Harley MS 4136

A composite collection of indentures and last wills relating to Essex, compiled between 1580 and 1612, inter-mixed with copies of account rolls in an earlier hand, and leaves from an English cloth merchant's account book from the early 1540s. The latter's notes indicate that they were a merchant of the Company of the Staple at Calais.

Contents:

f. 1r: A cloth merchant's note: 'This boke mad the x day of July Anno xxxij H VIIJ [1540] for wat wares I by to send in to fllandars and the chargys of them and wat wares I receive from [? Jhon] bace and wat wares I sell and sheppyng of them'. f. 1r: A cloth merchant's note: 'Thys boke madd now the ij day of June Anno 1541 ffor all tynges that I take up by exchang and watt dettes I have'.

f. 1r: Note on those exempt from fasting: 'Egere, pregnans, progens, laborans, vetus, infans, ex his es fueris non ieiunare teneris'.

f. 1r: Memorandi about the buying of horses in 1584-1588, beginning: 'bought medcalffe my black colte the xxixth [...] 1586 which to good wyll of Mr Byttens he was [...] ffyrst of Aprill 1584 or ther aboutes And I had to me the xxth of September 1586 and sent hy[m] in to Rocheford hundred [hundred of Rochford, Essex]'; 'bought Arroacre my bay geldinge the ijth of Ap[ril] at which day he was vj yeares olde he most be shedd and not tyed to a Smythes fforge'; 'Whytlocke my Rounded horsse came ffrom Mr Whytlocke the xxijth of July 1588 and is at that day vj yeares olde'.

f. 1r: 'A medycyne for the Colde flegme and Stuffinge in the stomacke'.

f. 1v: Household notes, beginning: 'Receipt of William ffrestone the last day of July'.

f. 1v: An obit for a yeoman from Maldon: 'Wyliam Roosell of Maldon [Maldon, Essex] yoman dyed one thursday the xxiijth day of January 1593 Anno xxxvj Elizabeth [...] and was buryed at Maldon aforsaid'.

f. 2r: 'A note taken of Robert Wordesworth of Byrche Magna at his [...] owse in yorkeshire the ffyrst of Aprill 1590'.

f. 2r: 'A note taken the xxi day of Marche 1590 of the last wyll and testament of Thomas Borcham [...] in the yeare of our God 1576'.

ff. 2v-3r: Indenture of 20 Henry VIII between John Biggleswade, prior of Caldwell Priory in Bedfordshire and Anthony Darcy, Esquire, about the rectory of Tolleshunt in Essex and Vicarage of Towson Major, with the note: 'This lease was made in the the requeste of our lord god 1528 for 99 yeares'.

ff. 4r: A cloth merchant's notes concerning payments, dated to 1541, including an instruction for a sum 'to be payed at andwarp'.

ff. 5r-5v, 7r: Indenture of 33 Elizabeth I [1591] between Thomas Ive of Much Totham in Essex and William Sickerlinge of Holton.

f. 6r: Indenture between 'John L[ore]' and 'E'.

f. 8r: Indenture between William Pollard and his wife Margery and John Harries concerning Bourchiers Hall, Tolleshunt, in 1591.

ff. 8v-9r: View of Francpledge with Court of Sir John Petre, Knight, 1588/9.

f. 10r: A cloth merchant's notes concerning payments; crossed out.

ff. 11r-12v: 'The Last wyll and testament of Myddle John Whytlocke [of Totham] who dyed thrity yeares past at this January 1583'; the will was drawn up in the year 1500.

ff. 13r-14v: Rental of Mundon Hall Manor of St John's Abbey, Colechester, from the reign of King Henry VIII, beginning: 'Rentale Manerij de Mundon Monasterio Domini Johannis Bapitste'; ending with a note verifying the copy's veracity by Thomas Ive and John Whitacres, 1585.

ff. 15r-16v: Documents relating to Hatfield Peverell from the reign of Henry VIII, with a genealogy of John Gebney [Gybney].

ff. 17r-18r: Doucments relating to Mundon Hall from the reign of Henry VIII.

ff. 18v-21r: Documents relating to Bradwell Hall from the reign of Henry VIII, with a genealogy of John Smyth.

ff. 22r-23r: Indenture between Arthur Heveningham of Suffolk and Richard Whitlock of Essex, 14 Elizabeth I.

