CONFIDENTIAL
Will of George ffearneley of Over Whitley
Written in 1613
The red font is my addition to let names stand out.
In the name of god Amen I George ffearneley of Over Whitley being sick in body but yet
pfect in memorie do make this my last will and testament in forme following that is to say I
bequeath my soule into the hands of almighty god trusting I be saved by the onelie merits of
Jesus Christ & my body buryed in the parish of Great Budworth: Item I doo give to my
wieffe Brigett my house & unto which I hould of Thomas Clark xxxx during her naturall
lieffe upon this condicon that shee keepe her unmarryed provided also that my wieffe doo
keep & mayntayne her mother & my two daughters Isabell and Ellen with sufficient meate
drinlke clothing & with lodyinge fiur? and fondement? accordinge to their calling & place
for if my wives mother shall be still of her membrance them my will is that she shall have
during her naturall lieffe the sume of £5 of goods & lawfull money of England partie to be
paye for that is to say fiftie shilling at her depture{=departure?} & other fiftie shilling when?
one half yeare after the sayd depture? and so that paymt of £5 do continue yearlie during her
naturall lieffe. Item my will is that if my wieffe Brigette shall happen to mary again after
my decease that then shee shall have and enioy the one half of my house & unto during her
naturall lieffe and that thereupon my wieffe Brigett shall pay and satisfye the half part of her
mothers inhretance? as is appresyed elz? pay & discharge the half part of the sume of £5 to
her mother in that forme & manner as is before specifyed and likewise my will is that my
wieffe if shee mary wherin? shall keepe & mayntayne my daughter Ellen with sufficient
meale drink clothinge & lodging during her naturall lieffe of my wieffe if so be that my
daughter Ellen shall yield her self to be ruled and gov’ned by her mother as upon sryener?
and eymitz? shall require. Item my will is that if my wieffe shall happen to mary anyone
that then my daughter Isobell shall pay and satisfy the other half It of the membrance to my
mother in such sorr? as is before in this my last will appointed best my will is that if my
wieffe shall mary againe that then my daughter Isabell isentlives? & imediatelie shall enter
uppon the half pte of my house & unto beinge & possesse the same so longe as the lease
shall continue without aine lette or interruption of my wieffe. Item my will is that if my
wieffe shall dep’te out of this world before my lease of my house & tente be determined &
ended then my daughter Isabell shall have & enioy the whole use? & benefit of my house &
tente yieldinge & payinge such maintenance &allowance to my wives mother & to my
daughter Ellen I have sech? dexxe? and appointed before in this my will to be bye? as the
xxxxxx {page is creased here} shall xxxxxxxxx and be unexpired Item my will is that if my
daughter Isabell shall happen to dy & dept out of this p’sent lieff before my lease of hounse
& tente be determined {page is creased here} xxxxx them the issue of my daughter Isabell if
shee shall have anie & the assignes of my daughter Isabell shal be charged with the same
maintenance & payment in as large & ample maner as if Isabell my daughter were living
without anie cavill fraud or molestacon{=molestation?} Item my will is if my daughter
Isabell shall dept this pl {=place?}{page is creased here} before my lease of my house &
tente be ended that my daughter Ellen shall have and enioy my house & tente in such
manner & forme as Isobell should have had if shee had lived. Item my will is that my
daughter isabell shall have all my husbandry ware earthplowes wheeles furrowesgeeres if?
aynes? yoks billes pitchfoks? sawes & all other necessary implements belonging to
husbandrie w’h I doo give to my daughter Isabell all boards shelves bedsheets frames stooles
and great chest w’h also I do give unto Isabell as her childs pte with this part that my
daughter Isabell rest satisfyed with this portion that I have bequeathed unto her. Item my
will is that my wieffe Brigett shall have the use and occupation of such husbandry ware &
other such househould stuffe as I have before specifyed & expressed during her lieffe & the
performance? of my lease? provided that my wieffe Brigett do not sell nor bargayne away
CONFIDENTIAL
anie of these goods from the house provided also that my wieffe in regard of the use and
occupazon of such goods shall & doo from time to time mayntayne the same and if anie of
the syme be worne away spent & constrained that shee shall buy as good in their place Item
I give & bequeath to my daughter Isabell and be interhesser? goinge uppon the reed? with a
stake? head?. Item the residue of all my goods my will is that shalle devided unto three parts
whereof one part I give to my daughter Ellen the second part I give to my wieffe and the
third part I give and take to my selfe out of which part all my funeral expenses shal be
discharged and all my debts shal be payd & satisfied which trulie & instlie? frisfed? a pte
whatsoever shal be bestetherof remayninge I doo give to my daughter Ellen Item my will is
that my wieffe Brigett be my sole and onelie executrix.to see this my last will executed &
p’formed and I do ordayne Thomas Whitley John Peacock and Richard Woodnett to be my
overseers of this my last will and testament I doo x x [page is creased here] willes &
testamts which I have made are in witnesse heereof, I have putt to I my hand and seale
maye 21th 1613
Sealed and delivered in the presence of these psons
Richard Eaton
Thomas Whitley
Peter Marbury
William Underwood
John Peacock
CONFIDENTIAL
Debts owing unto mee George ffearnley
George Pickson
John Parre
William Newall
Tho: Anderton of Crowenest?
