yeovil people

William Daniell (1)

Glover, Grocer and Landowner

 

The Daniell family were very wealthy mercers and glovers who came to Yeovil in the seventeenth century from East Coker, Gyles Daniell dying there in 1613. This Gyles Daniell's son was also called Gyles.

His grandson William Daniell (1) settled in Yeovil, becoming a well-to-do glover and landowner. William served as a Warden of Woborn's Almshouse from 1645 to 1647 and as its Custos from 1654 to 1655. William and his wife Mary had at least eight children that William named in his will (see below); Samuel, William (2), George, Hannah, Ruth, Sarah, Elizabeth and Mary. His eldest son Samuel was also a glover and Custos of the Almshouse, marrying Mary Saunders in 1677.  

William was also a grocer (and stated as such in his will dated 1655) with a "shoppe lying in Pitlane" (today's Middle Street). At the Quarter Sessions of 7 August 1658, his wife Mary stated that on searching the box of her late servant Abigail Hobbs she found a great variety of goods she believed were stolen from her husband's shop. The judge heard a "very unsatisfactory explanation by the said Abigail".

 


Above is a farthing trade token. The obverse shows the name "WILLIAM DANIELL" around a twisted wire inner circle with three cloves within. The reverse has "IN YEAVILL" and the date 1653 around a twisted wire inner circle and the initial D over WM within (standing for Daniell, William and Mary). The three cloves show an association with the Worshipful Company of Grocers whose arms contain nine cloves in three groups of three, since they were responsible for maintaining standards for the purity of spices.

William's substantial wealth may be gauged from the bequests in his will which, not counting bequests of land and property, called for an immediate cash outlay following his death amounting to some £3 million at today's value, then there was an annual income of some £800,000 from one property alone - Bragges Tenement.

  • To his wife he left the home they lived in as well as his property "called Bragges Tenement lying in Hyndford", a property and garden in Grope Lane (today's Wine Street) and everything else not specifically mentioned in his will.

  • To his son Samuel he left Bragges Tenement (after the death of his mother), a house with outhouses and gardens called Watermans House, another house with outhouses and gardens in Quedam Streete (later Vicarage Street), the remainder of the lease of his "shoppe lying in Pitlane" (today's Middle Street), which he leased from St John's church, his "biggest silver Bowle" and the share of any of his daughters who died. In addition, on the death of his mother, Samuel was to inherit everything that his father had left to her.

  • To his son William he left an acre of arable land in the great Northern Field and the property in Grope Lane (after the death of his mother), a field called Long Close (one of three such-named fields in Yeovil so we don't know which one William got) - seems a bit stingy to me?

  • To his son George (who was still serving an apprenticeship at the time of the will) he left three fields called Langdons Bush, later known as Langs Bush (the Milford Inn was, very much later, built in the corner of Langs Bush), his "second best Bowle" and two hundred pounds (about £800,000 at today's value).

  • To his daughter Ruth he left a meadow called Mill Close (see map below), forty pounds cash (about £160,000 at today's value) and an annual sum of fifty pounds (about £200,000 at today's value) derived as revenue from a property called "Bragges Tenement lying in Hyndford".

  • To his daughter Sarah he left a field called Shortlands (in today's Yew Tree area), forty pounds cash and an annual sum of fifty pounds derived from Bragges Tenement.

  • To his daughter Hannah he left a pasture called Marsh Furlong (now the site of Grass Royal school and much housing running west from St Michael's Avenue), an acre of arable land at Goar, forty pounds cash and an annual sum of fifty pounds derived from Bragges Tenement.

  • To his daughter Elizabeth he left a meadow called Sharnham Bridge in Barwick and an annual sum of fifty pounds derived from Bragges Tenement.

  • To his daughter Mary (who was still less than 21 years old at the time of the will) he left two hundred pounds (about £800,000 at today's value)

  • To the "poore of Yeovell forty shillings" (about £8,000 at today's value).

