Will of Richard Gray, husbandman, 1591

This is a transcript of the will of Richard Gray, husbandman. It is dated 8 December 1591 and the testator describes himself as 'sick in body', but he must have recovered, for he was not buried until 11 February 1594.

He would appear to have been a comfortably-off small farmer,  with some fine household goods , including a flaxen sheet 'with a bonelace through the middle of him'. Manorial records show him to have occupied a small holding called Joyners (the house was demolished in the late 20th century). He was one of the men 'who went into the fields' in 1578 with the representative of the bishop of Hereford to identify the customary lands of the manor (Herefs RO AA59/2).