Will of Henry Howman, of Bristol (sic National Archives notified) (Henry
Howman of Portland in the diocese of Bristol)
Date 23 November 1588
In the name of our Lord god amen the last day of September in the yeare of
our Lord god a thousand five hundrethe eightie eighte I Henrye Howman of
Portland within the iurisdiction of the dioces of Bristoll visited with sickness
and weaknes of body butt perfect and sounde of mynde and memorie all
praise be given to almightie god doe make and ordeine this my present last will
and testament in manner and forme as hereafter appearethe viz
First and especially I committ my sowle to the mercy of almightie god who
hathe redeemed the same with the blud of Jhesus Christ my only Saviour And
my bodye I betake to the Christian buriall of Portland aforesaide And I give
towards the reparations of the church of Portland twelve pence
Item I give towardes the releif of the pore people in Portland wheare my
overseers shall think meete three
shillings fower pence
Item I give and bequeathe all my lande tenemets and hereditaments in
Portland and all my righte title and interest therein or therunto unto Henry
Howman benige my sonne John Howmans sonne and to his heiers and assignes
fpr ever
Item I give and bequeath to John Grey the sonne of Benedict Grey one of my
best clokes
Item I give and bequeathe unto my brother in lawe Bendict Grey one ofmy best
clokes, my gowne furred with black lambe and my best cassock
Item I give and bequeath unto my brother in lawe William Grey my second
best cloke and my best breeches
Item All the rest of my goods chattells lease debts money plate
househouldstuff and other my worldly goodes whatsoever my debts legacies
and funeralls paide levied and discharged I doe give and bequeath unto Henry
Howman Alice Howman and to Suzan Howman sonne and daughters of John
Howman my sonne deceased and to Thomas Cotton sonne of my daughter
Alice deceased in such manner and forme as followeth viz; that all the saide
residue of my saide goodes cattells chatells leases debtes money plate
howshouldstuff and other my said worldly good shalbe equally praysed and
devided into five equall and even portions by the oversighte of myne overseers
hereafter in this my present testament named or the survivors of survivor of
them And two parts of the saide five partes or the full value thereof as maye
be made uppon the sale thereof I doe will and give and bequeathe to the saide
Henry Howman John Howmans sonne And thother thre partes or the most
value thereof uppon the sale therof to be equally devided betwene the saide
Alice Suzan and Thomas to every of them alike and equall portion provided
alwayes tha my will and intent is that all the foresaide residue of my saide
goodes cattels chattells leases howshouldstuffe and other things so given and
bequeathed to the saide fower children as abovesaide shalbe sowlde or
otherwise disposed to the best use benefitt and comoditie of the saide
children to whom the same are before given and bequeathed as to my saide
overseers or the survivors or survivor of them shall be thoughte most
convenient so alwayes the some may be duly answered to the saide children
with the profitt thereof whiche I will that they and every of them shall severally
have as they shall severally come to their severall ages of twentie yeares
deducting and allowinge alwayes all suche reasonable charges as shall or of
necessitie oughte to be imployed or bestowed in and about the education and
bringing up of the saide children and all other necessaries otherwise as shall or
maye be thoughte convenient or necessarie And if any of the said fower
children shall happen to die before their saide age of twentie yeares then
suche portion or portions of his her of theirs that shall so decease to be equally
devided amongst the rest that survive And I doe nominate and appoynte the
saide Henrye Howman the sonne of the saide John Howman my wholl executor
of this my last will and testament And I doe nominate appoynte and request
my good frends Roger Kete Benedict Grey and Robert [Weall?] the elder of
Portland to be myne overseers By me Henry Howman huis testibus [scill?]
Rogero Kete scriptor Luke Reynolds
Latin grant of probate, 23 November 1588, granted to Roger Kete during the
minority of the appointed executor Henry Howman.
Notes Henry Howman presumably the heir, son of John married Virtue Seager
of Fordington [Note:- Link to Pedigree in the paper by Helen M Ford on "Margery, the wife of Anthony EAMES of Fordington and Plymouth Colony"].
Alyce Howman married Wm Clarke 11 May 1618 at Fordington
Henry Howman was Lord of the Manor of Portland during the reign of
Elizabeth 1 according to the Portland Year Book 1905 HISTORY AND
ANTIQUITIES OF PORTLAND
But Hutchins vol 2 p 815 says something rather different 21 Eliz. the
demesne lands of this manor were granted to Henry Howman, for 21 years in
reversion, paying 10/. 37 Eliz.They, with the agistment of animals, were
granted to ….George
Footnote g.
27th June , 30th Queen Eliz.—Dorset. Whereas one Henry Howman, some
time master gunner of her Majesty's castle of
Portland, in the county of Dorset, hath heretofore in her Majesty's behalf, and
by authority of her highness bill signed, bearing date the 13th day of July, in
the 18th year of her Majesties reign, exhibited a bill of complaint into her
Majesty's court of her Grace's manor of Portland aforesaid against one Evan
Grene, clerk, parson of the parsonage of Portland aforesaid, for five acres and
one rod of arable land in Portland aforesaid, declared by the said Howman in
the said bill to be wrongfully and unjustly detained and withholden from her
Majesty; whereunto the said Evan Grene having been orderly called, and
answered thereunto, the matter thereupon proceeded in the said court, until it
was ordered and adjudged by authority of the said court that the said five
acres and one rod should be granted unto the said Henry Howman aud his
heirs for ever, according to the custom of the said manor, and according to the
tenor and effect of her Majesty's said bill signed, in recompense of service by
the said Henry Howman to her Majesty before that time done, and in the said
bill signed specially mentioned, which said grant of the said five acres and one
rod of land being orderly made to the said Henry Howman and his heirs by her
Majesty's steward of the said manor at and in the court of the said manor, and
thereupon the said Henry being admitted tenant thereunto, and a copy
thereof to the said Howman and his heirs orderly made, and the possession of
the said lands to him accordingly delivered b y her Majesty's bailiff of the said
manor, and b y
virtue of her Majesty's said bill signed, as it appeareth by certificate of the
whole proceedings thereof in the court by her Majesty's steward or his deputy
of the said manor, and by her Majesty's special commandment mentioned in
the said bill signed. And for answer, as this court was this present day
informed, that the said Henry Howman is, since the said grant and possession
of the said lands to him made and delivered in form aforesaid, expelled,
dispossessed, and still yet kept from and out of the possession thereof: It is
therefore ordered by this court, this present day, that an injunction shall be
awarded out of this court, to be directed to the said Edward Grene, his tenants
and assigns, and all others claiming from, by, or under any of their title,
commanding and enjoining them, and every of them, thereby, under the pain
of 500l. as well to from and out of the possession of the said five acres and one
rod of land, and from thenceforth to permit and suffer the said Henry
Howman, his heirs and assigns, quietly and peaceably to have, hold, possess,
occupy, and enjoy the said five acres and one rod of land, and every parcel
thereof, according to the form and effect of the said grant thereof to him the
said Henry made in form afore declared, without any let, disturbance,
expulsion, or contradiction of him the said Evan Grene, his tenants, proctors,
or assigns, or any other person or persons, by his or their means, title or
procurement, until this court shall make other order, and that upon the pain
aforesaid