William Smith
M, b. circa 1438, d. before 6 February 1493
William was born circa 1438 in Stratford St. Mary, County Suffolk, England. He was the son of John Smith and Cristyn (?) The name of William's first wife is unknown. William married 2nd Katherine Brown circa 1474 in Stratford St. Mary.1 William made his will on 29 October 1492 at Stratford St. Mary.
. . . my body to be buried in the church at Stratford by my father . . . unto the high Aulter of the same church of my thith forgoton xl s. . . . unto our holy foder the pope of Rome toward the mayntenyng hi warres against the hethen people x pounds . . . [several additional generous church-related donations, also money for mending highways and helping the poor] . . . a grave stone of marble to be laid apon me one after my decesse to th value of v marcs Also . . . x pounds soe to bey marble for the path with the same Aley that I shall lye in . . . unto Katheryn my wif my tenement in Erwarton called Brownes with Marlerys and Sparawkys with C pounds . . . Also . . . myn house that I dwell in she keping the same house her household that ys for to say her Children and myn with CC pounds . . . And movables unto the tyme that Willaim my sonne be married and longer yf they can agre with this condition that she keep her still a widow . . . And if Katryn my wif happen ever to be married that then she shall have my hous in Erwarton above rehersed with the C pounds . . . and she for to be discharged of my place that I dwell in and of the CC pounds . . . William my sonne shall have my place that I dwell in as sone as he be married . . . to Robert my youngist sonne after the desease of his modre my tenement in Erwarton called Brownys with Marlerys and Sparawks to geve and to sell and C pounds in money the wich C pounds I will that it remain in the hands of my wife she keping the child as longe as she is a widow and unmarried And if she be married then I will that th said C pounds and the child be delyvred unto John Symth my oldest sonne And he soe to have the gyding of the child and the C pounds unto the tyme the child be xxii yere of age And then the said Robert to b delyvred by the said John his C pounds in Redy money for to rule it and guyde it at his own rule and guyding And if the said Robert decesse within xx yere of age I will that the side C pounds be depted and dyvyded unto his iii susters that is to say Johanne Anne and Jane [Robert was also to have a tenement in Langham, Essex, across the River Stour from Stratford] . . . unto Thomas my sonne [several tenements] . . . with C pounds . . . Also . . . the said Thomas my sonne hall have his easement for his own occupynce of the Dyehous with the said William his brother helping repayring and fynding for his part all such thynges as shall longe unto the Reparation of such house . . . unto John my youngest sonne my tenement in Erwarton called Dyperys . . . as sone as he is xxii yere old with a cloos called Meryelles clos and also a nother cloos called Naylerys Clos Also . . . my tenement in Stoke called Laatic . . . and Cpounds . . . unto Johanne myn oldest Doughter C pounds . . . to be paid at the day of her marriage . . . or within ii yere following my decease . . . also . . . a featherbed a pare of blanketts an ii paire of shetys and a Covering such as the said Kathryn my wife thinkyth most honest and mete for hir . . . unto Anne my Doughter C pounds to hir marriage and if she happ never to marry yet I will that she shall have the said Cpounds be than she be xxii yere of age . . . Also . . . a featherbed with a pair of blanketts ii pair of set and a covering as the said Kathryn my wif thinketh best and most honest . . . to Johanne my youngest daughter C pounds in money the which C pounds I will it be in the hands of the said Kathryn my wif and the child to gyder unto th tyme that she be marrying worthy iff so be the said Katheryn be still a widowe and else she for to be delyvred unto one of hir brethren with hir C pounds . . . And if the said Jan hap to dey within xxiiii yere of age that than the said Thomas and William to enjoie the said C pounds betwyne theyme both in equall portions Also I will that the profits of the mill the reparaitions and the Rents paid the overplus to the fynding of Robert my sonne and of Jane my youngest Daughter beforsaid unto the tyme that they be xvi yere of age And than I will that the said Mylles shallbe at the giding and rule of my eldest son John unto his own behof for evermore for to geve and to sell sufficiently he for to keep the Reparations as he should do his own . . . [many servants and others given bequests] . . . Sir John Golding Katheryn my wif John Smith the elder Thomas Smyth and Willaim Smyth my sonnes myn executors . . . John Bareface vicar of Dedham supervisor.2
William departed this life in Stratford St. Mary. He was buried there in the aisle of St. Mary's Church next to his father.1 His will was probated on 6 February 1493.