John Starkey
Mr Clark my landlord
Mris Clark my landlady
Richard Lively?
Thomas Whitley
John Anyer?
George Joneson
19s
12s
6s
£3-6-8
7s
12s
10s
4s 4d
6s
2s 2d
20d
The debts I owe
To Prudence Bleas
20s
CONFIDENTIAL
INVENTORY
A true and pfect Inventorie of all the goods & cattells of George ffearneley of
Over Whitley in the county of Chester, husbandman deceased praysed &
valued by these peresones John Peacock Thomas Whitley Peter Dakin and
Richard Woodnett the 4th day of June in the yeare of our lord god 1613
Stripe? fine?
Fower twinfer? bullocks
Ffive heffers
Two calves
One nagge which was his heryote[=heriot]
Three old mares
Seaventene ould sheepe
Ten lambes
Two swine
Geese
Cocks, hens and chickens
Featherbeds bolsters & pillows
Two other beds
Five cowhite?
Three blankets
Twill & sacke
Panne brasse
Potte brasse
Pewter
Barlie and beans
Malte and oate
Corne sowen
Hempe & flaxe, stroon?
Woolle
Flaxen sheets & napie ware of flaxe
Then? powder? linens & sheets
Fortie slippings of sale? panne?
Twentie shippings of other panne?
Reste hempe
Three pownds of raw? of flaxe
Treene ware
Mugges & earthen potts
One chest and three wheels
Beef bacon butter and cheese
Hey trassle? payd for
Money in his purse
Turves and other fewell
Wheat strawe
One racker? three sives & two wiskers
One hatchett & a paymt? of oards?
Shaines? of wax? & tallow
His apparell
£15
£11
£6-13-4
20s
£3-5s
£3-10s
56s 8d
26s 8d
13s 4d
6s
3s
£3-13-4
10s
23s
16s
10s
40s
30s
13s 4d
£3-6-8
13s 4d
£11-13-4
11s 8d
15s
20s
20s
20s
10s
17s
4s
16s
2s
6s
13s 4d
22s
£3-6s
10s
12s
2s
12s
12d
40s
CONFIDENTIAL
These goods that follow heere and the gifte given by the sayd George
ffearneley to his older daughter as her childe part
One farme carte bord wheels and axeltz
One mucke? carte one payre of wheels one cole carte chest & two payre of
draughts
Two plowes
Two harrows
Seven payre of breasts & five collers
Two carte sheres & thilhandles two payre
Fower ladders three brakes & a threshell?
Three stonetrowes?
Crach? and manyer?
One sowen of xxx of xxxx?
One wheelbarrow
Three sawes a whipsaw forarriinge? saw, & handsaw
One chipping axe, one cuttinge axe & a square
One cuttinge axe a hatchett and a finet?
Two chiselles one file three nayers & five sycles
One spotstave? two hamers two choppinge knives
Two spades matfork? and a trowell
One fryinge panne cross the yardiron? clortes? two bamdrethes? pothooks
two spits & tmys?
Two payre of plowe irons one chayne krewich? and foriche? bolte and
iletisle? & ould iron
Frets of Iron and other ould iron
Two sythes and two hellves?
One cartrope two wouthes? three ladders three halters a packett and an
oreley?
One great chest and three bedsteeds
One table moulding board one dishboard & fall board
Sixteen shelves frames? & other boards
Cheares and stooles
One twinfer? heffer
45s
20s
2s
10s
8s
2s
11s
12d
12d
5s
12d
5s
3s
3s
3s
12d
4s
11s
6s8d
2s
2c6d
6s
16s
6s
8s
12d
30s
Debts owing to the decedent the xxxxxx whereof appeare by the will as they £7-6-10
are there sette downe in
Summa totalis
£93-1810
Transcribed from a copy of the original document provided by the office of the Cheshire and Chester
Archives and Local Studies.
Austin Fearnley
24 October 2007
(Revised 4 October 2008)