William Lyster is a 10 x great grandfather of mine.

His will has a small comment in the margin next to the probate statement; this is invaluable in showing that William was the father of the Elizabeth Lyster who, shortly after his death, married William Halke.

Line breaks are as in the register copy, not indicated by ‘/’ which are as in the document.


Draft transcription – not checked for typos and other errors – and not yet linked to tree

In the name of God: Amen. The Foure

and Twentith daye of Maye in the One and Fortith yeare of the raigne

of our soveraigne Ladye Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England

France and Ireland, Defender of the Faythe &c: I Willyam Lyster of

Appledor in the Countye of Kent yoman, beeing of perfect, and good remembnce

thankes bee geven to Allmightie God doe make this my presente will and Testamt

in manner and forme followinge ./ Imprimis I comend my soule to the Allmightie

God and to his sonne Jesus Christ my onely redeemer and saviour by whose death and

passion I trust to be saved ./ And my bodye to be buried where it shall please God I

doe departe this mortall lyfe./ Item I geve to the poore people of Apledor the some

of Twentye poundes to be payd Fortye shillinges every yeare for the space of Tenne

yeares, and the first payment to beginne at Christmas next followinge after my

decease halfe yearelye to be payd by my Executor ./ Item I geve to everye of my

men servanntes, and mayde servantes Twentye shillinges a peece over and above their

wages which then at the tyme of my decease shalbe due unto them / my mynde is that

it be payd at the end of their yeare yf they staye out their yeare, and if my Executor

be not myneded to keepe them so longe, if not then when thay goe awaye yt to be payd

by my Executor./ Item I geve to my sister Ellynor Watts Twentye shillinges a yeare

duringe the naturall lyefes of her, and her husband, Edmund Watts of Harrison [Harrietsham – note, PCC will so scribe may not have known Kent places] in the

countie of Kent, And my mynde and will is, if my sisters husband shall departe this

mortall lyef before my sayd sister, Then my sister to have yerely duringe her naturall

lief the some of Foure poundes to be payd her Quarterlye by my Executor, and yf

that shee or he shall not be payd as aforesayd, Then I will shee or he shall by vertue of

this my will, distrayne uppon anye of my landes, and to with hould the distresse

either by sale, or otherwise, till they be fullye satisfied accordinge to my will./ Item

I geve to everye one of my sayd sisters children the some of Three poundes apeece

as they shall severally come to the age of One and Twentye yeares, and somany

as be of age, to be payd at midsomer next followinge after my decease, And further

my mynde and will is, wheras Marke Horolston als Hilston of the parrishe of

Barham my brother in lawe standeth bounde in a bonde of the some of Fourescore

poundes or theire aboutes yf therefore my sayd brother in Lawe doe well and

trulye pay, or cause to be payd unto my Executor the some of Three and

Twentye poundes, Six shillinges eighte pence of lawfull money of England

due unto me, And allso Thirteene poundes sixe shillinges eighte ^ {foure} pence lykewise

lawefull money of England for and concerneng a Legacye due to one Gregorye

Watts of Lydd sonne of Gregory Watts of Apledore deceased when the said Gregory

shall come to thage of One and Twenty yeares, or if he be of age before my

deathe, Then within One quater of one yeare after my decease, Then my

Executours or Executor to redelyver to my said brother in lawe his sayd

band./ Item I bequeathe to Elizabeth Lister my wife All her wearing

apparrell aswell woollen as Lynnen, and all my houshouldstuff whatsoever

And my said wife to bestowe on my said chilldren what shee shall thinke best

[p.2]

at her will and pleasure./ Item I geve to my said wyfe my graye ambling nag

with the saddle, brydle, and all other furnyture thereunto belonging./ Item I

geve to my said wyfe All my hoggs, geese, Ducks, and poultry about my nowe

dwelling house whatsoever./ Item I geve to my said wyfe Fyve Seames of

wheate marchant of the best, and Fyve seames of barlye or maulte at her choise

and Forty bzs? [bushells?] of Otes./ All which said Corne to be delyvered by my Executor

