Thomasyn Symonds' Deed of the Little Rose Property to Eighteen Trustees

mb 13 (3 December)

To all Christian people to whom this present writing tripartite indented shall come: Thomasyn Symonds of London, widow, late the wife of Ralph Symonds, late citizen and fishmonger of London, deceased, sends greeting in our Lord God everlasting. Know you me the said Thomasyn to have given, granted, and consigned, and by these presents do give, grant, and confirm unto Ralph Johnson of Rainham in the county of Kent, gentleman, William Payne of Chartham in the said county of Kent, gentleman, William Hustwaite, pewterer, Ambrose Nicholas, salter, Robert Sowle, salter, Thomas Bryan, grocer, John Peers, fishmonger, William Box, grocer, Thomas Bynes, fishmonger, Henry Edwards, shoemaker, Thomas Pekens, grocer, John Welton, tailor, Robert Sprignaille, barber-surgeon, John Gee, fishmonger, Richard Whalley, Henry Blower, waxchandler, Ralph Barton, goldsmith, and Thomas Hall, salter, all that my messuage or tenement called the Little Rose, with two gardens to the same adjoining, set, lying and being in the parish late called St Margaret in Southwark, in the county of Surrey, and now being the parish of St Saviour in Southwark aforesaid, and also all my houses, shops, cellars, sollars, chambers, entries, gardens, ponds, easements, land, soil, and hereditaments whatsoever, with their appurtenances, in the parish of St Saviour in Southwark aforesaid, to the said messuage or tenement belonging or in any wise appertaining, to have and to hold all the said messuage or tenement and all other the premises with their appurtenances unto the said Ralph Johnson, William Payne, William Hustwaite, Ambrose Nicholas, Robert Sowle, Thomas Bryan, John Peers, William Box, Thomas Bynes, Henry Edwards, Thomas Pekens, John Welton, Robert Sprignaille, John Gee, Richard Whalley, Henry Blower, Raphe Barton, and Thomas Hall, and their heirs forever, to the use of me the said Thomasyn Symonds and my assigns during my natural life, without impeachment of waste, and after my decease to the use of my said feoffees aforenamed and their heirs forever upon condition that the said persons feoffees aforenamed, their heirs and assigns, shall do and perform these things following, that is to say, that the same feoffees, or the churchwardens of the parish church of St Mildred in Bread Street of London and their successors, or the heirs or assigns of the said feoffees, or some of them, shall do forevermore yearly every year, give and distribute in alms of the rents, revenues, issues, and profits coming and growing of the foresaid premises to and amongst the poor people, being householders and parishioners of the parish of St Mildred aforesaid, for the time being in whatsoever ward or wards within the precinct of the same parish that the said poor parishioners do or shall inhabit, 40s of lawful money of England in manner and form following: that is to say, the Sunday always next following the eighth day of September 10s, the Sunday next following the eighth day of December 10s, the Sunday always following the eighth day of March 10s, and the Sunday always next following the eighth day of June other 10s. And also that the said feoffees, their heirs or assigns, or the churchwardens aforesaid, their successors or assigns, shall also give and distribute of the revenues, issues, and profits of the premises yearly every year forevermore 58s and 4d of lawful money of England, in manner and form following, that is to say, to one of the poorest fishmongers inhabiting in Old Fish Street of London for the time being, without fraud or covin, 20s by and at the rate of 5s every quarter in the year yearly forever, and to Joan James my servant, yearly during her life 20s by and at the rate of 5s every quarter. And after the decease of the said Joan James, then the said 20s from thenceforth to be given and paid yearly every year forever by them, or some of them, to one other of the poorest fishmongers inhabiting in Old Fish Street aforesaid by 5s in every quarter, without fraud and covin, and also to give and pay yearly every year 16s and 4d out of the said 58s and 4d after my decease to the use of the poor in Christ’s Hospital, sometime called the Greyfriars of London, forever, and also that the churchwardens of the parish aforesaid shall forever have yearly every year for their pains and travails in the premises 2s out of the revenues, issues, rents and profits aforesaid. And also that when and as often as the said feoffees shall decease to the number of four, that then the said four survivors or the last survivor of them, or the heir or heirs of such survivor, shall make a new feoffment to another like number, for and to the intents aforesaid. And that if the yearly rent of £4 18s and 4d be not well and truly given and distributed yearly every year in such manner and form as I have above declared, as near as the same may be done according to this my intent and devise, that then it shall be lawful to the right heirs of me the said Thomasyn Symonds unto the said messuage and tenement, and all other the premises above specified, wholly to re-enter and the same from thenceforth to have, hold, possess, occupy, and enjoy to their own proper use and behoof forever, anything above rehearsed to the contrary notwithstanding. In witness whereof to every part of this my present writing tripartite indented, I the said Thomasyn Symonds have set my seal. Given the third day of December in the sixth year of the reign of our sovereign lord Edward the Sixth, by the grace of God king of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, and in earth of the Church of England and Ireland the supreme head.

