The Last Will and Testament of Mary Ring

I Mary Ring being sick in body but in prfect memory thanks be to God, doe make this my last will & Test. in manner & forme as followeth.  ffirst I bequeath my sowl to God that gave it me & my body to the earth from whence it was taken.  Next my will is that such goods as God hath given I give also.  I give unto Andrew my sonne all my brasse and pewter.  I give unto my son Andrew my new bed & bolster with the ffether to put in it wch I have ready.  Item I give to my son Andrew two white blankets, one red blanket wth the best Coverlet wch lieth upon my bed & the curtaines.  It. I give unto my sonne Andrew three pre of my best sheets & two paire of my best pillow beeres.  It. I give also him one dyapr tablecloath & one dyapr towell & half a dozen of napkins.  It. I give unto him all my wollen cloath unmade except one peece of red wch my will is that my daughter Susan shall have as much as will make a bearing Cloath and the remainder I give unto Stephen Deanes childe.  It. I give unto my sonne Andrew my bolster next the best.  It. I give unto him my truncke & my box & my Cubbert.  It. I give unto him all my cattle.  It. I give unto him halfe the Corne wch growth in the yard where I dwell, And the other halfe I give unto Stephen Deane.  It the rest of my Corn in other placs I give to Andrew my sonne.It. I give to Steph. Deane my ---- to make him a Cloake.   It Timber yt I lent to mr Wynslow that Cost me a pownd of Beaver beside a peec more that they had of me.  It. I give to my son Andrew all my shares of land that is due to me or shall be.  I give to my sonne Andrew all my tooles.  It. the money that is due to me from the Governour forty shillings As also the forty shillings of Commodities I am to have out of England.  I give unto him also ---- except the green Say wch I give unto Stephen Deanes childe to make her a Coat.  It. one peece of new Linnen I give unto my sonn Andrew.  It. I give unto my daughter Susan Clarke my bed I lay upon wth my gray Coverlet & the teeks of the two pillows : but the ffethers I give unto my son Andrew.  It. one ruffe I had of goodman Gyles I give to my daughter Eliz. Deane.   All the rest of my things not menconed I give unto my daughters to be equally devided between them.  I give unto my son And all my bookes my two pr of potthooks & my tramell, one cowrse sheet to put his bed in, & all the money that Is due to me from goodman Gyles.  And my will is that he shall have the peece of black stuffe.   The goods I give my two daughters are all my wearing cloathes, all my wearing linnen.  It. I give unto mrs. Warren one woodden cupp with a foote as a token of my love.  It. my will is that the Cattle I give my sonne be kept to halfes for him by Stephen Deane, or at the discretion of my Overseers to take order for them for the good of the childe.  It. I give to Andrew my soone all my handkerchers buttoned or unbuttoned.  It. I give to Andrew one silver whissell  It. I give him one course kercher & one fine kercher.  It. my will is that Andrew my son be left wth my son Stephen Deane; and doe require of my son Deane to help him forward in the knowledge & feare of God, not to oppresse him by any burthens but to tender him as he will answere to God.  My Overseers of my will I institute & make my loving ffriends Samuel ffuller & Thomas Blossom whom I entreate to see this my will pformed according to the true intent of the same.  And my will is that my son Andrew have recourse unto these two my loving friends for councell & advice & to be ruled by them in anything they shall see good & convenient for him.  Also my will & desire is that my Overseers see that those goods wch I have given unto my sonne Andrew be carefully preserved for him, untill such time as they shall judge it meet to put them into his own hands.  My will also is that if my Overseers shall see it meet to dispose of my sonne Andrew otherwise that wth his Brother Deane That then my son Deane shall be willing to consent unto it, & they to dispose of him, provided it be alwaies wth the good will of my sonne Andrew.  I give unto Andrew a linnen Capp wch was his ffathers, buttons for his handkercher unbuttoned I leave for him.  My will is that Andrew my sonne shall pay all my debts & chargs about my buriall.  In witnes whereof I set my hand before witnes.
Mary Ring.

The inventory of the goods of Mary Ring, deceased 1631

Note: inventories are valued in pounds (L), shillings (s) and pence (d).  There were 12 pence (or pennies) to a shilling and 20 shillings to a pound.

[textile term glossary]

For biographical information about Mary Ring, click HERE.

For a glossary of textile terms, click HERE..

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