Sunday, February 6, 2022

Will of Christian Siderfin, Luxburough, Somerset, England - National Archives, PROB 11/205/77, probated 4 Jul 1648

I will add to my thoughts on the will through the day before I add it to my revised copy of the book on the Siderfin Family. 

Looking forward to Church today on You-Tube. Hopefully I can be there in real time but we will see how the day flows. 

James Sanders has produced a family tree at the back of the book which includes Christian Siderfin. Her husband William Siderfin is in the family tree as the son of Robert Siderfin who died in 1612 and has been mentioned in Chancery Proceedings found earlier in this book. Christian his wife is named as Christian Webber born circa 1610 and who died in 1647 (the last notation in the will was made on the 20th February 1647 (old style) so her year of death was 1647 or1648 since the will was probated in 1648. Using the order on the family chart: the third child William was said to have been born in 1615 and died in 1615 however a William Siderfin her son is very much alive in the will of his mother Christian in 1644. The fourth child Georgianna was born in 1617 and died in 1617 (not mentioned in the will). Thomas the sixth child was born in 1618 and left his will in 1687. The seventh child, also mentioned in his mother's will was Robert and he was born 1620 and died in 1675. The second child Wilmot was listed as Wilmot Siderfin in her mother's will so perhaps a spinster (born 1613 and died 1668). Mary the eldest child married (unknown) Gyldes and her mother mentions their three children in her will. the fifth child Christian were born in 1617 and died in 1617 (not mentioned in the will). 

Looking at the Emigrant's Database for England found on the Kew (United Kingdom Archives) website, I did not find a Siderfin (and several other spellings were tried) on that database but James Sanders lists the first reference as a Robto de Sidernefenne listed in the Hundred Rolls of Somerset, Ed. 1., 1274. James Sanders also speculates on whether this is an Italian or a Dutch family. I have not, to date, found anything which shows whether this is an old family (i.e. pre Norman) or a family that arrived in the time of the Normans. There is a break in the chart between 1274 and the next mention of a Siderfin family and this is John Siderfin and Christian his wife who lived at Luxborough around 1500. The Abstracts of Somerset Wills Series 106, F. Brown (Series 3, 90) does have an abstract for William Sidervin of Luxborough, Somerset. Will dated Aug 20. 1568 proved May 16, 1572 (Taunton Registry). To be buried in the Chancel. Residue to Wilmot, my wife, to dispose of any goods as shall seem best to the pleasure of God and the weal of my Soul. Mr. Alexander Sydenham, a Witness. Unfortunately the original will was destroyed in the bombing of Exeter in 1942 during WW II.

Noting on the chart that the children of Thomas Siderfyn were born after the will was probated so could not have been mentioned in the will unless all three died and they renamed children born after the will with the same names (nmely Thomas b 1650, Philip b 1652, d 1661, and Christian b 1654 and married to John Worth of Wychanger in 1681. As well the information on the will of Christian Siderfin mentioned in the book is taken directly from the Abstracts of Somerset Wills Series 106, F. Brown (Series 3, 90,91). The addition of her full will to this book does provide more family details. 

Transcription

Recorded: 5 Feb 2022
Source: National Archives, PROB 11/205/77
Place: Luxborough, Somerset, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 25 November 1644; probated 4 Jul 1648
Condition: electronic file, old English writing
[in margin] Test: Christiana Siderfin

