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Will précis and commentary |
The Will of
Sir John Crompton
of Skerne
Proved: 04 May 1624
| In the Name of God Amen. The fiveth day of
December in the yeares of y(e) raigne of our most gracious soveraigne Lord James [1] by the grace of God of England ~~ Scotland France, and Ireland King Defender of the faith {p.} that is to say of England France, and Ireland the one and twentieth [2], and of Scotland the saven and fi(f)tieth [3] I Sr John ~~ 5 Crompton of Skerne in the county of York knight Do make and ordayne this my last will and testament in mannere, and forme following (that is to saiy).first I commend my Soule unto the handes of Almighty God my Creator and onelie redeemer And my body to y(e) earth to be interned in {s..h} plan, and in such {sor.e} as to my deare and loving wife, and my Excutors (sic) hereafter named / {.all} {soeme} most {conbement} Item I revoke all former willes hereto fore by me made. 10 dear, and welloved wife All my glass (china), Jewells, and household stuff what soever except my best (seal) Ring of gould which was my fathers, also my late Brother Sr Thomas Crompton ring {..} deceased And a gilte bowl with a Cover which was the late Lord Channcellors Sr Christopher Hatton, [4] And to mee bequeathed by my father Thomas Crompton Esquire deceased in, and by his will which ringe, and bowle & will and bequeathe to John Crompton my Sonne, heyre apparent Item I doe 15 hereby will, and devise unto my loving wife over, and above such meanes as I have settled upon her for her (loyalty) the yearlie somme of threescore, and thirteene pounds five shillings eight pence by {the} {.e.re} to be to her paide by my Executors, and Trustees yearle out of my profitts of myne office of C(h)irographer of the fynes [5] in manner, and forme to be levyed, and paid as in, and by a deede of ~// declaration made for the {.erying} payment, and provision of other legacies portions, and things of ~// 20 that kinde is prescribed bearing date the fourth day of this instant December, And the same to  beEnd of page 1be paid unto her for, and during the nonage of my Sonne and heire. Provided allwaies that this addition shall be in full recompence, and satisfaction of the yearlie payment of fiftie pounds, to her assigned alreade by ~// my saide deed: Item I will and appoynt all my horses, geldings, mares, and cattle whatsoever except my Coache horses which I will to my wife to my Executors for, and towards the performance of my last will 25 and testament Item I doe bequeathe, commit, and appoynt the duration, and bringing by of my first sonne and heyre and the disposition of his marriage unto Edward Ramsey Esquire [6] humblie before hime the Kinges Ma(j)stie the right honourable the Master of the Wardes,[7] and the comm(ittees) to whom it shall ~ appertayne That he the said Edward Ramsey may be receated to compound for his marriage and ~// farme of his land, And to {a.ext} of him said Edward Ramsey to be {.ranter} and leasse therof 30 for the benefit of my said sonne I bring will assured that he the said Edward Ramsey will so ordain him, and his estate as shall be to, and for the advantage, and benefit of my said sonne. Item I have ~ given to my daughter Marye five hundred pounds, And to my daughter Elizabeth five hundred pounds to be putt forth for their best advancement as by my aforesaide deede of declaration appeareth to be paid at their ages of twenty and one or dait of marriage which of these shall first happen. / 35 Item I give and devise unto my Sonne Charles the somme of five hundred pounds of lawful money to be paid to unto him at his age of one and twenty years, or sooner if my Executors shall soe //~ think good for his preferment for my desire is that he (that is to saie) my Charles ~ should be bound Apprentice to some {houes.} and will esteemed Marchant, and be brought by ~ in that profession, and trade of life with as care and {consc.ure} of true religion, and ~//~ 40 feare of God as may be had. Item I give unto my Sonne Robert being my second Sonne fift(y) ~/ pounds a year out of my office of C(h)irographer during his life (if there shall not fall saide a Clarkes place in the saide office and he be therein placed) To commence at his age of twenty And one yeare, And to be this assured unto him by his eldest brother, and paiable at (his) feaste dais in the yeare, And for default of such assurance by his elder brother. I doe give unto him 45 five hundred poundes of lawfull money of England to be raised out of the profits of my saide ~// |
