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Facts and Events
| Name |
Mary Stretcher |
| Gender |
Female |
| Christening[1] |
28 May 1628 |
Willian, Hertfordshire, EnglandAll Saints |
| Marriage |
15 Sep 1654 |
Willian, Hertfordshire, EnglandAll Saints
to Philip Marshall |
| Will[3] |
20 Sep 1692 |
Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England |
| Burial[2] |
11 Mar 1694 |
Luton, Bedfordshire, EnglandSt Mary |
| Probate[3] |
May 1698 |
Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England |
Mary Stretcher was baptised at Willian in Hertfordshire on 28th May 1628, the daughter of James Stretcher and his wife Elizabeth Baker. She was the second of five children baptised to the couple at Willian, although the youngest died as a baby. In March 1643, when Mary was fourteen years old, both her mother and sister Elizabeth died and were buried within a week of each other.
In September 1654, aged 26, Mary was married at Willian to a yeoman named Philip Marshall, who was nine years her senior. He was originally from St Albans, but by the time of their marriage had moved to the parish of Luton in Bedfordshire. Mary and Philip settled at Thrales End in Luton, where Philip owned a farm, and the couple had three children together, all of whom lived to adulthood.
Philip died in 1681, after which Mary and her daughter Mary (who never married) appear to have moved a short distance away from Thrales End into the neighbouring parish of Harpenden, which comes very close to Thrales End. However, she continued to own the farm at Thrales End. Whilst living in Harpenden, Mary wrote her will. It split her lands in two parts. One small area was to go to her son James, but the majority was to go to her daughter Mary. Both bequests were conditional - if her son Philip was to pay his brother £20 he could claim James's share of the land, and if Philip paid his sister £300 plus £6 per year he could claim Mary's share of the land. The will also mentions some other possessions - her daughter Mary was to receive all her linen, brass and pewter goods and her "best brasse pottage pot".
Having written her will in September 1692, Mary lived for another eighteen months. She was buried at Luton on 11th March 1694, aged 65, being described in the parish register simply as "Widow Marshall of Thralsend".
References
- ↑ Church of England. Willian Parish Registers.
ch. 28 May 1628, Willian, Hertfordshire:
Marie daughter of James Stretcher the jn.
- ↑ Church of England. Parish registers of St Mary, Luton, 1603-1944. (Bedford: Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Record Service).
1693
March 11: Wid[ow] Marshall of Thralsend [i.e. 11 Mar 1693/4]
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huntingdon Archdeaconry Wills, in Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies. Hertfordshire Names Online.
(several margins obscured)
Marshall Maria de Harpden
In the name of God amen! I Mary Marshall [?]
of Harpenden in the County of Hertford Widow being now [?]
merry of good health and disposeing memory doe make & ordain[?]
my last Will & Testam[en]t in manner following Whereas my late [?]
husband Phillipp Marshall by his last Will & Testament in [?]
under his hand and Seale whereof he made me sole Executrix [?]
give and devise to mee and my heirs all and Singular his [?]
Lands and Tenem[en]ts whatsoever reposeing trust in me that I [?]
and would give & dispose of the same to & amongst his Children [?]
should thinke fitt in performance whereof I doe hereby give [?]
unto his and my Son James Marshall and his heirs all that [?]
of arrable Land com[m]only called or knowne by the name of [?]
Naldwick lying and being in Luton in the County of Bedford[?]
containing by estimacon eight acres more or lesse parte of [?]
to a Messuage Tenem[en]t, or Farme at Thrales End in the parish [?]
of Luton in the County of Bedford aforesaid now or late in [?]
tenure or occupation of Gregory Heath or of his Assigns with [?]
th apperteninces or by whatsoever other name the same is [?]
knowne Provided neverthelesse that if my eldest Son Phillip [?]
[?] Executors or Admin[istrator]s doe or shall pay or cause to be [?]
my said son James Marshall his Executor or Admin[?]
the full Sume of twenty pounds of lawfull money of England [?]
within Six Months after my decease, that then & from thereof[?]
from and immediately after such payment, this my gift & [?]
of the said Close called Naldwick with the apperteninces by my [?]
Son James and his heirs shall be voyd And I will that then [?]
Close called Naldwick with the app[ur]teninces devised to my said [?]
James and his heirs shall descend and come to my said Son Phillip[?]
Marshall and his heirs Alsoe I give & devise unto my daughter [?]
Mary Marshall and her heirs All that Messuage or Tenement[?]
