Ralph Lemyngton’s Will
4 May 2021
The Will of Ralph Lemyngton a Rich Wool Merchant residing in Loughborough
Merchant of the Staple of Calais, dwelling in Loughborough
Abstract of Will dated 4th May 1521. English. Probate 1521
Soul to almighty God, our blessed Lady St Mary and all the holy company of heaven beseeching them all to pray for him that he may come to the everlasting bliss in heaven Amen
Burial: in the parish church of L
Mortuary: best beast
To high altar for tithes forgotten: 20s
For repair of the steeple: £40
For his burial and month’s mind: £100
For an obit for 60 years @ 10s p.a.: £30
For the purchase of land in mortmain producing 20 marks p.a. to maintain two priests: £320
To the Jesus Gild and Lady Gild: 40s each
To St Catherine’s Gild: 20s
To the Corpus Christi Gild and King’s Gild: 6s 8d each
To the Weavers’ Gild, [Carpenters’] Gild, Tailors’ Gild, Smiths’ Gild, and Cordwainers’ Gild: 3s 4d each
To his godchildren in L: £10
To his cousin, Thomas Marshall: a black gown and £5
To his godson, Ralph Marshall: 40s
To his cousin, Isabel Marshall: a black gown
To his cousin, Catherine Burton: 40s
To his maids in addition to their wages: 20s
To make his two apprentices free of the Staple: £7
To his servant, Thomas Chircheman: £5
To Garendon Abbey: £5
To Ulverscroft and Langley Priories: £4 each
To Gracedieu Priory: 53s 4d
To Ralph and Peter Shilton in addition to his father’s bequest: £80 each
To Alice Shilton: his house after his wife’s death and £120 due to her
To his wife: the house above for her life and 40 marks p.a.; 3 white goblets with a cover parcel gilt, 3 gilt goblets with a cover, 2 salts parcel gilt with a cover, a dozen silver spoons, 2 mazers with a ‘Nutte’ gilt with a cover
Trust: 800 marks to be deposited in a chest in the treasurer’s house in the parish church of L, with three locks (one key for the abbot of Garendon, one the priest, and one his exec)
To his cousin, Ralph Rollett: £50
To Ralph’s son, Ralph: £20
To his son, Affabell: 10 marks
To his daus (Elizabeth, Margaret, Margery, Jane and Ursula): 10 marks each
To his kinsman, John Rollet: £10
To his cousin, James Redmayne, and the wife of James, Alice: £5 and a black gown each
To his goddaughter, Anne Redmayne: £5
To Elizabeth Redmayne: £5
To his godson, Leonard Redmayne: £5
To Richard Richardes: 20s and a black gown
To Sir Thomas Crosbie: 40s and a black gown; 10 marks p.a. to celebrate for his soul, but after Sir Thomas 8 marks to the successor
To William Baker, haberdasher of London: 40s and a black gown
To his cousin, Alice, wife of William Baker: a black gown
To Richard Baker: 40s
To Alice Shilton: a black gown
He forgives Thomas Baker a debt of £10
He forgives Edmund Baker the debt that the testator paid for Edmund when he was imprisoned at Coventry
To Richard Barnarde: a black gown
Exec: his cousin, Ralph Rollet
Supervisor: Sir Thomas Crosbie, clerk
He refers to an earlier testament which specified the arrangements for his funeral
Residuary legatee: Ralph Rollet the elder
Sir Thomas Crosbie to be given £20 by the exec to distribute for his soul
Probate at Lambeth 24 July 1521
Taken from a collection of abstracts of wills from the 16th Century, part of the Loughborough Library Local Studies Collection held at Loughborough Library.