Appendix: Will and testament of Robert Tate

APPENDIX VI: TESTAMENT AND WILL OF ROBERT TATE (fn. 1)

[The Testament, 13 Nov. 1500]

'In the name of god amen The xiij^th day of the moneth of Nouembre [1500]. . . . I Robert Tate Alderman of the Citie of london and mercer of the same Citie . . . make . . . my present testament and last will in . . . forme ensuyng . . . my body to be buried in the chapell of our lady called Berking chapell beside the parisshe church of Alhalowen berkyng of London that is to wite, on the northside of the same chapell before thymage of o^r lady there, and as nygh to the wall as convenyently may be by the good discrecion of myne executors and ouerseers. . . . And I woll that myn executors herevndernamed of my goods doo to be made a fayr and sufficient arche in the said wall from Est to West wt a chapell convenyent from the said arche toward the North as the ground ther woll gyve and reasonably may be sparyd, And that the same chapell be named and callid seynt Thomas chapell And in the Este ende therof A convenyent awter to be made for a preest to syng for my soule, and my wiffes our faders and moders frendes benefactors and all Christen soules, And w^t a table convenyent of seynt Thomas the martyr w^t his martyrdom therin conteyned to serve afore the high awter, and to be made by the avise and discrecion of myn executors. . . . And I woll that the costs and charges of my burying and funerall service shalbe doon in goode and honest maner . . . Also I woll that in all goodely haste after my burying all such dettes as I shall then owe . . . shalbe wele and truely . . . paid . . . in dischargying of my soule And than . . . all my goods . . . moevable . . . shalbe devided into iij eqall partes . . . all my stuff of household excepte plate . . . shalbe owte of the said particion And . . . I bequethe unto Margery my wife oon parte w^t all the seid stuff of household. . . . Another parte . . . vnto all my childern sones and daughters than lyving and not maryed evenly to be devided. . . . And the iij^d parte . . . I . . . assigne to be disposed for the helth of my soule and vnto my frendes in manner . . . ensuyng . . . to euery of my sones C li . . . to euery of my daughters C li. . . . Item. . . . I bequeth to the high awter of Berking church aforseid for myn offeryngs and dueties forgoten or necligently witholden in discharging of my soule, and to haue my soule praid fore x marcs . . . to the reparacion of the body of the forseid chapell of our lady beside Berkyng church, soo and vnder condicion that myn executors may be suffred to execute my will as in the Arche and Chapell makyng there for me as is aforeseid xx li . . . to be distributed in the prysons of london and nygh thereunto in brede at sundry tymes to pray for my soule. . . . In Newgate xls. In ludgate xls. In the Fleet xls. In the Marchalsey in Southwerk xxs. And in the kyngs benche xxs.'

[Bequests to four houses of Friars in London for 'Placebo and Dirige and masse of Regine. Immediatlye after my decesse', and to other friars, priests and novices, in London to say Placebo and Dirige at leisure; to the Crutched Friars, Lazar Houses and the House of Syon, and the Charterhouse of Shene; toward the making of an altar cloth for the high altar in the Charterhouse beside London 'the which Dan William Bowre a brother of the same place is, worker thereof' 13s. 4d.; to the minoresses of London and Denny; other pious bequests for marriage of poor maidens of Coventry, repairs of Colsell and other churches including Coventry].

'Item I bequeth to the Mayre of London beyng atte tyme of my decesse soo that he be att my burying and moneths mynde as Mayre of the same Citie xxs. Item to the Recorder of the same Citie than and there beyng in lykewise vjs. viijd. Item I bequeth to the Chamberleyn common sergeant and common clerk of the same Citie attending vpon the Mayre at my said burying and moneths mynde bicause they be common officers of the said Citie I woll that euery of them thre shall haue for his labour vjs viijd. Item I will that euery Alderman and Shiriff of the said Citie being atte my seid burying and moneths mynd shall have for their labours that is to sey Euery Grey cloke xs. And euery Alderman of the Calabre cloke and Shiriff vjs. viijd. Item I bequeth to be distributed among the mynstralls called the waytes of London in consideracion of their grete labours and poure lyving x li sterling To be pute into the keping of the Chamberleyn of London. . . . And . . . distributed by hym amonges theym beyng from tyme to tyme in ten yeres next ensuyng after my decesse . . . for their better refresshing.'

[Numerous monetary bequests.]

'Item I bequeth C and lx li., therwith myn executors to bye . . . lands to the yerely value of viij li, or x li, . . . If in my liff tyme I doo it not myself, And w^t the same lands and w^t my tenements in More lane which I . . . bought of Bernes, I will that myn executors purvey and doo establisshe A preest perpetually to syng in the said chapell which I haue afore . . . assigned to be made oute of the said chapell called o^r lady chapell on the Northside of the same, lyke as hereafter in the will of my lands more playnly it is declared Prouided allway that if it happen any of my goods by casueltie or malefortune to be loste wherby ther shall lak of my said iij^d parte to fulfill this my last will . . . it shalbe borne of all the iij parts of my goods'. . . .

[The will, made on same date]: . . . First I will that myn executours . . . wth the Clxli by me . . . assigned . . . in all goodely haste after my decesse shall purchace . . . goode land to the yerely value of viij li. or xli. . . . And of the seid lands . . . and of my tenement in Morlane which I late bought of Barnes I woll that the shall doo establissh and amortise . . . A chauntry after the manner and custome of the Citie of London of oon preest, an honest man and well disposed perpetually to synge for my soule and other the soules in my testament aforerehersed in the chapell which bifore in my said testament I have appoynted to be made w^t an Arche on the Northside of o^r lady Berkyng chapell. The same preest to haue yerely for his salary vij li. And also I woll that myn executours in thestablisshment . . . of the said Chauntry doo provide . . . that myn obite be kept in the said chapell called Berkynge chapell yerely for euermore, about suche tyme and season of the yere as it shall happen me to departe this life. . . . Expending . . . yerely for . . . the same obit xs. And xxs. yerely of the revenue . . . shall goo toward the mayntenance of o^r lady masse and Anteyn by note within the same chapell called Berkyng chapell And vjd wekely . . . to an honest poure man to attende in the said chapell, and to helpe the seid preest to syng, And if eny thing remayne . . . it shall goo . . . to the comen box of the said chapell by the Master and Wardeyns of the same chapell . . . to be disposed . . . in defense repayring and mayntenance of the same lyvelode . . . the settyng in and presentacion of the said preest the ouersight of the seide obite and lyvelode and the payments aforseide shalbe assigned . . . to the maister and Wardeyns of our lady chapell and to their successors. And if they defawte . . . the said londes and tenements shall remayn to the Chamberleyn of London . . . fynding and doyng w^t the same lykewise. . . .

[Lands in London, Coventry, Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire, Berkshire and Warwickshire to be divided into two, 'Excepte alwey oute of the same particion my grete Mes' wherein I dwell sett in the parisshe of Alhalowen Berkyng beside the tour of London, and also my tenement in Morelane' . . . [one part to wife Margery "w^t my seid grete Mes' wherein I dwell," the other to my eldest son Robert Tate.]

[Appoints wife Margery, brother John Tate and Thomas Marrow executors.]

Proved by Margaret [sic] Tate the widow 26 Jan. 1500/01.