Will of Augustine Question clothier of Dunster - The National Archives PROB 11/118/239, probated 23 Oct 1611

I decided to post this will of Augustin Question probated 23 Oct 1611 and he was the son of William Question and Susan Millet of Dunster. I transcribed this will in 2009 and haven't proofed it since that time so there could be small changes but I will proofread it after Christmas. No time these days but in case anyone wanted to read it. As mentioned Augustine is my 9x great grandfather. He mentions all of his sister's or their children with the exception of Ellen who was baptized 26 May 1566 at Dunster. Charity married Robert Chappell 15 May 1598 at Dunster, Elizabeth married unknown Steere, and Joan married George Hooper 24 Jun 1611 at Dunster.

Date: 29 Sep 2009
Document: Will
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/118/239
Date of document: 19 Feb 1610, probated 23 Oct 1611
Author: Augustine Question
Relationship: 9xgreat grandfather
Location: Dunster Somerset England
Document quality: 17th century English, bold, even writing

[In margin] T[estator] Augustin Question

1    In the name of god amen the Nyneteenth daye of February
2    in the yeare of oure Lord God one thousand sixe hundred and tenne and in the eighte
3    yeare of the Reigne of oure soveraigne Lord Kinge James pr[emiere] I Augustine Question
4    of the towne and Boroughe of Dunster in the Countie of Somerset and dioces[e]
5    of Bathe and Welles Clothier beyng in good healthe and perfect memorye (thanks
6    be given to Almightie god) and yet calling to mynde and considering the mortality
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7    of all fleshe and not knowing howe soone or sodanelye yt may please Almightie god to call me out of this
8    transitory life worlde do therefore ordayne and make this my last will and testament  revoking all
9    former willes in manner and forme folowing viz First and principallye I commend my soule
10    Into the handes of Almyghtie god my creator and redemer and my bodye I leave to be buryed
11    in the earthe by the discretion and appoyntment of myne executrix and overseers And conc[er]ning
12    the disposi[t]ion of my temporall goodes and estate I give to Sainte Andrewes Church in
13    Welles twelve pence Then I give to the church of Dunster five shillinges Item I give to Johane
14    Chapell my sister's daughter twentie shillinges Item I give and bequeathe to Johane my wife
15    all my leases lande and lyvinges for so longe tyme as she shall live and remayne my widowe
16    for and towardes the better fyndinge education and maynten[a]nce of myne and her children
17    so longe as the saied children shall remayne unmarryed And after the deathe or marriage of
18    My saied wife I will that my sonne John shall have and enioye my tenement at Rodehuishe and
19    my Lease in reversion of the house in Dunster wherein I dwell and all landes therin to belonging
20    for so many yeres of the severall termes in the sayed Leases as my sayed sonne John shall happen to
21    live And yf the sayed John my sonne happen to dye before the end of the sayed severall tearmes
22    or any of them Then I will that the Landes comprised in the sayed severall Leases shall remayne
23    and be to my sayed sonne Andrewe for so many yeres of the sayed tearmes as he shall live
24    and yf heallso dye before the expira[t]ion of my Lease of Rodehuishe then I devise the residue of
25    my time therein to Johane my said wife and Christian my daughter equallieItem I give
26    and devise to my saied sonne Andrewe after the deathe or mariage of my sayed wife my
27    Acres of Lande in Dunster feild and my house in Dunster and all the Landes therin to
28    belonging late in the tenure of John Dodser so many yeres of my severall termes therein as the
29    sayed Andrewe my sonne or Christian my daughter shall happen to live And yf it happen my
30    saied sonne Andrewe and daughter bothe to dye before the expira[t]ion of the sayed Termes
31    or othe[r] of them Then I will the the premisses lastlye appoynted to my sayed sonne Andrewe
32    shall remayne and be unto the sayed John my sonne for the residue of my termes to come in y[er]es
33    come Item I devise my Landes of inheritance after the deathe or marriage of my sayed
34    wife unto the saied John my sonne and the heires of his bodye And for defaulte of suche issue
35    to my sonne Andrewe and the heires of his bodye Item I give and bequeathe to either of my sayed
36    sonnes John and Andrewe one hundred markes a peice And to my sayed daughter Christian
37    the somme of four score poundes to be ymployed to theire best use and profitt within one
38    yere after my deathe and to be paied with the increase thereof unto my said children
39    at theire severall full ages of one and twentie yeres And my will further is that before my
40    sayed daughter shall receyve her sayed Legacey she shall acquyte and dischardge
41    my sayed wife of all profitts and accompts which by the Lawe she may have or
42    clayme for the house wherein I dwell and all other Landes wherein my sayed daughter
43    ys a ioynte Lessee with me and my sayed wife And likewise shall assure my wife for the
44    any of holdinge and enioyinge of the sayed whole house and Landes during the life of my sayed
45    wife And yf my sayed daughter refuse so to doe then my will is that she shall have noe
46    benefitt by this my Will And further my will is that yf anyone of my sayed children do dye
47    before he she or they shall accomplishe his hers or there sayed respective ages of one and
48    twentie yeres then I will that his or her por[t]ion so dying shall remayne to my twoe other
49    surviving children equallie to be devided And allso I will that yf twoe of my sayed children
50    dye then my surviving childe to have twoe hundred markes and the encrease thereof and the
51    residue of the sayed Legacys appoynted to my sayed children to remayne to my sayed wife
52    Allso my will is that yf my sayed wife die or marry before my sayed children accomplishe their
52    sayed severall ages that ymmeadiatly uppon the sayed deathe or marriage myne overseers
53    and the Survivor of them shall have the education and government of my sayed children
54    and of their sayed portions untill their sayed severall ages Item I give unto my sister Elizab[e]th
55    Steere fortie shillinges Item my will is that after the deceasse of my wife my Bedsteads
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56    Bedding tables bourdes formes and cupboards shall remayne to my dwellinge house to suche of
57    my children as shall enioye the same All the rest of my goodes and chattells not before
58    given or disposed I freelie give and bequeathe unto Johane my wife whome I make and ordeyne
59    my whole and sole executrix of this my laste will and testament And I do entreate and
60    appoynte my trusted and well beloved freinds George Hooper gent James Lambert Andrewe
61    Worthe and Frances Blake to be my overseers of this my will Signn in Augustine Question
62    witnesses to the makinge and declaringe of this last will and testament Edward Hooper
63    Nicholas Hurtnoll Nicholas Bartlett Item the Testator in his deathbed did encrease
64    the Legacey of his sister Elizabeth Steere to fyve poundes to be payed within one yere after
65    His deathe

