In the name of God Amen, the fourteenth day of June in the year of our Lord God 1580 and in the twenty second year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God Quen of England, Frannce and Ireland, defender of the faith etc. I Thomas Perkyns of Tewkesbury in the diocese and county of Gloucester, yoman, being sick in body but (thanks be to god) of good and perfect memory, do ordain and make my last will and testament in manner and form following. First and principally, I give and bequeath my soul to almighty god, my maker and redeemer, trusting by the merits of his passion to be partaker of his most glorious kingdom. And my body I commit and betake to the earth in Christian burial to be buried. Item, I give and bequeath to the reparation of the parrish church of Tewkesbury three shillings and four pence. Item, I give to the poor people of Tewkesbury twenty shillings. Item, I give and bequeath to my loving wife, Elizabeth, alll that my close of pasture with the appurtenances, lying and being in Tewkesbury park, within the parish of Tewkesbury aforesaid now in the occupation of William Wyett, gentleman, to have and to hold the said close with the appurtenances to my said wife from the time of my decease for term of threescore years, if she shall happen to live so long, for and under the several rents hereafter expressed. That is to say, at and for the yearly rent of one penny for and during such time as my said wife shall keep herself unmarried. And after my said wife shall happen to marry then my said wife shall yield and pay to such person or persons to whom the interest of my lease which I have of the grant of Richard Harford, esquire, of diverse grounds and pastures lying within the parish of Tewkesbury and near Tewkesbury shall belong, forty shillings of lawfull money of England at the feast of St Michael the Archangel, and the anunciation of our blessed Lady St Mary the Virgin, by equal portions. Also I give and bequeath to my said wife, forty pounds of lawful money of England, to be paid unto her within one half year next after my decease. And whereas I hold a lease of the demise and grant of John Watherstone gentleman, of the house I now dwell in and the diverse lands, meadows and pastures, lying within the parish of Tewkesbury aforesaid, my will is and I give and bequeat the use, profit, and occupation of the said house, lands, meadows and pastures which I hold of the said John Weatherstone to my said wife for and duringe the terme of years contained in the same, if my wife shall live so long and not otherwise. And if my said wife shall happen to decese before the expiration of the said lease, then I give the said lease and term therein, that then shall be to come, to Thomas my son if he be then living and if he be then deceased then I give the same lease and lands and meadows to my chldren, Anne Butler and Martha equally to be divided amongst them. Item I give and bequeath to my said wife, my second best featherbed with all his furniture, one pair of flaxen sheets, two pair of hempen sheets, one dozen of napkins, one table cloth, two kine, my second best brass pot, and my second best brass pan, six platters, six pottingers and six saucers, and one silver spoon of the greater sort. Item I give and bequeath to Martha, my daughter, forty pounds of lawful money of England, to be made and levied of my goods and cattells, within two years next after my decease, and at the two years end to be delivered to my wife to the use of the said Martha which forty pounds my will is that my wife shall have and keep for six years next after my decease if she live so long sole and unmarried, for and toward the bringing and breeding up of my said daughter Martha, but if my wife shall be disposed to marry before the said six years be expired, then my will is that such husband as my said wife shall be disposed to have, shall before such marriage put to my overseers undernamed, sufficient security for the true payment of the said forty pounds to my said overseers, to the use of my said daughter, Martha, at the said six years end. And in case such security be not put in to my said overseers in manner and form aforesaid then my very will and meaning is that my said overseers shall apply the said eleven pounds to the best advantage of my said daughter, Martha, and the profit that shall come therof (the stock remaining) shall apply towards the breeding and bringing up of my said daughter Martha until the said six years be expired. Item, I give to the said Martha the bed and bedstead in the parlour as it now standeth. Also I give and bequeath to my said daughter Martha, all that one close called the new lesowe, lying next Walton Cardiff in the said county of Gloucester now into three parts divided, and in the several occupations of Robert Hyett, Richard Parte, and John Morrys, together with all the several rents reserved for the same, to have and to hold the said close called the new lesowe and the rent for the same, reserved to my said daughter Martha, and to her assigns, for and during all such term of years as I, the said Thomas Perkins have therein yet to come by force of a lease thereof (amongst other things) heretofore to me granted by Richard Harford, esquire, upon this condition that my said daughter and her assigns and all other person or persons to whome her interest hereafter shall happen to come shall yield and ----- such person or persons to whom the interest of my said lease granted by the said Richard Harford shall come, and belong, ten pounds of lawful money of England, yearly during the said estate at the feast of the anunciation of our blessed Lady, St Mary the Virgin and St Michael the Archangel by equal portions or within twenty days next after every the said feasts, at the little lodge in Tewkesbury Park to be paid. And also my very will and meaning is that my said wife shall have the overplus of rent of the said new lesowe, over and above the said ten pounds yearly, during the said six years next after my decease, it she live so long sole and unmarried, for the bringing up of my said daughter, Martha, during the said six years. And after the expiration of the said six years, then my will and meaning is that the overseers shall set out the said eleven pounds to the use of my said daughter and the
