Dorchester

Will of Margery MARKSFELD(2) Widow

Dated 24th March 1571/2 : Proved 21st April 1572

DHC Ad/Dt/W/1659 Event Record 20

Transcribed by Michael Russell OPC Dorchester November 2012

Notes:-

Top Section: Contains a modernised English version of the Will set out in a way that makes it easier to follow and understand the intentions of the testator without losing the original sentence structure. I have added some punctuation and genealogical notes and links where appropriate.

Second Section: Shows the original transcription, where to aid researchers with identification, I have deliberately retained the original line structure, paging, spelling, abbreviation and superscript used in the Will. Transcription is particularly difficult given abbreviation, written in Secretary hand and use of old English so caution needs to be exercised. Words etc that I am particularly unsure of or where the context does not seem right are coloured red.

In the Name of God Amen:

The 24th day of March in the 14th year of the reign of our Soverign Lady Elizabeth &c(1) I Margery MARKSFELD(2) widow being sick in body [but of] perfect good remembrance do make this my Last Will & Testament in manner and form following:-

First: I give my soul to Almighty God and my body to be buried within the churchyard of St Peter's in Dorchester.

Item: I give to the mother church of Bristol viz. £4

Item: to the church of All Saints in Dorchester viz. £12

Item: to those that shall ring [the bells] for me in St Peters church viz. £20

Item: I give and bequeath to Lettia KAYNELL of Blandford Forum (5) viz. £20

Item: I give to the poor people of Dorchester viz. £10

Item: I give to Joan PETERS my waistcoat, one apron, one kerchief and a white petticoat.

Item: I give to the church of St Peter's viz. £20

Item: I give to Margaret SOMERS my daughter viz. £10

Item: I give to my daughter Katherin STEBY W? viz. £10

Item: I give to Agnes MARKSFELL one kettle and a pair of sylv? Jathes

Item: I give to any of my god children £4

The Residue: of my goods and comelle? not given nor bequeathed I give and bequeath to William MARKSFELD my son Whom I make
my sole executor of this my last Will and Testament

    And: my friend John STRANGMAN to be my overseer of this my last Will etc

Item: I give to Edithe RAWLIN two peticotes, one red and one white, and one apron. etc

Witnessed by}

John STRANGMAN;

William ?????

John SIMS?

Henry EAME and others

Original transcription
In the name of God Amen the xxiiijth day of Marche in the
xiiijth yere of the reign of or Sovereign Lady Elizerbeth ec
I Margery MARKYSFYLD Wyddow beying syeke of boddy and pfytt
of good remembrance do make thyes my last wyll & testment
in mannr & foyme followying fyrst: / I geve my soule to ∼
Almyghty god and my boddy to be buryedd with the churche
yeryd of Sayntte Peteres in Dorchester Itm I geve to the
mother churche of Brystell v - iiijl Itm to the church of
All Saynte in Dorchester v - & ijl Itm to them their shall
rynge for me in sayntte peteres churche v - xxl Itm I geve and
bequeth to Lettia KAYNELL of Blandford foy (5) v - xxl Itm
I geve to the poor people of Dorchester v - xl Itm I geve to
Johanne PETTRES my wasacote (3) one aperne one kerchyff
and a whyte peteycote Itm I geve to the churche of Saynte
Peteres v - xxl Itm I geve to Margarett SOMERS my daughter
v -xl Itm I geve to my daughter Kathryn STEBY? W? v - xl
Itm I geve to Agnes MARKYSFYLL one kytell and a payre of syl??
Jathes Itm to any of my god chyldrne v iiijd the resydew
of my goodes? and comelle? nott geven nor bequethyd I geve and
bequeth to Wyllym MARKYSFYLD my son Whom I make
my sole executor of thyes my last Wyll and Testamentt
And my ffryne John STRANGMAN to be my overseer of
this my last Wyll et Itm I geve to Edithe RAWLYN ij
peticote one reed and one Whyt and one Apejne et

Wytnes beryeys?}

John STRANGMAN;

Wyllym BAYLEY [Note:- The Letter B is written in Court Hand - rest Secretary hand - see C.H. Note in Dictionary of Genealogy by Terrance VH FitzHugh page 265]

John SYMES?

Henry EAME and others
Genealogical Notes:-

(1). '&c' - 'meaning and so forth' - avoids the need to spell out all the lands over which Elizabeth ruled and the fact that she was defender of the faith

(2). On the will the surname is spelt MARKYSFYLD [I have translated as MARKSFELD but caution should be exercised over the spelling of the surname]. Ancestry have recoded under MARKFILL. It was originally catalogued at the Dorset Archdeaconry Court under Margeriæ MARKSFILL. Probate was recorded that year under Margerie MARKSFELD. The nearest name in Dorchester is probably MANFIELD . We know that a William Manfield (Mawnfyld, Mandefylde or Mannfylde) is recorded as Rector of All Saints in 1545. Also that the 2nd fire in 1622 started at the house of a John Mansfield of Holy Trinity Parish and ironically this and the earlier fire in Dorchester of 1613 accounted for the loss of St Peters and other church records. Margery came from St Peters Parish (she had the bells rung there and wished to be buried in the church] and parish registers commence from after the Civil War in 1653.

(3). Johannes is Latin for John and Johanna for Joan/Jane. Margery is unlikely to have left her wasacote (see explantion in glossary) apron and neckerchief to a man, so I have transcribed as Joan.

(4). Margery does not appear to have signed the will - perhaps too ill - and hence 4 witnesses + others. I have come across this before in wills dated pre 1600

(5). The Letter B in Blandford is written in Court Hand - rest Secretary hand - see C.H. Note in Dictionary of Genealogy by Terrance VH FitzHugh page 265 - The next word Foy is I think reference to Blandford Forum rather than Blandford St Mary. I note that in Hutchins History of Dorset he refers to a Robert KEYNELL being Bailiff of Blandford Forum in 1593 and 1603so there was certainly a family of that name resident in the village.

http://www.marquisofwinchesters.co.uk/Ecwr-Guidelines/Guidelines-Female-Dress-Standards.html

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