Last will of Thomas Drysdale, Islay Herald, 16 Oct. 1635

About the text

The following text is taken from The Genealogist, vol.4, 1880, pp.154-6. (Internet Archive.) I corrected typographical errors due to the OCR system misrecognition, but there may still exist such errors. Please consult printed version for academic purpose.

WILL OF A SCOTTISH HERALD OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

     The will here printed, shows the amount of furniture owned by, and style of living at the period of an officer of the Royal Household.
     The debt by the Earl of Traquair, then Lord High Treasurer, is for official salary as Herald.
     The records of heralds' commissions is incomplete at the date of Drysdale's appointment, which took place in or before 1614; his predecessor, John Blindsell, Islay Herald, was alive in 1610. Drysdale also held the office of Keeper of the Records of the Lyon Court.
     The surname is not one either common or distinguished. Arms given in Pont's MS.—Argent, a saltire Azure between four crosses moline Gules, a chief of the second. Motto, Constancy with discretion. These bearings are evidently founded on those of “Lord Boyis of Dryvisdaill of auld,” given by Sir David Lindsay.
     Drysdale's widow died in May, 1643; by her will dated 18 April, she leaves all her property, £2,138, to her aunt Janet, daughter of the late Eleazar Makiesonne, Bute pursuivant, residing in Edinburgh, whom she nominates sole executrix.
                         S * * *

