The will of William Lyster of Thornton – 1582

[Stanley]

The will of William Lyster of Thornton – 1582
Sept. 1, 1582. William Lyster of Thorneton,esquire, sicke in bodie but in whole
and perfect remembrance, praysed be God, consideringe in my mynd the
seurite of deathe and that ther is nothinge more vncertayne then the daye, houre, and tyme, myndinge by Godes grace and permissione to give and
render to God and man that thinge to them belonginge accordinge to the
sayinge of the scripture, Reddite que sunt Cesaris Cesari, et que sunt Dei
Deo, do ordeyne this my testament, conteynynge hearin my last will, in
maner and forme following. First and principallie I bequiethe my soule vnto
Almtghtie God, my onelie saviour and redemer, and my bodie to be buried
In the parishe church of Gisburne by the discrecon of my executours.
And I will that all maner of duties be fullie geven to the churche and all the
ministers therof, and the same to be taken and paide of my whole goodes
without anie grudge, accordinge to the lawes of God and the church of
England. And also I will that all such rightes, coustomes and ceremonies
be vsed at my buriall as shallbe seamynge, decente and conveniente, at
the discrecon of my loveing wyfe, my executours and kinsfolkes beinge
present at the tyme, accordinge to the lawes ecclesiasticall of this realme.
Vnto Bartholomewe Lyster my sonne all that capitall messuaige and
tenemente called Brockden; and all that close called Darkhill; and all that
corne mylne with the sooken called Barnoldeswecke mylne, except certayn common of pasture belonginge to the said capitall messuaige of Brockden,
occupied by the tenantes and fermers of Myddoppe, the said premises were
latlie demysed to me the said William Lyster by indenture of lease, maid by
the moste famous princes, Phillipe and Marie, lait kinge and quene of
England. Item I give and bequiethe the said reserved commone of pasture
before excepted vnto Lawrence Lyster my sonne and heire apparante, in
consideration and satisfaccon whereof that neyther the said Lawrence
Lyster, his heires or assignes, shall hereafter chalenge the said Bartholomew
Lyster from the quiete occupacon of certaine parcelles of grounde now vsed
with the said capitall messuaige, lyinge betwene a litle water or brooke,
commonlie called Collerden water, and a waye commonlie called Gisburne
turffe waye. Vnto my welbeloved wyfe all her apparell and jewelles. Vnto
my siad sonne Lawrence all my woodes which I boughte of my cosine
Claphame, lyinge in Beamsley woode. Item all my lease which I haue of
Coundon grange in the Bushoppricke, and all other my coall mynes and Silritt
pyttes or mynes within the the manor or hall mote of Colne in the countie of
Lancaster, and all such righte as I haue in the coal mynes of Trawden in the
countie of Lancaster, together with all tymber bothe newe and old at Myddope
and all mytables, formes, bedstockes and brewinge vessell, beinge at
Thornton, with a third parte of my best beddinge belonge (sic) at Thornton,
Aforesaid or els where; and also one salte which my grande father maide,
one dosene of my best spones, and one faire dringinge boyle gilte.
Item one other lease which I haue of the tythe corne and haye of Myddope,
alwayes provided that they that occupie my demaines of Myddope shall,
have the tythe corne and haye of the said demaines, payinge vnto my
said sonne 13s 4d. Vnto the porest of the parishe of Thornton fyve markes
to be distributed at the discrecon of the curate their and the church wardens Vnto my cosine Gilberte Lyster fyve markes.Vnto my sonne in lawe Henrie Banckes my best geldinge or best horse at his election, in consideracon that my said sonne and my doughter his wyfe shalbe ther wyth pleased for all maner of duties and demaunds whatsoeuer, for I thinke in my conscience that
he haithe had at one tyme and another about tenne or eleuene score
poundes. Vnto euerie one of my seruantes aswell women as men their halfe
yeares wages; and to euerie one of my men seruantes a black coott.
Vnto Bartholomewe Lyster my sonne all my woode both newe and olde, lying
at the Nether hall. Whereas I haue had certaine sommes of money to be paid