| office {un.e.att.} after such defaulte of
assurance. And if anie such place shall {chamiet} ataine hyme to happen, and he be placed therein this annuitie to cease. And then I doe give him two hundred pounds of lawfull money of England out of my saide office of C(h)irographer and no more to be paide him at his saide age of one and twenty yeares. And I doe will if he shall depart this life ~//~ 50 before the saide two hundred pounds be paide him, That then my eldest Sonne shall have the same And foras{ure} has my desire is that it might stand {.oth} Gods good pleasure that my saide sonne / Robert Crompton [8] should profess the common law of this Realme, And to the I would have foure parts of his mayntaynance neare to his hand, I meane to the place of his abode, for I have admit ~ ~ted him of the Inner Temple London. I doe therefour hartyly praise my Executors, and thos to whom ~ 55 I have committed the ordering, and execution of my office of Chirographer of the fynes, That my saide sonne, or such other of my sonnes as shall be my second sonne at the tyme of my deceas should be admitted unto the next Clerk this in my saide office that shall happen to be saide after my decease And that some honest and sufficient Clerke be by myne Executors appointed, and substituted to ~// execute the saide Clerkshipp on his behalfe until my siade Sone shall attayne to the age of eighteene 60 yeares yielding the profitts, and benefits therof to my saide sonne, or to myne Executors to, and for his benefit quarterlie at the end of every tearme Deducting nevertheles such portion thereof for his saide Substitutes owne labours, and payments as my Executors shall think {m.et..}. And my mynde is that my Servant Stephen Wanner be subshituted in the saide underclerks place and (e)mployed ther in so soone as he shall be capable therof, And while he shall will {demiance} him 65 selfe therein. And my will alsoe is that upon everie death of a Clarke, or other determination of his place or Clarkeshipp my saide sonne should succeede, and be preferred to the better place from hyme to tyme till he shall attayne to the best Clarkeshipp next unto the Secondaries. And that in the meane tyme there shall be no permission to anie Clark to exchange allyne, sell away or make over his place wherin he is settled, but that they shall onlie by death, or forfeiture fall to the ~ 70 absolute disposition of those to whom by my saide deede of declaration I have comtted the government of my saide office for my eldest Sonne benefit onlie. I desire my good friend Mr John ~~/ Bigrane maie be regarded in his lawfull desire with all freedome, and libertie concerning his place forEnd of page 2 |
| for I am beholding to hime for his love And
therfore am willing to give that he may (as){sign.} when ~// and to whom he will his Clerkshipp And my will is that if anie of my daughters shall depart this life 75 before marriage, That then her portion for dying shall remayne, and be unto the Survivor or Survivors of them ~ And if I shall have no daughters, then the saide portions so as aforesaide limited to my saide daughters I will ~ and devise to my sonne, and heyre to be to him paide at his fullage of twenty and one yeares. And also if my saide Sonne Charles shall depart this lifebefore his saide portion shalbe paide, That ther my (e)ldest Sonne ~ shall have that alsoe at his paide age. And my will alsoe is that my legacies herby, or by anie codicil herunto 80 {a..eyed} to be given shalbe paide with such money as is or shalbe raised out of the profitts of my office of C(h)irographer of the common Pleas. Item I doe further will that as well for his {Maieslies}, and the Subiects better {s.rin} as for the better raysing of the profitts of the saide office of C(h)irographer for the fynes for the benefit of those for whom I am in nature and duty bounde to provide. That the Clerkes in my said office shall holde and attayne theire places Clerkshipps, and Roomes with theire antient due, and accustomed 85 fees, and priviledges according to theire seniority without disturbance of any deputies, as long as they shall contrieve {i.st}, and demeane themselves in an ordinary, due and honest fashion. Item I do will unto my sonne Henry, [9] To my sonne Thomas, my sonne Edward my Sonne Francis, and my sonne Anthony to each of them one after another a Clarkes place in my said office in the same manner as I have