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In Dei nomie amen the XXth day of Aprill 1567 and in the nynth yere of the Reinye of o' sov'eigne lady Elizabethe by the grace of god of England ffrance and Ireland Quene defender of the faythe etc I Alice sayer of hinwicke within the p'isshe of Polyngton in the Contie of bedf' widowe late wyfe of (40130) willm sayer of hinwicke aforsayd husbandman deceassed being holle of mynd & ingood & p'fete memori laud & praise be unto almyte god doo make & ordeyne this my p'sent testament conteyned herein my laste wyll in manr & fowrme as ffolowth fyrst comend my soule unto almighte god my macare ad redemer & my bodye to be buried in the churche yeard of podyngton aforesayd

"Item I bequethe & geve unto the poore of the sayd p'ise VId.

"Itm I bequethe to the Reparcion of the sayd churche or to the mainteans of the belles there IIs

"Itm I bequethe unto my dowetur (20065) alse west wife of (20065[2]) Robte weste & unto him the sayd Robt towe pore of shets thone of flaxe thother payre harden half a quarter of malte one candlestyke one late basone twoe pewter platters & one table clothe

"Itm I bequethe unto (40131iv) wyllm sayer the younger & unto (40131v) Robt sayer chyldren of (40130) wyllm sayer theelder unto (20065[2][1]1) John west & (20065[2][1]1) gorgs west chyldren of the sayd Robt west & unto ev'y one of the sayd chyldren a hogrell.

"Itm I bequethe unto (40131iii[2]a) wyllm makernes the yonger towe hogegerells

"Itm I bequethe unto ev'y one of my godchyldren one stryke of barle or XIId of mone to be at the elleccon of the executo

"Itm I bequethe unto wyllm pickeryng wyllm peere & allce pickering a hogerell or a lambe unto ev'y of the persons laste befoe Rehersed

"Itm I geve & bequethe unto (40131i) Thomas my sonne all the reste of my sheppe & all oth' my shepe wheresoew they pasture or be (except before bequethed) thre mylche beassts namely brockell old chery and youg chery one yong mare one gret parre & tow pylobers tow quarters of malte VI payers of shets on table cloth a towel & IIIIor platers all the Residewe of my goods not bequethed my detts payd & funerall expeses discharged I geve & bequethe unto wyllm sayer my sonne whom I constitute & make executor of this my sayd testamet & laste wyll unto who I geve & bequeth halfe a quarter of malte for his paynstaking to se all things done accordyng to the teno' and true meanyng herof

"witness of this laste wyll francis wodmansey vicar Edmond Squier wyllyiam Sayear wyllm abbott agnes squier a'ctor cuultis allyis

"Pro fuit hoc testm aute script' apud Bedf' XVIs die Jun II a' dni 1567 Cora mro Johe' langford Comiss' Bedf' comisse administratio execut' norat'.

(ARCHDEACONRY OF BEDFORD, Lib. XV, p. 3.)

"In the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghoste, so be it. Be it knowne unto all men by theise presentes that I Thomas Sayre of Hynwicke in the parishe of Podington in the countie of Bedf. yeoman the 30th of Maye in the yeare of our lorde god 1581 and in the 23th yeare of the raigne of our soveraigne ladie Queene Elizabeth &c being sicke in bodie butt whole of minde, and of perfecte memory ordaine and make this my laste will and testament in manner and fourme followinge

"that is to saie firste I bequeathe my soule into the handes and tuicion of god almightie my onely savour and redeemer through Jesus Christe whoe died for me and by his deathe and pretious bloude shedding hathe delivered me from the thralldome & bondage of sathan sinne deathe and hell and hathe purchased for me an everlastinge inheritance in his kingdome of glory wch throughe true faith I stedfastly beleeve my soule shall enter into and possesse with full ioye presently after it is dissolved out of this life and I committ my bodie to the earth whence it was made being to be interred in the churche or churche yarde of Podington aforesaid and att the laste and general daie of Judgemant I beleeve that my bodie shall rise againe and be ioyned to my soule and so beinge glorified shall live with Christe for ever in his kingdome of glory

ffirste I give and bequeathe to the poore of the parishe of Podington aforesaide to be indifferently devided by the discretions of my executrix minister and church wardens there where most neede is VIIs

Item I give and bequeathe to the poore of Wemington to be likewise distributed in manner & forme aforesaid where moste neede is IIIs

Item I ive and bequeathe to the poore of Odell to be distributed in manner & fourme aforesaid where moste neede is Vs

Item I give and bequeathe to (40131iii[2]a) Willyam Makernes the younger in full payment of a lagacie of one hoggerell or younge sheepe to him given by the laste will of my late deare mother (40131) Alice Sayre deceassed XI£

Ite I give and bequeath to (40131iv[1]) Elizabeth Sayre late wife of my late brother (40131iv) Willyam Sayre late deceassed all such goodes & cattells wch late was delivered to me by Inventory or else the price of the same goodes theaein expressed to the vse of the said Elizabeth and to the vse of the children of the saide Willyam Sayre the tyme for the inioying of the farme & occupyinge whearein my beloved wife (40131i[1]) Margery Sayre and Elizabeth Sayre her sister now inhabite as allsoe the tyme for deliveringe over the same parcelles of goodes & cattalls abovesaide to be sett downe by the deliberate advise of such overseers as heare after shall be maed by this my will

