The Smugglers' City
Department of Historical Studies, University of Bristol

William Tyndall's Will, 13 September 1558

Source: Transcribed by Elizabeth England (2003)
Manuscript: PRO PROB 11/42B, fo. 51-2

fo. 51

In the name of god Amen the thirten daye of Septembur in the yeare of oure lorde god a thowsand fyve
hundreth fiftye and eight/  I Wyllyam Tyndall of the cytye of Bristoll merchante whoale of mynde (god be thanked)
doo ordayne and make thys my laste will and testament in maner and fourme followying/  Inprimis I gyve and ~
bequeth my sowle to allmighty god my maker and Redemer trusting stedfastly by the merytes of hys gloryous passyon to
have everlasting lyfe moste humbly besechyng hys gloryous mother and all the hollye saintes in heaven to praye
for me and withe me to my Savyor that his wrath whiche I have mitely deserved maye be pacyfyed and hys mercye
extended and my bodye to be buryed at the discrecyon of myne exectutors and overseers/  Item I bequeth and gyve unto
the poore people wythin the cyte and suburbes of Bristoll twenty poundes to be distrybuted unto them wythin on month
nexte after followying after my departing out of thys wourlde  Item I gyve and bequeth unto Jane my wyfe all that my
howse in marshestreate wythe thappurtenaces wherein I dwell To have and enjoye the same during her lyfe wythe oute
any paying of rente therfore/  And I will that noe syling portall tables chayres hanginges batylments coffers bedsteads
or stoales be removed out of the sayd howse during her naturall lyfe yf she contynew wydowe/ And yf yt happen that my
sayd wyfe do marye she to have and enjoye the aforesayd tenement or howse wythall the drapery sylings portall duringe
her naturall lyfe and she to kepe the sayd howse drye and suffycyently repayred during her tyme/  and after her tyme I gyve
and bequeath the sayd howse wythe thappurtenances wythe all sylinges portalls Batyllments hanginges chayres stooles formes
doores coffers and bedsteades whiche shalbe in the howse at my departinge (other then such as I shall bequeath in thys my
testament) shall remayne to my sonne Thomas Tyndall hys hayres and assignes forever/  Item I gyve and bequethe
to Thomas my sonne on hundreth markes in money/. And to Johan my daughter on hundreth markes in money and to Faith
my daughter on hundreth markes in money/.  Allso I gyve and bequeth unto my sayd thre children all suche plate and ~
howshould stuffe as remayneth in my sayd howse the daye of my death as was myne before I maryed wythe my wyfe as
dothe appeare by an inventary herunto annexed/ All whiche legacyes to be delyvered unto them at the daye of mary-
age of every of them or at the adge of on and twentye yeares.  And yf yt happen any of my sayd children to departe
thys wourlde afore thyre maryadge or adge of one and twenty yeares/ That then I will there parte or partes to re-
mayne to the other that doth lyve And yf yt please god to call for them afore the tyme before appointed/ Then I will
all there legacyes to be dystrybuted as hereafter ys declared (That ys to saye) the thirde parte thereof to be equally dvy-
dyd amongste the chyldren of my brother Rychard Tyndall and my brother Thomas Tyndall and my sisters Anne
and ­ysabeth I meane the chyldren of them fowre that remayne in Lincoln Shire wyther aboute theire parentes &
theother two thirde partes to be bestowed upon the buyldinge of one howse for twelve adged poore people to dwell in
rente free whiche howse I will to be buyldyd at my grownde in Lewans meade late the churche of the gray fryers
wythin the cytye of Bristoll by thone syde of lewans meade towardes the gardayne whiche Mistres Jaye holdeth / allso I
wyll that all my childrens legacyes aforesayde shall remayne in the custody of Jane my wyfe duringe theire nonadge [minority]
yf she doo contynewe unmaryed and will kepe my sayde chyldren Thomas to schoole, Johan and Faythe to doo servyce
in the howse and to use there nedells, finding them meate drinke and clothe wyth other thinges necessary untyll they
be of the adge of sexten yeares / At whiche tyme I will that Thomas shalbe bound prentyce to suche mystery or scy-
ence as he shalbe moste apte, or els kepte to hys lernynge in oxforde yf he be apte and have mynde therunto and
my two daughters to be at the appointment of my oversears by the counsyle of my wyfe yf she be not mynded styll
to have them wythe her/ And yf my sayde wyfe happen to marye, or that she will not be soo contente to use my chyll-
dren gyvinge good suertyes to the mayor of bristoll for the tyme beinge and to my executors and John wyllys
chamberlayne John Sprinte Niycholas Crosbye oversears as well for the usinge of my sayde chyldren in manner aforesayd
as the fullfillinge of my legacyes/ Then I will that ymmedyatly after she shall happen to marry or refuse to kepe my
chyldren being wydowe/ She shall delyver my sayd childrens porcyons unto my executors and oversears/ and to
suche as they shall appointe to retayne yt So that he or they whiche shall have the govornaunce thereof shall
put in suffycyent suertye to the mayor of Bristoll for the tyme being for the saulfe delyveringe of the sayd legacy
in manor aforesayd / And for the well usinge of my sayde children as ys aforesayd / And Further for the performaunce
of thys my laste will and testament / I will that my sayde wyfe shall have and enioye [enjoy] duringe her lyfe my stabell
in marshallstreate wyth theappurtenances / The lease whereof I bought of willyam Donynge, wythout paying any
rente therefore / Allso I will that all my landes and tenementes here in Bristoll after my wyves tyme shall re
mayne as hereafter followeth / That ys to saye / The howse upon the kaye wherein Robarte Taylor nowe dwellythe
wythe the shopp and lytell vaulte therunto belonging that I doo nowe occupye / I gyve and bequeath to Johan my
daughter and the hayres of her bodye lawefully begotten / And for lacke of suche hayres to Thomas my sonne and hys
hayres / And for lacke of suche hayres to Faythe my daughter and her hayres and for lacke of suche haires to the hayres
lawefully begotten of my brother Robarte Tyndall here in thys realme of England / And for lacke of suche hayres
To my righte hayres forever / And my howse in christmas Streate whiche Sampson hamersley nowe dwellithe in
I gyve unto faythe my daugter and the hayres of her body lawefully be gotten and for lacke of suche hayres  to re
mayne to Thomas my sonne and hys haires / And for lacke of suche hayres to Johan my daughter and her hayres
And for lacke of suche hayres to my brother Robarte and hys hayres as ys aforesayd / And all that my stoore howse
wythe the two dwellinge howses one towarde the keye and the other towarde marshestreate wythe my stabell in
marshestreate and thappertenances my two howses in cristmas streate nowe in severall tonures of willyam yonge
merchaunte and John Brothe hoper / wythall that my growndes by lewans meade sometyme the graye Fryars
wythe that my howse in fysher lane nowe in the tonure of Julyan meorte wydowe / And all that my lease
of a certayne grownde in marshestreate whyche I hould of maister Pary for certayne yeares yet to come I gyve
and bequeth to Thomas my sonne and the hayres of hys bodye lawefully begotten / And for lacke of syche hayres To
remayne unto my daughters in suche maner and fourme as ys aforesayd / And for lacke of suche hayres to remayne unto
my brother Robarte Tyndall and hys hayres as ys afore declared / Item I gyve and bequeth to Johan my daughter
all that my lease of a gardayne in Saincte michalls paryshe whiche I houlde of the Batylmewes for certayne yeares
yet to come Allways provydyd that Johan Olde my kinswoman have yt tyll my daughter do marry