herein devised a plan to my sonne Robert And after their saide brother to be perferred still to the best Clerkshipp and for 90 as it shall fall voide, And I doe will to each of them a peece fiftie pounds a yeare for their lives severallie and (respectfully), The same to commence, and begin (respectfully) at their severall ages of twenty one yeares And to be then assured to them severallie and (respectfully) by theire cloest brother, myt heyre male of mee the saide Sr John in like manner and subiect to the like determination As the saide fifttie pounds heerein before devised to the saide Robert is to be paide from tyme to tyme by the {cloest} brother or my 95 ryt heyre male in manner, and forme aforesaide out of the profitts of the saide office and no otherwis And as for I doe give unto every of them the said Henry, Thomas, Edward, Franncis, and Anthony the somme of two hundred pounds a peece to be paide unto them out of the profitts of the siade office at theire ~//~ severall (qv) and of twenty one yeares, or soone after as the same may be convenintlie raysed, or levied out of the profitts of the saide office. Item I doe commit the education, and bringing by of my Children unto 100 my saide loving wife. And that my Executo.rs shall yearly pay unto my saide wife for the bringing up of my daughters Mary, Elizabeth, my sonnes Robert, Henry, Thomas, Edward, Franncys, and Anthony twenty pounds by the yeare a peece until they shall {respect.ivlie} attayne to ye age of sixteene years And from that age to my sonnes Robert, Henry, Thomas, Edward, Franncys, and Anthony until they ~//~ attayne the age of twenty and one yeares forty pounds exhibition, And to my daughters until they ~//~ 105 severall (qv) and of twenty and one yeare or severall marriages the yearlie exhibition (qv) of thirty pounds a |
| peece, And to my saide sonne Charles my will is
that my Executors pay unto my saide wife yearlie ~// twenty pounds for his education, and mayntaynance till his age of sixteene yeares, And from that age the summe of fortie pounds until he shall attayne to ye age of nyneteene yeares if he shall not be bounde apprentice but be thought fitt for such (e)mployment. All which severall exhibitions (qv) to be paide ~// 110 out of my incomes specified by my saide deede or declaration, and out of my other personall (state) Item I desire that it may be understood (that) my Sisters portions doe not amount to somwhat more then ~// they doe which is in respect of the losse of fortie pounds by Sir Robert Wright Knight To whom one hundred pounds was lent before I came to entermeddle with theire money, Cle which hundred pounds and forty pounds could not be obteyned And therefore it hath beene thought reasonable 115 by my Uncle {Paul}, my Uncle Henry Hudson, and my selfe that the damage should be borne ~// indiferentlie by them all. Item touching the portion of my sister Margarett now departed this ~~ life {ffo.} that I am informed that in lawe, and true equitie it belong to me I have employed it ~ as to me appertaying Item I will that my Executors shall deliver unto William Downes his ~ bond, for I acknowledge my self sattifyed. Item to the end my Executors should the better diference 120 what debts are owing unto me, And what sommes of money I doe owe unto others I have by a ~ codicil here unto annexed sett downe. Item I doe verie wilinglie bestowe upon my brother Edward Crompton over and above his owne meanes all (fee) charge by mee sustained in or towards his ~// bringing up hither unto which ammounteth unto forty pounds or thereabouts. And I doe remitt and release to the saide Edward all debts by him owing to mee hopeing of his brotherlie love End of page 3Change of hand - codicl? |
| 125 putt my hand, and {s.ale} the day and yeare aboutsaide | John Crompton {.ealed}
{subs.r.} bed and ~// acknowledged by the saide Sir John Crompton Knight to be his last will and testament in the ~//~~/ presence of Jo. Gifford, Rich. Andrews, Mattheus Hulfbos; John Bygrave, Adrian ~// Barten, Stephen {P/Ranner}. Money owing to him. Money owing to Sir John Crompton. /~// The Lady Crofts [10] CLle [11]– i50 which I intreate her to paie by cause my debts are greate: / Mr ~// // 130 John Crofts, and Sir Henry Crofts [12] 100le by bond, the bond made in out Robert meade his ~// // {….e}: Sir Arthur Ingrame in {LXle} by bill; William Eldrington Lle. by bond, Marma(duke) = duke Johnson Lle by bond, the same X le. Xs. by bond, The same XXiile Xs. by bond. These in my Custodie his servant Stephen Wanner:/ The same Cle by bond wherof {receavedplete} the bond in Mr Wisemans hands putt in suite by him. William Eldrington {in..