In the name of God Amen: I Richard BARKER of Dorchester in the county of Dorset yeoman on the seventh day of August Anno Domini 1621: being of age threescore and nineteen years or thereabouts yet of perfect memory (thanks be unto almighty god) do make my last Will and Testament in manner and form form following viz

First: and principally I bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God my creator and maker desiring pardon and forgiveness of all my sins through the death and passion of Christ Jesus my only Saviour and Redeemer

And: my body to be buried in the church of St Peter's parish in Dorchester at the discretion of my executors ⁽¹⁾

Item: I Will and devise unto the Church of St Peter's in Dorchester the sum of twenty shillings of current English money

Item: Unto the poor of the town of Dorchester the sum of twenty shillings of current English money

Item: I Will and devise unto the hospital or workhouse in Dorchester lately erected ⁽²⁾ to set the poor of the town on work the sum of forty shillings of current English money.

Item: I Will and devise unto my daughter Margaret HALL the wife of Tobye HALL my garden in Salisbury which they now hold living in Cambridge to have hold and enjoy the same for [the] term of her natural life

And: after I Will and devise the same unto the heirs of her body lawfully begotten for ever

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said daughter Margaret HALL for the term of her natural life my two tenements or houses with their appurtenances situate and lying and being in Blandford ⁽³⁾ the one in the occupation of William HALL and the other in the occupation of William DOLBY and after her decease I Will and devise the aforesaid two tenements or houses with their appurtenances to the right heirs of her body for ever

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said daughter Margaret HALL my house or tenement in Salisbury near the Poultry Cross ⁽⁴⁾ which I bought and purchased of Robert BARTHOLOMEW to have hold and enjoy the same house or tenement with the appurtenances for the term of her natural life

And: after her decease I Will give and devise the same to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten for ever

And: for want of such heirs I Will devise all the said garden and houses before mentioned with their appurtenances unto my daughter Alice BARTLETT and to the right heirs of her body for ever

Moreover: I give unto my said daughter Margaret HALL my silver tankard

Item: I Will and devise unto my daughter Alice BARTLETT and to the rightful heirs of her body the wife of Robert BARTLETT ⁽²⁰⁾ my house that Nicholas MAUNDERS ⁽¹⁶⁾ now dwelleth in, in Dorchester aforesaid and the ground that Robert SHORTE ⁽¹⁷⁾ doth hold of me in Dorchester aforesaid on which there was a house burnt down by the late fire ⁽²⁾. All which said house and garden plot with the appurtenances she shall have hold and enjoy for herself and her heirs and assigns for the term of her natural life

And: after after her decease I give and devise the same house and garden plot with the appurtenances unto the right heirs of her body for ever unto whom I have already passed the same by deed

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said daughter Alice BARTLETT and to her right heirs for ever my dwelling house for ever situate in Dorchester with a plot of ground thereto adjoining which is walled in together with the use of a well with a passage or through leading thereunto from the said dwelling house whensoever she they or any of them shall have occasion to fetch water bringing bucket and rope for that purpose. In which said house Richard PASKEW ⁽⁵⁾ lately dwelt and is parcel of a Burgage or Tenement where upon I now dwell in Dorchester with said house plot of ground and passage to the said well with the use of the well I have already passed by my deed unto the said Alice and to her right heirs for ever

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said daughter Alice BARTLETT my silver goblet

Item: I Will and devise unto my daughter Katherine STONE the wife of William STONE my house tenement or Burgage wherein I now dwell with the stables and garden thereunto belonging, after the decease of my sister Elianor GAUNTLETT unto whom I have passed the same for the term of her natural life, After which term I say I Will and devise the same unto my said daughter Katherine STONE and to the heirs of her body for ever

Moreover: I give unto my said daughter Katherine STONE and to her right heirs two acres and a half of ground lying in the East Walls in Dorchester with all the remainder of that lease yet to come together with the rents of all such houses as are built thereon to have hold and enjoy the same immediately from and after my decease unto her the said Katherine and to her right heirs as aforesaid

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said daughter Katherine STONE the bedstead canopy and cupboard that stand in the hall of my dwelling house which she shall leave unto her heirs to whom the said to whom the said house and tenement is given willed and devised

