Struggling with a Will from 1583

[Buffnut453]

Hi Folks,

I'm seeking a small Christmas miracle.  I'm struggling to decipher this will from 1583 which I believe relates to my 11th Great-Grandfather, Richard (Rychard) Barton of Ormskirk, Lancashire.

I've included an image of the main record text which hopefully comes through clearly.

The text below covers the scraps that I've pulled together thus far (but which may be entirely wrong).  In the partial transcript below, *** indicates an completely unknown word, while (?) indicates a word that may not be correct.  There are gaps where I have absolutely no clue even how many words might be present:

In the name of god Amen the *** of July 1583, I Rychard Barton sicke in bodye & yeat of good & perfect? memorye god be praysed do make this my last will & testament the manner & forme folowinge

I bequeathe my soule unto the arms of almiytye god trusting through the blessed ***** **** ***** to be **** of those that lived trustinge to his godly ***** And my body to be buri-ed in the parish church of Or[mskir]k Item? I do give & bequest unto Johne(?) my sonne one hayewayne, one ****wayne, one harrowe and payre of plowshares(?), one framing saw & two th****

Tymber ****** belongings, & one roller(?) 

…unto my Sonne Gabriell.  Item: To Johne & gabriell walker? ****** the ***.  Item: my mynde & will is that all the rest of my goods & chattales movable & immovable quick & dead of what qualitye or propty & posn they be so devided into three equall **** the first *** the ****** *** **** to bestowe & at my will as ****** **** ** my funerale *********** that my ** unto my sonne George, & the child which my wyffe is great with all, if it th*** to live until it come to years *** disposition, & ***** **** for it be-fore that tyme, then my mynd & will is that all my ** ***** unto george aforesaid And the **** ** to my wyfe Ann the ****** my retinue/th****(?) equally & to Be divided amonge the viz Gabriell ***: George, & the child *** is to be borne  beloved(?) my wyffe & one *** that name(?) *** child if it live as aforesaid ****** unto the saide gabriell *** and george.  Item I so ****** **** Ann my wyffe & georg Gabriell my sonne thereunto *** my last will & testament And Johne my sonne & Rychard Edwards the **** of the same, his retinue(?)

I'm particularly intrigued by what appears to be a name but which I can't discern, as shown in the smaller attachment.  It appears in a couple of places listed with other sons of the deceased.

Any pointers would be hugely appreciated on either the main text of the will or possible names for the smaller snip.

Many, MANY thanks in advance.

[horselydown86]

I will look at this later but for now, the name in the smaller clip is:  Tho:

This is a standard way of abbreviating Thomas.

[horselydown86]

First third or so:

...ffirst

I bequethe my Sawle into thand(es) of almightye god trusting through

the blodeshidinge of Jesus christ to be one of those that shulbe

saved accordinge to his godly p(ro)mises...

thand(es) = the hands
shulbe = shall be

The son is John although the exact spelling isn't clear.

...one turffwayne...

...payre of plowe Iernes...  [= Irons]

...tow chisseles, tow good

nawgers, one Dishebord w(i)^th tymber therunto belonging & one colfer

wherin Do lye myne evidences...

nawgers = augers
colfer = coffer
evidences = his written documents for leases, bonds etc

I will look at the rest tonight.

[Buffnut453]

I will look at this later but for now, the name in the smaller clip is:  Tho:

This is a standard way of abbreviating Thomas.

Many thanks horselydown86.  That makes perfect sense and closes some key gaps in the record.

[horselydown86]

More:

...And the Rest of my working tooles

I geve unto my Sonne Gabriell It(e)m to Johne & gabriell walker

[damaged but will be a spelling of either] of the(m) ij^s...


...qualitye or prop(er)tye soev(er) they be, be devided into three equll p(ar)t(es)

& the first of the(m) I tak unto my selfe to bestowe at my will & pleasur

that is my ffunerals Dischardged ^I geve^ that my p(ar)t unto my Sonne

George & the child w(hi)^ch my wyffe is great w(i)^th all, if it chanc(e)

to live untill it come to years of Discretion, & if god call for it be=

fore that tyme, than..............................my p(ar)t begeve

unto george............................second p(ar)t to my wyffe And

the third p(ar)t unt(o) my Childre(n) equallye to be devided among the(m)

viz..............................& the child w(hi)ch is to be borne betwe(en) my

wyffe & me w(hi)^ch w(hi)^ch [sic] she is nowe w(i)^th child if it live as is aforesid

or els unto the said(es) gabriell...


ij^s = 2 shillings

[horselydown86]

It(e)m I do co(n)stitute &

make Ann my wyffe & georg Gabriell my son(n)e [sic] thexecuto(ur)s of this...


And Johne my sonne & Rych(ard)

Chadock the ov(er)sers of the same his testibus


his testibus = wonky Latin for hiis testibus = these witnesses

NOTE: 

It appears that some words beginning with e (eg equallye) are arguably written with the Latin ae dipthong character at the start.

I have transcribed these as e because I didn't immediately wake up to what he was doing.

[Buffnut453]

Hi @horselydown86,

Many, MANY thanks for all your help with this document.  There are many terms that I would never have uncovered on my own.

The will is dated around 20 July 1583 and there's a corresponding burial for a Richard Barton at St.Peter & St.Paul, Ormskirk, on 5 August of that year. 

I'm guessing that his son, Gabriell, must have been at least 21 years old in 1583 in order to act as an executor for the will.  Similarly, his son John was probably of age. 

Interestingly, there's a Christening record for a Henrie Barton, son of Ric. Barton, on 18 September 1583.  Perhaps he's the unborn child mentioned in the will?  It certainly matches with the description in the will of Ann, Richard's wife, being "great with all."

There's a Christening for a George Barton, son of Richard, on 9 March 1580/81 which might be the George mentioned in the will, although he was still very young and I'd have expected some mention to be made of him achieving adulthood in order to secure his share of the inheritance.  The 1580/81 George Barton is my 10th Great-Grandfather so it would be particularly interesting if he was, indeed, the son of Richard who died in 1583.

Christening details for John, Gabriell and Thomas are harder to pin down, although they may have been older having been born much earlier.  There's a marriage record of a Richard Barton and Jane Mawdsley in 1564 but even that is only just in time for Gabriell, if he was the eldest child, to be of age at the time of his father's death.

There's certainly a lot to dig through based on the information contained in this will.  Again, HUGE thanks for all the help.  It's been invaluable to me!