August 21, 1500: Will of Sir George Veer, Knight.
In the name of god amen. I Geo[rge] Veer K[nigh]t, being in sound mind and good memory the
21/8/1500 [Friday] make my testament containing my last will in this wise:
Firstly: I commend my soul to almighty god, the blessed virgin Mary and all the saints and
my body to be buried in the Priory chapel of E[arls] C[olne] before the altar there called
earl Rich[ard]'s altar.
Item: I will the monastery celebrate a Trrental in the aforesaid chape thirty days
consecutively after the burial of my body with expositions and Masses paying the celebrating
Prior and Convent ==1d.
Item: I will have twelve paupers to say Exegesis and Masses and pray in honour of the Twelve
Apostles.
Item: I will that the same twelve paupers receive the sacrament before the altar and say
daily prayers in honour of the holy trinity and ave marias [salutation of the angel] in
honour of the blessed virgin Mary and Apostles bells in honour of the Twelve Apostles and
the said paupers daily to recite in English for the soul of Geo[rge] Veer and the souls of
all the faithful dead.
Item: I will that my executors continue after the thirty days to find a suitable secular
priest to celebrate the Trental on S[ain]t Gregory each year thus the priest to begin
everyday the Exegesis about an hour after nine with praise and commendation for pater in
rubrica at the same Trental.
Item: I will the said priest to appoint [&]carry throught [sic] every day aforesaid
consecutively without prayers and lamentations.
Item: I will every day the paupers continuously to have exeguis and another daily Mass for
christain souls and I will poor women the poor men every Sabbath day in the aforesaid year
the glorification of the Virgin Mary.
Item: I will that my executors deliver and pay to the beforementioned Prior for his interest
of the Exegesis and Masses 13s4d and to pay the aforesaid Priory 7£ in lawful money of
England to be distributed to their brotherhood for the same office.
Item: I will that my executors pay the Prior 3£15s to be distributed amongst the beforenamed
poor for the aforesaid thirty days, also, I will that my executors pay the aforesaid priest
celebrating the Trental for holy Gregory 13£6s8d for his duty that year.
Item: I bequeath the same priest a gown of the value of 20s.
Item: I will my executors deliver and pay to the priest aforenamed 3£ distributing every day
through the year to the poor who attended the Exegesis and Masses for their service 2d and
offering bread.
Item: I will every Sabbath day in the abovesaid thirty days to the Twelve poor women in
recompense and the Twelve men who prayed [unclear].
Item: I bequeath to the altars of the church of Castle Hedingham 10d in compensation for
tithes and offerings.
Item: I leave the lord of the monastery of Hedingham aforesaid for the sustiation [sic] of
the same house a hundred mature sheep so not only they might sell but also use to sustenance
and profit of the house itself.
Item: I bequeath the ordained brothers of S[ain]t Francis at Colchester 13s4d for Exegesis
and requiem Mass. Item: I leave the ordained Carmelite Brothers at Maldon 13s4d to have
Exegesis and requiem Mass.
Item: I bequeath to the ordained Dominican Brothers at Chelmsford for them to have the same
service 13s4d, similarly I only leave the Augustinian Brothers at Clare 13s4d.
Item: I leave my executors 40£ to distribute amongst my family on the day of my burial.
Item: I leave Marg[are]t my wife 40£ and all my silver vessels called the plate with all
utensils given me.
Item: I leave my daughter Eliz[abeth] one heavy gold chain 26£ when Eliz[abeth] herself
completes 14yr and if she pass away from this life before the said estate then I will that
the aforesaid chain be sold and after that [unclear] by my executors be disposed.
Item: I leave my daughter Marg[are]t one heavy gold chain 26£ when Marg[are]t herself comes
to complete the time of 14yr and if she pass away from this life before the said estate I
will the aforesaid chain be sold and the money after be disposed by my executors.
Item: I leave my daughter Dorothy another heavy chain of 26£ at the aforesaid time and the
money similarly disposed.
Item: I will one missal of the poor and one silver chalice be bought by my executors and my
priest aforesaid to have the use of the book and chalice and shall celebrate for my help and
after I will that the abovesaid book and chalice remain at the altar where Rob[er]t de Veer,
Earl of Oxford is buried.
Item: I will that all my tenements with the app[urtenance]s being in Colchester be sold by
my executors and that the money coming thereof to be disposed in the performance and
execution of my testament and last will truly by my executors aforesaid.
Item: I will one seemly black gown be bought for the celebrant priest by my executors and
that the said priest shall celebrate for the welfare of my soul and have the use of the same
and after to remain at the aforesaid altar with the book and chalice where the said Rob[er]t
is buried.
