Will of Anne Littlejohn late of Cullompton, Widow
Proved 30 January 1579
© Crown Copyright
National Archives Catalogue Reference PROB 11/61/57 Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Bakon Register
Transcribed by Art Ames
In the name of God Amen Anno Dmi one thousande fyve hundred seaventie eight the last daye of September in the twentieth yeare of the reigne of our Sovereigne Ladie Elizabeth by the grace of God Queen of England France and Ireland defender of the faith etc. I Anne Littlejohn of Coluton in the countie of Devon widowe beinge of good and perfecte memorye (god be thanked) doe make this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme followinge
First I bequeath my soule to Almightie God my maker and redeemer and my bodie to the eartyh
Item I give towardes the mayntenance of the churche of Coluton aforesaide six shillings eight pence.
Item I will that my executor at the daye of my buriall doe disburse amongst the poore of the sayed parishe of Coluton twentie shillings and one hundred of faggott whereof vd apiece of the sayde twentie shillinges be given to such poore people as at the daye of my buriall doe fetch my corpse from my house to the buriall and the residue to be divided to the moste poore of the sayed parish
Item whereas my sonne Thomas Littlejohn standeth charged to yelde paye and deliver to my use fifty busshells of rye or such money as is valued for the same as appeareth in certaine writinges made between him and me and my will is that thirtie and fyve busshells of ye same rye or the value rated in the same writinges shall be dispersed amongst the poore people of the saide parishe of Columton as shall then most meet to my executors and overseers
Item I give and bequeathe to every of my godchildren one ewe sheepe
Item I give and bequeath to Margaret Hill and Thomasine Hill daughters of John Hill at Knolle to every of them one ewe sheepe
Item I give and bequeath to John Prescott Anne Prescott and Johan Prescott son and daughters of Eliza Prescott to every of them one ewe sheep
Item I give and bequeath to Mr John Thomas of Upton an ox or fiftie shillings in money at his election
Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Johan Brome one cow or twenty five shillings in money at her election and twelve sheep or fortie shillings in money at her election
Item I give and bequeath to Thomas Brome sonne of the said Johan thirteene shillings fouer pence
Item I give and bequeath to William Brome Phillipp Brome Agnes Brome and Julyan Brome sonnes and daughters of the said Joan to every of them six shillings eight pence
Item I give and bequeath to Wilmott Hawkins daughter of one John Littlejohn one ewe sheepe
Item I give and bequeath to Johan Littlejohn daughter of Jeffrey Littlejohn one brassen panne of eight gallons
Item I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Littlejohn one other of the daughters of the saide Jeffrey six shillings eight pence
Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Parsons three oxen or seaven pounds tenne shillings in money at her election one cowe or thirtie three shillings foure pence in money at her election twentie sheepe or three pounds six shillinges eight pence in money at her election two of my best swine hogg or twelve shillinges in money at her election the bed which I lye on one pair of blanketts one pair of cheese one coulett one feather bolster
Item I give more unto the said Marye as many as the yokes and iron ropes as shall come to yoke [ ] oxen one [pype] one hogshead, one butt trendle, one [ ] trendle, one vate of free busshells two costs one standard of nyne gallons with a [Co..] one other standard of three gallons with a [co..] to put butter in, one filtinge tubb with a [co..]
Item I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Parsons daughter of the saide Marye one cowe or thirtie three shillinges foure pence in money at her election one brassen crock of fyve gallons and more with longe leggs, one brassen posnett, my best brassen candlesticke, two platters, two pottingers, two saucers of my best vessell, one greate coffer standing in my chamber by the chimney and all such goods as shall be therein at the tyme of my death
Item I give and bequeath to Daniell Parsons one cowe or thirtie three shillings and foure pence in money at his election one foldinge borde standing in my parlor one letten candlestick with a sharde broken in the same two platters of tynne, two porringers two saucers of my best vessel
Item I give and bequeath to John Parsons sonne of the foresaide Marye one cowe or thirtie three shillings foure pence in money at his election one rounde table standing in the parlor my best cowett, one brassen chaffer, two platters two porringers two saucers of tynne of my best vessel, my best long broache and one andiron
Item I give and bequeath to Anne Parsons daughter of the saide Marye one cowe or thirtie three shillings foure pence in money at her election one brasson crock one long ] a paire of cottrells one brassen panne of foure gallons, two platters, two porringers, two saucers of my best tynne vessell
Item I give and bequeath to Thomas Littlejohn sonne of my sonne Thomas Littlejohn one bullock of one year old
Item I give and bequeath to Edward Littlejohn one fetherbed beinge in my parlor and the bed under with the feather bolster
Item I give and bequeath to John Littlejohn the sonne of Thomas Littlejohn the elder two sheep
Item I give and bequeath to Richarde Littlejohn one bullock of one yeare old
Item I give and bequeath to Margery Littlejohn one bullock of one yere olde one coffer standing at my bedside
Item I give and bequeath to Anne Towninge daughter of my son Thomas Littlejohn one bullock of one yeares age, one [ ] cowlettt and one greate coffer standing at my bedside
Item I give and bequeath to Thomas Towning sonne of the said Anne one bullock of one yeare old
Item I give and bequeath to Thomas Oxenham one bullock of one yeare old, six sheepe and one coaster standing in the chamber where he lieth for as much as all this good and chattells before given and bequeathed and diverse other goods and chattel’s not yet given nor bequeathed is in my house and in the [ ] keeping and custody of my sonne Thomas Littlejohn yf therefore my saide sonne Thomas Littlejohn doe quietlie permit and suffer my executor and assignes and every of them after my death to [per..] and take all the saide goodes and chattells thus given and bequeathed whereby my said executor may intirelie and trulie perform this my last Will and Testament to any person or persons before bequeathed
That then I give and bequeath unto my saide sonne Thomas Littlejohn three oxen twelve sheepe two sowe hogg, my wayne wheels and all other furniture for the ploughe except before given to Marye Parsons and all other the wood, plankes and timber about the house except the hundred of fagott before given and all other my bedsteds and seeling
Also I give and bequeath to my saide sonne Thomas Littlejohn the moyetie or halfenddeal of all the corne and graine which shall or ought to be in grounde at the tyme of my death which ought to be in the whole twentie eight acres one brassen crocke of three gallons one long crocke to hange croke in one long broche, six tynne platters of myne olde vessel one basin of tynne, two latten candlesticks the one longe and the other a like rounde one and all of my costes, vates and other [ ] vessel together with all my donge shovels and all myne [ ] tooles except before given
But if my saide sonne Thomas Littlejohn or anie other person or persons whatsoever by his meanes or procurement doe desire and [imbeasill] anie of my saide goods and chattels from my saide executor or doe moleste or disquiett my saide executor in takinge receiving or gathering together all or anie of my saide goods and chattells before bequeathed that then my will is that all the sayde goods and chattels before given conditionally to my saide sonne Thomas Littlejohn I doe wholie give and bequeath the same and every parte and parcell thereof until Mr John Thomas of Upton
All the residue of my goods and chattells not given nor bequeath I give and bequeath to John Parsons my sonne in lawe whome I make my whole executor
And I doe constitute and appointe to be overseers for the seeinge of this my last will and testament to be performed and absorbed observed Mr John Thomas of Upton, John Giles of Padbroke, and John Hill at Knoll, and for their paines taken therein I give to everie of them six shillings eight pence
Witness to this presence John Hill Eliza Prescott and George
Debtes owed me the said Anne as followeth – in the handes of Alexander Browne my sonne in law in Somersett there fyve poundes
Probate in Latin