fo. 52

Or come to the adge of one and twentye yeares paying the rente therefore / Allso I gyve unto Thomas Tyndall sonne to my
brother Rychard Tyndall syxe  poundes thirten shillinges fower pence / Allso I gyve unto James olde and hys wyfe all that my
lease of the howse wherin he nowe dwellyth during the yeares which I have yet to come wythall sylinges portall hanginges
and other ymplementes of howshold  whiche I have in the sayd howse / Item I gyve and bequeath unto Jane my wyffe
all and singuler suche plate and stuffe of howshould as the broughte wythe her from Tewkysbury and allso on pece of
goulde of twentye duckettes whyche I sente her for a token / Item I gyve to my sayde wyfe two hundreth markes in money
(Upon thys condycyon that she doo make a inste accompte payment and delyvery to my executors of all suche money)
as in my howse as appeareth in an ynventary hereunto annexed / Allso I wyll that myne executors shall dyscharge
her of all legacyes due by her husbandes testament and her father in lawe ys testament / Item I bequeth to the cath
churche of bristoll fyve shillinges / Item to maister hughe Joanes my goastely father fyve shillinges The Resydue of
all my goodes lease and leases shippes and all other goodes whatsoever they be not bequethed I gyve unto Robarte
Tyndall my brother and Thomas Tyndall my sonne whome I do make my executors of thys my laste wyll and
testament Excepte onlye the price of wynes that James Old had whyche I will that my cosyn Johan Old shall have
during my yeares thereupon payinge as her husband James payde, gyvinge suffycyent Suertyes for the payemente
so that she be rulyd by the counsaill of my executors and oversears concerninge her maryadge And I doo appointe name
and constytute John Willy of Bristoll chamberlayne to whome I do gyve fyve poundes for hys paynes & John
Sprinte to whome I doo gyve my beste gowne that I made in London for hys paines and Nycholas Crosbye to whom
I doo gyve three yardes of clothe that I boughte in London for hys paines Oversears of thys my laste will and testament
In wytness hereof maister Thomas Silke prebondary of the cathedrall churche of Bristoll maister hughe Joanes parson
of Saincte Stephans my goastly father Robart Taylor my brother in lawe marchannt / per me Thomas Silke clericum [clerk]
per me hugonem Jones clericum / Item I gyve and bequeath to Jane my wyffe the three alle cuppes parcell gilte to
doo wythe them what she will and the fowre poundes of money whiche Sancte Stephans churche owethe me / Item I
gyve to my cosyn Johan James Olde is wyfe my lease upon the pryse wynes during the yeares upon the same  pay
inge the somes of money specyfyed in the sayde lease and no more / whiche lease ys in my counpter and I will yt be
delyvered her imontynent [imminent] upon my death finding suertyes for paymont accordingly / Allso I gyve to my sayd cosin
Johan tenne poundes in money whiche I promysed her husband and her for to paye for the dyner and chardges of ther
weddinge / In wytnes hereof hughe Joanes clerke my goastly father and Jane Tyndall my wyfe

Probate granted: 7 April 1559