The Annals of the Barber-Surgeons of London

by Unknown

For the inscription on Sir John Aylef’s tomb, which formerly stood in St. Michael’s Bassishaw, see page [89].

Sir John Aylef’s will, dated 26th September, 1556, was proved 24th December, 1556. He was, he says,

At this present somewhat sicke in bodye;—ffirst and principally I give and com̃end my soule unto Almightie god and to my Savio^r and Redemer Jesus Christ his onely begotten sonne by and throughe the merittꝭ of whose bytter passion I truste to have Remission of my synnes and to the holie goste three parsons and one god and to all the holye & blessed companye of heaven, and my bodye to be buried in holie grave in suche decent order as to the goode discretion of my Executors hereafter named shalbe thought mete and convenient for myne Estate and degree withoute pompe or glorie.

To the parson of St. Michael Bassishaw for tithes and oblations forgotten 20s. To every priest singing in that church 10s. To the clerk of the same church 5s. To the sexton 3s. 4d. To the repair and maintenance of that church £5. To the parson of Pricklewell, Essex, for tithes and oblations forgotten, 20s. To the reparation of that church £4. To the chapel of Bridewell in London £5, and one vestment for a priest to say mass there when the chapel should be made ready. His goods and chattels in London he directs to be divided into three parts, whereof one-third to his wife, one-third to his daughters Marie and Alice and the other third to his executors to the performance of the will. Having already given his sons John and Erkynwald £300 apiece, he gives £100 more to each. To Elizabeth Harvard £10. To Robert Buckle (his wife’s brother) £10, and to each of his children 40s. To William Symson, his servant, £10. To John More, his servant, £10. To John Etonfelde £5. To Gyles Strowden, his clerk, £3. To Christopher Vaughan, his clerk, £2. To Thornton, his clerk, £2. To Bromefelde, his clerk, £2. To Millecent, “my Wyfes kinswoman servant in my howse,” £20. To “Joane her sister my maide,” £20. To every one of his servants in London and the country 20s. To Thomas Eson, if he remain in Lady Aylef’s service, £5. To George Vaughan,[316]—

My boke of Guydo and all my Instrumentꝭ Boxes and other that dothe in any wise belonge to Surgerie. To Mr. Vykarie £5. Item I bequethe to the company of Grocers for a repaste tenne poundꝭ. Item to their clerke xx^s. Item to their bedell xx^s. Item I give to the companye of barbors for a repaste at my buryall fyve poundꝭ and to the beddell of the same company of barbors tenne shillings Item I give to the governors of the hospitalls belonginge to the citie of London to make them a dynner at my buryall fyve poundes and to every of the beddles of the said hospitallꝭ one blacke Coote and iij^s iiij^d in money.

To the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge £10 each, “to be distributed to the comfort of the poore Scolers w^thin the said univˀsites.” To poor householders in St. Michael Bassishaw “where I dwell” £4, and to those of St. Alban, Wood Street, £2. “Item to the pore householders in the parishe where the barbors hall dothe stande,” xx^s. To poor householders in St. Michael, Queenhithe £2. To the poor prisoners in Newgate 40s., in the two Counters 40s., in Ludgate 40s., in the Marshalsea 20s., in the King’s Bench 20s., and in the Gatehouse at Westminster 10s. “Item to every of the sixe Lazar howses abowte London x^s.” To the poor in Bethlem 20s. To the poor in the hospitals of the City £100 (over and above £100 he had already given). To five poor men and two poor women being “of my kynn dwelling in Grenewiche in Kent to eiche of them xl^s and a gowne of suche Clothe to eiche of theym as shalbe given to the poore at my buryall And my mynde and will ys that yf any other of the poore of my kynn shall w^thin one yeare and a daye next after my decease come to myne Executours approvinge them selfes sufficiently to be of my kynne & blinde That then every of them shall have xx^s.” To his wife Isabel, the lease of his farm at Pricklewell with all the stock there “except my Ryding geldingꝭ,” also the lease of his woods there, on certain conditions. To his son Erkynwald the lease of his farm of Fambridge, in Essex, with remainder to Erkynwald’s son William, and after him to Martha (William’s sister), and in the event of all of them dying without issue to Christ’s Hospital, Bridewell, and St. Thomas’ Hospital. Testator recites that Henry VIII granted to him and his wife Isabel and their heirs the manor of “Greteman” (Gryttenham), Wilts, and that he was seised in fee of the parsonage of Wakeringe (near Rochford, Essex), and of a marsh called Alforde Nash, in the parish of Estwood (near Rochford). All of this property he bequeaths, after the death of Lady Isabel to his son John, with remainder to Erkynwald, then to Marie and Alice, and in the event of all them dying without issue to the three hospitals aforesaid. To the poor of the parish of Bassingham (eight miles S. W. of Lincoln) £20 for coals. (Query: Was Sir John born here?) To three score maids marriages in London £20. To Elizabeth Glasier 40s. Residue to the Lady Isabel. Executors, John Southcott (Under Sheriff of London), Richard Grafton, Grocer, and Lady Isabel Aylef. To Southcott and Grafton £20 each. Overseers, Sir Rowland Hill,[317] Laurence Withers, and John Machell,[318] Aldermen, and to each of them a black gown and £10, also a black gown to each of their wives.

Sir John Aylef’s name has been spelt in many ways, Aylif, Ailiff, Alif, Olyff, Ailyffe, etc.; in his will it is spelt Aliff. But this family must not be confounded with that of John Oliphe, Alderman and Sheriff 1569, buried at St. Laurence Pountney, 4th July, 1577; although Wilson, in his History of that parish, at p. 232, mistakes John the son of that Alderman for John the son of our Alderman.

For some notices of the Aylefs see Aubrey’s collections for Wilts, and Marshall’s Visitation of Wilts.