ever sythence the purches therof by this defendts father, byne in lease by the demise of the said complte. And the lease therof beinge nowe somewhat nere expyred, wherby a greater value is to be yearly raised therby, they the said complts doe nowe trouble and moleste this defendte by unjuste sute in lawe, thinkinge therby (as yt shoulde seme) to wringe from him this defendte some further recompence for the said premisses then they have alreddy received; Without that that yt was agreed that the said Edmunde Lamberte shoulde have and enjoye the said premisses in anie other manner & forme (to the knowledge of this defendte) then this defendte hath in his said answeare heretofore expressed. And without that that anie deeds or evidencs concerninge the premisses, that of righte belonge to the said complts, are come to the hands and possession of this defendte; as in the sayd byll is untruly supposed: And without that that anie other matter cause or thinge in the said complts byll conteyned materiall or effectual in the lawe to be answeared unto, towchinge or concerninge him this defendte, and herein before not answeared unto, confessed & avoyded traversed or denied, is true, to this defendts knowledge or remembrance, in suche manner & forme as in the said byll the same is sett downe and declared. All which matters this defendte is reddy to averre & prove as this honorable courte shall awarde. And prayeth to be dismissed ther hence with his reasonable coste and chargs in this wrongfull sute by him unjustly susteyned. OVERBURY. No. III. Powle. The Replicacon of John Shakespere and Mary his wief, Plent to the Answere of John Lamberte Defend. The said complaynts for replicacon to the answere of the said deft saie that theire bill of complaynt ys certayne and sufficient in the lawe to be answered: which said bill and matters therein contayned these complts will avowe verifie and justifie to be true and sufficient in the lawe to be answered unto, in such sorte manner and forme as the same be sett forthe and declared in the said bill; And further they saie that thanswere of the said defendendte is untrue and insufficient in lawe to be replied unto, for many apparent causes in the same appearange, thadvantage whereof these Comp.ts praie may be to theym nowe and at all times saved. Then and not ells for further replicacon to the said answere they saie, that accordinge to the condicon or proviso mencoed in the said Indenture of bargaine and sale of the premisses mencoed in the said bill of complaynt, he this comp. John Shakspere did come to the dwelling house of the said Edmunde Lamberte in Barton uppon the Heath uppon the feast daie of St. Michaell tharcheangell which was in the yeare of our Lorde God one thousand fyve hundred and eightie', and then and there tendered to paie unto him the said Edmunde Lamberte the said fortie pounds, which he was to paie for the redempcon of the said premisses, which some the said Edmunde did refuse to receyve, sayinge that he owed him other money, and unles that he the said John would paie him altogether as well the said fortie pounds as the other money which he owed him over and above, he would not receyve the said fortie pounds, and immediatlie after he the said Edmunde dyed, and by reason thereof he the said deft. entered into the said premisses and wrongfullie kepeth and detayneth the said premisses from him the said complt Without that, that any other matter or thinge materiall or effectuall for these complts to replie unto and not herein sufficientlie confessed and avoyded denyed and traversed all which matters and things this complaynants are redie to avere and prove as this honorable co't will awarde. 1 Eight. in orig. 2 E. L. died in 1586, according to the account of his son John. And praie as before in theire said bill they have praied. J. STONE. No. IV. "In the name of God, Amen, the xxiiijth daye of November in the yeare of our lord God 1556, in the third and the forthe yeare of the raygne of our soveraigne Lord and lady, Phylipe and Mary, kyng and quene, &c. I Robert Arden of Wylmcote in the paryche of Aston Cauntlow, secke in bodye and good and perfitt of rememberance, make this my last will and testament, in manner and forme folowynge. 