Fordington

Letter of Administration to Ursula WINDSOR Widow
for the Estate of John WINDSOR

(Surname also spelt Windsar; Windser; Windsor; Winsar; Winser; Winsor; Winzar; Winzor)


15th November 1664

©Transcribed by Michael Russell OPC for Fordington January 2009


NOTE:- Letters of Administration: When a person died intestate [i.e. leaving no will] the next of kin or a close friend would often have to apply to the probate court for Letters of Administration to enable them to take possession of and distribute the estate. The applicant had to swear that there was no will, that the applicant would pay all funeral expenses and debts, administer truly, and submit a true inventory and account of his/her stewardship. The Court then granted Letters of Administration and might require the administrator to enter into a bond to administer the estate faithfully, in which case a copy of the act was endorsed on the document.

A Bond is a binding agreement with a penalty for non performance. A bond deed is in two parts, the Obligation and the Condition. Before 1733 the Obligation, which records the penalty, was written in Latin. The Condition describes what the bonded person has undertaken to do, or otherwise committed himself or herself to (e.g. administer an estate), and was always in English.

This is clearly what we have here. My Latin is not good enough to do a proper translation of the first paragraph so I have confined myself to a summary of key facts to help make sense of the document. As with the great majority of seventeenth century records the document is written in Secretary hand which takes some getting used to and I have used the “Dictionary of Genealogy by Terrick VH Fitzhugh as my guide. As with medieval Latin some words are abbreviated. I have done the best I can with the translation adding some punctuation to help with clarity but would welcome a full translation by someone versed in Mediaeval Latin & Secretary Hand. I am the OPC for the Parish of Fordington and can be contacted in the usual way through the OPC site. words I am unsure of are highlighted in red

The Obligation:

Latin Key facts:

--Ursula WINDSOR of Fordington in the County of Dorset widow and John WINDSOR son --Yeoman

---[probably a joint obligation with] Edward ONSLOWE Prebendary of Fordington

---15th November in the year of Our Lord 1664 in the reign of Charles II King of England ---

The Condition:

The Condition of the above written obligation is that if the above named Ursula WINDSOR Widow & relict of John WINDSOR late of Fordington within the peculiar jurisdiction there, and Administratrix of all and singular his goods chattels and debts shall well and truly administer all and singular the same goods chattels and credits, that is in paying the debts of the said deceased (if he owed any) which he owed at his decease as farr as the same will thereto extend and the lonoe buid for and bring in and exhibit into the Registry of the said Prebendary for the said jurisdiction, a true and perfect Inventory of all the said deceased's goods chattels and credits, and pass and render up a true and perfect account of and upon her said Administration when she shall be hereto lawfully called and required to truly do and perform all things else by her to be performed as Administratrix of the said late husband's goods as by law she is or shall be required Then the said obligation to be void or else to abide in full force and virtue

Signed Ursula WINDSAR and John WINSOR

Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of Henry Butler notary public


Link to Inventory:
Original Transcription:

---Ursulam Windsor de ffordington in Cous
Dorst vidua et Johannes Windsor filius suis de ---yeoman
et --- obligati Edwardo Onlow--
prebendario ---de ffordington
decimo quinto die Novendbie Anno Dom 1664 Ao regin
--Carola secundi --Regis Anglia

The Condition: of the above written obligation is that if the above
named Ursula WINDSOR Widowe & relict of John WINDSOR
Late of ffordington within the prebendall jurisdiction there, And
Administratrix of all and singler his goods chattles and debts
shall well and truly administer all and singuler the same
goods chattles and creditts, that is in paying the debts of
the said deceased (if he owed any) wth he owed at his decease
as farrr as the same will thereto extend and the lonoe buid for
and bring in and exhibite into the Registrie of the said Prebendarie
for the said jurisdicon, a true and pfecte Inventrie of all the
said deceaseds goods chattles and creditts, and pass and
render up a true and pift Accowpte of and upon her said
Adndon when she shalbe hereto Lawfull called and required
(Note:- two deleted lines)
truly doe and pforme all things els by her to be pformed
as Administratrix of the said late husbands goods as by
Lawe she is or shalbe required Then the said obligation
to be void or els to abide in full force and vertue
Signed Ursula WINDSAR and John WINSOR

Signed sealed and delivered in the psence of Hen: Butler Nt? publique?

Genealogical Notes:-

(1). Edwardus ONSLOWE was prebendary of Fordington from 1641 to his death in 1667.

(2). John WINZAR her husband was buried in St Georges churchyard on16th May 1664.

(3). Ursula WINDSOR/WINDSER died in 1670 leaving a Will which has also been transcribed and can be reached via this link. From this will it is clear that in addition to their son John they also had at least three daughters called Tamsen, Mary & Sarah WINDSOR/WINDSER.

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