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In the name of God Amen the 13th day of the month of January the year of our Lord God a thousand five hundred and twenty-two And in the fourteen year of the reign of King Henry VIII I Dame Christian Collett widow being whole mind and good memory laud and praising be unto Almighty God make and ordain this my present testament and last will in manner and fortune following that is to say
First I recommend my soul unto Almighty God my maker and Redeemer And to the glorious Virgin his mother Saint Mary and to all the holy company of heaven And my body to be buried within the Parish Church of Stebenhith (Stepney) where as the body of Sir Henry Collett Knight late my husband lyeth buried And that my body be buried before noon on the day that I shall be buried
And on the day before my burial I will that there be song within the said Parish Church of Stebenhith a solemn dirge by note for my soul and all expenses paid
And on the same day at after noon before my burial I will that the master of the school of Powlys and the usher and children there come at one of the clock at after noon on the same day and say dirge about my corpse in my new parlour where my body shall be laid
Item I give and bequeath to every child there being present saying dirge 2d
Item to
the master of the said
And I will that my executors provide and ordain that there be fifty poor women to bring my body to the earth and every woman to bear about my corpse a taper of the weight of 2lbs
Item I
give and bequeath to every of the same women bearing and holding a taper about
my corpse a black gown of the value of 6s 8d
Also I will that my said executors provide and ordain my tapers every of them of the weight of 15lbs which said 4 tapers I will that four poor women hold them about my hearse
And I will that all the wax that believeth of all the said tapers about the waist wholly remain to the Church Wardens of the said Parish Church of Stebenhith to maintain the light of the Sepulchre there as long as it will endure
Item I give and bequeath to the high alter of the said Parish Church of Stebenhith 20s And to the curate for my burial there to be had another 20s
Also I will that my said executors distribute and dispose among the poor householders of the said Parish of Stebenhith five pounds
Item
among the poor householders of the ward of where I dwell in
And among
the poor householders of Great Weldon, Little Weldon, Kirkby, Denethorpe, Dene and Bulwick in the
Item I give and bequeath to John Butler my servant 10 mrcs
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Item I give and bequeath to Sir John Tomson my chaplain 10s
Item I give and bequeath to Maraget Nele a gilt cup and a ring of gold
Item I give and bequeath to Agnes Maude my servant 10 mrcs
Item I gave and bequeath to William Callow 10s
And all such stuff as I was minded to have left in my house in Stebenhith to the master and company of mercers of London as particularly doth appear by a bill of parcels made of the same which said stuff I have wholly and freely given and delivered unto my kinsman Edmond Knyvet Sergeant Porter to our sovereign lord the King
And I will that he shall have and enjoy the same without perturbance vexacion or againsaying of the said master or fellowship of mercers or of my said executors or of any of them in any manner of wise any gift or grant aforemade to the contrary in any wise not withstanding
And where
I have given and delivered unto my husband’s kinsman
And I will that my said executors do honestly keep and find within my said house in Stebenhith all my servants during the space of a month next ensuring my decease
The residue of all my goods moveable and nonmoveable not bequeathed after my deductions paid the cost of my burying down and this my present testament and last will in all things fulfilled wholly I give and bequeath to my executors underwritten they therewith to do their freewill and pleasure
And of
this my last will and testament I make and ordain my executors master William Garrard clerk and Richard Greshin
citizen and mercer of
Item I give and bequeath to every of them for their labour in that behalf three pounds 6s 8d and overseer of the same my said Testament and last Will I make and ordain the aforesaid Edmond Knyvet
And I the foresaid Christian renounce revoke and annul all and singular wills and testament by me before made and all and singular legacies and bequeaths to them or in any of them concerned and all and singular executors and overseers in them or in any of them and that no will or testament to be of any effect but only this my present testament and last will in witness whereof to this my present testament and will I have set my seal given the day and year above rehearsed
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