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Note:- The Obligation (the first part of the document) as usual is written in Latin and my Latin is not good enough to provide an exact transcription. Whilst some words varied from document to document Letters of Administration followed the same basic format so I have placed the variable (and from our point of view the important) details such as peoples names , places trades etc into a standard worded document as below so that the document can be understood. Know All Men by these presents that Jacobum DOLLING of Renscombe (1) in the Isle of Purbeck: in the County of Dorset, and Timotheum DOLLING of Dorchester in the County aforesaid and Johem TORRINGTON of the same place a Clothworker Are held and firmly bound unto Henry JONES Official Principal of the Archdeacon of the Archdeaconry of Dorset fully constituted in the sum of one hundred pounds of goods and lawful money of Great Britain to be paid unto the said Henry JONES his certain attorney his executors Administrators or Assigns To which payment well and truly to be made We oblige ourselves and each and every of us by himself for the whole our and each and every of our heirs executors and Administrators firmly by these presents sealed with our seals Dated the Fourteenth day in the month of March in the year of Our Lord 1689 and the third year of the reign of William & Mary by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so forth The Condition of this obligation is such that if the above bounden James DOLLING the Natural and Lawful Brother and Administrator of all and singular the goods chattels and credits of Henry DOLLING late of Dorchester above said Gentleman, intestate deceased do make or cause to be made a true and perfect Inventory of all singular the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased which have or shall come to the hands possession or knowledge of him the said James DOLLING or into the hands and possession of any person or persons for him and the same so made do exhibit or cause to be exhibited into the Registry of the Archdeacons Court of Dorset at or before the First day of May next ensuing And the same goods chattels and credits and all other the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased at the time of his death which at any time after shall come to the hands or possession of the said James DOLLING or into the hands and possession of any other person for himdo well and truly Administer according to law or further do make or cause to be made a true and just accompt of her said Administration at or before ye First day of March next ensuing and all the rest and residue of the said goods chattels and credits which shall be found remaining upon the said Administration accompt the same being first examined and allowed of by the Judge or Judges for the time being of the said Court shall deliver and pay unto such person or persons respectively as the said Judge or Judges by his or their decree or sentence pursuant to the true intent and meaning of the late Act of Parliament made in the two and twentieth and three and twentieth years of the reign of our late sovereign Lord King Charles the second (Instituted An Act for the better settling of Intestate's estates ) shall limit and appoint And if it shall hereafter appear that any last will and Testament was made by the said deceased and the Executor or Executors therein named do exhibit the same into the said Court making request to have it allowed and approved accordingly if the said James DOLLING above bounden being thereunto required do render or deliver the said Letters of Administration (approbation of such Testament being first had and made) into the said Court Then this Obligation to be void and of non effect or else to remain in full force and virtue.