Commisariot of Edinburgh Testaments, vol. lvii, 9th March 1636.
The Testament testamentar and Inventar of the guidis geir sowmes of money and debtis perteaning to vmquhile Thomas Drysdaill Ilay Herauld Indweller in Leith, the tyme of his deceas quha deceist in the moneth of etc. the yeir of God Im vjc threttie......zeiris ffaithfullie maid and gevin vp be Bessie Huntar his relict spous quhome in his lattre will underwritten he nominates his onlie executrix as the samin of the dait the sextene day of October the yeir of God 1635 zeiris. subscriuit with his awin hand in presens of the Witnesses vnderwrittin mair at lenth beiris etc.
     In the first the said vmquhile Thomas Drysdaill had the guidis geir sowmes of money and debtis of the availe and pryeis eften following pertaining to him the tyme of his deceis forsaid, viz: Item ane wanscott buird, ane alemrie, ane closs bed, twa oppin beds, ane dresser estimat all to jc lib. Item ane canebie bed ane chalcain table estimat all to sexj lib. Item ane cupbuird aucht chyris sex lyttill stuillis ane littell cupbuird estimat all to xxij lib. Item ane chymnay ane littell braice for ane chalmer estimat all to xi lib. Item four speittis ane brander ane pair of dayngis ane porring Trone estimat all to sex lib. Item twa pair raxes ane skummer ane flesh cruik estimat all to thrie lib. Item thrie hinging chandleris aucht standing chandleris estimat all to xij lib. Item thrie grit pottis twa small pottis thrie panis estimat all to xij lib. Item ane quart ane pynt ane chopine ane mutchkine all of tyn and thrie Inglish stoupes estimat all to sex lib. Item vpone the dresser-heid thrie stane basingis with sex stane plaitis estimat all to thrie lib. xiij s. iiij d. Item twa littell english stoupes two saltfattis and ane mustard stoup estimat all to xl s. Item ane saltfatt of ilk unce price vj s. viij d. Item sex silver spounes estimat all to xx lib. Item ane silver tass price xij lib. Item twa dissone pewter plaittis, twa dissone of tryncheris estimat all to xx lib. Item twa pewther flaikettis price of baith xl s. Item four littell glass globis price of all thrie pundis. Item one dosone of brods with pictouris drawine on thamie estimat all to xij lib. Item ane keiking glass price xl s. Item sextene lettell painted disehes price of all xxx s. Item ane towell pyn ane dossone of brass naillis price of all xiij s. iiij d. Item ane pestell and ane morter price of baith xxx s. Item four kistis and four cofferis estimat all to xij lib. Item aucht stoolies and fyve tyn chandleris estimat all to fyve lib. Item ane warming bed pan and four chamme pottis estimat all to thrie pundis. Item aucht cuschwines estimat all to fyve pundis. Item ane vovin buird claith price thrie lib. Item ane auld grene tossell buird claith price xl s. Item ane guiss pan with ane (sic) estimate [-ate: sic] baith to xl s. Item fyve fether beddis with twa auld bedis estimat all to lx lib. Item sex bowsteris price of all xij lib. Item twa dossonceof codis estimat all to xv lib. Item twelff pair of blankettis price of all xvj lib. Item twentie pair of schettes estimat all overheid to xxx lib. Item sextene codwairis price of all xij. Item sevin coveringis price of all xx lib. Item thrie stand of courtengis price of all xx lib x s. Item sextene burdclaithes and sex dossone serviettis price of all xxx lib. Item ane dossone of water claithes estimat all to ix lib viij s. Item ane fatgang price xx s. Item ane auld lantrone price thairof xx s.
     Summa of the Inventar—vcxxxvij lib. xj s. iiij d.
     ffollowis the debtis awin to the deid.
     Item thair was awin to the said vmquhile Thomas Drysdaill be the Erle of Traquair for thrie yeiris fie jc xx lib.
     Summa of the debtis awin to the deid jcxx lib.
     Summa of the Inventar with the debtis vjclvij lib xj s[.] iiij d.
     followis [single f: sic] the debtis awin be the deid.
     Item thair was awin be the said vmquhile Thomas Drysdaill to Andro Ainsley Merchand burges of Edinburgh for ane yeiris maill of his dwelling houss in Leith, occupeit be the defunct lxxxx lib, to Margaret Jak servand for her yeiris fie ten lib.
     Summa of the debtis awin be the deid jc lib;
     Restis of frie geir with the debtis deducet—vclvij lib xj s. iiij d. to be devydit in twa pairtis, deidis pairt in ijclxxvijj [-jj: sic] lib xv s. 8 d. quota x lib.
     ffollowis the deidis legacie and lattre will.
     Be it kend till all men be thir present lettres me Thomas Drysdaill Ilay Herauld in Leith fforsameikle as I am god willing presentlie boun furth of this Realme towards Londone for doeing of my necessary affairis and bussines thair attending his Majesties at Court and being for the presente haill in bodie and spirit prasit be God and that knowand nathing mair certane than death, and nathing mair Incertane then the houre tyme and plaice thairof I now mak my testament legacie and lattre will as efter followis. In the first I recommend my saull to the protectioun of the Almichtie God my creatour and hoipes to be saweid throw the meritis of Jesus Chryst my blessed Saviour and Redemer, and as for my wordlie effaires I declair heirby that I nominate and ordane Bessie Huntar my lawfull and loving spous my onlie executrix Legatrix and vniversall Intromitrix with my haill guidis, gear, debtis sommes of money Insicht pleinishing gold silver cunzeit and vncunzeit jewellis and vtheris quhatsumever perteaning to me, and leawis and dispoinis my pairt of the haill frie geir to my said spous to be Intromettit with be my said spous and vsit and disponit vpone be hir at her pleasour in tyme cuming. Secluding hereby all vtheris my kin and freindis thairfra or fra any benefit of successioun thairto in tyme cuming and gif neid be is with power to my said spous eftir my deceis to give Inventar thairof for ordinar confirmation of the samen before the Commissaries of Edinburgh and being confirmit to call follow and perseu thairfoir be law And to recover decreitis ane or ma thairvpone and caus be putt to dew executioun and to vse and dispone thairwpone at hir awin pleisour. And this my testament legacie and lattre will abowe written to all and sindrie whome it affeiris I mak knowine be their presentis. In witness quhairof written by James Mitchell notar publict I hawe subscriuit thir presentis with my hand att Leith the sextene day of October the yeir of God 1635 befoir thir witnesses William Sibbald pewtherer in Leith the said James Mitchell writter heirof and Robert Wischart Servitor to George Mungo Cowper in Leith. Sic subscribitur Thomas Drysdaill William Sibbald Witness. Robert Wischart Witnes [single s: sic]. James Mitchell witness. Sir Jerrome Lindsay [obviously the then Lyon] &c Ratifies &c and gevis and committis the Intromissioune to the said Executrix &c. Reseryand compt quhairwpone James Steaoun Skipper in Leith became cawtioner as ane act beiris.

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