"wch thinge if they cannot in full wise decide then I will that they shall choose & electe suche wise and indifferent men as they shall thinke meete to determine the same cawse this beinge allewaies my will that my wife my sister Elizabeth Sayre and my well beloved nephew William Sayre to give their consents in the same arbitrements to be made that nothinge be donne any wayes either by overseers or others by their appointment in any cawses concerninge this my will without the consent of my saide wife her sister Elizabeth Sayre and Willyam Sayre that theareby as well my wife her sister Willyam Sayre & the reste of the poore children of my brother may have every waye that is due upo them & my selfe theareby to be discharged of the dutie in consciens wch I my selfe am bounde to for them all deducting unto my saide executrix forthe ofthe p'cells aforesaide

"aswel the some of XX£ paide unto Richard Wagstaffe & Elizabeth now wife to Robert Laudes as allso suche somes as I have laide forthe divers & sudry tymes about the placinge out y saide nephew Willyam Saire as otherwise in extraordinary chardges wch I have beene att by the schoolinge of the children of my saide brother.

"Item I give and bequeathe to (40131iv_a) Robert Sayre my nephewe V£ whearof I hadd by three bullockes to me solde by the overseers of my brother his laste will by the praisers of the goodes to e delivered LVI£ VIIId.

"Item I give and bequeathe to (40131iv_a) Thomas Sayre my nephewe IIII£ Xs

"Item I give and bequeathe to (40131iv_c) ffrauncis Sayer my nephewe XXs and to (40131iv_d) Alice Sayer my neece XXs all the saide legacies to be paide & delivered vnto the chilldren abovesaide when they shall come to the age of XIX yeaes.

"Item I give and bequeathe to everyone of my godchildren VId

"Item I give and bequeathe to Margery Sayer my wife all those my leeses as of one tenemt in Hinwicke called Sir Percies lande with their appurtennncs & allso the reuersion of the same landes wch I bought of gent and allso of my cloose in Wemington called Rushe bushe cloose and allso all that my lease of one yarde [year?] lande wth the appurtenncs lyinge in the towne parishe and feildes of woolaston in the countie of North: and allso all my righte of one cloase lying in Chillington nighe the river side and all my righte title interest terme and termes of yeares wch I have in the premisses above saide.

"Item I give and bequeathe to Willyam Sayre my nephew 30s

"Item I will that my saide wife shal further the saide Willyam to have the vse of any of my saide [sic] bookes and that she give vnto him any of the saide bookes that shall be best for his purpose.

"Item I give and bequeath to John Coxe my man one quarter of malte

"Item I give and bequeathe to John Hull one quarter of Malte.

"Item I give and bequeathe to (20065[2][1]1) John West VI: strike of malte

"Item I give and bequeathe to Thomas Greene twoe strikes of malte

"Item I give and bequeathe to Anne Lambert my maide serv'nt three strike' of malte

"Item I give and bequeathe to (20065) Alice Weste my sister one royall of goulde

I will that all my legacies laste recited shall be paide & delivered to them to whome they are given within the space of a yeare and a quarter afte the daie of my deathe: the residue of my goodes nott bequeathed my debtes paide & funerall expences sischardged I give and bequeathe vnto my deare and lovinge Wife Margery Sayre whome I make executrix of this my laste will and testament desiringe and chardginge her before the lorde to performe & fulfill this my will willinge & desiringe the saide Margery & Elizabeth her sister as allsoe all my brothers chilldren & the others wch I have hadd the chardge of for theire bringinge vpp quietly and dutifully every of them to behave themselves towardes theire mother and aunte as allsoe to all other theire elders w godes glory may shine and be sett forthe by them:

"Item I constitute and make my deare freindes in the lorde Robert Hattley Esqr John Harveye Esqr Robert Smithe & George Hilles overseers of my laste will and testamente desiringe them most humbly in the lord to see the same performed and to be good vnto my saide deare wife and my poore afflicted sister and to my brothers chilldren & to doe for them in good cawses what they maye willinge and chardginge them and every of them that in all cawses what soever may arise in any cawse concerninge my will to dispose and order the same in such wise as before in this my will is expressed for the benefitt & best profitt for the saide Margery Elizabeth and the reste of the chilldren:

"all other willes I revoake & call in & make this my last will to stande in force: In wittnes whearof I have subscribed the same with my owne hande the daie & yeare above written in the presence of Steven Hodges, John Barnes, Edmonde Squier and Willyam Abbott the ellder.

"Probatum fuit Hmoi testam' cora' nobis Willimo Smithe tt d'cor' comissar' et offic' archinat' Bedd: 3th die mesis octobris Ao dni 1581 de per nos approbat' et coissa bonorn dic' def' admo executrici in deo testato norat in forma iuris iurat' salvo jure cuiuscug etc.

"(ARCHDEACONRY OF BEDFORD, Lib. XVIII, p. II.)"