STEPHEN LEEDAM d. 1628.

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In the name of god my heavenly father, whose will I desire to observe, as in other things, soe especiallye in this my laste will and testamente, in the disposinge of the thinges of this life, which he in mercye, hathe made me a  stewarde over. I Steven Leedam of Swadlincote in the Countye of Darbye husbandman, doe make and ordeyne this my laste will and testamente in maner and forme following. First in the spiritte of humilitie, I comitte my soule to god that made itt and to my lord and saviour Jesus Christe my redeemer, in and throughe whom I hope to be eternally saved, And I comitte my body to the grounde from whence itt came, and to be buryed in suche place as to my Executrix shall seeme moste conveniente. Ite I give and bequeathe to my two children the some of fortye poundes of good and lawfull money of Englande equallye betwixte them. And my minde and will is, that the saide moneye shal be paide and delivered into the hands of my quersters of this my laste will and testamente, for and to the behoofe and benefitte of my saide two children, within the space of one whole yeare, nexte after my decease. Item I give and bequeathe to my daughter Elizabeth, the longe table in the house, with the frame belonginge to the saide table, two joyned formes, two buffette stooles, the newe joyned  bedde, in the newe chamber, withall the furniture to itt belongeinge, namelye one feather bedd, one bolster, stuffed with feathers, two of the beste pillows, two of the beste pillabeers, one payre of the beste flaxen sheets, one payre of the beste hempe sheets, the rugge, the beste coverlidd and the beste blanckette,, And I do further give and bequeathe, to my said daughter Elizabeth, the cubberde, the brasst panne, the great coffer in the parlour, and five of the beste platters, Item I give and bequeathe to my youngeste childe Steven, the table in the parler, and the bedd in the parler, with the flocke bedd, the beste matterisse, one payre of  flaxen sheets, beinge the beste nexte to my daughters saide flaxen sheets, one payre of hempe sheets, beinge alsoe the beste nexte to those that my saide daughter is to have, one bolster stuffed with flockes, one pillowe, one twilly sheete, And the  seconde couverlette, one copper coffer in the parler, And the new brasse potte, All the reste of my goods and chattels unbequeathed ( my debts and legacies beinge payde, and my buriall decently performed ) I give and bequeathe to Alice my wife, whom I make and ordeine my onely Executrix of this my laste will and testamente And further my will and mynde is, that my said wife, shall have the occupation of the saide housholde goods, which I gave and bequeathed, to my children as aforesaide, until sutch time as they shall accomplishe their overall ages of twenty and one yeares, or till suche tyme, as itt shalbe fitte and convenyente, to deliver the saide housholde goods to them if my saide wife shall soe longe continue widdowe. But if she after my deceacse shalbe marryed. That then speedilye before or after the solommization of her saide marriage my quersters of this my will and testamente, shall remove all the saide housholde stuffe, which I have bequeathed to my children as aforesaide, to some place where they may conveniently stand, until my saide children shall accomplishe their saide overall ages of twentye and one years, Att which saide overall ages, I will that they shall have their saide housholde goods, and their saide portions of twentye pounds a peece  in moneye, with suche intreast as shall arise thereof, in the meane time, of  which saide some of fortye pounds I have now in readiness, thirtye pounds, or about, And I will that shortly after my decease, it be made up fortye pounds, by the sale of some sheep and younge cattell, which may well be spared, And that the saide fortye pounds shalbe ..( 4/5 words unreadable ) .. within one yeare nexte after my decease as aforesaide, And further my will and minde is that if after my my decease my saide wife shalbe marryed, that then speedilye before or after the solempmization of the marriage my saide querseers shall make a newe surveye of all the goods then remayninge in the house or custodye of my saide wife or her assignes and shall take into their custodye, for the behoose and benefit of my said children, soe much stuf as shall make my saide childrens portions to amounte to two thirds parts of all the goods, leavinge onely thirde parte for my saide wife. But if shee will not be marryed, And as a tender and lovinge mother, walkinge in the feare of the lorde, and endeavouringe, to do her children the beste good shee can, firstle to teach them to feare god, and then to traine them upp, for such places as may be thought to be fitte for them in the matters of wordlye  impleymente, then I will that shee shall        all  the goods which I have heerby bequeathed unto her, And alsoe the said occupation of my childrens housholde goods aforesaid . Ite concerninge the indenture of lease, of my messuage or tenemente, and all other things therby demises my will and minde is , that my said wife shall have the benefitte of the said lease, and of the demi….        premisses from and after my decease duringe the terme of the said lease, And that shee shall pay cause to be payde to my brother yearlye from and after my decease, duringe the terme of the said lease, the some or yearly annuitye of fiftye shillinges  of lawful money of Englande. But if my said brother will not accept the said annuitye, but will refuse itt, then my will and minde is, that my wife shall forbeard and cease from payinge therof, or of anye parte therof and shall stande to, and take the force and benefit, of the kolease which I have, And further my will and mynde is that if my saide wife shall leave the said messuage or tenemente, and shall remove and dwell in some other place before the expiraton of the said lease, that then my said brother shall have the firste offer and bargaine of itt, before anye other, if he will accept of it . And I do so ordeine and requeste my unckle m. Gabriell Rosse of Norton juxta Twycrosse in the countye of Leicester Clarke, and my loveinge friend William Addams the elder of Larcotte to be Quersters of this my last will and testament.

