Yeovil People
Thomas Marshe
Woollen Draper
Thomas Marshe was born in Yeovil in 1596 and baptised at St John's church on 28 October 1596. It is likely that he was the son of Thomas Marshe. He was a woollen draper and on 14 January 1621 he married Elizabeth Burford at St John's church. They were to have four daughters; Elizabeth (who married John Carey), Temperance (died between 1646 and 1675 ?), Eleanor and Mary (who married John Jeanes).
Thomas was a Warden of Woborn Almshouse in 1839 and in 1845 he served as Custos of the Almshouse. It is likely that the Thomas Marshe who was a Warden in 1825 and 1827 and served as Custos in 1630, was his father.
Thomas appears to have been quite wealthy, leaving each of his three unmarried daughters "One Hundred and Fiftie Poundes [around £26,000 at today's value] as well as owning properties in Middle Street and South Street and various parcels of land around Yeovil and Marsh.
Thomas died in 1646, the same year that he wrote his will (see below).
Elizabeth survived him by 34 years - she wrote her will in 1675 (see below) and died in 1680. The will of Edward Drake dated 7 May 1668 states "... six acres of land called Brightmore in possession of Elizabeth Marsh in Yeovil or Pitney ..." which was, presumably, "... all that parcell of Land and Estate which I bought of Francis Beauchame lying at Brightmore Hill ..." that Thomas left in his will to his daughters
1646 Will of Thomas Marshe
In the name of God Amen The Seaventh Daye of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord God one Thousand Six Hundred Fortie six I Thomas Marshe of Yeovill in the Countie of Somersett Woollen Draper being Sicke of Body but of perfect minde and memorie thankes be unto Almightie God doe make and ordaine this my Last Will and Testament in manner and forme following that is to saye First I bequeathe my soule into the handes of Almightie God my [holy?] maker and Redeemer And my body to be buried in the Churchyarde of Yevell aforesaid Item I give unto the Church of Yevell Tenne Shillinges Item I give unto the poore of Yevell Fortie Shillinges Item I give and bequeathe unto my Daughter Elizabeth Carey that parte of my Coppyhold estate lyinge in Marshe after the Death Surrender or Forfeiture of my Wife Item I give and bequeathe unto my [illegible abbreviation] Daughter Elizabeth Carey All that Close of Land Which I bought of John Silley att Marshe to her and her heires forever And for want of such issue my Will is That my Daughter Temperance shall have it to her and her heires forever And if Shee happen to dye Without yssue my Will is that my Daughter Mary shall have itt to her and her heires forever And if Shee happen to dye Without yssue Then my Will is that my Daughter Elinor shall have it to her and her heires forever Item I give and bequeathe unto my said Daughter Elizabeth Carey after the decease of my Wife the Remiander of the Estate in my house Gardens and Orchards in the Backstreete with the appurtenances Item my Will is that my said Daughter Elizabeth Carey shall have my Two acres of Land lying upon Henford penn [ie = Hendford Hill] which I bought of Christopher Evans to her and her heires forever But if shee happen to dye without yssue Then my Will is that my Daughter Temperance shall have it to her and her heires forever And if shee happen to dye without yssue Then my Will is that my Daughter Ellynor shall have it to her and her heires forever And if shee happen to dye without yssue Then my Will is that my Daughter Mary shall have the said Two Acres of Land to her and her heires forever Item my Will is that my Said Daughter Elizabeth Carey shall have to her and her heires All that Remainder of yeares in that Acre of land comonly called the Long Acre Lying upon Penn with all the appurtenances Tenements and Rents belonging unto it excepting those estates which are Alreadie Grannted upon it or shallbe grannted by my Wife after my Decease Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Temperance the other parte of my Coppyhold lying in Kingstone As it is allready divided upon the Coppie Thereof if shee out live her Mother Item I give unto my Daughter