|
LAST WILL & TESTAMENT National Archives Reference: PROB 11/158/378 © Transcribed for the Dorset OPC Project by Kim Parker August 2018 (Last updated Sep 2023)
In the name of God Amen. I John Gould the Elder of Dorchester in the countie of Dorset Marchant being of good and perfect memorie (thanks be given unto allmightie god) revoking all former and other wills and testaments doe hereby make and declare this my last will and testament in manner and forme following That is to say first and principally I bequeath and commend my soule into the handes of allmightie god who first infused the same into my mortall bodie and hath also redeemed the same by the passion and bloodsheddinge of his Sonne Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour by virtue of whose merrits only I doe expect and hope for salvation and to enjoy eternity and glory with him after the dissolution of this transitorie estate of mortallity And I committ my bodie to the earth to be decentlie buried at the discretion of mine executors and overseers of this my last will and testament And as touching and concerninge my worldlie estate which god hath given unto me I give and dispose thereof in manner and forme following Imprimis I give and bequeath unto the poore people of St Peters parrish within the towne of Dorchester aforesaid fortie shillinges And unto the poore of Trinity parrish in Dorchester aforesaid fortie shillinges And unto the poore of the parrishe of All Saintes in Dorchester aforesaid fortie shillinges And unto the poore of the parishe of Staverton in the countie of Devon forty s. Which severall paid sumes of money I doe will and appoint to be paid and distributed by my said executors within six months after my decease to and amongst the poore persons of the said severall parishes as my said executors and overseers shall deeme and judge to stand in greatest need of releife and imploied according as they thincke in their discretions most fittest for them Item I give and bequeath unto the nine Almes people within the old Almes house in Dorchester aforesaid fortie shillinges and to everie of them a blacke frize gowne Item I give and bequeath unto the poore of Fordington in the countie of Dorset five pounds to be imployed by the overseers of the said parrishe in apparel upon the neediest persons within six months after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto the Free Schoole of Dorchester aforesaid the some of tenne pounds to be imploied about the same Schoole by the Mayor Aldermen and Capitall Burgesses of the borough of Dorchester aforesaid for the buying of bookes or otherwise as they wish or discretions shall thincke fitt To be paid within six moneths next after my decease Item I give and bequeath to the buying and purchasing of some Impropriation or other lands to redound unto the benefit and maynetenance of the ministers within the parishes of the borough of Dorchester thirtie pounds to be paid unto the Mayor Bailiffes Aldermen and Capitall Burgesses of the said burrough of Dorchester aforesaid for the tyme beinge within sixe moneths after my decease and to be connected to no other use or imployment Item I give and bequeath unto Josias White my godsonne Sonne unto Mr John White now Preacher in Dorchester aforesaid tenne pounds to be paid to his father to his sonnes use within one yeare next after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto Thomas Roye and Othmell Roye sonnes of my Sonne in lawe John Roye deceased the summe of thirtie pounds apeece To be paid unto them at their severall ages of one and twentie yeares The benefit and increase of the same legacies to be imploied by my said Executors after my decease for their use and benefit until they come to their severall ages of one and twentie yeares Item I give and bequeath unto the rest of the children of my aforesaid sonne in lawe John Roye deceased tenn pounds apeece To be paid unto them at their severall ages of one and twentie yeares Item I give and bequeath unto everie of the children of Edward Roye my sonne in lawe that shall be living at the time of my decease the sume of tenn pounds apeece To be paid unto them at their severall ages of one and twentie yeares And if anie of them shall die before they have attained unto the said age Then their portions to be devidded to and amongst the survivors of them Item I give and bequeath unto John Bond and Willyam Bond the sonnes of Dennis Bond and Joan my daughter deceased twentie pounds apeece And unto Sarah Bond daughter of the said Dennys Bond fortie pounds The same severall legacies to be paid within one yeare next after my decease unto their said father Dennys Bond in givinge securitie unto my Executors content for the satisfying and payinge over of the said severall portions to his children at their ages of one and twenty yeares Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Frances