1    In the name of God Amen The fyve
2    ande twentieth day of November in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand sixe
3    hundredth fortie and fower And in the yeare of the Raigne of our Souveraigne Lord
4    Charles of England etc King the twentieth I Christian Siderfin of the parrish
5    of Luxborowe within the dioces of Bathe and Wells widdowe being visited with sicknes but of perfect
6    mynde and memory praise be given unto Almighty God therefore being renounced and revoked all former
7    wills by me made doe make this my last will and testament in manner and forme following First I bequeath
8    my soule into the hands of Almighty God my Maker and of Jesus Christ my Redeemer trusting and beleeving
9    through his death and passion to obtayne pardon and forgivenesse of my sinnes And my bodie I commit unto
10    the Earth from whence it came to be buried according to the discretion of my Executors hereafter named
11    Item I give unto the Cathedrall church of Wells twelve pence Item I give towards the repara[t]ion of the
12    Church of Luxborowe aforesaid five shillings Item I give unto the poore of ye foresaid parrish of Luxborowe twentie shillings to bee distributed unto such poore people of the same
13    parrish at my funeral as unto my sayd Executors shall seeme good Item I give unto every of my
14    Godchildren Twelve pence a peece Item whereas Mary Gydles of Dunster widdowe my daughter
15    oweth unto me ten pounds which I lent her at two several tymes I doe release and forgive her the sayd
16    debt and summe of money Item I give unto William Gydles and Robert Gyldes her two sonnes of my
17    sayd daughter Mary Gydles one Ewe sheepe a peece Item I give unto Christian Gydles daughter of the
18    sayd Mary Gydles, my Grandchild fifteene pounds to bee paid unto her when she shall come unto
19    her age of twentie and one years And if she shall happen to dye before her sayd age of twenty
20    and one years then I give the sayd fifteene pounds unto William Gydles and Robert Gydles
21    afore named my Grandchildren equally to be devided betwixt them and to bee paid them at their
22    several ages of twenty and one years Item whereas my sonne William Siderfin doeth owe
23    me thirty pounds Twenty pounds thereof I give unto Thomas Siderfin sonne of the sayd William
24    Siderfin my Grandchild And the other ten pounds thereof I give unto my sayd sonne William
25    Siderfin and doe release him of the same debt Item I give unto Johane Westerne my Grandchild
26    fourty shillings Item I give unto Robert Siderfin my sonne five pounds Item I give unto Wilmott
27    Siderfin daughter of my sayd sonne Robert Siderfin Twenty pounds Item I give unto John Siderfin
28    sonne of my sayd sonne Robert Siderfin fourty shillings Item I give unto Johane Syderfin daughter
29    of my sonne Thomas Syderfin Twenty pounds And if shee shall dye before her age of twenty
30    and one years then I give the same unto Thomas Siderfin and Phillipp Siderfin sonnes of my
31    sayd sonne Thomas Syderfin equally to be devided betwixt them and to be paid them at their several
32    ages of twenty and one years Item I give unto the sayd Thomas my Grandchild sonne of Thomas
33    Siderfin aforenamed my sowe and heifer yeareling Item I give unto all my servants which shal[l ]be
34    dwelling in my house at my death five shillings a peece the residue of my goods and Chattells not
35    hereby given or bequeathed after my debts if there shall be any shall be satisfied and my legacies
36    paied I give and bequeath unto my sayd sonne Thomas Syderfin and unto Robert Siderfin
37    the sonne of my sayd sonne Robert Siderfin my grandchilde whome I make and ordaine to be
38    my whole and sole Executor of this my last will and Testament and I doe entreate my Cozen
39    John Squirell of the parrish of Mynhedd and John Pearse of the parrish of Charhampton
40    in the County of Somerset yeoman to bee my Overseers of this my last will and testament to see
41    the same in all things performed In witness that this is my last will I the sayd Christian Siderfin
42    have hereunto putt my hand the daye and yeare first above written The Marke of Christian
43    Siderfin This writing was read unto me the sayd Christian Siderfin upon the day and yeare first above
44    written and approved thereof and did then publish and declare the same to be my last will and
45    testament in the presence of The marke of John Blake The marke of Robert Lasswell The
46    Marke of John Lobb The marke of Anne Pyke The day of the above is the three and twentieth
47    day of November in the yeare of our Lord God 1644 Witness the witnesses aforesaid: The sayd
48    Testatrix afterwards xx February 1647 gave and devised unto Johane Westerne the Grandchild five
49    pounds and to her servant Wilmote Kent Twenty shillings and directed that these legacies should
50    be added to the above written will
51    Probatum fuit testamentum suprascriptum apud London coram ven[erab]li viro domino
52    Nathaniel Brent Milite legum doctore Curia Prerogative M[a]g[ist]ro siue Custode Ultimo constitute
53    quarto die Mensis Julij Anno domini Millesimo sexcentesimo quadragesimo octavo Juramento
54    Thomas Syderfin filij et Roberti Syderfin Nepotis op filio dicti defuncti et Execut in eadem Testamento
55    nominat Quibus Commissa fuit Administrato omnium et singulorum bonorium Jurium
56    et Creditorum dicti defuncti de bene et fidel[ite]r Administrando eadem ad s[an]c[t]a[ dei Evangelia
57       vigore comissionis in de parte als emanat Jurat



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