Temperance the remainder of the Estate in the two Acres of Areable Lands which I hold of Mr Hillard dureing the lives of Lionell Francis and Thomas Fraunces after the decease of my Wife Item my Will is that my said Daughter Temperance shall have all that Acre of Land lying at Larkehill inclosed with the other after the decease of my Wife if shee doe out live her But if shee dye without yssue Then my Will is that my Daughter Elizabeth Carey and her heires shall have it And if shee dye without yssue My Will is that my Daughter Ellinor and her heires shall have itt And if shee dye without yssue My Will is that my Daughter Mary and her heires shall have itt for ever Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughters Temperance Ellinor and Mary One Hundred and Fiftie Poundes [around £26,000 at today's value] apeece of Lawfull Englishe money to be paid unto them when they Shall accompolishe the Age of Twentie yeares or be marryed Item my Will is that my Daughter Ellinor shall have all that parcell of Land and Estate which I bought of Francis Beauchame lying at Brightmore Hill To her and her heires forever And if shee dye Without yssue Then my Will is that my Daughter Temperance (if she outlive her) shall have it to her and her heires forever and if shee happen to dye without yssue Then my Will is that my Daughter Elizabeth Carey shall have it to her and her heires forever and if shee dye Without yssue Then my Will is that my Daughter Mary shall have it to her and her heires forever Item I give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Mary my house in Middlestreete comonly called the Swanne with the appurtenances and Goods which I have in the house as Table Boards Benches Bedsteads [abbreviation = etc] but if shee dye before she come of Age or Marry Then my Will is that my Daughter Ellinor shall have the Remainder of the estate that I have in it and if they Both dye Before my Wife then my Will is that my wife shall have all the remainder of the estate that I have in it with all my Goods and household stuffe belonging to the house Item I give unto my Daughter Ellinor the Remainder of the estate which I have in a plott of ground Lyind by Downtons house which I bought of William Wills Item I give unto Mary my Daughter the Remainder of the Estate whicvh I have in [Spenn Millhame ?] which I bought of Mr Joseph Comp[ton if shee live till shee come to be of Lawfull yeares or Marrye Item my Will is that my Wife shall have the use of all those my Chattells Lands and Legacies untill such time as they are or shall belonge or come due unto my said Daughters or Legatees respectively as is above lymited and expressed in this my Last Will and Testament Item all the residue of my Goods Cattells and Chattells moveable & unmoveable whatsoever not yet given nor bequeathed I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth my wife whom I doe make and ordaine full and whole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale Yearon the day and yeare above written
Witnesses
hereunto Thomas
Brooke Edward
Burford John
Cary Signed
Willim Waterman
Over and besides
what is above
Expressed I doe
also give unto
George Hucker my
Godsonne Fortie
Shillinges to
binde him an
apprentice to
some trade And
unto Edwarde
Foott my Servant
Twentie
Shillinges and a
suite of Clothes
of three
shillinges Fower
pence a yarde
when he is out
of his time Unto
my Daughter
Elizabeth my
Best Silver
Bowle and Three
Silver Spoones
unto John White
my man a Graye
Coate And unto
my Daughter
Temperance my
Lesser Silver
Bowle I doe also
desire my Sonne
in Lawe John
Carey my Brother
in Lawe James
Burford my Cozen
Edward Burford
and my Brother
in Lawe Richard
Chedd To be
overseers of
this my Last
Will and
testament
Tho. Marshe
Test. Tho Brooke Edward Burford
John Carey Signed Willi
Waterman
Transcribed
by Bob Osborn
1675 Will of Elizabeth Marshe
In
the name of God
Amen
this Eighteenth
day of September
in the yeare of
our Lord One
Thousand six
hundred seaventy
five I Elizabeth
Marsh of Yeavell
in the County of
Somerset Widdow
being sick and
weak of body but
of sound and
perfect mind and
memory praise
and [thanks ?]
