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In the Name of the father the son and the Holy Ghost Amen I Thomas May of Wolverton in the County of Southampton being sick in my body but thanked be the Lord of good and perfect remembrance do make this my last Will and Testament as followeth First I commit my spirit into the hands of God with sure hope that he will receive him graciously and mercifully through the only Redeemer and Saviour And my body I yield to the earth to be buried in the churchyard of the said Wolverton And the goods that God hath given me in this World I do bequeath and dispose as followeth First I give unto Thomas my eldest son and unto Richard my son half all that my lease of a certain tenement that I have in the parish of Padworth in the county of Berkshire for and during all the time of my said lease yet to come according unto the tenure of the said lease And also I give unto my above named sons all my timbered boards whole wheresoever they be to be equally divided between my two aforenamed sons both the said lease timber and boards without fraud upon this condition that is my said son Richard be willing to learn the craft or science of bucket making that than my said eldest son Thomas shall instantly and willingly teach him the same without any fraud or delay in that if my said son Thomas do refuse or detract the time to teach my said son Richard that than he shall forfeit pay and deliver unto him immediately after the said refuser delay the sum of two pounds thirteen shillings four pence of good English money to be levied out of the said Thomas part in the aforesaid lease and timber Item I give unto my son William three steers such as I have and such as they be and three kine and three calves of this year’s breed and half steer teggs Item I give unto Margaret my daughter my best ox next to the heriot four kine and two calves of this year’s breed and ten teggs Item I give unto my son Thomas the Younger and unto my aforenamed son William and Margaret my said daughter all the pewter and brass of my house to be equally divided among them by my overseers and also all the rest of my household stuff to be likewise divided between my last named children viz Thomas the younger William and Margaret by even portions by my said overseers And because that there be certain goods in my house of a man whom my said children do know as alos the same goods and the money for the which they are laid to me in paine and upon what conditions I will therefore that if the said party cometh and bringeth the same paines money that my said children Thomas the younger William and Margaret shall redeliver unto him his said goods and divide the money thereof between them equally or old the same goods Item I will that my two before named sons Thomas the Elder and Richard unto whom I have given my whole timber and boards shall also have all my tools belonging to my said craft of bucket making between them equally Item I give unto the mother church of Winton two pence Item I give unto the church of Wolverton twelve pence Item I give unto the poor people of the said parish six pence All the rest of my goods heretofore unbequeathed I wholly give unto my son Thomas the Younger and him I make also the Executor of this my Will charging him to pay and discharge all my debts instantly and truly and my legacies herein forenamed and for to see this my Will and fully approved for the better performance of the which I also are in my Overseers unto this my said will Thomas Butler my neighbour and Edward Sneele my sister’s son desiring them to see this will instantly and lawfully proved and performed and for their pains taking therein I give them sixteen pence a piece

Witnesses to the same John Dinnok and Robert Heron Parson of the said Wolverton writer hereof the 30th of August in the thirty-nineth year of the Reign of Our Most Gracious Lady Elizabeth 1597

Proved 16th December 1597.