66 Fyrst, I bequethe my solle to allmyghty God and to our blessed laydye sent Marye, and to all the holye companye of heven, and my bodye to be beryde in the church yarde of Seynt Jhon the baptyst in Aston aforsayde. "Also I geve and bequeth to my youngste dowghter Marye all my lande in Willmecote, cawlide Asbyes & the crop upon the ground sowne and tyllede as hit is. And vili. xiijs. iiijd. of money to be payde ovr ere my goodes be devydede. Also I gyve & bequethe to my daughter Ales the thyrde parte of all my goodes moveable & unmoveable in fylde and town, after my detts and leggeses be performyde, besydes that goode she hath of her owne att this tyme. Also 1 gyve and bequethe to Agnes my wife vili. xiijs. iiijd. upon this condysione, that [she] shall sofer my daughter Alice quyetlye to ynyoye halfe my copye hould in Wylmcote duryng the tyme of hir wyddowewhodde and if she will nott soffer my daughter Ales quyetlye to occupye halfe with her, then I will that my wyfe shall have but iijli. vis. viijd. & her ginture in Snytherfyelde. : "Item, I will that the resdew of all my goodes moveable & unmoveable, my funeralles & my dettes dyschargyde I gyve and bequethe to my other children to be equallye devydide amongeste them by the descrysyon of Adam Palmer Hugh Porter of Snytterfyld & Jhon Sher lett, whom I do orden & make my overseres of this my last will & testament, & they to have for ther peynes taking in this behalfe xxs. apese. Allso I ordin & constytute & make my full executores Ales & Marye my daughteres of this my last will & testament, and they to have no more for ther peynes takyng nar as afore geven them. Also 1 gyve & bequethe to every house that hath no teme in the parish of Aston to every howse iiijd. "Thes beyng wyttnesses, 66 Wylliam Bowton, Curatt. "Adam Palmer. "Jhon Sherlett "Thomas Jhenkes "with other more "Probat fuit &c. Wigorn. &c. xvii°d. die mensis Decembris anno dni 1556." The Will of Agnes Arden, the widow of Robert Arden, was proved at Worcester, March 31, 1584. The precise date I am unable exactly to ascertain, as that part of the paper which contained it has been worn away by time; but it was made in the 21st year of Queen Elizabeth (1579); and it appears from the Register of Aston Cantlow, as I have already mentioned, that she was buried there Dec. 29, 1580. From her will, I learn that she did suffer her daughter Alice quietly to enjoy the moiety of the copyhold mentioned by her husband, for she devises to Ja Hill her part or moiety of the neat crop in the fields, paying the Lord's rent. It appears that John Hill and John Fulwood had married two of the sisters of Mary Shakspeare. To each of the children of John Hill and John Fulwood she gives a sheep; to the poor of Aston Cantlow ten shillings; to Avery Fulwood two sheep; to Richard Petifer one sheep; to John Page and his wife (who perhaps was also her daughter), vis. viiid.; to Joan Lambard, xiid.; to John Hill her best platter of the best sort and her best platter of the second sort; one porringer, 3 one saucer, and one candlestick; two pair of sheets, her second pot, and best pan; to her son-in-law, John Fulwood, all the rest of her household stuff; and one brown steer two years old; to each of her brother Alexander Webbe's children, twelve-pence. She makes John Fulwood and John Hill her executors and residuary legatees, in trust for their children; and Adam Palmer and George Gibbs overseers of her will, which is witnessed by Thomas Edkins, Richard Petifer, "with others." "The Inventorye of the goodes moveable & unmoveable of Robert Ardennes of Wylmcote late dessesid made the ixth daye of Decemb' in the thyrde & the fourthe yeare of the raygne of our soveraygne lord and ladye Phylipe & Marye king & quene, &c. 1556. 66 Imprimis, in the halle ij table bordes, iij choyeres, ij formes, one cobbourde, ij coshenes, iij benches & one lytle table with shelves, presede att viiis. "Ib. ij peyntide clothes in the hall & v peynted clothes in the chamber, vij peire of shettes, ij cofferes one which presede at xviiijs. "Ib. v borde clothes, ij Toweles & one dyeper towell, presed att vis. viijd. "Ib. one fether bedde, ij mattereses, vijj canvases, one coverlett, iij bosteres, one pilowe, iiij peyntide clothes, one whyche presed att xxvjs. viijd. "Ib. in the kechen iiij panes, iiij potts, iij candell stykes, one bason, one chafyng dyche, ii cathernes [caldrons], ij shelletts, one frying pane, a gredyerene & pott hangynges with hookes, presed att ljs. viijd. "Ib. one broche, a paire of cobbardes, one axe, a bill, iiij nagares [augres] ij hatchetts, an ades, a mattock, ayren crowe, one fat, iiij barrelles, iiij payles, a gyrne, a knedynge trogh, a long seve, a hand saw, presed at xxs. ijd. "Ib. viij oxen, ij bollokes, vij kyne, iiij weynyng caves, xxiiijli. "Ib. iijj horses, iij colts presed att vijjli. "Ib. Ito [52] shepe presed att vijli. |