the wife of John Harkwell of the cittie of Exon in the countie of Devon one hundred pounds And to everie childe that my said daughter Frances shall have living at the time of my decease I give the severall sumes of fiftie pounds apeece: which said severall legacies of my Daughter and her children to be left in the hands of my executors to runne in trade or otherwise according unto my executors discretion To be paid over unto the said children at their severall ages of one and twenty yeares And if one of them shall die before they have attained unto that age Then the portions to be devided to and amongst the survivors The benefitt made by the imployment of the said moneyes one yeare next after my decease To be paid yearely after unto John Harkwell their father or if he should happen to die Then the provenne of the said severall portions to be paid over unto the said Frances his wife untill such tyme as they have attained unto the aforesaid severall ages of one and twentie yeares Item I give and bequeath unto the children of my eldest sonne John Gould living at the time of my decease twentie pounds And to the childe that my daughter in lawe Sarah now goeth withal Twentie pounds To be paid unto their said father to their use within one yeare next after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto Mary Gould daughter of my sonne James Gould twenty pounds And to the childe which my daughter in lawe Margery wife to my said sonne now goeth withall twentie pounds To be paid unto their said father to their use within one yeare after my decease Item I give unto my said daughter Frances Harkwell one truncke now standing in my bedchamber with all the lynninge in the same truncke Item I give unto my sonne James Gould all my moveable goodes, plate household stuffe and implements of household whatsoever which shall be found within my dwelling house in Dorchester aforesaid (woollen kersties washed and milled onelie excepted) Item I do moreover give and bequeath unto my said sonne James Gould the remainder of certaine yeares in a barne and a close adjoyneinge lyinge within the borough of Dorchester and parcel of the said towne lands knowne and called by the names of 'Shube Yeate' duringe the full tyme and terme therein expressed and contained in the said lease Item I give and bequeath unto my said sonne John Gould all my moveable goods wood tymber ploughes and plough stuffe howshold stuff and implements of household whatsoever which at the tyme of my decease I shall have in and about my tenement in Britaine Streete within the manor of Fordington (my corne onely excepted) Lastly I doe hereby make and ordaine my sonnes John Gould and James Gould my sole executors of this my last will and testament Not doubting but that they will so much respecte their dutie unto God and to me their natural father that they will carefully see the same executed and performed in all thinges according to the true intent and meaning hereof And for their better aid and assistance in the due performing thereof I doe also ordaine intreate and appoint my lovinge friends Hymfry Joliffe of Dorechester aforesaid gentleman and Dennis Bond aforesaid Marchant to be supervisors and overseers of this my last will and testament And for their better execucion and performance thereof whi I intreate to be assistinge and aydinge unto my said sonnes with their best advise and direction in this behalf To whom I give in remembrance of my love unto them the sume of five pounds apeece In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale the eleaventh daie of June in the sixt yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of god king of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith or Anno Domini 1630. John Gould Sealed and published by the said John Gould to be his last will and testament contained in these two sheetes of paper in the presence of us whose names are under written Paul Derby 1630 Genealogical Notes:- (1) Background to the GOULD Families of Dorchester: [Source:- Extract from page 42 'Fire From Heaven' by David Underdown Published in 2003] "There have been Goulds in Dorchester as far back as the early fifteenth century, but the two cousins from Devon who became part of the reform group arrived only in the 1590's. His cousin John [GOULD] was also a Devonian, from Staverton near Exeter, and he retained close ties with friends and kinfolk in the city. John did almost as well in business as his cousin. He died in 1630, the same year as Jame's widow; both were major benefactors to Dorchester charities." Note:- The transcription of the Will given in the section above, and comments given below, all refer to John GOULD the Elder (1558-1630) a Merchant of Dorchester. For information about his cousin James GOULD (d.1613) follow link to a transcription of the Will of his widow Joane GOULD (d.1630) .