th app[ur]teninces Situate & being at Thrales end in the parish [?}
aforesaid and all those foure Closes lying together neare the said
Messuage conteyning together by estimacon Six and twenty acres more or less
and all those Closes called Roddings and parcels of arrable Land or
wood thereunto belonging contayning by estimacion twelve acres more
or lesse and one Close of arrable Land called Cressing Croft conteyning
by estimacon foure acres more or lesse and one Close of arrable Land called
Grave Close conteyning by estimacon one acre three roods, more or less
& one Close called Bleeckmore[?] conteyning by estimacon Seaven acres
more or lesse and two Closes called New Closes conteyning by estimacon
twelve acres more or lesse, and on Close called Brodmere containing
by estimacon Sevaen roods more or lesse and one Close called Chaddock
Hill Close conteyning by estimacon three acres more or less and all
those my arrable Lands lying in the Comon Fields of Luton aforesaid
called great Hide feild and little Hide feild the lesse and small Croft
and the Hawksfeild conteyning by estimacon twenty eight acres more
or lesse or by whatever other name or names the same Closes and
Lands are called or knowne together with a Cottage or Tenem[en]t now or
late in the tenure or possession of Wiliam Hamond or of his Assigns
lately [?ected] upon the said Closes called Roddings with their & every of their app[ur]teninces All which said Messuage Cottage Lands & P[re]mises
are Situate lying and being in Luton aforesaid Provided always and
upon condicon and my mind and Will nevertheless is that if my
Said Son Phillip Marshall his heirs Executors or Admin[istrator]s doe or
shall within Six Months from and after my decease pay or cause
to be paid unto my said daughter Mary Marshall her Executors
or Admin[istrator]s the full sume of (the marke of Mary Marshall)
three hundred pounds of lawfull money of England and In trust
for the same from the time of my decease after the rate of five
pounds [?] till he or they shall Soe pay the same and alsoe
doe & shall yearly and every year during the naturall life of
my said daughter Mary pay or cause to be paid unto my said
daughter Mary Marshall or her Assignes the Sume or yearly
annuity of Six pounds of like lawfull money of England at the
foure usuall feasts or days of payment in the year (that is to say)
the Feast of St Michael the Archangell, the Nativity of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, the annunciacion of the blessed Lady
Mary the Virgin and St. John the Baptist by every and [?]
[?] any deductions, defalcations or abatement for or by [?]
[?] of any [?] assessments [?] [?]
[?] whatsoever the first payment thereof to begin & be [?]
[?] of the said Feast as shall next happen after my decease
then & from thence [?] from & after the payment of the [?]
of three hundred pounds and the annuity or yearly Sume of Six [?]
as aforesaid this gift and devise of the said Messuage Cottage
and P[re]mises with thappurtennces to my said daughter Mary [?]
her heirs shall be voyd, And I will that then the said Messuage
Cottage Lands and P[re]mises with the app[ur]ten[a]nces given to my said
daughter Mary and her heirs as aforesaid shall then descend and
come to my said Son Phillip Marshall and his heirs, and my mind
and will further is that for and notwithstanding any thing in [?]
will to the contrary it shall & may be lawfull to & for my said Son
Phillip Marshall and his heirs to have hold & enjoy & receive and
take to his owne use all & singular the rents Issues and profits
the said Messuage Cottage Lands Closes and other the premises [?]
the app[ur]ten[a]nces before by me hereby given or anywise divided [?]
and until such time as defaulte shall be made in the Severall
respective payments or any of them in manner and forme as [?]
according to the Severall provisos aforesaid aforesaid [sic] And I [?]
and order that my said Son James and daughter Mary their [?]
and Assigns shall severally or joyntly at the request costs and [?]
of my said Son Phillip his heirs or Assigns upon their Severall [?]
and respective receipts of the Severall and respective Sums [?]
twenty pounds and three hundred pounds and the yearly Sum
or annuity of six pounds as aforesaid give Seale and [?]
my said Son Phillip his heirs and Assignes severall or joynt
releases of all the Lands and Tenements to them or either [?]
them hereby devised, and of all other the Lands & Tenements[?]
shall descend or come from and to my said Son Phillip Marshall
and his heirs, and in case my said Son James and my daughter
Mary or either of them their or either of their heirs or Assigns
shall refuse to give or execute such relesase or releases as aforesaid
I will that my said Son Phillip shall not only deteyne the said
Severall Summes of mony to him or her soe refusing, but alsoe enjoy
the said Lands and Tenem[en]ts to them hereby respectively devised until
they shall give such release or releases as aforesaid All the rest and
residue of my Lands and Tenem[en]ts not by me hereby before devised
with the apperten[a]nces my Mind and Will is shall descend & come
to my Son Phillip & his heirs Also I give & bequeath unto my said
daughter Mary all my Linnen brass pewter goods household stuffe &
implements of household stuffe whatsoever (except the furnace[?] & my best
brasse pottage pott All the rest and residue of my goods and Chattells
and personall Estate whatsoever my debts being paid and my funeral
expences discharged I give & bequeath unto my said Son Phillip
Marshall whome I make constitute and ordaine full and sole Executor
of (the marke of Mary Marshall) this my last Will & Testament
In Witness whereof I the said Mary Marshall have to this my last
Will & Testament contained in three sheets of paper (vizt) to every
sheete thereof set my hand and seale the twentieth day of September
in the fourth yeare of the reigne of our Sovereign Lord and Lady
William and Mary by the grace of God King and Queen of England
Scotland France & Ireland defenders of the faith &c and in the yeare
of our Lord one thousand siz hundred ninety two. The marke of Mary
Marshall. Sealed published declared Signed & delivered in the P[re]sence
of us whose names are hereunder subscribed and were soe subscribed
in the sight & presence of the Testatrix Mary Marshall. John Leigh
Jo: Leigh jun Tho: Papworth
(Proved May 1698; administration to Philip Marshall)
(Inv: £26-8s-0d)
An inventory was also taken of her possessions, held at Hertfordshire Archives under reference 91HW17
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