Edmond Shepey (d.1509) – Last Will and Testament (Transcript)

Edmond Shepey’s last will and testament was written on 25th May 1509 and probate was granted on 23rd November of the same year.  He bequeaths his property to his wife, Anne Shirley, during her lifetime, to revert to his rightful heir on her death.  Following an inquest post-mortem Edmond’s manor at Smisby as well as other property passed to the Kendall family through the marriage of his sister, Margaret, to Bartholomew Kendall.

A copy of the last will and testament is available through the National Archive in Kew, London.  It is record PROB 11/16/571 and is under the Bennett register of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and related Probate Jurisdictions.

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The below transcript has been completed as written, with spellings and grammar uncorrected to modern English.

1. in dei nomine amen The xxv^th day of May. The yere of o^ur lord god m^fv^cfix I Edmond Shepey Esquier
2. beyng in hole mynde and sounde memory make ordayn and declare this my p^resent testament and last will in man^er Ir fo^urme
3. folowing ffirst I bequeth my solue to almighty god and to his blissed moder our lady seynt mary and to all the holy seynts And
4. my body to be buried in the church of the priory of Bredon / And my best house beyng in thesame pisshe at the tyme of my decesse
5. for my principall / And I will that all my dette Be fully content Ir paid w^thout dycrimncon / And I will that Anne my wif
6. have and enioye to her owne use all my lands and tente rente reversione and surcs medowes leased and pasture woods wart^er
7. mylnes and other myn hereditaments w^th th app^urten^ance in Smythesby in the countie of Derbye Swethland Browneshey lo=
8. therworth Bettyswell ffrolesworth kylinecoke / mekyll shepey in the countie of leycs mekyll amengton Ir litell amengton
9. in the countie of warx^s for t^erme of her lif w^thout pechement of wast / And after the decesse of thesame Anne then I will that
10. sir henry willoughby and other my coffeoffers shall alyeme and sell all my lands and tente and other hereditaments in
11. Swethland / And w^th the money that they shall preyve for thesame that they will vouchsave to Bye and p^urchace
12. other lands and tente to the yerely value of xx^li / And therof make or cause to be made A sufficient and lawfull estate
13. to Edward Shepey my bastard son for t^rme of his life / the Reversion therof to my right heire for ever / Also I will that aft
14. the decesse of thesaid Anne thesaid feoffez shall make or cause to Be made to John Kendall my sisters son A sufficent and
15. lawfull estate of lands and tente to the yerely value of xls. for t^rme of his lif The Reversion therof to my right heire for ever/
16. and also I will that my said feoffez after the decesse of thesaid Anne shall ffond and Be seased of the Reversion of the residue
17. of all thesaid lands and tente and other hereditamente to the use of my right heire for ever / Also I will that thesaid Anne
18. shall synde to thesaid Edward and John mete Ir drynk and clothes / according to there degree durng the lif of thesame
19. Anne they doynot to her convenyent synce / Also I will that thesaid Anne shall fynde an honest preest to syng for
20. my soule and the soules of the anncesters of me and of the same Anne / three or fowre yeres aft her mynde / And I will th^t
21. Sir Rauff Shurley Knyght have the best fysshepole in Smythesby / w^th all the fysshe in the same duryng his life / And I beqth
22. to the churche of the priory of Bredon vis vijd. And to the Cathedrall church of Lincoln xxd / And to the church of vliescroste
23. vjs vijd / And to the church of Repington vjs vijd. And to the church of Swetheland ij kye / And to the church off
24. Rotheley vjs iijd. And to the church of thurkaston vjs iijd. And to the Chappell of woodhous vijs iijd. And to the
25. Chapell of mountsorell vjs vijd. And to St James Smythbye vijd And to Richard Shirley my brother in law A
26. yoke of oxen / And to hugh latymer A yoke of Bulloks. And to my suster margaret Kendall a kowe / And the residue of all
27. my goods and catalls not bequithed I geve and Bequeth to thesame Anne / And I make and ordeyne thesaid Sir Rauff Shurley
28. and Anne myn executours / In witness wherof to tis my p^rsent writtnt of my testament and last will I have setto
29. my seale / three wittnes Sir Henry Shurley p^arson of the church of Braylisford Nic^olhas Shurley gent willin Oker gent
30. Jamys Smyth Chapleyn Thomas mower and other moo I