Will of Humphrey Paris or Parys late of Cullompton, Merchant
Proved 14 July 1595
© Crown Copyright
National Archives Catalogue Reference PROB 11/86/134 Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Scott Quire Numbers: 39 – 78
Transcribed by Art Ames
In the name of God Amen the seaventeenth daye of December in the yere of our Lord God a thousande fyve hundred nynetie three I Humfrey Paris of Colompton in the countie of Devon merchante (beynge thankes be to God) of good healthe in body and of perfect memorye considering the frailitye of mans life lest I should be called out of this world unprovided for the disposition of the wordlie goodes which God hath lente me doe make this my testament conteyning therein my last Will and Testament in manner and forme followinge vizt
First and above all thinges I committ my soule into the handes of Almightie God depending uppon his mercy through xpiste Jesus who dyed for me and all mankynd and my body to be buryed in the parishe church of Collompton aforesayed and for buryall there I doe gyve to the sayed church towardes the reparations of the same twentie shillings
Item I gyve to Mr. Jenninges vicar of the sayed churche twentie shillings willing hym to preache at my buriall
Item I give and bequeath to the poore people of the towne and parishe of Collompton to be distributed at the discretion of my wife and of myne executors and overseers underwritten fyve poundes
Item to the poore people of the parishe of Burlescombe twentie shillings
Item I give and bequeathe to ech of my godchildren twelve pence
Item I give and bequeath to eache of my household servants three shillings fouer pence over and above theire wages
Item I give and bequeathe to my brother William Parys all suche money as he oweth me
Item to every of the children of each of my brothers and sister twentie shillinges in money
Item my will and mynde is that Xpian my wife shall have the use and occupation of all my plate bedding napery pewter brassen and woodden vessell tablebordes cubbords bedsteads seelinges and all other any utensills househould stuffe and ymplements of househould whatsoever and also of all manner my ploughe stuffe tooles and ymplements of husbandry during her naturall life And after her decease the same to remayne to myne executors hereunder written
Item I give and bequeathe to the sayed Xpian my wife the halfendeale of all my corne and grayne haye furrze wood and donnge as well within door as without and allso the one halfe of my cattell and horses mares geldings syne bullocks heifers and sheepe
Item I give and bequeath to my sayed wife the summe of one hundred markes of lawfull money of England
Item I do give bequeathe grante and assigne to the sayed Christian my wife or those grounds landes messuages and tenements within the parishe of Collompton which I hould for terme of yeres by the grannte of Humfrey Waldron esquire and all those my two closes and parcells of ground called Millhaies and also those my two closes and one meadowe within the mannor of Upton Weaver on the southeast side of the waye above [M..] wood neare the garden and tenement of John Thomas gent
To have and to hould the sayed severall premises to the said Xpian my wife during the terme of fortie yeres (yf she so longe lyve) yealding and paying for the premises houlden by the grannte of the sayed Humfrey Waldron suche rents reparations services and other charges as are to be payed and done by me and myne assignes specified in the lease of the sayed grannte to me made and yealding and paying for Millhayes and Upton fouer pence yerelie to myne heyers during the terme aforesayed
Item I do give grannte bequeath and assigne to Humfrey Henson sonne of my cosin John Henson at his age of one and twentie yeres fyve poundes
Item whereas the tenement and dwelling house wherein I do dwell in the town of Collompton shall after my decease [ ] and come to Xpian my wife and Emlyn Peter my daughter ioyntlie by force of the grannte thereof to me made my will and mynde ys that the sayed Xpian my wife shall have hould and enjoye all the whole mansion house and tenement with the appurtenances to her and to her assignes during the terme of fortie yeres next after my decease (yf she so longe lyve) without interruption disturbance or denyall of the sayed Emlyn and her husband and her or their assignes
And that she the sayed Emlyn her husband or assignes shall not clayme nor challenge any righte or title in or to the same during the sayed terme of fortie yeres (yf she the sayed Christian doe so longe lyve) but shall permiyt and suffer her peaceablie and quietlie whollie to inhabite and enjoye the same
And that yf the sayed Emlyn or her husband or any her or their assignes shall clayme or challenge any suche right or title or shall attempt to inhabite or dwell therein during the life tyme of my sayed wife or shall enter into any parte thereof without the consent of my sayed wife then I do give bequeath and assigne to the said Xpian my wife all those fouere closes of demeanse landes of the mannor of Upton Weaver called Wood Furlong with pasture in one wood called Northwood conteyning thirteene acres to have and to hould to the said Xpian my wife for terme of fortie yeres (yf she so longe live) the same term to begynne ymmediately after further such interruption denyall clayme or attempt of the sayed Emlyn Peter her husband or assignes or any of them
The residue of all my goodes chattells and debtes movable and unmovable I do give and bequeath to my sonne in lawe John Peter and to my sayed daughter Emlyn Peter and then I do nominate and make my whole executors of this my testament
And I do appoynte my loving friend Phillipp Cockram Thomas Trosse and John Tristram to be myne overseas to ayde and assist my saied executors in the execution of this my testament and I do give to each of them twentie shillinges in money beyng present and witnesses hereunto to the sayed Philipp Cockram and Thomas Tross before whome I do acknowledge this to be my testament and thereunto have set my hand and seale
Humfrey Parys Philipp Cockram testified Thomas Trosse
Probate in Latin