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said [daughter] Katherine STONE the debt and sum of eleven pounds of current English money due unto me from Lawrence MELLER gent ⁽¹⁸⁾ as by his bond do appear and

Moreover: I give my said daughter Katherine STONE one of my needlework cushions with a silver bowl

Item: I Will and devise unto my daughter Edith FORD the wife of Thomas FORD my tenement or Burgage in Dorchester lying in the High South Street now in the tenure of Henry SYMES which house I bought and purchased of Lawrence WALDO grocer ⁽¹¹⁾ of London to have hold and enjoy my said house or tenement with the appurtenances unto my aforesaid daughter Edith FORD and her assigns for the term of her natural life

And: after her decease unto the right heirs of the said Edith for ever, Provided always and my further Will and meaning is that she the said Edith and her right heirs do and shall yearly pay unto my sister Elianor GAUNTLETT and her assigns during the natural life of the said Elianor the sum of four pounds of lawful money of England in recompense of the Annuity which I have granted unto her by my deed out of the rent of the same house. The same four pounds to be paid quarterly by even portions at the four most usual feasts or times of the year.

Moreover: I give my said daughter Edith FORD my silver salt

Item: I give unto my daughter Edith FORD my great chest that stands in the little chamber after the death of my sister Elinor GUANTLETT

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said daughter Edith FORD all that my garden ground with the appurtenances lying in Dorchester in the parish of All Saints in a certain street or lane called Durne Lane ⁽⁷⁾ on the south side of the same lane between the Burgage of Leonard MILLER ⁽⁸⁾ on the west side and the land of John JOOMES of Lyme in the east side to have hold and enjoy the same unto the said Edith FORD and her assigns for the term of her natural life

And: after her decease I Will and devise the same unto the right heirs of the said Edith FORD for ever

Item: I Will and devise unto my said daughter Alice BARTLETT and to her right heirs my barn which I lately built lying at the south end of the town of Dorchester yielding and paying for the same presently after my decease (so long as the lease which I have taken of the glebe land of Forthington parsonage is to come and unexpired) unto Richard SMITH my godson the yearly rents of sixteen pence of lawful money of England to be paid at four feasts of the year most usual (that is to say At the feast of the birth of our Lord god [i.e. 25th December] The Annunciation of our Blessed Lady St Marie the Virgin [i.e. 25th March] The Nativity of St John the Baptist [i.e. 24th June] and St Michael the Archangel [i.e. 29th September] by even portions.

Item: I Will and devise unto my daughter Elizabeth PITT my tenement with the appurtenances situate lying near Wimborne in the County of Dorset and all houses edifices buildings arable land meadows leases and pasture grounds with the appurtenances to the same tenement belonging together with all grounds that I bought of Peter CROSS to have hold and enjoy the same tenement with appurtenances unto the said Elizabeth PITT for the term of her natural life.

And: after her decease I Will and devise the aforesaid tenement ground and premises with appurtenances unto the right heirs of her body for ever

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said daughter Elizabeth PITT and to the right heirs of her body for ever one house or tenement with appurtenances situate in Wimborne aforesaid in the Cook Row ⁽⁹⁾

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said daughter Elizabeth PITT six of my best silver spoons and one of my needlework cushions

Item: I Will and devise unto my sister Elianor GAUNTLETT the Burgage Messuage or Tenement with appurtenances which I now dwell in situate in Dorchester in the High South street to have hold and enjoy the same Tenement with appurtenances unto her the said Elianor GUANTLETT and her assigns for the term of her natural life together with the garden stable and out houses and appurtenances thereunto belonging she the said Elianor and her assigns repaying the same tenement with appurtenances during the said estate (excepted out of this present devise one house parcel of the said tenement with a plot of ground taken out of the foresaid garden and a passage to a well which is a part of the same tenement And which I have already passed by my deed unto my daughter Alice BARTLETT and her right heirs)

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said sister Elianor GAUNTLETT and her assigns the sum of four pounds by the year of current English money to hold and enjoy the same for term of her natural life and shall be paid quarterly by my daughter Edith FORD and her heirs out of the Burgage or Tenement in Dorchester now in the tenancy of Henry SYMES in the High South Street by twenty shillings every quarter which she shall enjoy presently after my decease by my deed I have already passed the same unto her

