most gentle redemer and lovinge saviour And in like maner I yeld mye bodye (if yt shall please god at this present to dissolue the same) to be reposed or laid vppe in the bosome of the earthe wtIn the precincte of the churche of St. Andrewes, hopinge yt when the trumpe of the lord, at the greate & generall daye of the lord shall sounde y' shall rise againe to glorye, imortalytye, inco'ruption, and a most blessed estate. It'm I gyue vnto Agnes stevenson the child of Johu stevenson of wy'dleston a panne and a dubbler. It'm I bequeathe vnto Elsabeth Robinson my dame ij yeards and an halfe of blacke cloth wherof I purposed to haue made me a gowne. The rest of that smale portion of goods wherwth god haythe endeuwed me, mye funerall exp'ces beinge discharged I do whollye give vnto John Robinson mye Maister whome I do appoint sole executor of this my last will & teastament the Daye & yeare above written Witnesses of this will be thes, John Robson curat ther, John Trotter, and Rebert Peirson wt others.

DEBTS Owen vnto me, Leonard bra'tingham in moneye wt I lent him xijs-Edward bra'tingham in moneye wt I lent him iiijs Robart micheson In lent moneye vs And for a shart iiij3. Anno D'ni 1573 And the xj of februarye This instant: The Inv'torye of all such goods as were (in her life tyme) app'taynynge vnto margerye Brantingham servant at her dep'ture out of this wretched vayle of miserye vnto John Robinson of Myddleston wthin the p'ishe of Saincte Andrewes, valued & appraised by iiij indiffere't me' of the said towneshippe vz. John Lax-John Trotter-Robart p'son-Thomas peirson as followeth A brasse potte & a panne And ij peuter dubblers ix-Off lynnen geare, ij worne codwayers, A rayle An apperne and a bende, a chirecheife, smocke, and a towell ijs viijd-ij yeards & an halfe of blacke clothe, wch should haue bene her a coate viijs iiijd-ij old worne coats iijs iiijd—An hatte, And an old bedde coverlet iijs iiijd. Suma xxvjs viijd.

CCXCV. ALBANYE FETHERSTON, OF FETHERSTON. ' In the name fifthe daye of the monethe of novembre In the year of o' lord god 1573 I Albanye

1 Here at least is a real Albany Fetherstonhaugh-one who does not merely exist in a ballad-and here is somewhat of Haltwhistle, although no mention is made of "the Baily." Who knows whether this very will might not have been before Mr. Surtees, when the wicked idea entered his head of imposing upon Sir Walter Scott one of his most dexterous fabrications? How far he succeeded may be seen in the MINSTRELSY OF THE SCOTTISH BORDER and in MAR

MION.

fetherston of ffether

in the countie of north

veray sicke in body and yeat hoole and p'fyt in memorye And co'sederyng and calling to Reme'branc ye unc wretched and miserable

do maike and

of this

this my

last will and testamet in maner and folowynge that is to say ffyrste I geve my Sou god beseichyng hyme to his mercye so as it may be p'taker of his most blessed deathe and passyon And I will yt after my dethe shalbe burved and

restore

my

churche of halt

wessell and in ye chauncell their at the plac wher my father and mother were buryed wth all my

mortuaryes and dewties by law for the sayme I wyll gev and bequethe to my most dearly and welbeloved wyff my mano' hows Lamley and my Lande Lamley wth th'app'tences dureyng to such Interest and Estate as I have heartofor yr of mayde my sayd wyff Lucye And also I wyll and bequethe unto my sayd dearly and welbeloved lucy and hyr herys for ever All yt my parke called park in hertleyborn in ye countie of northumbreland And also all my other lands messuages and tents wth theyre app'tena'cs in hertlyborn aforsaid And all wch were lately by me purchased And I wyll gev and bequethe to my said dearly beloved wyff lucye all my plait of Sylver and gold

forme soevr the same be And also I wyll gev and bequethe unto my sayd dearly beloved wyff lucye and to all the

stuff

ston lomes

chyldren sonies and dowghturs Joyntly togither the rest of all my goodds and cattolls gold syluer Jewells and howshold at my dwellyng and mansyon hows of fetherwher such goods or known to be heyrnot be conveniently removed wch I gev to my soon Alexandre fetherston only excepted And I wyll that my sayd and contineue at mv sayd hows of featherston hall so long and by all such tyme as she may or owght bye Lawe to doo for better ordre