Memorandum that Peter Baker of London, scrivener, attorney of the within named Thomasyn Symonds, on the 22nd day of the month of December in the year within written, by force and virtue of a certain letter of attorney to him thereof made by the same Thomasyn Symonds, entered into the messuage or tenement called the Little Rose and other the premises within written, and full and peaceable possession, state, and seisin thereof for her and in her name, did take and immediately after possession and seisin so thereof taken did give and deliver the same peaceable possession state and seisin to these persons hereafter named, being the most part of the feoffees within named, that is to say, William Hustwaite, Ambrose Nicholas, Robert Sowle, Thomas Bryan, John Peers, Thomas Bynes, Henry Edwards, Thomas Pekens, John Welton, Robert Sprignaille, John Gee, Henry Blower, Ralph Barton, and Thomas Hall, to have and to hold to them and their heirs forever unto such uses, purposes, and intents as within this present deed is mentioned and declared, in the presence of Peter Houyng, Richard Lucas, William Elsham, and Thomas Arland, fishmongers, Richard Paggynton, salter, John Deane, clothworker, and John Wynd, waterman, 1 other

Memorandum quod predicto tercio die Decembris anno supradicto venit predicta Thomasyn Symonds coram dicto domino rege in Cancellaria sua and recognovit Scriptum predictum ac omnia and singula in eodem contenta and specificata in forma suprascripta

Be it known unto all men by these presents that I, Thomasyn Symonds of London, widow, late the wife of Ralph Symonds late citizen and fishmonger of London, deceased, have assigned, made, ordained, deputed, and in my place by these presents have put and constituted my well beloved in Christ Peter Baker of London scrivener my true and lawful attorney, to enter for me and in my name into all that messuage or tenement called the Little Rose, with two gardens to the same adjoining, set and being in the parish late called St Margaret in Southwark, in the county of Surrey, and now being the parish of St Saviour in Southwark aforesaid, and also of and in all houses, shops, cellars, sollars, chambers, entries, gardens, ponds, easements, and soil and hereditaments whatsoever, with their appurtenances, to the said messuage or tenement belonging or in any wise appertaining, and full and peaceable possession and seisin thereof, for me and in my name to take, and after possession and seisin so thereof had and taken, then to give [&] deliver for me and in my name full and peaceable possession and seisin thereof and of every parcel thereof, to Ralph Johnson of Rainham in the county of Kent, gentleman, William Payne of Chartham in the same county, gentleman, William Hustwaite, pewterer, Ambrose Nicholas, salter, Robert Sowle, salter, Thomas Bryan, grocer, John Peers, fishmonger, William Box, grocer, Thomas Bynes, fishmonger, Henry Edwards, shoemaker, Thomas Pekens, grocer, John Welton, tailor, Robert Sprignaille, barber-surgeon, John Gee, fishmonger, Richard Whalley, Henry Blower, waxchandler, Ralph Barton, goldsmith, and Thomas Hall, salter, or to any of them or their certain attorney, to have and to hold to them and their heirs, according to the tenor of a certain deed tripartite indented to them thereof by me made and granted, bearing date the third day of this present month of December, and to such uses and intents as in the same writing tripartite indented is limited, holding firm and stable all that and as much as my said attorney for me and in my name shall do in and about the premises by these presents. In witness whereof to these presents I the said Thomasyn Symonds have set my seal. Given the 22nd day of December in the sixth year of the reign of our sovereign lord Edward the Sixth by the grace of God king of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, and in earth of the Church of England and Ireland the supreme head.

Be it remembered that on the aforesaid 22nd day of December in the above mentioned year the aforesaid Thomasyn Symonds came before the said lord the king in his chancery and acknowledged the aforesaid writing and all and each contained in the same (writing) and specified in the form above written.