[Burghley Papers, MS. Lansd. 50, art. 90.] In the
name of God. Amen. The xiiij day of Julie, in the
yeare of our Lord God 1586. I Anne by the goodness
of God Duchess of Somerset, considering the many
yeres wherwith God hath blessed me, and the sicknes
wherwith I am visited, doe in perfect mynde and
remembrance make this my last will and testament in
manner and forme following. First, I thank God in
Christ Jesus that he hath long agoe called me to
the knowledge and love of the Gospell, and ever
since kept me therein to an assured hope of life
everlasting, thorough faith in the righteousnes of
Jesus Christ alone. In which faith I recomend my
bodie to the dust whence it was taken, and my soule
into the most mercifull handes of him that redemed
it, to be kept of him till it shalbe reunited to
the bodie in that glorious daye of the resurrection
of all flesh. Secondly, I geve thanks to God allso
for the temporall blessings of my landes, goodes,
and chatells, which I dispose to my childeren,
servaunts, the poore, and others, as followeth.
First, I geve to my sonne the Earle of Hertford,
and his heyres for ever, all my mansion howse
situate in Chanon rowe, within Westminster, in the
Countie of Middlesex, with the howsholde and
furniture therof. Item, I geve him a glasse of
cristall dressed with gould, a basen and ewer all
gilt plaine, a payr of gilt pottes, a payer of
flagons newe bought, iij gilt trenchers, a spone of
gould not foulded, iiij other spones gilt antique
fashion. Item, I geve him ij of the fayrest gilt
bowles with covers, a salt of cristall, and my
beast cheane of greate pearle with long beades of
goulde betwene, a fayer juel of diamondes, and a
greate pearle worth by estimation about xxx1.
Item, I geve to his wife my daughter of Hertford a
fayer tablet to weare with antique work of one syde
and a row of diamondes on the other syde. Item, I
geve her a clock of gould work worth about xxx1.
Item, I geve to my sonne the Lord Henry Seymour
xiij hundred powndes of lawfull English monie, over
and above the vij hundred I have allreadie geven
him towards the payment of his debts. Item, I geve
him a fayer jewel of an egret with divers stones.
Item, I geve him ij bowles of silver and gilt, with
ewers, and a basen and ewer of sylver.
Item, I geve to my daughter the Ladie Marie Rogers
all my lease and tearme of yeres in the manner and
ferme of Ashford, in the countie of Middlesex,
which I have fernied of (blank).
Item, I geve her a harkenet of pearle, in number
about c.c.c. two ropes of perle, in number about ij
thousand, a lace with small pearle, a jewel of
jacinth rownd with small pearle, a cople of bowles
with covers, a spice box of sylver with the
furniture of it, a ladle sylver and gilt, and my
saddel embroydered with black velvet.
Item, I geve to my daughter the Ladie Elizabeth
Knightley a greate cheane of pearle with
true-loves, a jewel of a balist, ij great standing
cuppes sylver and gilte, a jugge of stone fayer
dressed with sylver and gilt, and a skellet of
sylver.
Item, I geve to my sonne Beuchamp [a grandson] ij
hundred powndes of lawfull English monie and a
cheane of pearle and gould with friers' knottes,
the gould by estimation worth about Lxxx1.
Item, I geve to my Sonne Thomas Seymour [another
grandson] a hundred powndes of lawful English monie,
and a cheane worth about Lxl.
Item, I geve to my sonne Beuchampes wife a booke of
gould kept in a grene purse, and a payer of
bracelets without stones.
Item, I geve to my daughter Maries husband a
clieane of gould black.
Item, I geve to my daughter Elizabethes husband one
of my ringes that hath the best diamonds.
Item, I geve to my goddaughter Anne Knightley five
hundred powndes of lawful English monie and a rope
of small pearle, in number about a thousand.
Item, I geve to my Lord Treasurer a jugge of
cristall with a cover dressed with sylver and gilt,
and a ring with an emerald.
Item, I geve to my nephew John Stanhope the fortie
powndes he oweth me.
Item, I geve to my nephew Michael Stanhope a piller
of gould with viii diamondes.
Item, all the reast of my plate not geven before I
geve to my fower childeren, equally to be devided
betwene them. Item, I geve a cofer of sheetes and
pillowberes and a case standard with fine white
naperie to my two daughters, equally to be devided.
Item, I geve to the same my ij daughters my
apparell, equally allso to be devided.
Item, I geve to my servant Win. Dickinson tenne
powndes of lawfull English money, to be paide him
for an annuitie or pension by myne executor during
his life. Item, I geve to Richard Saunders, my
servant, five powndes of lyke lawfull English monie,
to be paide him by myne executor for a yearly
pension during his life. Item, I geve to Richard
Lanckeshire, John Trodde, and mother Gardener, to
every one of them a yerely pension of 40s.
to be payde them by myne executor during there
lives. Item, I geve to all the rest of my gentilmen,
yeomen, and gromes, and others in ordinarie, a
yeres wages.
Item, I geve to Margaret Ashhurst all my wearing
linnen, which is in her keeping, and a new black
satten gowne. Item, I geve to Anne Jones 40s.
Item, I geve to Mrs. Ansley a gowne of wrought
velvet furred thorough with cunnie. Item, I geve to
Jane Seymour 100l
of lawfull English mony.
Item, I geve to godly and poor students in the ij
Universites xx1,
x1 to the
one and x1
to the other.
Item, I geve to the poor prisoners in London xx
markes, willing that these ij legacies be
distributed by ij godly preachers.
The rest of all my landes, tenements, rentes,
plate, Jewells, with other goodes, leases, chattles,
horses, mares, geldinges, oxen, shepe, and all
other stock and store, together with all mony,
debts, now or hereafter dew, by bonde, covenant, or
otherwise, my debts and legacies being payd, I geve
to my sonne the Earle of Hertford, whom I make and
appoint my sole executor, to see my debts payd and
my legacies faithfully performed, and my funeralls
discharged according to this my last will and
testament. In witness whereof, to this my last will
and testament, I have subscribed my name with myne
own hande, and putte my seale this daye and yere
abovesayd.
Signed, Anne Somerset.
Postscriptum. Memorandum, that there is no
materiall enterlyning, but the gown geven to Mrs.
Ashhurst, these wordes, " lawfull English monie,"
and abowt the recitall of the goodes,tenements,
leases, &c. Witnesses. Tho. Penney. Tho. Muffet. W.
Clarke.
Endorsed. This was acknowledged and avowed by her
Grace the Duchess of Somerset to be her last will
and testament, we witnesses whose names are
underwritten.
Tho. Penney. Tho. Muffet. W. Charke.