William Daniel died in 1665, the year he made his will. Mary took on running the shop in Middle Street and is recorded in 1676 as 'Mary Daniell, Widdow' paying four shillings rent for her shop. She was recorded paying 3s 6d for her premises in the Borough in the Monthly Poor Rate Return of 1674, which had reduced to 3s a month as recorded in the 1679 and 1684 returns.

 

See Daniell Family Tree

 

gallery

 

Edward Watts' map of 1806 shows Mill Close at centre left, which William left to his daughter Ruth, in the junction between Frogg Street (today's Addlewell Lane) and Mill Lane. By 1831 Mill Close had been divided into two plots with the larger eastern plot owned by James Glyde.

 

Will of William Daniell, 1665

 

The Last Will and Testament of William Daniell

 

 

In the name of God Amen I William Daniell of Yeovell in the Countie of Sommersett Grocer considering with my selfe the mortallity of Mankind and the seeking of the most (criticism ?) I now here doe make this my last will and testament in manner and forme following that is to Say first I bequeath my soule unto the hands of Almighty god haveing that through the (word illegible) death and passion of Jesus Christ my only saviour (words illegible) do have fore remission from all my sinns and my body to christ Buriall at the discrecion of the executrix and (word illegible) of this my last will and Testament And as for my worldly estate wherewithall god hath been pleased to blesse me in this world I give dyvise and bequeath thereofe and followeth First I do hereby give and bequeath all that my close or meadow called Mill close lying in the parish of Yeovell in the Countie of Sommersett which I lately purchased of John (Symyonds ?) Giles Hayne and John (Seale ?) with all and singular its appurtenances unto my daughter Ruth Daniell her heirs and assigns for ever Item I do hereby give and bequeath unto my said daughter Ruth Daniell the summe of forty pounds of lawfull English money to be paid her within twelve monthes after my decease by the executrix of this my last will and testament Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sara Daniell her heirs and assigns for ever All that my close called Shortlands lying in the parish of Yeovell aforesaid which I purchassed of John Phelps the elder and John Phelps the younger and alsoe forty pounds of like money to be paid unto her in manner as aforesaid Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Hannah Daniell her heirs and assigns for ever All that my close of pasture called Marsh Furlong and one acre of arable land in Goar both lying in the p(ar)ish of Yeovell aforesaid which I purchased of Morgan Hayne And alsoe forty pounds of like money to be paid unto her in manner as aforesaid Item I doe hereby give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Daniell her heirs and assigns foreverall that my close of meadow called Sharnham bridge lying in the parish of Barwicke in the County of Sommersett Item I doe hereby give unto my sonne George Daniell his heirs and assigns forever ymmediately after the expiration of his apprentiship all those my five closes of Pasture ground called (Dalslome ?) w(hitc)h I purchased of John Jenings lying in the parish of Yeovell in the County of Sommersett And alsoe all that my three yard of arable land lying in the comon fielde called Hayes end in the parish of Yeovell aforesaid Item I do hereby give and bequeath unto my sonne William Daniell his heires and assigns forever all that my acre of arrable land called (Malcombe ?) lying and being in the parish of Yeovell as aforesaid And also all that my Close called long Close lying in the parish of Yeovell as aforesaid Item I doe hereby give and bequeath unto my loveing wife during her naturall life all that my dwelling house wherein I now inhabitt with its appurtenances of my terme and estate therein shall soe long continue and after her decease I doe hereby give all the residue of my estate and terme therein unto my sonne William his executors & administrators Item I do hereby give and bequeath unto my said wife during her natural life all that my messuage or tenement called Bragges Tenement lying in Hyndford in the parish of Yeovell aforesaid And after her decease I do hereby bequeath The said Tenement and premises called Bragges Tenement unto my sonne Samuel Daniell his heirs or assigns shall pay unto my daughters Hannah Daniell, Ruth Daniell, Sarah Daniel and Elizabeth Daniell and to every - - - of them fiftie pounds a yeare of lawfull English money within two yeares after her the said