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In the name of god amen and the xxiiij day of mey in the yeare of our lord god 1619 I William MEY alles MEYS in the town of Yaxley in the countye of hunttingtun beinge god be thanked in perfecte memorye haeth ordeayn and made this his last will and testament as folloeth first hee bequeth his sowle unto thye hands of almightye god [my] creator and to Jesus christe my redemer and the holye gost my santifyer th…. suredlye to be partaker of the celestall Joys prepared for all the electe by the onlye meritte of christe Jhesus and my bodye to be lape in a shete with my sherte on and put in atome and bered in the parishe churche of Rushden In the countye of Northamptun I give to the sam church and poores people of the parishe together with them my poorest of frends or kingred on hundred pounds of corante monye to by som land medow clouse or other aneuite and the rent that com of it yearelye to be givn vjs viijd to the church and xxxiijs iiijd to the poorest folke of the sayde town such as be ether blynd ore lam olde fatherlesse infante and poore wedowe and espesshallye to such as feare god and non ells to som more & som lesse as there nede is the other part of the rent be it other xls ore more ore lesse the poorest of and nearest of my kinred shall have toe som more and som lesse lykewysse and to such as feare god and dwell in the sam town ore other wheare within ten milles and this and these parts shalbe devided onc everye yeare and given to such partis as is aforsayd by the executors for there tym being and after them to the churchwardens or cunstables of the forsayde towne from {the sam use for ther tym} yeare to yeare onc ayeare forever and to begin the sam day of my bereall or within to dayes after to pay the sayde monye or rente of iiij pounds more or lesse and soe abought that tym twolmoneth again and soe to conteneue onc ayeare for ever iijs. iiijd. of the vjs. iiijd. shall goe to asurmont every yeare the rest to the church and repare of prayer [put] on the walle or nye wheare I am bered if I can bestowe the hundred pound for ten pound ayeare wyle I lyve and iiij pound ayeare for ever it is my desyer if not I will leave the sayde money to be bestowed by the executors administrators or asyngens doe wahat they can and to take som tym for the bestoinge of it but as sum as may be and let the monye the wylle and pay the iiij pound ayeare as is sayd before to the use aforsayd the rent that they make more than iiij pound let it goe to the stocke to by land or if anye man will asuer to the executor as much land as is souficent for the pament of the sayde iiij pound ayeare forever with good asurance if the executor thinke good he may if he can make more of it he may the rent of iiij pound to be certayn wylle till the money be bestoed and alsoe after if I bestoed my selfte or els it may be more or lesse as it is bestoed my will is that my sester Jane have xxs. ayeare of the monye given to my kinred as longe as shee lyve if shee be a wedowe or otherwease if shee be poore and my (*deletion) olde goun and on of my best linnin bands and to see my other sester if shee have nede to give hur I give all my houssholde stouft to be devided equallye between Willm MICHELL (*deletion) the beede to goe as it is all the other to the other excepte my rament my bettere sute to Willm MICHELL and some to Willm MEY my best goun to my exectutor and all the rest to the poore that have most nede if my executor will he may kept the stouft and give fyve pound of monye in sted therof I have reserve my toom out of my stouft to be bered in my bokes my executors shall have and the xx pound I promesede in my letter if they doe bestowe the hundered pound as aforsayd but if I doe it my selft eare god take me awaye they shall have but fyve pound and they rest of my monye or goods that I doe not or have not geven and bequede my selft my will is that my executors shalbestoe it amunst my poorest kindred wheare most nede is and if it should fall out In tym that all my kindred should be worn out as is sayd before and non left then all the money that they should have hade shall goe to the poore of the sayde town: my will is alsoe that if the sayd rent of iiij pound that come of the land should not be pade as it ought to be by them that have the land and soe ther may be truble abought it the sayde church wardins and constables is toe have there charges agine out of the rent that com of the land for the tym and soe do give upe there counte every yeare to the minnister and executors ore on of them and som of the parish howe the money is bestowed.