wthin one moneth after my decease./ Item my mynde and wyll is, That my said

wyfe to have the gardianshippe, and bringing upp of my Two chilldren tyll they

shall come to the age of One and Twenty yeares, or at their daye of maryage

which shall happen firste./ Item all the rest of my moveable, and unmoveable

goods unbequeathed I geve and bequeathe unto my Two Daughters Elizabeth and

Agnes, which my mynde and will is should be sould to the best value, as it shall be

praysed by Fower honest men, And within Two yeares nexte after my decease,

And my minde is my Executor shall purchase so muche lands to the use of my

said Two Daughters and their heires as thoverplus of my moveable goods shall

amount unto. And for defaulte or purchasing so much lands, the money to be

putt out to proffytt for my said Two daughters to the best use untyll they shall

accomplishe their ages of One and Twenty yeares, or daye of maryage whiche

shall firste happen ^ {first} And then to paye yf and they proffytt./ My mynde and will

further is That my wife, her heires & Executors. Admynistrators., or assignes shall

not at any time fell waste or cutt downe any of my Acre woods, nor any of my

tymber trees standing uppon any of my Lands whatsoever./ my minde and wyll

is; That my Executors shall provide all necessaryes for the fynishing of my

newe buylding at Tenterden, and furnishe the same within one yeare nexte

after my decease./ Item I geve to every one of my godchildren Three shillings

foure pence to be paid within one yeare nexte after my decease by my Executor

Item I will my Executor shall paie unto my said Daughters every haulf yeare

Forty shillinges to either of them, and that yearely untyll they shall accomplishe

the age of One and Twentye yeares, or daye of maryage out of my said Goods./

Item I geve to one Gillian Marshall my kynswoman, sometymes the wife of one

John Widowes of Brensytt the some of Three pounds to be payd at midsomer

nexte following after my deathe, and the keeping of her Twoo kyne whiche shee

sent me untyll michellmas nexte being in 99 &c(?) ./ And then to have them

againe if they live ./ Item I geve to Robert Piper of Iden my servante so

that he doe continue his yeare accordinge to his bargayne the some of Twenty

shillinges, to be payd him at the end of his yeare or as my other servantes are

to have theires ./ Item my mynd and will is my wyfe to have her dwellinge in

my now dwellinge howse untill Michaellmas next ./ My mynd and will further

is that whereas I stande bounde in Recognizannce ^ {un} to George Chute the elder

esquier in the some of Twoe Thowsand poundes for the paymente of certayne

legacies unto John and Mathewe Sloweman the sonnes of John Sloweman of

Breed in the Countye of Sussex deceased due at their severall ages of One and

Twenty yeares by the gifte of Pascall Sloweman late of Apledore deceased, and

allso to accompte and paye unto the said John Sloweman after Sixe pounds

in the hundred by the space of so many yeares as he the said John shall come to

the said age of One and Twentie yeares./ And my minde and will further is

That my Executor shall sell so much of my Goods within one yeare nexte

after my decease, as shall satisfie the sayde Recognizance, and proffytt thereof

which shall then be due, So as he allowe for the proffytt of the sayde money

after Sixe pound of the hundred for the tyme he hathe yt as I doe to the

use of the said John Sloweman, and Mathewe Sloweman to be paid, and

[p.3]

delivered to the sayd George Chut esquier so as the said George shall redeliv[er]

the sayd Recognizance cancelled with a sufficient discharge in Lawe to discharge

my heires and Executors, agaynste the sayd John and Mathew Slowman

And if the sayd George Chut shall refuse soe to doe then I will my Executor

shall put the sayd money forth to the use for the satisfienge of the said John

and Mathew Slowman, and the profitts therof as the sayd George Chut

should have doune when they shall accomplish the age of One and Twentye

yeares./ Item I geve unto my wyfe somuch Legges, and Fagotts for fyer as shall

be requiset to be used untill Michaellmas next./ Item I geve my sayd wyfe

Three of my best Kine at her choyse and the keepinge of them, and her horse, hoggs

and Poultrie &c geven to her, at my now dwellinge house, and on the landes to the

same belonginge, untill the feast of Saynte Michaell the arke angell next after

my decease,/ As concerninge my landes Tenementes and Heriditamentes, This is

the last will and Testamente of me the sayd Willam Lister./ First I bequeath

unto Elizabeth my wyfe all my howse and Tenemente with the landes thereunto

belonginge at Burrowes Isle lyinge with the parrish of Tenterden for the

tearme of Fyveteene yeares next after my decease to be accomplished yf shee so

long lyve, and yearely Thirty Loades of woodd during that tyme to be hadd to her

use, and to be felled out of the Landes of that Tenement at the appoyntement of my