ff. 24v-32r: A cloth merchant's notes concerning payments and sold goods, e.g. to 'J[o]han Sanddars stapelar' [to be payd at Andwarp'], 'Rychard Hylttone Habbard Dasshar', 'Robard pecoke', 'my masters the wardens of the drapers', 'Roger Warnar draper', 'Jhemes Levesonne staplar', 'Krystover ffyllypes servantt of Kendall', 'Jehan Batte', 'Harre ffysser stapelar', 'Thomas Wettly'; with the dates 1540-1543.

ff. 33r-36r: 'Certayne coppies of Evidence appertanynge to certayne ffrehold landes cawled Glocester hampstall holden of the Mannor of Muche Stambridge in Essex now the Landes of John Roosell'.

ff. 37r-39r: 'A recovery in Wyckham Corte in Essex from G[eorge] Peare to Henry Hodgeson of Heybridge'.

ff. 39v-40v: Indenture concerning the lease of lands in Essex by Elizabeth Broune, widow, late wife of Wistan Broune, 1580/1.

ff. 40v-41v: Indenture concerning the lease of lands in Essex by William Godfrey of Coopersale, Essex, 1582/3.

ff. 42r-42v: Indentures for Nicholas Tryvy and his wife Sibilla concerning tenement of 'Morellys' from the 17th, 27th, and 28th years of the reign of King Henry VIII.

ff. 43r-43v: Last will of Richard Cocke of Stratford, Suffolk, in which he bequeaths possessions to Alexander Boreham of Burnham in Essex, dated 1579.

ff. 43v-45r: Last will of Helen Cocke of Stratford, wife of Richard Cocke, dated 1579; followed by witnesses 'for the overthrowinge of Ellyns Cockes will', dated 1579, but with the date 1585 written below, with their signatures (copies).

f. 45r: Pedigree of Alexander Boreham of Burnham, Essex.

ff. 45r-45v: Genealogy of Robert Donnynge, and Pete Hall, West Mersea, Essex.

ff. 47r-48r: Last will of John Croke of Hockley, Essex, 1547; with additions.

ff. 50r-52r: Indenture between Thomas Woodward of Stratford, Suffolk, and Nicholas Parmer of Ipswich, concerning an Inn called the Swann previously belonging to Richard and Helen Cocke, dated 1584.

ff. 53r-53v: 'The Taske Rowlle in the Parishe of Kelvedon here after ffolloweth every mans dutie'.

ff. 54r-55v: Pedigree and last will of John Marlen of Kelvedon, Essex, 1450.

ff. 55v-59r Last will of Thomas Marlen of Kelvedon, Essex, 1474; followed by two additions.

ff. 60r-60v: Pedigree and will of John Phippe, Essex, and the manor of Wickham.

ff. 61r-62r: Indenture between Leonard Aylet of Feering, Essex, andand his sons Robert and Leonard, from the reign of James I [? 'xxxviij'] .

ff. 62r-62v: Indenture between John Blake and Christopher Blake, 1595/6.

f. 63r: 'Indenture quadripartite'.

ff. 64r-66r: Last will of John Cripps, mariner, of Salcott Wigborough, Essex, 1586.

ff. 67r-69v: Last will of William Meerke of Langenhoe in Essex, 1501.

ff. 70r-71r: Indenture between Thomas Ive, John Poovye and John Gawber of London, and, on the other part, Christofer Gilbert of Farningham, Kent, 1588.

ff. 72r-73v, 75r-76r: Writs from the Court of Southminster, Essex, relating to John Boreman, from the 25th year of the reign of King Henry VIII.

f. 74r: A merchant's instructions to the executors of his will for the repayment of a debt: 'Be hytt knowen unto all men that I A. B. merchant of the Stapel off callis doe owe unto W. A. the Sum of LX ll ff'; dated 25 January 1541.

f. 74v: A merchant's notes on payments, crossed out.

ff. 77r-78v: 'The aunswere of William Turnor defendant to the bill of complaint of Thomas Larke and Margaret his wife complainants'; and 'The recplicacioun of Thomas Larke and Agnes his wife Complainants against William Turnor defendant', Southminster, Essex, 1569.

f. 79r: Fine levied before the Court of Maldon in Essex.

ff. 79v-80r: Indenture between George Tuke and Margaret, his wife, of Layer Marney, Essex, and William Aylett of 'Revenhall', Essex, 1568/9.