. . . my body to be buried in the church at Stratford by my father . . . unto the high Aulter of the same church of my thith forgoton xl s. . . . unto our holy foder the pope of Rome toward the mayntenyng hi warres against the hethen people x pounds . . . [several additional generous church-related donations, also money for mending highways and helping the poor] . . . a grave stone of marble to be laid apon me one after my decesse to th value of v marcs Also . . . x pounds soe to bey marble for the path with the same Aley that I shall lye in . . . unto Katheryn my wif my tenement in Erwarton called Brownes with Marlerys and Sparawkys with C pounds . . . Also . . . myn house that I dwell in she keping the same house her household that ys for to say her Children and myn with CC pounds . . . And movables unto the tyme that Willaim my sonne be married and longer yf they can agre with this condition that she keep her still a widow . . . And if Katryn my wif happen ever to be married that then she shall have my hous in Erwarton above rehersed with the C pounds . . . and she for to be discharged of my place that I dwell in and of the CC pounds . . . William my sonne shall have my place that I dwell in as sone as he be married . . . to Robert my youngist sonne after the desease of his modre my tenement in Erwarton called Brownys with Marlerys and Sparawks to geve and to sell and C pounds in money the wich C pounds I will that it remain in the hands of my wife she keping the child as longe as she is a widow and unmarried And if she be married then I will that th said C pounds and the child be delyvred unto John Symth my oldest sonne And he soe to have the gyding of the child and the C pounds unto the tyme the child be xxii yere of age And then the said Robert to b delyvred by the said John his C pounds in Redy money for to rule it and guyde it at his own rule and guyding And if the said Robert decesse within xx yere of age I will that the side C pounds be depted and dyvyded unto his iii susters that is to say Johanne Anne and Jane [Robert was also to have a tenement in Langham, Essex, across the River Stour from Stratford] . . . unto Thomas my sonne [several tenements] . . . with C pounds . . . Also . . . the said Thomas my sonne hall have his easement for his own occupynce of the Dyehous with the said William his brother helping repayring and fynding for his part all such thynges as shall longe unto the Reparation of such house . . . unto John my youngest sonne my tenement in Erwarton called Dyperys . . . as sone as he is xxii yere old with a cloos called Meryelles clos and also a nother cloos called Naylerys Clos Also . . . my tenement in Stoke called Laatic . . . and Cpounds . . . unto Johanne myn oldest Doughter C pounds . . . to be paid at the day of her marriage . . . or within ii yere following my decease . . . also . . . a featherbed a pare of blanketts an ii paire of shetys and a Covering such as the said Kathryn my wife thinkyth most honest and mete for hir . . . unto Anne my Doughter C pounds to hir marriage and if she happ never to marry yet I will that she shall have the said Cpounds be than she be xxii yere of age . . . Also . . . a featherbed with a pair of blanketts ii pair of set and a covering as the said Kathryn my wif thinketh best and most honest . . . to Johanne my youngest daughter C pounds in money the which C pounds I will it be in the hands of the said Kathryn my wif and the child to gyder unto th tyme that she be marrying worthy iff so be the said Katheryn be still a widowe and else she for to be delyvred unto one of hir brethren with hir C pounds . . . And if the said Jan hap to dey within xxiiii yere of age that than the said Thomas and William to enjoie the said C pounds betwyne theyme both in equall portions Also I will that the profits of the mill the reparaitions and the Rents paid the overplus to the fynding of Robert my sonne and of Jane my youngest Daughter beforsaid unto the tyme that they be xvi yere of age And than I will that the said Mylles shallbe at the giding and rule of my eldest son John unto his own behof for evermore for to geve and to sell sufficiently he for to keep the Reparations as he should do his own . . . [many servants and others given bequests] . . . Sir John Golding Katheryn my wif John Smith the elder Thomas Smyth and Willaim Smyth my sonnes myn executors . . . John Bareface vicar of Dedham supervisor.2
William departed this life in Stratford St. Mary. He was buried there in the aisle of St. Mary's Church next to his father.1 His will was probated on 6 February 1493.
Children of William Smith
- John "the Elder" Smith b. c 1464
- William Smith b. c 1466, d. b 11 Dec 1540
- Joan Smith b. c 1468
- Thomas Smith b. c 1470
Children of William Smith and Katherine Brown
- John "the Younger" Smith+ b. c 1475, d. b 12 Apr 1534
- Robert Smith b. c 1477, d. b 20 Oct 1510
- Anne Smith b. c 1479
- Jane Smith b. c 1481