Item: I Will and devise unto Richard SMITH my godson my six houses lying at the end of the High South Street in Dorchester with the grounds and houses thereunto belonging together with those houses of mine which Xtofer (Christopher) BEERE thatcher ⁽¹⁰⁾ has built All with land I bought and purchased of Lawrence WALDO grocer of London⁽¹¹⁾ and sometimes were in the occupation of Robert COLSON Apothecary all with before recited houses and ground with their appurtenances I Will and devise unto my said godson Richard SMITH and to the right heirs of his body for ever

And: in default of such heirs I Will and devise the same and every part thereof unto my said five daughters Margaret HALL, Alice BARTLETT, Katherine STONE, Edith FORD and Elizabeth PITT and to the right heirs for ever equally to be divided amongst them

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said godson Richard SMITH my barn lately built situate and lying South end of the town of Dorchester with the plot or parcel of ground thereunto belonging to have hold and enjoy the same to him the said Richard SMITH and his right heirs for ever after the expiration of the lease of the glebe land of the parsonage of Forthington

And: in default of such heirs after his decease I Will and devise the same unto my five daughters equally to be divided as the former houses aforesaid

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said godson Richard SMITH six of my best silver spoons, one feather bed, one feather bolster, a pair of sheets, a pair of blankets, a rug, coverled , and one other coverled, one great brass pot and brass pan

Moreover: I Will and devise unto the said Richard SMITH after the death of my said sister Elianor GAUNTLETT one great chest that standeth in my hall and the bedstead that standeth in my little chamber

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said godson Richard SMITH the debt or sum of twenty pounds of current English money which is due unto me from Mrs BAILEY of NetherCerne widow as by her bill appeareth

Item: I Will and devise unto my daughter Elizabeth [sic - Note:- in error for Alice?] BARTLETT her children six of my silver spoons that are employed and used about the house, viz one to her son Richard my godson, one to her daughter Ruth that is married. one to her daughter Marie, one to her daughter Martha, one to her son Robert and another to her daughter Edith all which spoons I Will and appoint to be delivered to them severally within six months next after my decease

Moreover: I Will and devise unto my said daughter Alice BARTLETT's children the sum of forty pounds of current money of England to be equally divided amongst them as well married and unmarried which money is due unto me from Mr John YEATE ⁽¹²⁾ of Dorchester and from his son as by their bonds appeareth

Item: I give unto my daughter Katherine STONE's children equally to be divided amongst them three score pounds (£60) of the several debts and sums of money due unto me from John ARNOLD Gent, Lawrence MELLER Gent ⁽¹⁸⁾, and from Thomas SPARROW ⁽¹⁹⁾ as in particular appeareth by their bonds

Item: I give unto my daughter Edith FORD her children to be equally divided amongst them the debt or sum of forty pounds due unto me from Mr John BURFOOTE and Roger GREGORYE by bond as by their bonds appeareth

Item: I give unto my goddaughter Joane PITT daughter of Elizabeth PITT the feather bed and feather bolster that was sometimes her fathers which I redeemed from Blandford by paying three pounds and fourteen pence

Moreover: I Will and devise unto the said Joane PITT daughter of Elizabeth PITT and to her right heirs the lease of the house and houses and the remainder thereof to come and unexpired that I bought of my son-in-law Robert PITT the same house or houses being situate in Blandford

Item: I Will and devise unto Cornelius PITT and unto Elizabeth PITT my daughter Elizabeth PITT's children the debt and sum of four and twenty pounds of current money of England which is due unto me from Ralph PERYN of Dorchester and from John EDWARDS of Winfrith Victualler as by their bills or bonds appeareth

Item: I Will and devise unto Sara HALL one of the daughters of my daughter Margaret HALL the debt and sum of twenty pounds of current English money which grows due unto me from Ralph PERIN of Dorchester as by his bond appeareth

Item: I Will and devise unto my said five daughters Margaret HALL. Alice BARTLETT, Katherine STONE, Edith FORD, and Elizabeth PITT my bed sheet or bearing sheet which they shall every one use and enjoy as they shall have occasion at the times of their lying in child bed and after their deaths I likewise give and devise the same to their children to be enjoyed in like manner.