be rendered to
Almighty God for
the same doe now
make and declare
my last will and
testament in
manner and forme
following first
of all I
recomend and
resigne my Soule
into the hands
of God the
Father hopeing
and being
assuredly
confident that
in and through
the mediaton of
God the Son and
by the Sharpe
and bitter death
and bloody
passion of Jesus
Christ the
righteous I
shallbe
[partaker ?] of
that Celestiall
Kingdome which
is prepared for
the elect alsoe
I recomend my
body to the
earth from
whence it was
taken to be
decently
interred at
yeavell
aforesaid
theirto remaine
untill the
resurrection of
body and Soule
and as touching
my worldly
estate I give
and bequeath
amongst my
friends in the
world as
followeth I doe
hereby revoke
and [word
illegible]
renounce all
former and other
wills at any
time heretofore
by me made and
doe declare the
same to be of
none effect Item
I give and
bequeath unto
John Jeanes
children of
Corton Dinham in
the County of
Somerset ten
pounds apeice to
each of them
Item I give and
bequeath unto
John Jeanes and
Thomas Jeanes
the sonn of
Christopher
Jeanes of
yeavell the sume
of Twenty pounds
to each of them
Item I give and
bequeath unto
the rest of
Christopher
Jeanes children
the Sume of Ten
pounds apeice to
each of them and
to be paid out
of a debt which
is due to me
from Christopher
Jeanes being
Eight Score and
Ten pounds Item
I give and
bequeath my
trunck of Linin
to my three
Daughters and my
Grandchild Mary
Saunders to be
equally divided
between them
Item I give and
bequeath all my
pewter and
brasse to my
said Daughters
and my
Grandchild Mary
Saunders to be
equally divided
between them
Item I give and
bequeath Twenty
Shillings to
twenty poore
Widdow Women of
yeavell Item I
give and
bequeath to my
maid Grace
Russell ten
Shillings Item I
give and
bequeath to the
Widdow Pawly Ten
Shillings Item I
give and
bequeath to my
Grandchild John
Saunders of
Bristoll the
money due to me
by bond from the
Winters of
Mudford and Mr
Edmund Dow of
Ditchett in
Somerset it
being forty
pounds with its
interest Item I
give and
bequeath that
fifty pounds
which due to me
from my Lord
Stownton by a
noate under his
and Seale with
its Interest to
my Grandchild
Mary Saunders
the Daughter of
John Saunders
the Elder Item I
give and
bequeath unto my
Brother James
Burford of
Martock a bond
of ten pounds
principal money
due to me from
my cozen John
Burford his Son
with all the
interest due in
areare since the
bond was made
Item I give and
bequeath unto
the Church of
yeavell the Some
of ten Shillings
Item I give and
bequeath unto my
three Daughters
Elizabeth Sarah
Ellinor Sheane
and Mary Jeanes
all my wearing
apparrell to be
equally divided
between them
Item my desire
is that my
Executors
hereafter
mentioned here
under neath will
not see my
funerall
Expences lye
unpaid and that
my Legacies
given here above
written may be
paid within
twelve months
after my decease
except those
Legacies which I
have given
Christopher
Jeanes his
children my
desire is that
they shall be
paid out of that
debt which
Christopher
Jeanes oweth
unto me as is
expressed here
above written
and that my
Executors will
take the best
care they can to
see Christopher
Jeanes his
children to have
their Legacies
secured from
their father as
soone as its
possible and
that they may
have the
benefitt thereof
after they come
of one and
Twenty years of
age Item my
desire is that
Thomas Jeanes
the son of
Christopher
Jeanes may have
his life bought
into that close
called or known
by the name of
Rayles or the
now [word
illegible] close
by my Executors
after the
decease of John
Sunders life
Item my desire
is that my Son
in Law John Cary
and my Son in
Law John Jeanes
to be my
Trustees and my
whole and sole
Executors of
this my will and
Testament In
witness hereof I
have hereunto
sett my hand and
seale the day
and yeare above
written this
18th day of
September in the
yeare of our
Lord God One
Thousand Six
Hundred seaventy
five
the marke of
Elizabeth Marsh
wittness then
present John
Cary
Transcribed by
Bob Osborn