Fordington

Will & Inventory of Elinor HACKAM Widow

(Also spelt Eleanor HACKHAM)

Dated 15th November 1664

©Transcribed by Michael Russell OPC for Fordington from CLDS Film 1067158 January 2009.
Last updated Jan 2011


The Last Will and Testament of mee Elinor HACKAM

of fforthington in the Countie of Dorsett a widow in manner & forme following: ffirst I give unto these foure Ministers int: Mr William BEN; Joshua CHURCHILL; Mr Benjamin WAYE and Mr John THOMPSON twenty shillings a peece to be paid them in two months after my decease (1)

Itm: I give unto the five children of my brother Arthur HACKAM that are now living all my sheepe to be equally divided betweene them. (2)

Itm: I give unto James HACKAM, my brother Arthur HACKAM's sonne, my husband's coate and one shirt

Itm: I give unto my sister Mary HACKAM one petticoate my hatt one brasse pan and one crocke

Itm: I give unto Rebeccah ALLEN the daughter of my sister Sarah ALLEN twenty shillings

Itm: I give unto my cousen Samuell ALLEN’s daughter twenty shillings

Itm: I give to the children of my brother Thomas BRAGG ten shillings to be equally divided between them (3)

Itm: I give unto Mathew BRAGG (5), my brother John BRAGGS sonne, ten shillings

These severall legacyes to be paid in twelve months after my decease; excepting only the Tenn shillings formerly bequeathed unto the daughter Samuel ALLEN which my will is shall remayne for her in the hand , of my overseers here after named

Itm: I give unto Christo: PANKY, Ham CUNDIT [Conduit?] & Zachary PROUSE two shillings and six pence apeece to be paid them at my decease.

All the rest of my estate goods and chattells my debts being paid & funeral expenses defrayed I doe give and bequeath unto my kinswoman Mary PINNEY the daughter of my sister Elizabeth PINNEY which said Mary PINNEY I doe make and appoint to be sole Executrix of this my Last Will and on special trust and confidence that my said kinswoman will take care of & look after her mother;

And I doe appoint and desire my brother Mathew BRAGG and my kinsman Samuel STAPLE to be overseers of this my Will that it be fullfilled according to the true meaning thereof In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand seale the fifteenth day of November in the sixteenth yeare of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord Charles the second King of England Scotland France and Ireland Etc Anno Dm [Anno Domini - In the Year] 1664

Elnr [Elinor] HACKAM

Signed Sealed and Published by the said Elinor HACKAM to be her Last Will & Testament in the presence of :
Jo: (6) BUSHROD Jun: [Junior]
Jno: [John] BUNNE his mark
Anne RASKER her mark
A true and pfect [perfect] Inventory of the goods and chattels of Elianor HACKAM late of Ffordington deceased taken valued and appraised by William BUNN and Edward EAMES the thirteenth day of December 1664 as ffolweth:

In Premis: [In the first place:] her wearring apparell praised at 6-13-4
Itm: one ffeather bed praised at: 1-10-0
Itm: one standing bedstead curtaines & valance 1-6-8
Itm: one Rugg and one coverled praised at 1-3-4
Itm: ffour bolsters ffive pillowes and five pillowtyes praised at 1-13-4
Itm: five paire of sheett & three paire of blankett 2-3-4
Itm: one dozen and a halfe of tabel nepkins and foure board cloths praised at 1-2-6
Itm: two bolster & coaths & three towels 0 3-0
Itm: one chest one coffer two boxes one trunke 0-14-4
Itm: one truckle bedstead and one bed 0-9-2
Itm two table board, one side board, five chaires and foure ioynstooles 0-3-4
Itm: one iron pot and three cushions 0-6-8
Itm: amry one fourme [forme] and a settell 0-12-0
Itm: ffoure [four] baraels [barrels] one meshing vate & two vatehorses [vat horses or stands] 0-13-4
Itm: ffoure trendols and two mashing tubbs 0-16-0
Itm: one grindstone and three old tubbs 0-3-6
Itm: three brass crocks [pans] & three kettles & three skillets 3-6-8
Itm: thirteen platters foure fruit dishes, two candle sticks one chamber pot & one basen praised at 1-13-4
Itm: one plate three pewter dishes two skimmers and two basing [basting] ladles 0-6-8
Itm: three tinnen [tin] dishes and two sacers [saucers] 0-2-6
Itm: two crooks, two pothooks one broach two candlestickes and one case and irons 0-6-8
Itm: a paire of Andirons one fire pan a paire of tongs and a fender praised at 0-10-0
Itm: two hundred and fifty bushels of mault and barley praised at 27-0-0
It: halfe a hundred ewes praised at 20--0-0
It: one gold ring and money 16-0-0
It: in money due 40-0-0
It: wood and furze & other trash 0-13-4
Summ is 130-13-0

[The inventory is then countersigned in Latin which needs proper translation but appears to me to be signed by a Henry BUTLER registrar on 7th day of February 1664/5]

Genealogical Notes:-
(1). I have already provided a link to the biography of Rev William Benn(1600-1680) who was vicar of All Saints church in Dorchester from 1629 to 1663; and another link to some notes on Rev Joshua Churchill the vicar of St Georges church Fordington from 1656 to 1662. The Rev Benjamin Way (1621-1680) was the son of Thomas Way a gentleman of Bridport and a graduate of Corpus Christi Oxford. He was Vicar of All Hallows in Barking in 1656 and Rector of Frome Billett & West Stafford in Dorset from 1661. He had many relatives in Dorchester and had married the sister of the curate Richard Russell. He was ejected from all livings in 1662 for non conformity but remained a Minister at Bristol until his death in 1680. Rev John Tompson (d.1675/6) was a graduate of Christ Church college Oxford (BA 1656 and MA 1659) and another native of Dorchester. He married William Benn's daughter and his father had been Rev John White's assistant at St Peters before the Civil War. He died in gaol 4th march 1675/6 at Bristoland was buried there in St Phillip's churchyard.

(2). A Mary Hackham the wife of Arthur Hackham was buried at St Georges church 19th Feb 1669/70

(3). The term brother or sister at this time included brothers and sisters-in-law.


(4). The Will with an Inventory for Arthur Hackam of Fordington has survived and is recorded at the Wiltshire Archives under the year 1679 (Ref SPC 1679 1 25: P15/27)


(5). There is reference in “Fire from Heaven” by David Underwood page 257 of a Mathew Bragg of Dorchester a Lawyer being one of only three men who took part in the rebellion and to his being hanged as a rebel possibly at Sedgemoor.


(6). Jo: [usually John as Joseph is Jos:] BUSHROD Jun: [Junior] Also numerous references to John Bushrod’s in Fire from Heaven but no Joseph.

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