vnto Thomas Oddie, sonne of William Oddie, the same remainethe in the
handes of Richard Smythes as appearethe by his obligacon. Item wheas John
Procktor and I togethers (sic) purchased the moitie of the manor of
Boulton nyghe Bolland, yt dothe appeare vpon accompte maide betwene him
and me that neyther of vs ar indebted to others otherwayes then followithe; viz
all suche money as the tennantes do owe is due vs bothe, and for the yearlie
rent of 3li and more money, and the fourthe parte of Bolton mylne which
Richard Walker and others haue in ther thandes (sic) oughte to be assured
to me and my heires for ever, because I haue paid vnto the said John
Proctor 33li 6s 8d for his parte thereof. Vnto my said sonne Bartholomew
Lyster all my tymber at Brockden both newe and old. Item yt is my will that wheras Robert Hartley of Colne and John Holgaitt my seruant dyd knowledge
two statutes at the towne of Preston in the countie of Lancaster in the summe
of 200li; my meanyng is that yf they and their heires do well and truelie accomplishe all and singuler covenantes conteyned in a paire of indenturs,
maid betwene them and me, that then no advantaige shalbe taken of the said
two statutes. Item I do thinke in my conscience that I do owe vnto John
Proctor 6li 13s 4d for that I ame not sure whether the twentie markes that lacked for Mr Darceye were in my money or his, therfore I will that my
executoures shall paye vnto him the said some or so muche of the same as
he will receyve. Vnto two of my cosens Anthonie Lysters doughters lait of
Streckhouse, the somme of 16li which I think I dyde receyve in commodite
of the purchase of Bolton; for the residue I haue paid as followethw, viz
vnto John Watson 20li for an obligacon wherin I and the said Anthonie stoode
bounde vnto the said John; and 8li vnto X’pofer Symondson and his
wyfe, and to Frances Hewett and his wyfe other 8li which sexe[tene] poundes
was paid to George Lyster to ther vses. Item wheras my sone in lawe Thomas
Sotheworthe dyd faithfullie promyse me at the tyme of the agremente of his
mariage that in consideration of the great some I graunted to paye vnto his
father, that he would beare with me one hundreth markes in the last payment
therof, wherfore my will is that yf the said Thomas will paye the some of one
hundred markes vnto Sir John Sotheworthe his father accordinge to two
obligacons which he haithe at my handes for the same, then I will that all
other debtes shallbe forgiven him, which I thinke be verie neare 40li,
otherwayes to paye yt all. This promise aforesaid was maid before John
Tailboot esquirer and John Ridshawe esquirer. My syster Wadnall one old
ryall of goulde in remembrance of my good will. My sonne Lawrence Lyster
my signet of goulde. The lease of the Frearhead, which I had of my cousine
Marton, to Ellen Lyster my doughter for the terme and space of seaven
yeares, in consideracon to preferre her in marriage, and the rest of the yeares
vnto Mychaell Lyster my sonne. The whole lease of the Lower Hall of Elingthorppe, which I had of my sonne Lawrence Lyster, vnto Bartholomewe
Lyster. Item I haue maid annuyties as (sic) in the custodie of my said sonne
in lawe Thomas Sotheworthe. My sonne Lawrence Lyster my whole executour.
Witnesses, Thomas Smythe, Lyonell Wilson. Oct. 17, 1582.
Adm. Granted to the executor.
[Note: Copied fromYorkshire Deeds, Yorkshire Archaeological Society
Volume 63. Ken Rawson posted this on Oneguy; 27th June 2004.]
SG Note: Barnoldswick Corn Mill.
Notice that title was granted in Philip and Mary so 1554/1558.  Therefore mill existed physically before then as the will says they were demised to William Lyster.  This period in the first half of the 16th century must have been one of strong population growth because the Whitemoor map of 1580 shows enclosures from the waste around Barlick, a sure sign of pressure on agricultural resources.  It is no great leap to assign the need for corn-milling capacity to an increase in cultivated area.  Therefore we can start thinking about the period 1475 to 1525 with some confidence as the building date until we get better evidence.  My gut feeling is that it will be nearer the end of that span than the beginning but my mind is open.

SCG/19 July 2004