Executor in regarde of her joynture and towardes the education and bringinge up of my

Two daughters untill their age of One and Twentye yeares or day of marriage./ Allso

I will and bequeath unto my said wyfe the some of Twentye poundes by yeare to

be payd halfe yerelye Tenne poundes by my Executor so longe as shee shalbe chardged

with the education and bringinge upp of my sayd daughters./ Item I geve and

bequeath to my wyfe all Juells, silver, and Gould, as shall be in her owne custodie

excepte my silver spoones which be in number One and Twentye which I will

shalbe equallye devided betwixte my sayd wife and my Twoo daughters, And my mynde and

will is my wyfe to have the custodie of all the sayd sylver spoones untill my sayd daughters

shall come to the age of One and Twentye yeares or day of marriage./ Item I will

bequeath to my sayd Twoe daughters all my landes Tenementes and Heriditamentes

to be had to them and theire heires for ever equally to be devided betweene them when the

sayd Agnes my daughter shall accomplish the full age of One and Twentye yeares

excepte the howse and land before given to my wyfe for fiftene yeares, The sayd

Elizabeth and Agnes my daughters to be payd the profitt of my landes by my Executor

when thay or eyther of them shall come to the age of One and Twentye yeares or day

of marriage so farr forth as it shall amounte unto them my mynde is that if any of my

daughters dye without heires of their bodyes, one to be thothers heire./ And yf my sayd

daughters Elizabeth and Agnes departe this mortall lyfe before they shall accomplishe

the age of One and Twentye yeares, and without heires of their bodyes lawfullye

begotten, Then my mynde and will is all my landes Tenementes and Hereditamentes

in Tenterden and Appledore shall remayne unto my sayd sister and her heires of

her bodye lawefully begotten for ever, excepte the howse landes and hereditamentes before

geven unto my wyfe which I will shee shall have duringe her naturall lyef yf my sayd

daughters shall die without issue./ Item I geve unto Willam Curtes of Tenterden

Jurat Twentie poundes, who I doo ordayne and make my Executor of this

my laste will and Testament to receave my goods, and detts, and the profittes of

my landes unbequethed unto my wyfe and to pay my debts, and legacies and to

bring my bodye to the earthe where yt shall plese God./ And my said Executors

entring into bond unto George Chute esquier within one yeare in such certen

somes of money as shall seeme meete and convenyent by the said George Chute

[p.4]

That they shall yeeld a inst accompte of the ^ {my} said moveable goods, and proffytt of my

Landes to my said daughters at their severall ages of One and Twenty yeares or daye

of maryage which shall first happen, whom I doo ordaine and make my Overseer of

this my last will and Testament, and doo geve him for his paines a gelding woorthe

Tenne poundes or Tenne poundes of lawefull money of England at his choise./ In

witnes whereof I have sett my hand and seale the daye and yeare first above wrytten

wytnesses at the making and delivery./ By me wylliam Lister./ John Hopton / Robert

Wolball / George Curtis./ This is a Codycill to be annexed unto the last will

and Testament of me the said Willyam Lister declared the daie and yeare abovesaid

The will is followed by an unusual looking probate statement, which I have not yet transcribed. (In Latin of course, but it does not begin ‘Probatum fuit …’)

Alongside this in the margin is written a note, which starts reads :

xxvii Novembris 1600 ?? comissio
Boys Ower et Willmo Halk maritis
Agnets Lister et Elizabethe Lyster
filias de def[unct] …

[I think the note refers to Boys and William being sworn to administer the will]


The will was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and is held at TNA.

This is a transcript of the register copy, TNA ref: PROB 11/93/427 (more details about source on William’s page)

(viewable online for a small charge from Discovery, or through a subscription to Ancestry or TheGenealogist).


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The will of William Lyster (d. 1599) — No Comments

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