executors sell the forsaid londes and tenements in Farnyngham and the money thereof comyng I will £40 unto the daughters of the forsaid Thomas my sonne if he have any and if he dye without issue then the £40 to my daughters and £40 to my thre brothers in case that noon of them doo purchase the londes &c and the residue towards the reparacions of the church of Farnyngham and high wayes and other almes dedes. I will my brother John the younger have after my decease that tenement with the appurtenances called The George in Farnyingham with a wedowe plotte lying in Swanton Lane which I late purchased of the forsaid John my brother he discharging an obligacion of £6.13.4 wherin I stande bounde to the widowe of John Courtop of Cranebroke, yeoman.

Probate 26 June 1528 by Kateryn, relict.