Strype Ecclesiastical Memorials Volume 5
Strype Ecclesiastical Memorials Volume 5 is in Strype Ecclesiastical Memorials.
Georgian Books, Strype Ecclesiastical Memorials Volume 5 Letter LXIX
The last Will & Testament of Princess Katherine Dowager
In the name of the Father, of the Son, & of the Holy Ghost, Amen. I Katherine, &c. supply & desire K. Henry Vlll my good lord, that it may please him of his grace, & in aulmes, & for the service of God, to let me have the goods, which I do hold, as wel in gold & silver, as other things; and also, the same that is due to me in mony for the time past: to the intent that I may pay my debts, & recompence my servants for the good services they have don unto me. And the same I desire as tuously, as I may, for the necessity wherin I am ready to dy, & to yield my soul unto God.
First, I supply, (i.e. pray) that my body be buried in a convent of observant friars.
Item, That for my soul may be said 500 masses.
Item, That some personage go to our Lady of Walsingham in pilgrimage; in going by the way, to deal XX nobles.
Item, I appoint to Maistris Darel, XXl (£20) for her mariage.
Item, I ordain, that the collar of gold, which I brought out of Spain, be to my daughter.
Item, I ordain to Mestress Blanch, Cl (£100) sterling.
Item, I ordain to Mestress Margery, Mr. Whyller, to each of them XLl (£40) sterling.
Item, I ordain to Mrs. Mary, my physicians wife, & to Mrs. Isabel, daughter to Mr. Marguerite, to each of them XLl (£40) sterling.
Item, I ordain to my physician the years coming wages.
Item, I ordain to Francisco Philippo, al that I owe unto him; and beside that, XLl (£40) sterling.
Item, I ordain to Master John, my apothecary, his wages for the year coming; and beside that, al that is due unto him.
Item, I ordain that Mr. Whyller be paid of expences about the making of my gown; and beside that, XXl (£20) sterling.
Item, I give to Philip, to Anthony & to Bastian, to every of them XXl (£20). sterling.
Item, I ordain to the little maidens, Xl (£10) to every of them.
Item, I ordain that my goldsmith be paid of his wages for the year coming; and beside that, al that is due unto him.
Item, I ordain, that my lavander be paid of that which is due unto her; and besides that of her wages for the year coming.
Item, I ordain to Isabel of Vergas XXl (£20) sterling.
Item, To my ghostly father his wages for the year coming.
Item, It may please the king, my good lord, to cause ornaments for the church to be made of my gownes, which he holdeth; for to serve the convent thereas I shal be buried. And the furrs of the same I give to my daughter.
Richard Molend, William Peter, William Portman, Tho. Lee, Rafe Sadeler, Thomas Powlet
These seem to be the Administrators appointed by the king for the execution of the lady dowagers will.
Taunton, Downton, Hendon. These three places are set at the end of this will by another hand; which, perhaps, were the names of the lordships belonging to her.
Georgian Books, Strype Ecclesiastical Memorials Volume 5 Letter LXX
19 Jan 1536. Ryche (age 39), the kings solicitor, to the king : his advice concerning Katharine, princess dowagers goods & jewels.
Pleasith your majesty to be advertised of my poor mind; which is not specified to your majesty by the other letter sent to your majesty by me, your graces humble solicitor, & your other two most humble servants. Because I thought it not convenient to make them privy therto: nost humbly beseeching your highnes, to take my mind in good part: for I mean none other, but to declare to your majesty the truth; affrming to your highnes, that I shal be as ready to execute your graces commaundment, according to my most bounden duty, with as much good wilt heart & mind to my little power, as any living creature shall do.
Pleasith your majesty to consider, that the lady dowager was a sole woman; having by al lawes a ful authority & capacity to have propriety in goods & cattals: albeit her grace affirmed, that all was yours; & that she had nothing to give without your graces licence. Wherin her grace meant not wel; nor yet according to the truth. And she having such capacity as is aforesaid, your majesty may not seize her goods & cattals, unless there were other cause so to do, than I know. For by the laws of your realm, the bp. of the dioces in this case shal commit the administration of her graces goods to the next of her graces kindred, lawfully begotten, & being denizons; to the intent the debts should be paid, or otherwise disposed of for the wealth of her soul. But whether your majesty, being supreme head of the church of your realm, by your laws may commit the administration of the goods of her grace, dying intestate, I dare not therein speak precisely. The ful & determinate solution of that question I remit to your majesty, & to others of your graces council, to debate & determine. And therfore in this wise to take & seize her graces goods as your own, is reptvnant to your laws; &, as I think, with your graces favour, rather enforceth her blind opinion while she lived, than otherwise.
But, sovereign lord, under your graces favour, I think you may have, take & seize the goods & cattals of her by another mean lawfully; which is this: if your graces pleasure be so, yee may cause a letter to be written to the Bp. of Lincoln; commanding him to grant the administration of al such goods & cattals as lately were the lady dowagers, to such as your highnes shal name. And then to have the goods of them to your graces use, in recompence of such sums & debts, as your highnes hath, or shal ley out for her burial, or otherwise. And this, as I think, were the best way, & concurrent with your graces laws.
Signifying unto your highnes, that now I have declared my bounden duty unto your grace, I shal willingly to the best of my power execute your commaundment without , fear or respect of any man : most humbly beseeching your majesty, to accept this my poor information according to my meaning; & to pardon me, if any thing or matter be comprized herein, contrary to your graces pleasure.