Item: I Will and devise unto Elianor FORD the daughter of Edith FORD my best coverlidd

Item: I Will and devise unto Johan STONE ^{(13 )}the daughter of Katherine STONE a brass pot

Item: I Will and devise unto Dorothy YEATE my goddaughter the daughter of Mr John YEATE of Dorchester the sum of forty shillings of current English money to be paid by my Executrix of this my last Will and Testament within six months next after my decease

Item: I Will and devise unto my son-in-law William STONE all such monies as of right are due and belonging unto me out of the money that Mr Matthew CHUBB ^{(14 )} deceased and Mr Richard BLATCHFORD ⁽¹⁵⁾ of Dorchester collected by virtue of a patent granted by the Kings Matie towards the repairing and new buildings of the houses burnt down by fire happening in Dorchester after with time the said Mr CHUBB and Mr BLATCHFORD promised me threescore pounds (of the money so collected) towards my losses which did amount in lands and goods for the sum of thirty pounds per annum which money they affirmed to remain in the hands of John BARKER of London an aparitor whom they deputed to collar the money given out of London to the town of Dorchester all which said monies being LX^li [i.e.£60] I Will and devise unto my son-in-law William STONE and to his right heirs

Item: I Will and devise that all such goods and legacies of money as I have given unto any of my children or children's children or any others shall be paid and delivered unto them within six months next after my decease by the Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament

Item: I Will and devise that all those legacies given unto my daughters and their children or children's children or any others which is due unto me by bond or bill and so expressed and devised in this my Will that they present after my decease shall have those Bonds or Bills assigned and made over unto them by my Executrix that so they may receive the said monies as they shall grow due unto them in particular every one as I have hereby devised the same

And Lastly: I Will and devise all the rest of my goods and chattels not allocated given and disposed of by this my Will and testament unto my sayd? daughter Alice BARTLETT whom I make and ordain the whole and sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament

And I do hereby revoke all other any former Wills whatsoever

In Witness: whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal and have acknowledged this Will and Testament to be my last Will and Testament the aforesaid seventh day of August 1621 in the presence of these witnesses whose names are hereunto written - Sealed Subscribed and Acknowledged by the said Richard BARKER to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us whose names are hereunder written

William JOLIFFE; Edward ASH; John CONDIT; John FOYLES By me Richard BARKER

Genealogical Notes:-

(1). St Peters Church Dorchester : Burial Records have not survived for the year 1621 but I have added an entry linking to this Will

(2). For background see the biography of John White, under the section regarding the Great Fire of Dorchester - 1613. "In 1617 they established the Dorchester Hospital or working house ‘for setting to work the poor children of the borough’. 

(3). Does not state which parish i.e. Blandford Forum or Blandford St Mary, the latter is more likely

(4). Salisbury has held a market since 1227 and from the 15th century had four crosses. The Poultry Cross whose name describes its market. The cheese and milk cross indicated that market which was in the triangle between the HSBC bank and the Salisbury Library. There was a third cross near the site of the present war memorial and this marked a woollen and yarn market. A fourth cross called Barnwell or Barnards Cross was situated around the Culver Street, Barnard Street area, this marked a cattle and livestock market. Today only the Poultry Cross remains, to which flying buttresses were added in 1852.

(5). There is mention in 1535 of a Richard PASKEW the son and heir of Walter PASKEW in Charters 574 and 575 ?

(6). Richard BARKER was one of the witnesses on Charter 708 dated 17th May 1593

(7). Durne Lane is of ancient origin being mentioned in Doomsday. It is shown on John Speed's map of 1611 but can be identified more easily on the map of 1771 . More background is given in the Municipal Records of Dorchester under Corporate Development and Durne Lane is now known as Durngate

(8) Leonard MILLER was a brewer by trade and one of the first members of the Company of Freemen in Dorchester being admitted to the register on 14th Nov 1621. He may have become a Mercer see Apprenticeship records

(9) Cook Row is within the parish of Wimborne Minster and runs parallel to the church

(10) Christopher BEERE a thatcher by trade was one of the first members of the Company of Freemen in Dorchester being admitted to the register on 7th Nov 1621

(11) The Will of a Lawrence WALDO a citizen of London and grocer by trade dated 22nd July 1602 and proved on 3rd Aug 1602 is held at PCC and available to view for members of Ancestry.com

(12) Mr. John YATE was Bailiff of Dorchester in 1607/8 and replaced as Alderman of the town when he died circa Dec 1621 when he was described as being very old.

