at the discrecon of my well beloved wife, the sum of ten shillings. I give and bequeath unto my brother, John Dobson, of Benwell, one sute of appell, viz., one dublett, one jerkin, one paire of britches, and my rideing cloke, and also twenty shillings in money for a token. I give and bequeath unto my cosen, Christopher Dobson, my Rapeare and also twenty shillings for a token. I give unto Anthony Dobson, the elder, my brother, and to my cozen, Anthony Dobson, his sonne, my best cloake and my best jerkin, and my brother, Anthony to take his choice whether of them he will have. I give and bequeath to my cozen, Valentine Dobson, my best doublett and britches, and also my ridinge sword. I give and bequeath to my cozen, George Dobson, twenty shillings as a token. I give and bequeath to my cozen, Margaret Dobson, a debt of 26s. 8d., wich one . . Felpe, of Usworth, is owing me, being the remaynder of a debt which he oweth me for a maire I sould him, and I will that my executors under named shall make authoretie unto her father, Anthony Dobson, for the calling for security thereof when it shall growe due, if neads require for his daughter's use. I give unto my cozens, John Dobson and Suzan Dobson, my Cozen Anthony his children, to either of them twenty shillings for a token. I give and bequeath unto my sister. Margaret Tailor, widow, 26s. 8d. for a token. I give and bequeath sone of John Collingwood 20s. for a token. I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Boothbye, daughter of . . . Boothbye, late of Usworth Yeoman, deceased, 20s. for a token. I give and bequeath unto Mark Smith, my god sone, a french crown for a token. And all the rest of my goods, chattells and debts, moveable and unmovable, my debtes, legacies and funeral expences payd and discharged, I give and bequeath unto my said beloved wife, Susan Dobson, whom I make and ordeyne my full and sole Executrix of this my Will. Provided alwayes that my full mynd and pleasure is, that if my said Brethern, Anthony Dobson and John Dobson, and my sister, Margaret Tailor, or anye of them, do make any further challenge or clame unto any of my goods or cattell any manner of waye other then above said, That then the same legacy or legacys or tokens gyven them, the said Anthony, John and Margaret, or any of them, or there children above mentioned, to be clearly voyd and noe waie to be challenged. Witnesses, William Pearson, Francis Leighton.

GILBERT SPENCE.1

April 16, 1607. In the name of God, Amen, I, Gilbert Spence, of the Cittie of Durham, Clerk, Notary Public. To be buried in the Church or churchyard, where it shall please god to take me out of this miserable lyfe. I give and bequeth to the aged 1 In his will he is described as Clerk, Notary Public," there can be no doubt that he is the man who in Foster's Alumini Oxonienses is described as of Yorks., pleb. of St. Edmund Hall, matric., 3 April, 1584,

and impotent poore people and fatherless children of the pish of Tynnmouth 57., to be carefully and warylie distributed by my executors or their assigns at the direction and careful considerations of my supervisors of this my last Will and Testament hereafter named, and the discreet Ministers of the churches of Durham and Tynnmouth at their remayning and dwellinghowses, alwaies regarding that no part thereof be given to needless lewde and idol persons, nor to drunkards, swearers or any infamous persons notoriouslie detected of any vice or wicked crime. I give and bequeth to Allice Spence, my wife, two milke kyne for her help and relief with milknes. I give to my sonne, Cuthbert Spence, one cowe that is young and branded. I give to George and Katherine, my first wive's youngest children, viz., to either of them 31. 6s. 8d. for their advancement, for whose upbringing I have heartofore given and disbursed 167., which 31. 6s. 8d. apiece I give to either of them in lew consideracon and full satisfacon of all things that they may or can claime or demand of my goods, and by name of filiall portions or otherwise then of my free gifte upon their dew desert and good behaviour. And if they or either of them pretend or make any clame or demand of or to any part of my goods other then such as I give them by legacies, Then my will is that all my aforesaid bequests and legacies to them made and given, viz., to such of them as shall pretend or make any such challenge or demand, shallbe utterlie voyed and as not given. And therefore.I will that their legacies shall not be given to them nor to any to their uses until they come to twenty and one yeares of age, either and both of them, and doe give to my executors general release acquaitance and discharges not make any challenge or demand of or to any parte of my goods other than is to them hereafter bequeathed in this my last Will and Testament. My will is that the wood furniture in the hall, howse or rooms of my dwellinghouse in the North Bayley of the Cittie of Durham that are to be removed as wainscott and panelled work, cupbords, long table with frame chayres, Buffett stooles there, nor any of the standing bedds, also stand bedd steads or stocks that are placed in any part of the said howse, nor the furniture belonging to the said bedds, nor the brass vessells and pewther vessells in the Kytching and butterie, nor any aged 32; Vicar of Tynemouth, Northumberland, 1588 (subscribes notarius publicus') to his death, 1607. He married, firstly, Margaret Knighton, 25 May, 1574, at St. Mary-le-Bow, she was bur. at St. Oswald's, 2 Feb., 1592/3; by her he had Thomas, bapt., 14 Oct., 1576, at St. Mary-le-Bow, bur., 28 Feb., 1576/7, at St. Mary the less: Cuthbert, bapt., 12 Jan., 1577/8, at St. Mary the less (mar. Jane Longstaff, 30 July, 1605, at St. Oswald's, who was bur. there, 25 Apl., 1619); and two daurs., Susanna, bapt, 7 May, 1580, at St. Mary the less, mar. John Walker, 14 Jan., 1603/4, at St. Oswald's; and Anne bapt., 24 July, 1583. He mar., secondly, Alice Smith, 15 May, 1598, at St. Mary-le-Bow, where she was bur., 5 August, 1623; he was also bur. there, 13 May, 1607.