Sealed and delivered in the presence of G:Pathen James DOLLING with his seal Tim: DOLLING with his seal John TORRINGTON with his seal Genealogical Notes:- [NOTE:-Because there are 3 generations of Henry DOLLING I have referred to these as 'Senior', 'Elder' and the 'Younger'] (1). Henry DOLLING the younger (1640-1687/8) who became Master of the Free School in Dorchester was the son of Henry DOLLING the elder (1609-1689/90) & Alice nee EYRES (1619-1696). As he died Intestate the Letter of Administration given above is for administration of his estate by his younger brother James who is described as being of Renscombe. (2). RENSCOMBE FARM was originally a Saxon estate and appears in the Domesday book" and is shown on the Domesday map of the Isle of Purback. Another Map of the Isle of Purbeck dated 1586 by Tresswell provides the names of the various Lords of these Manors at that date; that for Renscombe was a Mr WELLS; that for the Manor of Worthe [i.e. Worth Matravers] was Christopher DOLLING (See genealogical notes under the 2nd Letter of Administration given below); and that for Encombe was Mr CULLIFORD. This is useful in showing the close proximity of these estates. Until 1811 Renscombe Farm included the promotory called St Aldhelm's or more commonly St Albans Head. On the headland stands an ancient chapel, built and vaulted with stone. It is dedicated to St. Aldhelm first Bishop of Sherborne, and appears to have been a chantry, wherein masses were said for mariners wrecked on that dangerous shore. It was added to the Enscombe estate in 1811. For those that are interested some of Renscombe's more recent history has been set out by purbeck cottages. (3). In the 17th Century Renscombe was leased by John EYRES who lived there. In his 'Will' dated 9th November 1671 he left among other bequests money to his daughter Alice DOLLING (1619-1696) and memorial rings to her, her husband (Henry the elder) , and to her eldest son Henry (the younger). Alice who had married Henry DOLLING (the elder) at Worth Matravers in Dorset on 19th February 1638/9 was clearly held in high regard by her father with her husband being appointed Overseer of his will. (4) Henry DOLLING the elder (1609-1689/90) was the eldest son of Henry DOLLING Senior by his wife Temperance who were both buried at Worth Matravers, Henry in 1652 & Temperance in 1644. We know of at least two siblings. Judith DOLLING who was baptised on 13th Oct 1617, married a John RANDALL at Worth on 11th Sep 1641, and her younger sister Margery DOLLING, who was born in 1623, married at Worth Matravers on 10th April 1649 to William CULLIFORD. The Pedigree of the Culliford Family is given in the 1623 Visitation of Dorset (page 33) showing that they came from Devon but on that tree it refers to John COLLIFORD who married Francis the daughter of Robert FREKE. Their line of descent is better reflected in the 1676 Visitation of Dorset where it makes clear that he was the John CULLIFORD of Encombe the famous estate sold recently for £20m and the Mr CULLIFORD referred to in Tresswell's map of 1586. He had a grandson William that married a Margery and had a son Charles baptised on 3rd Oct 1665 at Corfe Castle but this appears to be the wrong age for the William CULLIFORD that married Margery DOLLING. With Enscombe being the next estate to those of the Eyres and Dollings it seems highly likely that Margery married into that famous family. Certainly there were many marriages between these families in the immediate area. Henry Dolling the elder (1609-1689/90) and Alice nee EYRES (1619-1696) had at least 5 children of their own (1) Henry DOLLING the younger (1640-1687/8) bap Worth Matravers (W/M) Aug 1640 (2) Alice DOLLING, we don't have her baptism, but she was buried at W/M on 17th May 1659 (3) Thomas DOLLING bap W/M 30th July 1643 (4) James DOLLING bap W/M 28th Apr 1647 referred to in note (1) above, and (5) Christopher DOLLING bap W/M 14th Nov 1648. |
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[Again the first paragraph has been written in Latin - but is a standard document often required by the ecclesiastical court to the effect:-] That Licence has been granted on 20th day of June 1690 by Henry JONES Doctor of Law and John FIELDING Cleric of the Court of Saraum to administer the oath and grant the letter of administration ---- refers to Alice DOLLING the widow and relict of Henry DOLLING Senior late of Dorchester.