f. 81v: Indentures between John Whitlock and Robert Cook, dated 1612/3, and John Whitlock and John Orme of London.

ff. 82r-83v: Indenture between three parties: William Wroth; John Saunds; and Raph Handen and Samuel Wharton, 1612.

ff. 84v-89v: Last will and testament of Robert Cammocke of Layer Marney, 1581.

ff. 90r-92r: An inquisition taken after the death of Anne Bourchier, 7th Baroness Bourchier, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1570/71.

ff. 92v-94r: Henry Somersom's feoffment of a House in Chelmsford, Essex, 1560/1.

ff. 94v-96r: The grant of 'Campes Close' in Little Totham, Essex, to Henry Appleyarde and so to Sir Arthur Heveningham, 1569/70.

ff. 96v-97v: The will of John Agoddishalfe of Great Totham, 1504, followed by related feoffments and documents naming Richard Sammes of Great Totham.

ff. 98r-99v: 'Vera Copia feoffamenti pro Junctura Elizabeth Cooke et pro [..] ffiliee sue Elizabeth modo uxoris Thome Wyld de Kempsey in Com. Wigorn. ar. et hered. eiusdem Elizabeth felie'.

ff. 99v-100r: Account notes, headed 'In Bassingesshawe' [similar to the copies of the 'Task rolls' on ff. 53r-53v, 110v-112v, and 113v-114r].

f. 100r: A question on feoffments.

f. 100v: Crossed out fragment of an indenture.

ff. 101r-104v: Indenture between Leonard Sandell of Hatfield Peverell, Essex, and John Churche of Little Sampford, Essex, for the sale of the manor and rectory of Woodham Mortimer, 1563/4.

ff. 104r-107v: Letters Patent of Philip and Mary of the manor of Great Totham, Essex, Mickleton and Lyme.

ff. 107v-108v: Indenture between three parties: Raph Eve and his wife Susan; Adrian Molt; and Mark nutt and Weston Eve, in the 11th year of the reign of [unspecified].

ff. 109r-110r: A cloth merchant's notes, entitled: 'Thyes yes to know watt dettes I do owe', listing names including 'J[o]han Atterford' and 'J[o]han batte', 'J[o]han de pape', and 'Markes cornelyes of makelyne [? Mechelen, Belgium]', dated 1541, 1543, 1544.

ff. 110v-112v: Account book of Great Totham, Essex, beginning: 'Much Totham - The taske booke of Much Totham of old Customes gathered for a whole Tenth and fifteenth within the same parishe'.

ff. 113r-113v: Indenture between John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, and John Busshe of Messing, 1561, entitled: 'the demyse off certayn Cotages and landes in Messinge Appertaininge to the ffree Scole in Earles Colne made by the Earle of Oxford to John Busshe'.

ff. 113v-114r: 'This is the xvth to the Kynge of little Totham cum Goldhanger'; ending with the note: 'This taske roll wherof this is the coppie by the Auncient handwritinge therof seemeth to be in the tyme of H. 6, E. 4, R. 3 or the begynning of H. 7'.

f. 114r: A cloth merchant's notes, entitled: 'Thys ys for sheppyng'.

ff. 114v-116r: Indentures from the time of Elizabeth I, including one between John Wakeman of Tillingham, Essex, and Thomas Rochell of Ashdon, Essex, concerning the manor of Tillingham, 1594/5.

f. 117r: A cloth merchant's notes, entitled: 'This clothe delyvered to Mr doctor of the blake ffryars the x day of octobr to ssell for me'.

f. 118r: A cloth merchant's notes, entitled: 'Made in Rememberans for Jhon Bate over with hym the last day of decembr anno 31 H. VIIJ'; including items such as: 'Item to speke to markes cornelys to know why he doss natt hend me my C of smalle kettyles that I gave hym'.

f. 119v: A cloth merchant's notes.

f. 119v: An obit: 'Leonard Saundell Esquier dyed the xiij day of Octobre beinge the day of the translacion of St Edward in the yeare of our Lord god 1570 Anno regni domine Elizabeth nunc Regine Anglie duodecimo'.

f. 119v: Calculations on the duration of the year: '[The] dayes in the yeare are CCClxv - The quarter of the yeare is in dayes as yt is adiudged in Lawe Lxxxj - The odde day is not to be rvived in the quarte of the yeare for that yt is not to be devided etcaetera'.