sayd goodes And for meet and good consideracyone And also I will that my sayd wyff when she shall depart goo and remov from after my deathe shall leave to my sayd Soone Alexaudre suche and so muche howsholde stuff and furnitor for hys hows theyr as she by hyr and hys good deservynge shall thynke meet and coueniet And I orden and co'stitute and maike my sayd Dearly and welbeloved Wyff Lucye and all my chyldren Soones and dawghtars that is to say Alexandre Anne nycholas Jane Leonerd grac Crystophor John and henrye fetherston to be executors of this my last wyll and testament. And I doo ordein and appoynt my welbeloved

brother in law Rycherd Dudley and John Dudley and my veray lovynge cosynes henrye Crakyngthrope and Rycherd Salkeld Esquyres to be Sup'visors of ye sayme most hertyly prayeinge

and helpynge my sayd wyff and chyldren in all theyr cawses and Busynos and specially yt by theyr good mean and help well and orderly agree and as app'tanethe Wytnesse of this my Last wyll & testamet Lancelot Thyrlwall Wyll'm John Rygge John Myddleto" Alexandre fetherston Thomas fetherston John Pemmerton and others [Pr. 1573.]

CCXCVI. NICOLAS RIDLEY, OF WILLINMONTSWYCK,

ESQUIER.'

1

and my

In the name of god Amen The xxix daie of october in the of england ffrance and Ireland defendor of the faith Nicholas Ridley off wyllinmontswyck wthin the countie of northu'berland esquier being wholle remembranc thankes be to god makethe This my last will and testamet in man' & form folowing ffirst I bequeth my sowle to almightie god and to Jesus crist his sonne my only mediator redemer body to be buryed in the chapell of Beltingam wth my mortuaryes and ffirst I gyve and bequeth vnto my two sonnes will❜m Ridley & Alexandr Ridley the man' and lordshipp of henshawghe during their lyves and then after ther death to my It'm I doo gyu and bequeth to my dowghter Margart ridley the tyeth of plenmeller that is to say that the corn or tyeth yearly to be sold and the mony re

1 The identical person whom Bishop Ridley addressed in his memorable farewell letter to his friends before his martyrdom at Oxford, in 1555, as "my welbeloved and worshipfull Cosin Master Nich. Ridley, of Willimotswicke.” Mr. Surtees was in possession of a full pedigree of the family of Ridley, of Willimotswick, down to Musgrave Ridley, whose estate was sequestered by Parliament for his adherence to King Charles I., beneath which he has left, suo more, the following stanzas referring to the great Rebellion, and its consequences :—

"When fell the Ridley's martial line,
Lord William's ancient towers,
Fair Ridley on the silver Tyne,
And sweet Thorngrafton's bowers;

All felt the plunderer's cruel hand,
When legal rapine through the land
Stalk'd forth with giant stride;
When loyalty successless bled,
And truth and honour vainly sped
Against misfortune's tide."

The Castle of Willimotswick is now in ruins.

ceived and imployed to hyr vse vnto such tym as it shall amont to the full Som of on hundreth markes. It'm I gyu and bequeth to my wif mabell Ridley the tenement of whit sheilles and the tyeth corn therof the tyeth corn of thorgrafton and bire shawe during her lif It'm I will that my trewe s'vant will'm pateson shalbe hynd of the too hous vnder my forsaid sonnes will'm and Alexander vnto such tym as he be stayed with a fermhold by the provition of the same will'm and alexander. It'm I will that my said wif Mabell Ridley shall have the third p't of Ridley lordship the third p't of melcreche the third p't of the tyeth of the p'ishe not bequethed over and besyds her eight pounds fee ffement in horton. It'm I geu to eu'y dowghter children on sheap. It'm I geu to my dowghter Issabell a cow wth calffe or els a calff at her foot. It'm I geu my son nicholas ridley my yong stonned horse The rest of my goods and cattelles my debts and fun'alles expences payed & discharged I geu to my son nicholas my wif mabell my sonnes will'm and alexander and to my dowghter m'gret Ridley whom I do constitut and make my full trewe and lawfull executors to order and dispose as they think best to ther vse and my soule health. It'm I constitut and orden my trusty and welbeloued m' ffrancis dacre Rauff whitfeld & georg lumily sup'visours of this my last will and testament to se the same to be p'formed according to the trew menyng ten' & effect heroff written the daie and yeare abowsaid. It'm I geu to my son will'm ridley my litell gray horse and to Alexander my son my brown stonned horse. It'm I geu to my brother Thom's Ridley forty shillings of mydleborn during his lif and further I geu vnto the said Thomas the formhold that Robbert barroo of ye woodes dwelleth on and the Ridding likwis during his lif payeing the rent yearly vnto my twoo sonnes will'm and alexander Ridley. It is to be vnderstand that m' Ridleys entent and meanyng at the making of the last will and testament was yt his wiff mabell Ridley to haue whitsheills end the teathe wth other p'celles bequythed vnto her in lew & recompenc of thrides dew vnto her by the law and for laik and waint of the statute booke it could not be maid then so p'fitt Witness georg lumly and John Ridley.