profit therof together witn the overolus of rent of the said new lesowe shall receive and such part thereof as they shall thik meet and convenient, shall apply and use towards the maintenance and bringing up of my said daughter, until she shall accomplish the age of fourteen years, and then my said daughter to make choice (with the advice of my overseers) in what sort her said several portions snall be applied and used. Item, I give and bequeath to my said daughter, Martha, my great chest in my chamber over forestairs and my best cradle which her grandmother gave her. And if my said daughter, Martha, shall happen to decease before the said
age of fourteen years, then my will is that all her legacies part and portion by this my present given and bequeathed shall remain to the rest of my children then living or to the survivor or survivors of them. Iitem, I give and bequeath to my daughter, Anne Butler, wile of Richard Butler forty pounds of lawful money at of England to be paid unto her within three quarters of a year next after he shall deliver my daughter his wife, possession of the house in the occupation of Thomas Coke. Item, I give and bequeath to the said Richard Butler, my son in law, my best gown and my tippett and my best doublet. Item, I give and bequeath to my said daughter, Anne Butler, all my lease, interest, rent, title and term which I have of and in all those lands and tenements which I hold of the demise and grant of Edward Perke, gentleman, lying and being in the Mythe in the parish of Tewkesbury aforesaid and also my lease wnicn I hold of the grant of the sale Edward Perke, gentleman, of one acre of meadow in Severn Ham near Tewkesbury aforesaid. Also I give to the said Richard Butler an estate and term, for twelve years next after my decease, of one acre or arable land in Oldbury field which I hold freely at the yearly rent of six shillings and eight pence. Item I give and bequeath to my son in law Thomas Leaper, my second best gown and also I give and bequeath to the said Thnomas Leaper and to his assigns, the term of twenty and one years after my decease, of and in a certain close, parcel of Tewkesbury Park now in the occupation of Richard Bubbe, the said Thomas Leaper and his assigns yielding and paying therefore yearly to such person or persons to whom the interest and estate of and in my said lease granted by the said Mr Harford, shall belong, twenty six shillings and eight pence of lawful money of England at the feast of the Anunciation or our blessed Lady St. Mary the Virgin and St. Michael the Archangel by equal portions or within twenty days next alter every of the said feasts at the little lode in Tewkesbury Park aforesaid, to be paid. Item, I give and bequeath to Mary Roberts, eleven shillings of lawful money of England. Item, I give and bequeath to Margery Leaper, my daughter in law eleven shillings. Item, I give and bequeath to John Butler and Thomas Butler, sons of Richard Butler twenty shillings apiece and to either of them one bullock of three years old. I give and bequeath to Thomas Leaper, my godson, one heiffer of a year old. Item I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Millington my god daughter, one heiffer of a year old. Item I give and bequeath to every of my other god chidren twelve pence apiece. All the residue of my goods and cattels, moveable and unmoveable, and not by this my present will given and bequeathed (my debts, legacies and funeral discharged and borne) I give and wholly bequeath to Thomas, my son, whom I do make the sole executor of this my last will and testament, and for that my said son Thomas is not of lawful age nor ability to perform this my present will and testament therefore my will is that my said wife shall have the tutilling and government of my said son and his portions untl he come to the age of four years, and that my wife in the behalf of my said son may see my debts and legacies paid with the aid and advice of my overseers, according to the limitation
and true meaning of this my present will and testament. And after the said four year ended, then my will and meaning is that all such part and portion as by force of this my present will shall or ought to come unto him shal be applied by the discretion of my overseers until he come to his age of fourteen years, and in the mean time they to allow to my said wife so much yearly as they think meet for the bringing up, and if he die before the age of fourteen years, then his part and portion wholly to remain to the said Martha, my daughter, if she be then living. And in case the said Martha shall not be then living, then my will is that such part and portion as to my said son, Thomas, by this my will doth belong, shall remain to my daughter Anne Butler and her children, and I do desire my good frend Mr Walter Lee esquire and my friends John Myllington and Thomas Rogers to be overseers of this my present will and testament and to the said Mr. Lee I give eleven shillings, and to the said John Millington and Thomas Rogers I give twenty shillings apiece for their pains, to be taken to whom I commit the determination of such controversies as by this my present will shall happen to fall out provided that, if my said wife shall not pay my legacies according to the limitation of this my will, then my will is that my overseers shall have the government of my said executor, according as my wife should have, and my wife then to have put only eleven pounds for all her legacies before given. Item, I give to my two servant maids two shillings apiece, and to John Nubridge of the Mythe, my gown which I now have on my back. And if any matter contained in this my will be contrary to my meaning, then I will that the same shall be performed not altering my meaning in any matter. Witness to this present will, Roger Turbyll, John Myllington, Thomas Lepor, Thomas Rogers, Richard Butler, Robert Jeynes.

Proved 1580.