Person:Thomas Joyner (6)

Will of Thomas Joyner

[as posted here. Recorded In The Prerogative Court Of Canterbury, Somerset House, London, England 5th day of August 1657.]

Thomas Joyner, of Bere Regis, in the County of Dorset, Taylor, being very sick of bodie but of very good and perfect memory, blessed be the Lord, do make, constitute and ordain this to be his last will and testament in manner and form hereunder declared (that is to say) first, he bequeathed his soul into the hands of God, and his bodie to the Christian burial in the churchyard at Beere Regis as near to the place where two of his wives hath been formally buried as possible may be;

I bequeath all my goods that I posset of in the Joyner house, beasts, two swine, wheat, barley, oats, furniture, wood and other fuel in my Barkside and great firebrand (?) at Whitesbury, copper shard, and one hattern of oats at the house of Charotte Drew, widow, worth four shillings, together with a furner and ham fat, rovells, fondalls, caddors, one feather bed in the new chamber, several floxx beds, several blankets, feather boulsters and all the goods that he the said Thomas Joyner, is now lawfully possest of into the hands and possession of Maude Joyner, his loving wife, first to and for the end to pay off and discharge all the debts that he said Thomas Joyner, now standeth indebted unto several persons as the date hereof together with all his books, mault and other goods, moveable and immovable; and after his own debts are paid next, to and for her own use for and during the term of her natural life and at her departure out of this world she is to leave all the goods that she shall be then possest of to and for the use of Barnabas Joyner, Joseph Joyner, Jonathan Joyner and Hannah Joyner, if they live, so long, or to as many of them as shall be then living, equally and by even portions; and bequeath to his daughter Elizabeth, one-half head bedstead with cord and matt thereunto belonging, in the house of John Gould, the butcher, lived in with one very good chest of spine oak with three or four shelves in the chamber together with three shelves in the lower room and one bench together with one feather bed, feather boulster, coverlets, five pairs of sheets and one of the smallest brass potts, one kettle, two blankets, a little brass pofnett and a frondell, Chonnel and payl and other things of earth severally one of oak sorf which shall go presently to Versille to soon and Maude Joyner, her mother-in-law shall suffer her quietly to occupy the little house that John Gould lived in and so shall my son William Joyner also after the death of her the said Maude Joyner, if she shall happen so long to live and to this will and testament performed the said Thomas Joyner aforesaid designates constitutes and ordain his loving brother George Ryled of Lide and William Wilcox of Beere Regis, the overseers hereof and according to the full intent and meaning in that behalf for which they are to receive out of the estate ten shillings apiece.

Signed sealed and delivered this day and year above written as the last will and testament of said Thomas Joyner in presence of Thomas Joyner, Roger Willington, Senro (?) Miller HIS MARK

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   http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=sharpefamily&id=I7905
   
   I also have info from the church in Bere Regis, Dorset, as well as a plat of the cemetery showing
   where Thomas' grave is. We were unable to find it, as the stones have been moved, etc. Also something quite interesting. We went to the church, couldn't get in so went to the vicarage beside it. The lady there was the sister of the vicar who was on holiday, so she suggested we go across the driveway to the Inn and have a bite to eat. While in there inquired if there were any Joyners there and the innkeeper wanted to know if I meant the ghost, John Joyner. I told her No, I was looking for a Thomas Joyner. She said that he was the innkeeper in the 1500s and it was originally called Joyner's! Can you imagine what a shock that was. She went and got a book on the history of the town. There were references to a Thomas and Maud who ran the inn (his will ref. to his wife, Maud). This info had come from the church records, as everything had to go through them at that time. I have since corresponded with the vicar and he referred my first letter to the author of the book (the innkeeper sold me hers and was going to get another from the author), and he has written me with additional references to the Joyners. I really struck gold on that visit about three years ago! Will send you all this.
   Peggy Joyner Frisbee jffjr(..at..)attglobal.net