Will – Elizabeth Kirkley – 16 May 1648

The sixteenth May Anno Regio Caroli Angliae &c vicesimo quarto one thousand six hundred forty eight I Elizabeth Kirkley of the towne of Newcastle widow being sicke in bodie but of a good and perfect remembrance thanks laude and praise be given to Almighty God doe make and declare this my last will and testament in manner and forme following that is to say first and principally I commend and commit my soule into the hands of Almighty God my Maker and Creator and to his sonne Jesus Christ my only saviour and Redeemer by whome and through whose death and passion I hope assuredly for true remission pardon and forgiveness of all my sinnes and trespasses my bodie I commit unto the earth from where it came to be buried within the parish church of St.Nicholas within the towne of Newcastle upon Tyne soe neere unto my late husband Michaell Kirkley marchant deseased as conveniently maybe. As for the worldly goods which the Lord hath endued me with all I give and bequeath as followeth. 



Item I give and bequeath unto the poore people five pounds vizt fifty shillings thereof to the poore of the parish of All saints And other fifty shillings to be distributed unto the poore inhabitants of this Towne of Newcastle upon Tyne at the discretion of my Executor hereafter named. 



Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne Mathew Kirkley and his heyres all that my Burgage or tenement with the appurtenances wherein I now dwell and inhabit situate standing and being in the sayd Towne of Newcastle upon Tyne annein street called the Flesher Rowe togeather with all such heyre loomes as is fixed unto the freehold And also all that my Water Corne Mill with all lands grounds Tenements and appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging called and knowne by the name of hatherweeke Milne situate standing and lying and being within the parish of South Gosforth in the County of Northumberland to have and to hold all the sayd burgage or tenement and water corne mill with all appurtenances and every parte thereof unto my said son Mathew Kirkley and his heyres and fayleing him and his heyres then to Elizabeth Blackett now wife to Wm Blackett Marchant & to her heires & faileing her heires then to John Cooke sonne of Timothy Cooke draper deceased and his heyres And faileing him and his heyres then to Michaell Wood sonne of Edward Wood draper and his heyres and fayleing him and his heyres then to the right and next heyres of mee the sayd Elizabeth Kirkly for ever. 



Item I give and bequeath unto my said sonne Mathew Kirkley one large cupp of silver with a cover guilt togeather with one silver bason and Ewer provided allwaies that when my daughter or any of my grandchildren shall have occasion to use the same that then they shall have the loane and use of the same. 



Item I give unto my sayd sonne Mathew Kirkley one beere bowle of silver one wine cup of silver and one dozen and halfe of silver spoons vizt one dozen of Apostle spoones and half dozen of plane spoones, and as for all the rest and the remainder of my plate I give and bequeath unto my sayde daughter Elizabeth Blacket. 



Item I give and bequeath unto my sayd sonne Mathew Kirkley one full quarter or fourth parte of all my linen the same to be in fower equall partes devided, the other three parts of my linen I give and bequeath to my sayd daughter Elizabeth Blackett and all the rest and remainder of my householde stuffe I give and bequeath to my sayd sonne Mathew Kirkley and my sayd daughter Elizabeth equally to be shared parted and devided betweene them. 



Item I give and bequeath unto my sayd daughter Elizabeth Blackett the summe of one hundred pounds to be paid in manner following vizt fiftie pounds thereof to be paid within the tyme and space of eighteen moneths next after my death and decease and the other fifty pounds within the tyme and space of two yeares next following. 



Item I give and bequeath unto my sayd daughter Elizabeth Blackett the summe of two hundred pounds which was left unto her by her late father the sayd Michaell Kirkley deceased the same to be paid in manner and forme following viz one hundred pounds to be paid within the tyme and space of six moneths next after my death and decease and the other hundred pounds to be paid within the tyme and space of twelve moneths next after my death and decease. 



Item I give and bequeath unto my sister Mary Bonner widdowe twenty shillings for a token. Item I give and bequeath unto my sister Anne Eadon five pounds for a token. Item I give and bequeath unto my sister Dorothy Chapman twenty shillings for a token. Item I give and bequeath unto the sayd Edward Woods my sonne in lawe twenty shillings for a token. Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne in lawe William Blackett of Hoppland [actually her son-in-law’s father] and to Isabel his wife and to either of them twenty shillings for a token. 



I give and bequeath unto John Cooke Timothy Cooke Anne Cooke and Dorcas Cooke and to every of them twenty shillings a peece. Item I give and bequeath unto the sayd Michaell Wood Mathew Wood and Elizabeth Woods children of the sayd Edward Woods and to every of them forty shillings a peece. Item I give unto Alice Woods daughter of the sayd Edward five pounds. Item I give unto William Blackett and Elizabeth Blackett children of my sayd sonne in law William Blackett and to every of them five pounds a peece. Item I give and bequeath unto John Rumney and Anne Rumney, children of the sayd John Rumney and to either of them three pounds a peece. 



Item I give unto Thomas Glover my servant twenty shillings. Item I give unto my servant Elianor Wood three pounds. Item I give unto my servant Jane Woodcock twenty shillings. 



And my will and mynde is that the sayd William Blackett my sonne in lawe shall remayne dwell and inhabit within my now dwelling house for the tyme and space of twelve moneths next after my death and decease in as large a manner as he hath enjoyed the same. 



Item I give and bequeath unto my sayd sonne Mathew Kirkley two webs of new Holland cloath the one fine for bands the other for shirting. And the rest and remainder of my new Hollands cloath I give and bequeath unto my sayd daughter Elizabeth Blackett and as for all the rest and residue of my goods and Chattells as well moveable as unmoveable my debts legacies and funeral expenses being had and discharged I give and bequeath unto my sayd sone Mathew Kirkley whom I make and ordyane my full and sole Executor of this my last will and testament renouncing all former wills heretofore by me made. In witness whereof I have herunto set my hand and seale the day and yeare first above written. Eliz Kirkley witnesses Tho Hareson John Lancaster Antho. Norman.



Probated … quarto die Martii 1650   … Matthew Kirkeley executor