} by bond ~// 135 It was Cle The rest receaved by Mr Hary Lee hath made his {arompt} for it. Mr William ~~ Boswell Lle nothing to shewe for it. Sir Henry Crofts Liile for the which beeing it is for his sonnes mayntaynance in Francie I doe entreate it may be paide certainly to my Executors. Summe total is 647le. Soe that the debt owing by him are more then the debts owing to him by 1883le John Crompton. Sir John Crompton his debt owing by him ~. 140 Money owing by Sir John Crompton. To Mr Kent – C le To Mr {Qulucknett} Cle To ~ Mr West - Cle To Mris Johnson CCle To Mr Longe Cle To Mr {Quac.urst} Lle. To ~ Mr Yeoman CCle {.ne} wherof is for Mr Turner of the Temple deceased CCle. T(o) Mr Rolfe. Cle. To Mr Todd - Cle. To M ris Frances Barker of Bardwell in ye county of Suffolk ~ {CC…le} To Mr Aslie of Berry in ye saide county Cle. To Mr Bower Cle. To Mr ~ 145 Bendbowe Cle. To Mr Richard Stockton - Cle. To Mr Hayton - Cle. To Mr Stone ~ Cle. To Mr White - Cle. To Mr Williams - Cle. To Mr Thurston - Cle. To Mr Harryson - Cle. These procured by Mr Church and Mr Bower. To Mr Fenn - Cle. To Mr Edward Crompton - CCCle. Summe totall 2530le. |
 |
| Transcription code | |
| /and\ {....} {.a.r} [..] which ~ goe (sold) i/j long ƒ/ƒƒ |
text inserted by the scribe above the line letters lost through blot, cropped paper, or illegible - one dot per missing letter some illegible or unknown letter - one dot per missing letter letters supplied by transcriber from possible end of line contraction scribal contraction expanded - supplied letters in italics end of line contraction or ending on next line words with their original spelling that can be translated into a modern word modern letter or word substituted are interchangeable - subiect/subject the long 'ƒ' has been transcribed as 's'. 'ƒƒ', at the beginning of a word, has been transcribed as 'f' |
More information
1 James 1 King of England and Scotland 1603-25
2 This suggests the will was written in the 21 year of James’ reign, being 5 December
1624, a date after the will was proved London 04 May 1624. Dugdale’s Visitation of Yorkshire dates
the will as 05 December 1623.
3 King James VI of Scotland from 1567 to the Union in 1603. Being on the Scottish
throne for 57 years again places the year of writing the will as 1624.
4 Thomas, Sir John’s father left to his son John the gift of a guilt bowl with the
cover from Sir Christopher Hatton's, the late Lord Chancellor Office of Cirographer
(Chirographer?) (see 1600info1)
5 Sir John was Chirographer from December 1622 to January 1623
6 Edward Ramsey lately deceased 20 June 1629, Gentleman Sewer in Ordinary to Charles
1
7 During the reign of Henry VIII in England, the Court of Wards and Liveries was
established from 1540 by two Acts of Parliament, Court of Wards Act 1540 and the Wards and
Liveries Act 1541. Its purpose was to administer a system of feudal dues; but as well as the
revenue collection, the court was also responsible for wardship and livery issues. As Master of
the Court, from 1561, William Cecil was responsible for the upbringing and the administration of
their estates during their minority of orphaned heirs to the peerage. In 1610, James I attempted
to negotiate with Parliament a regular income of £200,000 yearly in return for the abolition of
the hated Court of Wards. While the negotiations failed, the episode showed Parliament that the
Royal Prerogative could be up for sale. The Court was formally abolished by the Tenures Abolition
Act 1660.
8 John Crompton, the recorded first born is believed to have died before 1623. He
appears to be dead at the time of writing the will.
9 Son of John Crompton, christened 06 March 1615 Saint Margaret, Lothbury, London,
first mentioned in this will
10 Lady Croft – Sir John’s mother-in-law
11 Cle Roman numeral C, from the Latin centum plus Librae £100 Equivalent to £10550
BERPI in 2010, Lle Roman numeral L, from the Latin quinquaginta plus Librae - £50
Equivalent to £5275 BERPI in 2010
12 Sir Henry Croft – Sir John’s
brother-in-law
Glossary - Source: Oxford English Dictionaries on-line
Source:
English Handwriting 1500-1700: Basic conventions for transcription
The National Archive: PROB 11/143/467 referenced to Sir John Crompton of Skerne, Yorkshire
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Version A2 Updated 21 July 2019 |