(13) Johan is short for the female latin Johanna and would be referred to in later years as Joan which was interchangeable with Jane; not to be confused with Johannes which is male for John

(14). Mathew CHUBB died in 1617 Link to more information about him

(15). Richard BLACHFORD (1570-1652) Link to more information about him

(16). Nicholas MAUNDERS was a shoemaker by trade and had his house broken into in June 1617 when he was away. See The casebook of Sir Francis Ashley JP Recorder of Dorchester 1614-1635 Page 32

(17). Robert SHORTE was a furrier by trade and one of the original members of the Company of freemen in Dorchester being aditted on 25th Oct 1621

(18). The family of MELLER (MILLER) are of long standing in Dorset. They appear in the 1623 Visitation of Dorset on page 70 and although difficult to follow Lawrence Meller (Miller) was the brother of Elianor Miller who married John Churchill of Muston and Stinsford. John and Eleanor Churchill lived in Dorchester and their family appears on page 28 of the same Visitation. Joane the wife of Lawrence MELLER was buried at Stinsford 10th May 1617. Mary the wife of their sibling Jasper MELLER was also buried at Stinsford on 10th May 1617. Many records for this period however are missing.

(19). Thomas SPARROW was the keeper of Dorchester Gaol and died in 1629. More information about him under Thomas Devenish (c1589-aft 1638) Research document. See also Letter of Adminiostration for his estate issue in 1629 and reference in Sir Arthur Ashley's Casebook

(20). Alice BARKER married Robert BARTLETT at St Mary's church in Puddletown on 6th day of October 1589. After marriage they settled in the village and had the following children baptised at St Mary's. Most of these probably married there but marriage registers have not survived between 1615 and 1654:-

(1) Liddia Bartlett baptised on 2nd Aug 1590. She died at the age of 12 being buried in St Mary's churchyard on 8th Nov 1612
(2) Ruth Bartlett bap 22nd Feb 1591; already married and a beneficiary under his Will in 1621.
(3) Mary Bartlett bap 4th Mar 1593; a beneficiary under his Will in 1621.
(4) Edith Bartlett bap 23rd Jan 1596/7; a beneficiary under his Will in 1621.
(5) Martha Bartlett bap 5th Nov 1598; a beneficiary under his Will in 1621.
(6) Richard Bartlett bap 7th Feb 1600/1; his godson and a beneficiary under his Will in 1621.
(7) Robert Bartlett bap 27th Mar 1603; a beneficiary under his Will in 1621.

The first seven baptisms above are simply recorded in the original parish register as children of Robert Bartlett but follow their marriage at regular intervals and with the exception of Liddia who died in 1612 the other six are all named as beneficiaries under Richard Barkers Will dated in 1621. On 6th Oct 1605 another Robert Bartlett married in Puddletown to Agnes GOULD on 6th October and the following two baptisms are recorded as children of Robert and Alice Bartlett presumably to distinguish between the families. I have not located a burial but some burial registers are missing and I assume that both John & Elizabeth died prior to the writing of Richard Barkers Will on 7th Aug 1621.

(8) John Bartlett specifically recorded in the register as the son of Robert and Alice BARTLETT bap 1st Feb 1605/6.
(9) Elizabeth Bartlett recorded as daughter of Robert & Alse [Alice] bap 10 Jan 1607/8

There are then 3 further baptisms as described below but these do not appear to relate to Robert and Alice whose first child was born in 1590. With incomplete parish registers we may never be able to clarify some of these families.

(?) Isabel Bartlett ye dafter [i.e. daughter] of Robert and baptised the XX^d [i.e. 20th day] of December 1608
(?) Benjamin Bartlett y^e sonne of Robert & Kalt uxr bap: y^e 3^rd of June 1611
(?) Dorothie Bartlett d of Robert bap 29 June 1617 (typed sheet only?)