Petrarch was found dead in his library, his head resting on an open book, on the 18th July, 1374. He was within two days of seventy.
Will of Sir Walter Manney
(1371)
“Will of Sir Walter, Lord of Manney, Knight, London, St. Andrew’s Day, 1371. My body to be buried at God’s pleasure, but if it may be in the midst of the Quire of the Carthusians, called Our Lady, near West Smithfield, in the suburbs of London, of my foundation, but without any great pomp; and I Will that my Executors cause twenty masses to be said for my soul, and that every poor person coming to my funeral shall have a penny, to pray for me and the remission of my sins; to Mary, my sister a nun, x pounds; to my two bastard daughters, nuns, viz., to Mialosel and Malplesant, the one cc franks, the other c franks; to Cishbert, my cousin; to Margaret Mareschall, my dear wife, my plate which I bought of Robert Francis; also a girdle of gold, and a hook for a mantle, and likewise a garter of gold, with all my girdles and knives, all my beds and dossers in my wardrobe, excepting my folding bed, paly of blue and red, which I bequeath to my daughter of Pembroke; and I Will also that my said wife have all the goods which I purchased of Lord Segrave and the Countess Marshal. Also I Will that a tomb of alabaster, with my image as a knight, and my arms thereon, shall be made for me, like unto that of Sir John Beauchamp in Paul’s, in London. I Will that prayers be said for me, and for Alice de Henalt, Countess Marshal. And whereas the King oweth me an old debt of a thousand pounds, by bills of his wardrobe, I Will that, if it can be obtained, it shall be given to the Prior and Monks of the Charter-house. And whereas there is due to me from the Prince, from the time he had been Prince of Wales, the sum of c marks per annum, for my salary as Governor of Hardelagh Castle, I bequeath one half thereof to the said Prior and Monks of the Charter-house before mentioned, and the other half to the executors of my Will. To my wife, and my daughter Pembroke, fifteen M florins of gold, and five ‘vesseux estutes ph,’ which Duke Albert oweth me by obligation; to Sir Guy Bryan, Knt., my best chains, whom I also appoint my Executor.”
Will of Edward, Prince of Wales
(1376)
“In the name, &c., We, Edward, eldest son of the King of England and France, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, and Earl of Chester, the 7th June, 1376, in our apartment in the Palace of our Lord and Father the King at Westminster, being of good and sound memory, &c. We bequeath to the altar of Our Lady’s chapel at Canterbury two basons with our arms, and a large gilt chalice enamelled with the arms of Warren. To our son Richard the bed which the King our father gave us. To Sir Roger de Clarendon a silk bed. To Sir Robert de Walsham, our Confessor, a large bed of red camora, with our arms embroidered at each corner; also embroidered with the arms of Hereford. To Mons. Alayne Cheyne our bed of camora powdered with blue eagles. And we bequeath all our goods and chattels, jewels, &c., for the payment of our funeral and debts; after which we Will that our executors pay certain legacies to our poor servants. All annuities which we have given to our Knights, Esquires, and other our followers, in reward for their services, we desire to be fully paid. And we charge our son Richard, on our blessing, that he fulfil our bequests to them. And we appoint our very dear and beloved brother of Spain, Duke of Lancaster; the Reverend Fathers in God, William Bishop of Winchester, John Bishop of Bath; William Bishop of Asaph; our Confessor, Sir Robert de Walsham; Hugh de Segrave, Steward of our Lands; Aleyn Stokes; and John Fordham, our executors. In testimony of which we have put to this our last Will our privy seal, &c.”
“Published by John Ormesheved, Clerk, in the year 1376, in the presence of John Bishop of Hereford, Domini Lewis Clifford, Nicholas Bonde, and Nicholas de Scharnesford, Knights, and William de Walsham, Clerk; and of many other Knights, Clerks, and Esquires. Proved 4 idus June, 1376.”
Will of Lady Alice West
(1395)
Some wills, although they cannot be called curious, are highly interesting, and excite great curiosity in the reader. For instance, Lady Alice West, widow of Sir Thomas West who fought at the Battle of Crecy, and an ancestress of the De la Warr family, by her will, dated July 15, 1395, and proved on September 1 following, bequeaths to “Johane my doughter, my sone is wyf, a masse book, and alle the bokes that I have of latyn, englisch, and frencsh, out take the forsayd matyns book that is bequeth to Thomas my sone.” Who can help wondering what books, and particularly what English books, this good old lady had at a period five years before the death of Chaucer, and nearly eighty years before the first book was printed in England? Perhaps two of them were Robert of Gloucester’s “Rhyming Chronicles of England,” and Robert Langland’s “The Vision of Piers Ploughman.”
Will of Lady Alice Wyndsore
(1400)
“Will of Alice, widow of William Wyndsore, Knight, at Upmynster, on the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, August 15th, 1400, 1 Henry IV. My body to be buried in the parish Church of Upmynster on the north side before the altar of our Lady the Virgin; to the said Church one of my best oxen for a mortuary; for wax to burn about my body forty shillings; for ornaments to the said Church ten marks; for repairing the highways near the town forty shillings; I Will that ten marks be distributed to the poor on the day of my sepulture; to the Chaplain six marks; to John Pelham, Sacrist of that Church, three shillings and four pence; to Joane, my younger daughter, my manor of Gaynes, in Upmynster; to Jane and Joane, my daughters, all my other manors and advowsons which John Wyndsore, or others, have, by his consent, usurped, the which I desire my heirs and executors to recover and see them parted between my daughters, for that I say, on the pain of my soul, he hath no right there nor never had; my manor of Compton Murdac; to the poor of Upminster xx shillings. And I appoint Joane, my youngest daughter; John Kent, Mercer of London, my Executors; and Sir John Cusson, Knight, and Robert de Litton, Esquire, Overseers of this my Will.”