Item: I bequeath [to] the high altar of the Priory of Colne 7£ [and?] a great ancient
chalice.
Item: I will my wife deliver for gilding the same chalice 3£.
Item: I leave the Convent of the Dominican Brothers at Cambridge 40s for them to celebrate
Exegesis and Mass.
Item: I bequeath [what? the same?] [to] the Abbot and Convent of S[ain]t Osithes for them to
celebrate Exegesis and Mass for my soul.
Item: I leave the high altar of the aforesaid Priory one corporale and covering with one
part made from my arms, the other part purple velvet.
Item: I will that all my money not bequeathed be distributed by my wife and my sons
according to the discretion and authority of lord J[oh]n de Veer, [13th] Earl of Oxford, my
well beloved brother whom I ordain and make and constitute supervisor of my testament and
last will, the residue of my goods not bequeathed I give and bequeath to Marg[are]t my wife,
Rich[ard] FitsLew[e]s father [in-law?], J[oh]n Eyer Prior of the Priory of E[arls] C[olne]
and W[illia]m Cooke dd [D.D.?] whom I ordain, make and constitute my true executors and that
they dispose of it for the welfare of my soul these to witness: J[oh]n Osplett and M[aste]r
Tho[ma]s Goodknapp ma [M.A. ?] and W[illia]m Okley, with others given the day and year above
written.
[Annotation within the records of the Parish immediately following the main body of the
will.]
this document being made 24/12/1502 [Saturday] and annexed to this testament and my last
will given by me the testator Geo[rge] Veer, K[nigh]t, concerning the leaving of certain
legacies besides the wishes I said in my testament above written, viz: Firstly, I leave
J[oh]n Veer, my son and heir, one seal of the best gold called the Signet. Item: I leave the
same son my one ring of similar gold with a ruby in the same. Item: I leave Rich[ard]
FitsLewes, K[nigh]t, my kinsman [how so a kinsman?] one full length gown of velvet and lined
with fur. Item: I bequeath to those of my servants, viz: Mary Lee, Edith Barnes, Ja[me]s
Popley, Yoni Aleyn, J[oa]n [or John ?] Codwell and J[oh]n [or Joan?] Jegun one of my gowns
at the discretion of Marg[are]t my wife to these things in the said testament I set my seal
and apply my hand the day and year aforesaid. the above written will was proved with one
document attached to the same before the venerable M[aste]r Roger Church, Doctor of the
Prereogative [sic] Church of Christ at Canterbury, the See of the Archbishop in the same
place, commissioned the 3/4/1503 [Monday, April 3, 1503] by the oath of Marg[are]t the
relict, and Father J[oh]n Eyer, Prior of Colne [Priory], executors named in this will, and
it is approved and entered and the administration of all and singular the goods and debts of
the said deceased was committed to the before stated executors, to well and faithfully and
under one agreement and assent to administer and to plainly and faithfully exhibit an
Inventory about Easter next, and also render a plain and true account to swear on the holy
Gospels; power reserved also for a similar commission to be made for other executors named
in the will when they come.
J[oh]n More 1502.
April 22, 1502.
.......................................................................
Notes:
People:
1. Margaret Veer: wife of testator. Daughter of Sir William Stafford.
2. Elizabeth Veer: Daughter of testator. m. Sir Anthony Wingfield.
3. Dorothy Veer: Daughter of testator. m. John Neville, Lord Latimer. (Dorothy is ancestor
to Diana Cecil and, through her descent from the 10th Earl, Henry, 18th Earl of Oxford.)
4. Margaret Veer: Daughter of testator.
5. Ursula Veer. (Not mentioned in will.)
6. John Veer: Son of testator. 14th Earl of Oxford.
7. Unnamed sons: Testator uses plural in reference to sons. John and George? But George is
thought to have died 1498.
8. Robert de Veer, Earl of Oxford. Could be 3rd, 5th or 6th Earl of Oxford.
9. John de Veer, 13th Earl of Oxford. Brother of George.
10. Richard Fitslews: Richard FitzLewes. Referred to as Father.
11. Brothers of Saint Francis at Colchester (Franciscans.) Mendicant order founded by Saint
Francis in the 13th century.
12. Carmelite Brothers at Maldon. White Friars. Mendicant order founded at Mount Carmel,
Palestine in the 12th century.
13. Dominican Brothers at Chelmsford. Black Friars. Mendicant order founded by Saint
Dominic.
14. Augustinian Brothers at Clare. Order following the rule of Saint Augustine of Hippo.
15. Abbot and Convent of Saint Osyths. Church (of SS Peter and Paul) and Priory date from
the 13th century. Essex.