Samuell Daniell his heirs or assigns shall enioy (enjoy) the same Tenement and premises called Bragges Tenement by vertue hereof But if the said Samuell Daniell his heirs or assigns shall refuse or neglect to pay unto them the said Hannah Ruth Sarah and Elizabeth the said fiftie pounds a year by the tyme about lymittes for the payment thereof Then in such case I do hereby give and bequeath unto the said Hannah Ruth Sarah and Elizabeth the said Messuage and Tenement called Bragges Tenement for and during the whole tyme and Terme of Tenne yeares fully to be compleate and endes the said bequest thereof to the said Samuell Daniell his heirs and assigns (words illegible) notwithstanding which said terme of Tenne yeares is to commence immediatly after the default of payment of the said fifty pounds a yeare Item I do hereby give and bequeath unto my son William Daniell his executors and adminystrators all that my acre of arrable Land lying in Northern field in the parish of Yeovell aforesaid which I bought of Edmund Sherry and all my estate and residue of my terme of yeares therein Item I doe hereby give and bequeath unto my sonne George Daniell his executors administrators and assigns ymmediately after the Expiration of his apprenticeship all those my three closes called Langdons Bush which I bought of my late brother in lawe John Grubham lying in the parish of Yeovell aforesaid together with all my estate and residue of my severall termes of yeares Item I do hereby give and bequeath unto my said sonne Samuell Daniell his executors administrators and assigns All that my Messuage and Tenement with the outhouses gardens and apputenances thereto belonging called Watermans house lying in the Burrough of Yeovell aforesaid together with all my estate and residue of my terme of years therein And alsoe all that my messuage and dwelling house with the garden outhouses and appurtenances thereunto here longing sictuate lying and being in Quedam Streete in the parish of Yeovell aforesaid together with all my estate and the residue of my terme of yeares therein And alsoe all that parte of my shoppe lying in Pitlane in the Burrough of Yeovell aforesaid which is leashold belonging unto the Church of Yeovell aforesaid together with all my estate and residue of my terme of years therein I do hereby give and bequeath unto the said Samuell Daniell his heirs and assigns forever all the residue of my said shoppe in Pit lane aforesaid being my leashold and inheritance Item I do hereby bequeath unto my said loving wife all my (Bacar ? / Barare ?) and garden plott thereto adioining and belonging lying in G(r)ope lane in the Burrough aforesaid for and during her natural life And after her decease unto my sonne William his executors and administrators for all my estate and residue of my yeares therein Item I doe hereby give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Daniell Two Hundred pounds of lawfull English money when she shall attayne the age of one and Twenty years And my further will and meaning is And I doe hereby will and appointe That if any of my afoursaid Children Die before her shee or they shall legally sell quit or dispose of the Closes lands money or premises to him her or them hereby respectively given That then the same and every of them soe not sold or disposed of shalbe and remayne unto my Sonne Samuell Daniell his heirs executors and administrators as the case require Item I do hereby give unto my Sons in Lawe Underwood forty shillings And unto my sonne Samuell Daniell my biggest silver Bowle And unto my sonne George Daniell my second best Bowle after my wife Item I do hereby give and bequeath unto my sonne George Daniell the summe of two hundred pounds of lawfull English money to be paid him w(it)hin six monethes after the expiracion of his apprenticeship All the rest of my goods and Chattells not herein before given and bequeathed I doe hereby give and bequeath unto my said wife and sonne Samuel Daniell whom I doe hereby make and ordayne my executrix and executor of this my last will and Testament And I doe hereby desire my loving friends George Moore and Walter Foy to be overseers of this my last will and Testament Witness my hand and saele This Twenty second day of March in the year of our Lord God one Thousand six hundred sixty and five William Daniell Sealed and delivered published and declared in the presence Geo C Foy Walter Foy Memorandum that the said William Daniell gave unto the poore of Yeovell forty shillings to be distributed at his wives Discrecon

 

Transcribed by Bob Osborn