And that I may be certifyed of your further pleasure : advertising your majesty, as I think, the plate, or other things, comprized in the. inventory sent to your majesty, wil amount to 5000 mark, & rather better. And thus the Holy Trinity preserve your magnificence with as long life as ever lived man.
From Kimbolton, this present XIX day of January:
by your graces
Most humble servant,
Rychard Ryche.
Georgian Books, Strype Ecclesiastical Memorials Volume 5 Letter LXXI
The Lady Brian, governess to the Lady Elizabeth, her letter to the Lord Crumwel, from Hunsdon [Map] ; for instructtions concerning the said lady, after the death Queen Anne her mother.
Cott. Librar. Otho. C. 10.
MY Lord, after my most bounden duty, I recommend me to your good Lordship : beseeching you to be good Lord to me, &c. My Lord, when your Lordship was last here, it pleased you to say, that I should not mistrust the Kings Grace, nor your Lordship. Which word was more comfort to me than I can write, as God knoweth. And now it boldeth me to shew you my poor mind. My Lord, when my Lady Maries Grace was born, it pleased the Kings Grace to [appoint] me Lady Mistress; and made me a Baroness. And so I have been a [governess] to the children his Grace have had since.
Now it is so, my Lady Elizabeth is put from that degree she was afore : and what degree she is at now, I know not, but by hearsay. Therefore I know not how to order her nor my self; nor none of hers, that I have the rule of; that is, her women and her grooms: beseeching you to bc good Lord to my Lady, and to al hers: and that she may have some rayment; [i.e. for mourning;] for she hath neither gowne nor kirtell, nor petticoat, nor no maner of linnin, nor foresmocks, nor kerchiefs, nor slieves, nor rayls, nor body-stychets, nor handkerchiefs, nor mofelers, nor begins. All these her Graces mostake, I have driven off, a.s long as I can, that, be my troth, I cannot drive it no lenger : beseeching you, my Lord, that you wil see, that her Grace may have that is needful for her, as my trust is yee wil do. Beseeching you, my own good Lord, that I may know from you by writing how I shal order my self; and what is the Kings Graces plesure and yours, that I shal do in every thing. And whatsome ever it shal please the Kings Grace or your Lordship to command me at al times, I shal fulfil it to the best of my power.
MY Lord, Mr. Shelton saith, he is master of this house : what fashion that shal be, I cannot tel. For I have not seen it afore. My Lord, yee be so honourable your self, and every man reporteth your Lordship loveth honour, that I trust your Lordship wil se the house honourably ordered, howsome ever it hath been aforetime. And if it please you, that I may know what your order is, and if it be not performed, I shal certify your Lordship of it. For I fear me, it wil be hardly enough performed. But if the head of .... knew what honour meaneth, it wil be the better ordered : if not, it wil be hard to bring it to pass.
My Lord, Mr. Shelton would have my Lady Elizabeth to dine and supp every day at the board of estate. Alas ! my Lord, it is not meet for a child of her age to keep such rule yet. I promise you, my Lord, I dare not take it upon me to keep her in health, and she keep that rule. For there she shal see divers meats and fruits, and wine : which would be hard for me to restrain her Grace from it. Yee know, my Lord, there is no place of correction there. And she is yet too young to correct greatly. I know wel, and she be there, I shal nother bring her up to the Kings Graces ho- nour, nor hers; nor to her health, nor my poor honesty. Wherfore I shew your Lordship this my desire: beseech- ing you, my Lord, that my Lady may have a mess of meat to her own lodging, with a good dish or two, that is meet for her Grace to eat of. And the reversion of the mess shal satisfy al her women, a gentleman usher, and a groom. Which been eleven persons on her side. Sure I am, it wil be (in to right little) as great profit to the Kings Grace this way, as the t'other way. For if al this should be set. abroad, they must have three or four mess of meat, where this one mess shal suffice them al with bread and drink, according as my Lady Maries Grace had afore: and to be ordered in al things as her Grace was afore.
God knoweth, my Lady hath great pain with her great teeth, and they come very slowly forth : and causeth me to suffer her Grace to have her wil more than I would. I trust to God, and her teeth were well graft, to have her Grace after another fashion than she is yet: so as I trust the King's Grace shal have great comfort in her Grace. For she is as toward a child, and as gentle of conditions, as ever I knew any in my life. Jesu preserve her Grace. As for a day or two at a hey [i.e. high] time; or whensome ever it shal please the Kings Grace to have her set abroad, I trust so to endeavour me, that shee shal so do as shal be to the King's honour and hers: and then after to take her ease again.
I think Mr. Shelton wil not be content with this. He may not know it is my desire; but that it is the Kings plesure and yours it should be so. Good my Lord, have my Ladies Grace, and us that be her poor servants, in your remembrance. And your Lordship shal have our harty prayers by the grace of Jesu: who ever preserve your Lordship with long life, and as much honour as your noble hart can desire. From Honsdon with the evil hand of her that is your daily bead-woman,
Marget Bryan.
I beseech you, my own good Lord, be not miscontenty that I am so bold to write thus to your Lordship. But I take God to my judge, I do it of true hart, and for my discharge. Beseeching you, accept my good mind.
To the Rt. noble and my singular good Lord, my L. Privy Seal, be this delivered.