Hinxman v Blake document and the Question family

I completed the transcription proofreading of the Hinxman v Blake document and sent it off to my correspondent. It wasn't until today that I really could see the intent of the document. Joseph Hinxman was appealing to the local magistrate Lord Thomas Courtney to persuade William Blake (my 9x great grandfather) to properly execute his mother (Johane Blake)'s will. She had divided an orchard between the two of them. William however decided to redo the lease and take the entire orchard instead of waiting until the lease expired that had been passed to them by his mother. She had asked them to enjoy the orchard together as well. Whether William simply didn't want to be executor or he really wanted the entire orchard is the mystery. Just ten years later William wrote his will and Joseph is one of his overseers and there isn't any mention of an orchard in his will. Interesting document as it certainly gives you a picture of the times.

We added another 100 music CDs to Library Thing. We want to do a complete inventory of all of our materials - genealogical, musical, books, fiche and then we can separate them into units and direct them so that our daughters do not have to do all of that work if anything happens to us. We are just beginning the task really but already have over 750 items (about 600 books) entered. A lot of work ahead for us during the long cold winter months!

I then decided to transcribe my three Question family wills and completed that task. I now know that the line of ascent is Elizabeth Question (married to Robert Siderfin and my 6x great grandparents), Augustine Question (my 7x great grandfather), John Question (my 8x great grandfather and he does not appear to have left a will) but his brother Andrew left a will in which he mentions that the first child of John has been born by 1627, and Augustine Siderfin (my 9x great grandfather). The interesting item that ties them all together is the mention of Rod[e]huish which is a small village (manor) in Carhampton where the Question family lived with both my 9x great grandfather Augustine mentioning it in his will and my 7x great grandfather Augustine Question also mentioning Rodhuish in his will. I also have the Poor Law Records which show that this family was continuously at Dunster (Augustine my 7x great grandfather mentions his property at Dunster as well as Rodhuish). So a very good day of transcribing and I need to now work on the other documents that mention the Question family.

I also updated my webpage with the Question family and the new details on the Buller and Beard families.

Tomorrow I need to decide what to work on - probably continue with the entering of the Music CDs into Library Thing for one item.