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vessell placed in the cupbord heads in the hall howse (saving the stand bedd or stocks in the litle parlour nighe the . which I give to my wyfe), and the long table with frame and long setle in the great low plour of the same howse shall not be removed, but there in their places to remain to such pson or psons as shall, by vertew of this my Testament and last Will and my bequests herein made, have and enjoy my said dwellinghowse in the said North Bayley, nor any of the furniture placed or remayning in the chambers, on the wall or Roomes under the same, they according to their times of occupation, and enjoying the same according to my limitation hereafter made, paying and allowing for the same furniture and household stuff towards the payment of my legacies and other dewtes to be paid, as they shall be apprised and valewed unto. I give and bequeath to my aged servant 3s. 4d. I give and bequeth to my well beloved wyfe, Alice Spence, during her lyfe naturall (if she so long contynew my widow after my death) the whole use, occupacon and commodytie of my dwellinghowse, garden and other howses thereto belonging situate and being in the North bayley att the Cittie of Durham aforesaid, being parcell of the possessions of the disolved monasteries of Blanchland, and also the whole use, occupacon and commodties of my chamber howses of the blessed virgin Mary nigh St. Oswald's Churche, of the suberbes of the said Cittie of Durham, commolie called the Aucreage, of my meadow close thereto adjoining called the Ladie close, of meadow ground in the meadow field called the Bellasses, nigh the said Cittie of Durham, together with the use, proffitts and commodytes of all the gardens, orchards, pastures, commons and common of pastures, and other the appurtenances, to the premises belonging for and in consideration and full satisfacon of her thirds Dowrie and widow right of my goods and chattells and not otherwise. And that if it shall fall out that my said wife shall not think or hold herself well contented with these things to her bequeathed in lew and full considerons and satisfacon of her said widow right, dowrie and thirds of my said goods and chattells, then I will that all these things to her by me in this last Will and Testament given and bequeathed shallbe voyed and become utterlie frustrate, of none effect and as not at all given and bequeathed to her, and that she shall not have any part of the aforesaid things to her so bequeathed, but that the same shall and may presentlie upon her refusal come to such psons and uses as I have here also in this my last Will and testament given, bequeathed and lymited the same, and she upon the same refusall shall have her thirds dowrie and wydow right of the other of my goods and chattells as that shall chance unto her in the valuacon and division of the same. And further, my will is that if my wyfe stand contented and satisfied with the said legacies given her in manner aforesaid, yet she shall not borrow, lett, alyenate nor sell the said tenemts,