Md. that nicholas Ridley late of wyllinmontswyk in the countie of northu'berland esquier being of good and p'fit remembranc after the makeing of his last will and testament pron'u'ced and declared theise wordes folowing that is to say the xvth day of the moneth off november Anno d'ni 1574 in the p'senc of John lomley and Thomas Marshall clerk vic' of haltwessell touching his last mynd and will to be observed after his death sayeing I will that my sonne nicholas shall hawe the man' redeag (?) of

hensaw lordship the wich I hawe omitted and notcawsed to be written in my said former will. And also I will and my mynd is that my brother Thomas shall hawe Robert barrowes fermhold for the term of his liff naturall. Item I gew the chein of gold to my sonne nicholas payeing my wiff for the on halff of it witnes herof John lomley & Thomas marshall clerk 1

Nicholas Ridley of willmmontswik esquier aforesaid (the daie before his death) said to his sonnes will'm and Alexander Ridley doo yor brother the best s'vic you can as yow will have my blessing and Ride and goo and when yowe ar away and not at home yo tenants to ryd and goo in ye quen's matics affaires with him Witnesses herof John Ridley and Thomas Ridley.

A INVENTORY of the goodes & cattelles of nicholas Ridley of wyllinmotswyk esquier diseaced praised by Thom's crayn gen' Robbert teistaill p'son of Knarisdaill James galightly and Edward liddell as foloweth.

Inp'mis ij stonned horse & ij gelded viij' vjs-v mayres & ij foolles iiij-xxix oxen xxix-xxiiij ky x-xvj stottes & quyes viij'-wether sheap iijxx & x, ix' iiijs-vxx & xvij yowes xiij xiijs 8d-sheap hogges iiijxx & xv, vj1 vj viijd-xxiiij galls xl3. Som exxx xijs ij. It'm in wheat x boolles iiij xijs-in ry iiij boolles xxiiijs-in big xxx boolles vij-in ottes xxx boolles iij1 xvs-in corn sowing vpon ye grond xviij acres of wheat & ry XXXV. in BEDDING-vij fetherbedds vij-ix other bedds xlvs. BUTTRES. vij sylu' spoones xxiijs iiijd-in other things xvj viijd-in s'vic vessell & pudder vessell iij'-speits & Rackes & a morter xvjs viija Som tot' lvj viijs. DEBTS y he owght at ye hour of death. It'm to John vase v-to Peter Rydley as appeareth by his bill to mr be'layes in kendaill iiij'—to m' gyston as appeareth by his bill to will'm addeson son vjs-to henry ramshawe xijs-to ye vic' to leon'e lawson x3-to John fetherstone xx-to his dowghter Isabell ij quyes to barbary Ridley j Kowe. S'vants wages-to John roger xxxiiijs—to the scole m' xxvjs viijd-to nicholas thomson xx3.-to ye Cooke xvj3. viija—to iij plewmen j berryer (thrasher) & jhird Summa

...

to gilb' rob

CCXCVII. JOHN MYTFORTH, OF THROPHILL.

2

In the nam' of god ame' the xij day of march Ao d'ni 1574 I John Mytfurth of thropill in the p'yshing of mytfurth secke in

1 This and the following are codicils on separate pieces of parchment. 2 A gentleman of the family of Mitford, of Mitford. Throphill [Thorphill] is in the parish.