You shall swear that the above named Henry DOLLING the late husband deceased died intestate and made no Will, so far as you know or believe, that you will well and truley administer the Goods, Rights, Credits and Chattles of the said deceased by paying the debts which he owed at the time of his death, so far forth as the same Goods, Credits and Chattles will thereunto extend and the law charge you, And that you will make and exhibit or cause or procure to be made and exhibited into the Registry of the Archdeacons Court of Dorset, a true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the Goods Credits and Chattles of the said deceased which have or shall come to your hands possession or knowledge, And render a true and just accompt when you shall be thereunto lawfully required, so help you God. The oath is then again in Latin but taken by Alicia [Alice] DOLLING Administratrix of Dorchester on 21st day of June 1690 Know All Men by these presents that Aliciam DOLLING of Dorchester in the County of Dorset widow, Thomas Ball of the same place and Stephen STOODLY from the same place a Grocer Are held and firmly bound unto Henry JONES Official Principal of the Archdeacon of the Archdeaconry of Dorset fully constituted in the sum of one hundred pounds of goods and lawful money of Great Britain to be paid unto the said Henry JONES his certain attorney his executors Administrators or Assigns To which payment well and truly to be made We oblige ourselves and each and every of us by himself for the whole our and each and every of our heirs executors and Administrators firmly by these presents sealed with our seals Dated the Twenty first day in the month of June in the year of Our Lord 1690 and the third year of the reign of William & Mary by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so forth The Condition of this obligation is such that if the above bounden Alice DOLLING the Relict and Administratrix of all and singular the goods chattels and credits of Henry DOLLING the elder late of Dorchester above said Gentleman, intestate deceased do make or cause to be made a true and perfect Inventory of all singular the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased which have or shall come to the hands possession or knowledge of her the said Alice DOLLING or into the hands and possession of any person or persons for her and the same so made do exhibit or cause to be exhibited into the Registry of the Archdeacons Court of Dorset at or before the First day of August next ensuing And the same goods chattels and credits and all other the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased at the time of his death which at any time after shall come to the hands or possession of the said Alice DOLLING or into the hands and possession to law And further do make or cause to be made a true and just accompt of her said Administration at or before ye First day of July next ensuing and all the rest and residue of the said goods chattels and credits which shall be found remaining upon the said Administration accompt the same being first examined and allowed of by the Judge or Judges for the time being of the said Court shall deliver and pay unto such person or persons respectively as the said Judge or Judges by his or their decree or sentence pursuant to the true intent and meaning of the late Act of Parliament made in the two and twentieth and three and twentieth years of the reign of our late sovereign Lord King Charles the second (Instituted An Act for the better settling of Intestate's estates ) shall limit and appoint And if it shall hereafter appear that any last will and Testament was made by the said deceased and the Executor or Executors therein named do exhibit the same into the said Court making request to have it allowed and approved accordingly if the said Alice DOLLING above bounden being thereunto required do render or deliver the said Letters of Administration (approbation of such Testament being first had and made) into the said Court Then this Obligation to be void and of non effect or else to remain in full force and virtue.
Signed Alice DOLLING with her seal Thomas HALL with his seal Christopher STOODLY with his seal
Sealed and delivered in the presence of Bernard TOM? and Robert LODER (6). The above is a transcription of the Letter of Administration for the estate of Henry DOLLING the elder (1609-1689/90) who outlived his son and which was granted to his relict Alice DOLLING nee EYRES (1619-1696). He was buried at Worth Matravers on 4th Feb 1689/90. Given how wealthy the Dolling family was it's suprising that none of them left a Will. Both Alice and her husband appear to have been living in Dorchester at the time of his death but Alice returned to Worth Matravers to live surviving until 1696 when she also died intestate. She was buried at St Nicholas Church on 20th October 1696. A Letter of Administration for her estate (although badly damaged) has survived and was granted to her surviving son James DOLLING (bap 28 Apr 1647) now also described as being of Work Matravers on 7th day of January 1690/1. Also bound with him was Joseph CULLIFORD presumably another relation via his aunt Margery. (7).Given that Alice died at Worth Matravers and the history of the three generations of Henry DOLLINGS given above they must have been directly related to the Christopher DOLLING (bur. 1612) who had married Elizabeth the daughter of William FRY of Mappowder and leased the manor of Worth in the time of Elizabeth I. As stated above he is shown on Treswells Map of Purbeck of 1586 as Lord of that Manor. Mention is also made in Somerset & Dorset Notes and Queries that in the year 1599 Christopher DOLLING claimed the right to hunt deer in the Manor. A brief account of the family is given in the Visitation of Dorset in 1623 showing descent of the manor to John DOLLING who married Judith the daughter of John SEYMER of Hanford and in 1613 was granted a patent to bear the family arms. This pedigree was recorded by John DOLLING himself in 1623 to show his line of descent and is not a full pedigree as we would draw up today showing other branches of the family. His son and heir also John DOLLING (1611-1663) was recorded as being 12 years old then but later resided at the Manor House at Downhay, now a listed building, which still bears the initials CC for Christopher DOLLING and his own initials JAD for John and Ann. |