Ralph Porter of Harby 1579 Will and Inventory
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Archives PR/T/1579/148
In the name of god amen the twentye daye of maye in the yeare of our lorde god one thousande fyve hundredth the three score and nyntyne and in the sixe and twentye yeare of the Raigne of our moste graciouse Soveraigne ladye Elizabethe by the grace of god quene of England France & Irelande Defender of the Faith &c I Rallfe Porter of Harbye in the countye of Leicester husbandman sicke in bodye but holle in mynde & of good & perfecte remembrance god be praysed Doe make & ordeyne thys my last will & testament in maner and forme hereafter Followinge
Fyrst I geve & bequethe my Soulle to almightye god & my bodye to be buried in the churche yarde of Harbye trustinge to be saved in his free mercye by the deathe & passion of our Saviour Jesus Christe
Itm I geve & bequethe to Richard Porter my Eldeste Sonne my house which I dwelle in with all the comodities appurteynynge & belongeinge to the same after the tyme of my buriall within one halfe yeare
Itm I geve to Agnes Porter my wife the halfe parte of my horned beaste nowe remayinge in my yarde
Itm I geve to Alles Porter my daughter children halfe of my beaste to be equallye devided betwixte the said Alles Porter & her mother
Itm I geve & bequethe to John Porter my Sonne all my house & mares saving one coullte or fyllye which the said John Porter will, to be bestowed upon Willm Porter his brother
Itm I geve & bequethe to John Porter all my carts & carte geares & plowe & plowe geares & wayinges with all thyngs to the same bellongeinge & apperteyninge
Itm I geve & bequeathe to Agnes Porter my wyfe & Alles Porter my daughter all my shepe which I have to be equallye devided betwixte them
Itm I the said Rallfe Porter doe owe unto Thomas Porter late sonne of Willm Porter of Kyrkby Underwoode seven pounde syxe shillings eighte pens
Itm I geve to the payment of the same seven pounds vis viiid one yocke of bullockes the residue of money that lackethe I will that John Porter shall paye it
Itm I geve to John Porter my sonne all that my parte of corne which I have to hallfes of James Whitte this yeare
Itm I geve to Richard Porter my sonne one halfe quarter of seyd wheat one quarter of peyse & one Iron gafelocke
Itm I geve to Richard Porter my sonne towe houffilles standing of ether … the yates and allso I geve the same yates to the said Richard Porter
Itm I geve to Richard Porter the other hoffilles standing in the stacke yard and palles in the same stackeyarde
Itm I geve to Richarde Porter one heare clothe one Stipefatte
Allso I will that the same hoffilles & yates palles herecloethe & stipefatte be not removed of and … the ground as they stande before Richard Porter doe occupy them heare hym selfe
Itm I geve to John Porter all the comodite which I oughte to have during the tyme which I dooe occupie of the said oxgane of land of James Whitte whollye to him selfe
Itm I geve to John Cowper of Saxeby [sic, probably Saxelbye] one busshell of wheat one bushell of mallte
Itm I geve to Rallfe Cowper my god sonne one lambe houge
Itm I geve to Richard Spicke after my decease certain money which he owethe me
Itm I geve to Agnes Spicke halfe a dozen of greate cusshines
Itm I geve to Richard Ashewell one bushell of mallte
Itm I geve to Ellen Selbye of Briggeforthe [Bridgford?] one busshell of mallte & one stryke of wheate
Itm I geve to Thomas Porter of Croxton my brother one Stryke of wheate
Itm I geve to Johne Worthe of Croxton my Syster one Stryke of mallet
Itm I geve to Richard Thompson one pecke of wheate
Itm I geve to John Stafforde one pecke of wheate
Itm I geve to John Fowles one pecke of mallte
Itm I geve to Margerye Barrowe one pecke of mallte
Itm I geve to Robt Farthynge one pecke of mallte
Itm I geve to Thomas Richardson one halfe pecke of wheate
Itm I geve to my syster Watson & hir foure sonnes Richard Willm Harrye & James & Sysseley Watson fyve shillings of ten shillings which she oweth me, one halfe crowne to her selfe & Sysseley Watson & the other halfe crowne to her foure sonnes, the other fyve shillings I will that she paye it to John Cowp of Saxebye
Itm I geve to my godsonne Thomas Dobleday iiiid
Itm I geve to George White xiid
Itm I geve to Willm White xiid to Johne White vid
Itm I geve to Margerye Whitte there mothere one Strike of pease halfe a stryke of barley halfe a stryke of mallte
Itm I geve to Sir John Hycklynge xiid
Itm I geve to Agnes Porter my wyfe John Porter & Alles Porter my daughter all my corne I have growing upon the grounde to be equallye devided amongeste them
Itm I doe make Agnes Porter my wife my full executrix
Itm I doe make & ordeyne James Colley of Hose & Richarde Porter my sonne to be Supervisours of this my laste will & testament
Itm I geve to ether of them for ther paynes taking iiis iiiid
Moreover I the said Rallfe Porter doe geve unto John Porter my sonne one greate chiste
Itm I geve to John Porter all my follde treys sh…
Itm I geve to John Porter twoe beades as they are standing in the chamber & one featherbed one coverled & one blanket
Itm I geve to the said John Porter one Double borde & a little falle borde standing in the house
Itm the reste of my houshold goods not geven nor bequethed I geve to Agnes my wife and Alles my daughter to be equallye devided betwixt them