In witnesse wherof I have hearunto sette my hand and seale dated the eighte and twentieth daye of November in the fourthe year of the raigne of our souvraigne lorde Charles by the grace of god, king of Englande, Scotlande France and Irelande defender of the faithe     

Anno Dmi 1628.

These being witnesses                                      

George Towne

Francis Jackson

NOTE.

A statement written in a different hand has been added at the end of the will. It is badly written and appears to be in Latin. It appears to be an affidavit made by the executrix Alice Leedam in connection with the granting of probate

The statement is signed at the bottom:

Jurat (a Latin word meaning a statement of circumstances in which the affidavit was made) :

Alicea Leedam

Carolus Twyfsley.

Transcribed by Tony Saunderson

8 January 2004.    

The INVENTORY to the WILL of STEPHEN LEEDAM d. 1628.

The true and perfect Inventory of all the goods, chattel and cattell, moveable and immoveable, which STEPHEN LEEDAM late of SWADLINCOTE in the Countye of DARBYE husbandman dyed seizes of, prises and valeues upon the sixteenth daye of Februarye Anno Dmi 1628 :/ by us whose names are underwritten:/

GEORGE LOCKE

JOHN NUBOLDE
EDWARDE GRIMLEYE :/

                        Cattell

Item. 4 kuyne                                                                                       £10- 6 s- 8d

Item. 2 heifers.                                                                                      £  3- 6 s- 8d

Item. 5 Yearlinge beastes                                                                      £  5- 10s- 0d

Item. 3 Vayeninges.                                                                                       36s- 0d

Item. The one halfe of his house and lineinge,  beinge by lease, duringe

          one  womans life and rated att 5 yeares value.                              £12- 10s- 0d

                       Sheepe

Item. 33 sheepe                                                                                    £ 6- 10s- 0d

                       Horses

Item. 4 horses                                                                                      £10- 0 s- 0d

                       Poulterye

Item. 2 swine                                                                                               24s- 0d

Item. Pulleyn                                                                                                 7s- 0d

                       Corne and haye

Item. blade in the feilde kut and wheate                                                 £ 9- 0 s- 0d

Item. Corne in the barne and maltt in the house                                      £11- 5s- 0d

Item. Haye in the barne and a rycke                                                      £ 3- 0 s- 0d

                       Implements of husbandry

Item. 2 olde cartes, a harrowe, a plowe, geares for 4 horses, a

         yoake  and other implements belonging to husbandry                      £ 4- 10s- 0d

                       Housholde stuffe in the house

Item. a table, 2 formes, 4 stooles and a chaire                                              26s- 8d

Item. wainescotte worke                                                                             40s- 0d

Item. a cubborde                                                                                          6s- 8d

Item. a spitte, cubborde landyron creesers, potte hookes, fire shovle

         pestell and tonges                                                                                          10s- 0d

Item. a bench, 2 shelves and other implements                                               3s- 4d

                       in the parler

Item. a bedstead, a matterice, a fether bedd, 2 bolsters, 4 pilloes,

         2 blanketts, and a rugge                                                               £ 5-  8s- 0d

Item. a table, a cheste, a copper and a boxe                                                20s- 0d

Item. 6 payers of sheets and a halfe, one longe towel,

         5 pillabeers, 5 table clothes and 8 napkins                                      £ 3- 0s- 0d

Item. the painted clothes there with other implements in the

         same room                                                                                              6s- 8d

Item. 2 peeces of newe woollen clothe and a bearinge clothe                         24s- 0d

                       in the chamber over the house

Item. 2 beddesteads, a matterice, a paire of sheets, a blankette,

         a couverlette, 2 twillies, a bolster                                                       19s- 8d

Item. lynnen yarne                                                                                       9s- 0d

Item. sackes and bagges                                                                              6s- 8d

Item. a shelfe, halfe a flitche of bacon and other implements in the

         same room                                                                                         6s- 8d

Item. boards and joists in the same roome                                                    20s- 0d

                       in the chamber over the parler

Item. a beddestead, a flocke bedde, a bolster, a pair of blancketts,

         a pair of sheets, and 2 couverletts                                                      53s- 4d

Item. a stone of woolle                                                                              16s- 0d

Item. Butter and cheese                                                                                         15s- 0d

Item. 2 rydeinge sadles,  with other implements in the same roome               17s- 0d

Item. boards and joists there                                                                       12s- 0d

                       in the Butterye

Item. 2 barrelles, 2 loomes, 6 pales, a churne, 2 formes, a shelfe,

         and other implements in the same roome                                            13s- 8d

                       in the Larder

Item. pewter                                                                                              20s- 0d

Item. brasse vessel, a kimnell, 2 doores, a payre of stayres,

         and other implements in the same roome                                             50s- 0d

Item. his apparel and bookes                                                                 £ 3-  0s- 0d

Item. moneye in his purse                                                                     £30- 0s- 0d

                                               Sum totall of the

                                               whole Inventorye is                                           £140- 9s- 4d                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Transcriber’s notes.

A note has been added to the original inventory that cannot be deciphered and which maybe in church law latin. To be added to the transcription at a later date.

2. Words above in italics may have been transcribed incorrectly and need further consideration.

Tony Saunderson

6 January 2004.

Anyone with an interest in the LEEDHAM name can contact myself