Page 55 - 3rdPub1

The Blaker Society © In Dei no’ie amen Anno d’ni M CCCClxxxij vij v o die Me’sis Noue’br’ Ego Walterus

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Knygh’t de Preston sane memorie existens condo test’m meu’ in hunc modu’ In p mis lego
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a’iam mea’ o’ipoten’ deo &c’ corpus q’ meu’ sepeliend’ in cimiterio de P ston Ite’ lego
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su’mo altari ecc pro de P ston xijd’ Ite’ eccl’ie cicestren’ vjd’ Ite’ fabrici eccl’ie de p ston
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iiijd’ iijs’ iiijd’ Ite’ volo q vxor mea delib’et dict’ ecc iij quos recepi a Joh’e Hamond in
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brasio Ite’ lumini s’ci Nich’i iiijs’ quos recepi in stipite ad sustenta’d’ dictu’ lumen Item
iijs’ iiijd’ quos rec’ p xvj li’ lane Ite’ volo q vxor mea & gard’i d’ce eccl’ie petant a Ric’o
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Scrase xijd’ Ite’ de eode’ p vna ove morbida xd’ Ite’ eide’ eccl’ie xvjd’ q s rec’ a Radulpho
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blaker s Ide’ Radulph rec’ ab Alicia cony de brightelmeston Residuu’ vero bonor do & lego
Alicie vxori mee qua’ facio mea’ execut ce’ & Henric’ Est’ supvisore’ &c’
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Copy of the testament of Walter Knyght of Preston aforesaid

In the name of God, amen, in the year of the Lord 1482, on the 7th day of the month of
November, I, Walter Knyght of Preston, being of sound memory, make my testament in this
manner. Firstly, I leave my soul to Almighty God &c. and my body to be buried in the
churchyard of Preston. Also I leave to the high altar of the parish church of Preston 12d.
Also to the church of Chichester 6d. Also to the fabric of the church of Preston 3s 4d. Also I
will that my wife shall deliver to the said church 3s that I received from John Hamond in
malt. Also to the light of St Nicholas 4s that I received in the offering box for the upkeep of
the said light. Also 3s 4d that I received for 16 lbs of wool. Also I will that my wife and the
wardens of the said church shall get 12d from Richard Scrase: also, from the same, for a fat
sheep, 10d. Also to the same church 16d that I received from Ralph Blaker, which the same
Ralph received from Alice Cony of Brightelmeston. The rest of my goods I give and leave to
Alice my wife, whom I make my executrix, and Henry Est overseer &c.

These two testaments clearly form a pair, both being of men from Preston
and both referring to Ralph Blaker and Richard Scrase: whereas the wills in the
register immediately before and after appear unrelated and are of much later
date: John Cooper of Westgrenestede 1524 (f. 89) and William Watersfeld of
Rystyton 1530 (f. 90). This suggests that the both were only proved or re-
registered (as the surviving registers have nothing earlier than 1482) in
connection with the proof of some estate in about 1530. Ralph Blaker, Richard

Scrase and Henry Est left no surviving will.
The main function of John Blaker’s will is to deal with outstanding
bequests that had been left by his (unnamed) father, and his brother Ralph.
There is nothing to suggest that either lived anywhere but in Preston. John
Blaker was clearly fairly young in 1482: he refers to his filioli, little children.
We might tentatively place his birthdate around 1450. Since his father left a
legacy to Preston church, most likely the father, John and Ralph all farmed in
Preston. Certainly, as John makes a bequest to the church for tithes forgotten, he
must have had land in the parish. Parishes in this area had extensive rights of
common for pasturing sheep on the salt marshes and the Downs. The number of
stock owned by John and Ralph shows that they were substantial farmers: but
John was not of high enough rank to expect to be buried in the church, rather
than the graveyard: in other words, he was a yeoman.