Itm I geve to John Porter all my wymells & chysells & Iron wedges and one Spitte
Item I geve to Willm Porter one bushell of Rye one busshell of wheat halfe quarter of pease one busshell of mallte
Allso I will that the quornes maye remayne as they stande untill Richarde Porter have the occupying of them with the other stufe before named
Itm I geve to Richard Spicke eighte shillings which Richard Tyndall of Eastewell owethe me
Itm I will & bequeathe that my swine & other pullynge be equallye devided amongst them my wyfe John Porter & Alles Porter my daughter and allso I will that my Colles & Bacon be equallye devided amongeste them so longe as they doe continue together
Itm I geve & bequethe to John Porter my sonne all my ploughe tymber, all my harrowes & all my pycheforkes and … forks
Itm I will that one greate chiste standing in the chamber shall stande unto Richard Porter doe come & occupie yt him selfe
Itm I geve to John Porter one brewing leade & one salltinge troughe with a cover of it standing in the kycheinge allso I geve to John Porter one ollde Stepfatte standing in the barne
Itm I geve to John Porter one longe lether
Provided allwaies & my will and mynde ys That whereas Agnes my wyfe maye padvent me by the lawes of the Reallme, challenge & clayme Dowers of my lands which indeed is but a smalle thinge yf she shoulde … the same & to the intente that my sonne & heire should have my holle lands in having whereof my truste is he will shewe himsellfe a naturall & lovinge Brother to my children Therefore I shall require my said wife to be contente with suche legace as I have given unto hir by this my last will and not to clayme any dower of my said lands and my truste ys that she will shewe hir selfe a loving wife towards me in granting this my request towards the preferment of my children but yf she shall refuse thys my request then I will & my mynde ys that all [small hole] legacye gyfte or bequest made unto my said wife by this my last will & testamt to be clearly voied, and the same giftes legacie be given legased or bequethed to my said wiefe by this my last will & testamt to be equally distributed & devided amongst all my children And my said wife then not to be one of my said Executors but clirly to lose all benefits that she maye or canne clayme by this my last will
Savinge that then I do gyve unto her xxs in monye & nothinge ells
Provided allso & I will that if any ambyguytie dowte or question shall ryse in or about any matter clause worde sentence legacye gyfte or bequest contained in this my will That the same shalbe appointed ordered determined & adiudged by the above named James Collye my Supvisor and what soever shalbe adiudged by the said James Collye I will & my mynde ys the same to be accepted taken demed confermed & adiudged as parte of my last will & testament
And my will ys that whosoever I have given anye legacye unto by this my will shall refuse to stande to such … in & aboute this my will as the said James Collye shall take or sett downe Then I will that all & evry gyfts legacie or bequest given to any such person that so shall refuse to abyde the order of the said James Collye to be thereby frustrate & voied and not to have or clayme anye benefitte by this my last will and testament
In Wyttnesse whereof I have sett my marke to theise presents the daye and yere above written
Rallfe Porter marke
Theise beinge witnesses James Collye, Thomas Ives, John Watson, Harry Dobledaye, Richard Collyshowe with others
An Innvytorye of the goods & cattell of Rallfe Porter of Harbye husbandman decessed the xxiiith day of Maye in the yeare of our Lorde 1579 and in the xxiti yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne ladye Elyzabethe &c praysed by Mathew Gullston John Brodell Thomas Ives & Thomas Came & others
| Fyrste the goods in the hall i Cubberd ii tables with certain formes & cheres | xiiiis |
| Itm for brase and Pewter | xls |
| Itm penticlothes and Cusshens | xs |
| Itm in the parler i beadestead i fetherbead i matteresse iii coverleds ii blankets i pillowe with | |
| certain haingles & panticlothes | xxvis viiid |
| Itm in the same parler vii coffres with other formes | xxs |
| Itm vii peare of shetes with other napperye ware | xxxiiis |
| Itm in the buttery certain … & … | xs |
| Itm in the chambre mallt & barley with other stufe | v li |
| Itm in the other chambre ii beadsteads with certain other stufe | xxxiiis iiiid |
| Itm in the kychinge i brewinge leade iiii tubes with other stufe | xxvis viiid |
| Itm v swyne hoggs & vi smalle pyges | xls |
| Itm viii bacon flickes | xxvis viiid |
| Itm in the greate barne one shepefatt with certayn wheate | xxvis viiid |
| Itm in the litle barne one peare of quornes with other wheate | iii li |
| Itm Carts & wayings & plowes with all thyngs belongeinge to the same | iiii li |
| Itm certayn hoffelles palles harrowes & yates standinge in the yarde | iii li |
| Itm wood & Colles | xvis |
| Itm spites cobbeards and haingles with other thyngs | xs |
| Itm duckes & henes with other pullynge | vs |
| Itm ix beasts | vi li xiiis iiiid |
| Itm xxxvti shepe | viii li iiis iiiid |
| Itm i yocke of oxen | v li xs |
| Itm ix horse & mares | xx li |
| It the crope in the fiellds corne and haye | xxv li vis viiid |
| Sum total iiii li xii li xviis [?] |
Probate 24 June 1579