I doe apoynt Jhon TAPPE of Rushden or Lewes TAPPE to be my executor of this will and Thomas MEY and Thomas WOLSTON, James PECKE and Peter SAWNDERS to be the overseares of it and for that I give them and ech of them iijs. iiijd. a pec.
Witnesis the forsayd men by me William MEY the elder
Probate granted 13th May 1630 Estate valued 150£.8s.6d.
A Codicill to be annexed to the last will and testament of William MEY als MEYES late of Rushden in the Countie of Northampton deceased. The said defuncte after the making of his said last will and testamente being of perfecte mynde and memorie did by worde of mouth declare his purpose and meaninge touchinge some parte of the contents thereof in manner & forme following vizt. (whereas he had bequeathed in his said will unto his sister Jane the summe of twentie shillinges a yeare as by the said Will more at large appeareth and his sister departed this life before him the said testator) he the said deceased gave and bequeathed the said twentie shillings a yeare unto William MITCHELEY of Rushden aforesaid weaver duringe his naturall life. In the presence of Lewes TAPP and John MEYES witnesses.
Lewes Tapp
*The Parish Register states - William MEY bachelor buried 19 Apr 1630
TRANSLATION
In the name of god amen and the 24th day of May in the year of our Lord God 1609 I William MEY alias MEYS in the town of Yaxley in the County of Huntingdon being in good and perfect memory hath ordained and made this his last will and testament as follows First he bequeaths his soul into the hands of Almighty God my creator and to Jesus Christ my redeemer and the Holy Ghost my sanctifier topartake of the celestial Joys prepared for the chosen ones by the only merits of Christ Jesus and my body to be wrapped in a sheet (with my shirt on) and put in a tomb and buried in the parish church of Rushden in the County of Northampton I give to the same church and poorest people of the parish together with my poorest of friends or kindred one hundred pounds of current money to buy some land meadow close or other annuity and the rent that comes from it yearly to be given 6s.8d. to the Church and 33s.4d. to the poorest folk of the said town that are either blind or lame old fatherless infant and poor widow and especially to those who fear God and no others to some more & some less as their need is the other part of the rent be it another 40s or more or less the poorest and nearest of my kindred shall have to some more and some less likewise and to those who fear God and dwell in the same town or elsewhere within ten miles and this and these parts shall be divided once every year and given to such parties as is said before bythe executors for their life-time and afterwards by the churchwardens or constables of the said town from {the same use for their time} year by year once a year for ever and to begin the day of my burial or within two days after to pay the said money or rent of £4 more or less and so about that time in 12 months again and so to continue once a year for ever 3s.4d of the 6s.8d. to go to assure every year and the rest to the church & for repairs to the prayer on the wall or near where I am buried If I can bestow the £100 for £10 a year while I live and £3 a year for ever it is my desire if not I will leave the money to be bestowed by the executors administrators or those assigned to do what they can and to take their time in bestowing it and lend the money for a while and pay the £3 a year as is said before and if it earns more than £3 a year the profit to be used to buy more land or to any man who will assure the executors he can make more than £3 a year he can use it until the bestowals. My will is that my sister Jane is to have 20s a year out of the kindred share as long as she lives if she is a widow or poor and my old gown and one of my best linen bands and to my other sister if she has need. I give all my household stuff to be divided equally between William MICHELL the beadsman to go as it is with my best suit and some to William MEY. My best gown to my executor and all the rest to the poor that have most need. If my executor wants he may keep the stuff and give £5 money instead. I have kept my tomb clothes to be buried in. My executors to have my books and £20 I promised in my letter if they do as I have said but if I do it myself before I die they shall only have £5 and the residue to be bestowed by my executors to my poorest kindred who need it most but if they are all dead then the money is to go to the poor of the town. If the rent money is not paid and trouble is caused then the churchwardens and constables to sort it out and take another fee and give an account to the minister. I appoint John TAPPE of Rushden or Lewes TAPPE to be my executor Thomas MEY and Thomas WOLSTON James PECKE and Peter SAWNDERS to oversee it and I give them 3s. 4d. each.
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