Mapledurwell Probate Material 1581-1600

Five wills and ten inventories survive for this period. Henry Edward’s will offers real insight into the topography of the open fields in the parish.  John Nash had exchanged property with John Kinge for mutual advantage. John Hulet’s inventory reveals the size of the largest sheep flock in the parish in the 16th century. Four died in 1583 suggesting an epidemic.

These transcriptions have been made from copies of original probate documents supplied by HRO and TNA.  Words have been modernized and punctuation added to make reading easier but names have been transcribed as written. Words in italics indicate omissions in the original document which have been added to make sense of the text. Words in square brackets indicate that they have been transcribed as seen but where the meaning is unclear. Basingstoke is described as being in the county of Southampton, the old name for Hampshire.

A glossary is attached of unusual words.

Links to the wills and inventories are below:

• Henry Edwards, husbandman, 1583 (Will and inventory)
• William Midwinter, 1583 (Inventory)
• John Nash, husbandman, 1583 (Will and inventory)
• Katherine Smythe, widow, 1583 (Will and inventory)
• John Hulet, parson, 1589 (Inventory)
• Alexander Lacye, 1591 (Will and inventory)
• Margaret Omeden, widow of John, 1593 (Inventory)
• Hillary Eyre, 1595 (Will and inventory)
• John Smithe, 1596 (Inventory)
• John Kynge, 1600 (Inventory)