John GOULD the Elder married Joanne (nee Benvenue or Benvenewe) the widow of John ROY of Weymouth. Kim Parker (OPC), who kindly carried out the above transcription of his will, comments ' Joan was the daughter of John Benvenue of Abbotsbury, a merchant, who may have been French, or of French descent, as 'Benvenue' is like 'bienvenue' the French word for 'welcome'. Also ROY is the old French spelling/pronunciation of the French word 'roi' which means king. It's been estimated (based on the Tudor Subsidy Rolls) that 6% of the Dorset population was foreign-born at this time. The Wool trade was very important at this time and would have attracted many foreign merchants'. Joan clearly died sometime prior to John writing his will in June 1630. Kim also comments:- 'John Gould's Will names "sons in law" John Roye and Edward Roye, the term "sons in law" in this context meaning step-son. It appears he had charge of them from a young age. Both followed him into trade and became merchants. From reading John Roy's Will (dated 20 April 1619, proved 12 October 1619), he had many ventures with his brother who remained in the Dorchester area while John settled at Weymouth and Melcombe Regis 8 miles to the south. John Gould was also father-in-law of Denis Bond (1588-1658) by his eldest daughter Joan (1588-1620) and the progenitor of the Gould dynasty of Upwey. He had moved to Dorset to make his fortune, being the younger son of the ancient family of Gould of Staverton, Devon. He did very well for himself and became an important benefactor of the town.' John GOULD the Elder was first appointed Bailiff of Dorchester 24th Mar 1603/4 (and again in 1609). He was also one of the original Capital Burgesses and Councilors of Dorchester who signed the Charter of James I on 26th June 1610 (and the later Charter of Charles II on 29th September 1629). It is clear from the Survey of the Manor of Fordington , which was undertaken in the year 1615, that he also held 147 acres of land in Fordington Fields. A major benefactor towards John White's godly reformation he contributed for example £60 towards the purchase and erection of the Hospital in 1616. John, and James his son also granted a yearly rent-charge of £8 for ever out of the capital messuage and tenements wherein they then dwelt, situate on the east side of the High South Street, in the parish of St Peter. Entries in William Whiteway's diary for the year 1623 (page 52) confirms:- "The 30th May about 7 a clocke in the morning died Mrs GOULD my Aunt, wife of Mr John GOULD Bailiffe, aged about 72 yeares and was buried the 4th June" (at St Peters). Also on 13th June 1630 "This day my unkle Mr John GOULD died". John was clearly also an Aldermen of Dorchester as, although records of his appointment have not survived, when he died he was replaced by Bernard Toope on 2nd Oct 1630. John GOULD (1558-1630) the Elder & Joan had 4 children :- (2.1) Joan GOULD (1588-1620) who was the 1st wife of Dennis Bond whom she married 19th Jan 1610 and had 5 children (2.2) John GOULD the Younger (1590-1643) In the 1623 visitation of Dorset is said to be aged 33 years. Like his father he was a Merchant trading with France out of the port at Weymouth, and was appointed Bailiff of Dorchester 3 times (1613/14; 1618/19, 1622/1623). In about 1619 he married Sarah the eldest child of William EVERY of Cotthay in Somerset (1).John was the sole executor and main beneficiary under the Will of Edmund BENVENUE Hellyer of Dorchester, dated 30 Jan 1622 and proved on 03 April 1623. The family moved to live at Upwey and there is reference to him in the Municipal records of Dorchester dated 15th July 1640 where it states " Whereas Mr John GOULD of Vpway [Upwey] , bringing in corne into our market which was brought from France, expects to have it Toll, Free. It is thought fitt and so ordered that he shall pay Toll corne for it, being noe way exempt." John GOULD the Younger is said to have died at Upwey c1643/4 where parish burial registers have also not survived. I have not so far located a Will or Letter of Administration. His wife Sarah Gould is certainly a widow and still a tenant in 1650 on their main plot of 63 acres. Link to the Survey of Fordington Manor - 1650 . This shows that her father-in-law John Gould the Elder (1558-1630) held the copyhold by a grant dated 14th Sep 1596. The 1615 Survey confirms that under the lifehold system it was held for two lives, John GOULD the Elder who later died in 1630, and the second life must have been her husband John GOULD the Younger then aged about 25 who later died c1643. The 1650 Survey (Folio 2) refers to Sarah holding the land by virtue of her widowhood and usefully gives her age as being 56 (i.e. born c1594). It goes on to show that two of her children William & Marageret hold the reversion of the same place by virtue of a grant made to John Gould the Younger on 27th March 1634. Known Children:- (1) Johane Gould (b.1620) aged 3 in 1623 Visitation of Dorset. (2) Sarah Gould (b.1622) aged 1 in 1623 Visitation of Dorset (3) Margaret Gould (b.1629) aged 21 in 1650 Survey of Fordington Manor (4) William Gould (b.1632) aged 18 in 1650 Survey of Fordington Manor (2.3) James GOULD (1593-1676) MP Baptised at St Peters Church In Dorchester 21st July 1593 (Source RG Bartelot). A Merchant trading in Dorchester he was one of the 119 investors in the Dorchester Co in 1624/6. Link to more information about his life and that of his son James GOULD (1624-1707) MP (2.4) Frances GOULD who married John Hackwill [Hackwell or Harkwell] of Exeter. Genealogical Notes:- (1) John Gould the Younger's marriage to Sarah is in the Visitations of:-
(b) Dorset (1623) as 'Sara da. of Will'm Euery of Cuttie in com. Som'set' . (This also shows they already had 2 daughters in 1623 named as 'Johane a da of the age of 3 yeares 1623' and 'Sarah 2 filia aetat 1') (c) Somerset (1623) under the Family Tree of 'EVERY' as 'Sarah the daughter of William EVERY of Cotthay Co. Som. wife of John GOULD of Dorchester' . She is clearly the eldest child being already married and the age of all other children being given. |