howses, gardens, garthes, grasing meadows nor any there appertaining aforesaid to her bequeathed, nor any implements of household stuff before mentioned, nor any part thereof to any person or persons (saving that she may place tenents in the howses that she need not use from yeare to yeare, as heretofore I have usually done, and that she may sell her hay been mowen and gathered and her foggages in any year or years she shall not need to use it her self but that if she shall endeavour as about or at anytime offer to let, sell or alyeate the said tenemts, howses, gardens, garths, grounds, meadows or any other there said appurtenances, or any other howsehold stuff mentconed in this my last will and testament, to her in manner aforesaid given and bequeathed, or any part or piece thereof to any pson or psons whomsoever, otherwise then is either before limitted or shall marrie and take to husband any man after my death, or commit any forfeiture for nonpayment of rent or other dewtes. That then and presentlie thereupon this my guift and bequest of all and singular the said tentts, howses, gardens, garths, grounds, meadows and their appurtances and premises with the said household stuff to her bequeathed and given in manner aforesaid, or of so much thereof as she shall go about, endeavour or offer, Taverne, sell or alyenate or suffer to be forfeited and in danger thereof, shall so cease and be utterlie void and of non effect, anything as is aforesaid given or bequeathed to the contrary notwithstanding. And further, my will is that my said wyfe shall have for that which is termed her coffer all such things as belong her for her apparell and her bedstead before to her bequeathed, sufficient and reasonablie furnished with to her bedd, mattrass, bolster and other competent bed clothes for one bedd, but not the best bed covering, best fether bedd, nor best sheets, And also if so be she doe not lay in to my execatorgood assurance for the redelivery of the said howsehold stuffe in as good state as she shall receive the same, or the true value thereof as the same shall be priced, with assurance for the said deliverie of the said howse stuff or the valew aforesaid, and shall bind both herself, her executors, administrators or assigns to deliver the same as is aforesaid to my executors at her death or marriage or other her departure from the said legacies then I give, assign, legate and bequeathe, after my wyfe's said refusall of her said legacies, if any such shall be and from and after any other her departure from the same legacies, and after her death or mariage to an other husband as is aforesaid, my lease of my said dwellinghowses and gardens in the North Baily of the said Cittie of Durham, and all my tearms of years then to come of and in the same howses and gardens with their appurtenances whatsoever to me in my said lease granted, and all my right, title, interest and claime of in and to the premises and every parcel thereof to Katherine Spence, my daughter, after my wive's death, mariage or refusall aforesaid,

Also I give and bequeath my lease of the Chambrie of the blessed virgin Mary nigh St. Oswald's Church aforesaid, of the meadow ground and close called the Ladie close, and of my acre and a half of meadow ground in the Bellases aforesaid, and all my terms of yeares then to come of and in the said lease, howses, tents, garths, grounds and other the premises, with their appurtenances, whatsoever to me in the said leases granted (Except the howse in Kirkgate, which I give to my sonne, Cuthbert Spence, immediately after my death), and all my right, title, interest and claime of in and to the premises and every part and parcels thereof to John Spence, sonne of my sone, Cuthbert Spence, of the Cittie of Durham, after my wive's death, refusall or marriage or forfeiture. And if the said John Spence dye within the age of one and twentie yeares, or before he can lawfully come to the occupacon of the premises, Then I bequeath all the premises to him given to the rest of the said Cuthbert Spence his lawfully begotten children, Provided that if the said children of the said Cuthbert shall dye or already sell or put away the aforesaid bequests to them, Then my will is that George Spence, my nephew, and his children shall have the title and interest thereof, and hereunto in as ample manner as the aforesaid John Spence, or the lawful begotten children of the said Cuthbert Spence, have or ought to have the same by virtew of this my last Will and Testament. And that these my purposes bequests may the better be effected, and that my wyfe and children or other my legators doe not harrie one another I most humbly request my Wor. Mr. Dean and the Chapter of Durham to take the said custodie of my said leases into there howse of Records as a place most indefferent for all my legataries and executors. And all be it, John Walker, who maryed my daughter, Susanna, hath made a generall acquittance and entred bond never to challenge any of my goods, yet in way of gifts and considerations I give unto them my second round cloake, a jacket and a payre of pritches and a hatt, and to my sone, Cuthbert, my best round cloake, a dubblett and a hatt. The residue of all my goods, moveable and unmoveable, my debts, legacies and funeral expences paid and discharged, I give, legate and bequeath the moietie in one halfe thereof to my wyfe, Alice Spence, to have, occupy and enjoy during her naturall lyfe, and after her life to come, or the price thereof, to Katherine Spence and to my sonne, George Spence; and the other halfe thereof I give and bequeath to the said Katherine Spence and my sonne, Cuthbert Spence, his children. But my will is that if any to whom I have given anything in this my Testament and last Will shall offer, goe about, or actually defraude or doe any iniure to the other having interest to any thing in this my last Will and Testament he shall thereupon and by reason of that evil and wrongful dealing loose, fall from and foregoe all the benyfitts. tytle and interest that otherwise such deserver and fraudulent