Ultima voluntas Gregorii Ballard -

In Dei nomine Amen. Quarto die mensis Octobris anno Domini millesimo cccmo xvmo et anno regni regis Henrici quinti post conquestum tercio ego Gregorius Ballard condo testamentum meum in hunc modem. In primis lego animam meam Deo omnipotenti, Beat Marie et omnibus Sanctis, corpusque meum ecclesiastice sepulture ubicunque Deo placuerit. Item lego ecclesie Sancti Alphegi de Grenewych' secundum quod per discrecionem executorum meorum melius videatur faciendum. Item lego Thome Cook x li. argenti. Item lego Thome Gregory xxti marcas. Item lego Willelmo Ballard x marcas. Item lego Thome Inkele x marcas. Item lego Iohanni Pepyr, Ricardo Ballard et Ade Button' servientibus meis xxti marcas, videlicet cuilibet eorum quinque marcas. Item lego Waltero Postell' et Iohanni Martyn quadraginta marcas, videlicet utrique eorum xx marcas. Item volo quad omni excusacione cessante capella Sancte Trinitas de Bekensfeld' ad plenum reparetur de bonis meis. Item lego Iohanni Gregory filiolo meo xxijeim marcas argenti. Item lego Katerine uxori mee unam crucem auri cum una cathena auri. Item volo quad post debita mea et alia legata soluta de bonis meis mobilibus, stauro, (fo. 303v) redditibus et pensionibus meis sine tamem alienacione terrarum et tenementorum meorum Katerina uxor mea habeat residuum omnium bonorum meorum mobilium ac eciam terras et tenementa mea usque ad plenam etatem Thome Ballard filii et heredis mei et dicte uxoris mee. Et statim cum idem Thomas pervenerit ad suam plenam etatem volo quod tam bona mobilia tunc remanencia quam terre et tenementa predicta equaliter dividantur inter prefatum Thomam filium meum et Katerinam uxorem meam, sic quod quilebet ipsorum habeat partum suam per equales porciones. Et si dicta uxor mea dicto filio meo superstite premoriatur tunc volo quod idem filius meus habeat omnia terras et tenementa predicta sibi et heredibus suis in perpetuum. Et si dictus Thomas filius meus superstite dicta Katerina, matre sua premoriatur, tunc volo quod ipsa Katerina huiusmodi terras et tenementa habeat ad terminum vite sue et post terminum vite dicte Katerine huiusmodi terre et tenementa remaneant heredibus dicti Thome filii mei. Si vero dictus Thomas filius meus moriatur antequam pervenerit ad plenam etatem suam tunc volo quod debitis meis et legatis prius solutis dicta Katerina uxor mea habeat totum ad terminum vite sue et post terminum vite eiusdem remaneat ad proximum heredem dicti filii mei. Item volo dispono et ordino intencio et voluntas Ricardi Gregorii avunculi mei et eciam mea quas habuimus circa dotacionem unius cantarie in villa de Bekensfeld' ad sustentacionem sacerdotis de exitibus et proficuis manerii de Bekensfeld' predicta in omni sua parte omnino observatur, Huius autem testamenti bene et fideliter exequendi Iohannem Profyt et Ricardum Style ordino, facio et constituo executores, hiis, testibus, Ricardo Gardemewe, Willelmo Hargrove, Iohanne Sutton, Thoma Gregory, Thoma Inkele, Thoma Cook', et aliis.

[4 October 1415]

In the name of God Amen. The fourth day of the month of October in the year of our Lord one thousand four hundred and fifteen and the third year of the reign of King Henry V after the conquest the testament of me Gregory Ballard in the manner following. Firstly I bequeath my soul to almighty God, Blessed Mary and the holy Ghost, my body to be buried in the church wheresoever God pleases. I bequeath to the church of St Alphege of Grenewych that which, in the discretion of my executors, it may seem better should be done. Item I bequeath to Thomas Cook 10 pounds in silver. Item I bequeath to Thomas Gregory 20 marks. Item I bequeath to William Ballard 10 marks. Item I bequeath to Thomas Inkele 10 marks. Item I bequeath to John Geffrey, John Pepyr, Richard Ballard and Ade Button my servants 20 marks, that is to each of them 5 marks. Item I bequeath to Walter Postell and John Martyn forty marks, that is to each one 20 marks. Item it is my wish that [all excuses ceasing] the chapel of the Holy Trinity at Bekensfeld should be repaid in full from my goods. Item I bequeath to John Gregory my small son[i] 12 marks of silver. Item I bequeath to Katherine my wife[ii] my gold crucifix with a gold chain. Item it is my wish that, my just debts and other legal payments be quickly settled, rendering and paying them without any degree of alienation of my lands and holdings my wife Katherine should have the residue of all my [mobile goods] and also lands and holdings until the coming of age of Thomas Ballard my son and heir[iii]. And as soon as the same Thomas shall come of age I wish that [the mobile goods] then remaining and also the land and aforesaid holdings be divided between the aforesaid Thomas my son and Katherine my wife so that each of them should have his part in equal portions. And if my said wife should die first and my said son survives her then I wish that my same son should have all the lands and aforesaid holdings to himself and his heirs in perpetuity. And if my said son Thomas dies first and his mother Katherine survives him, then I wish that Katherine herself should [thuswise] have the lands and holdings until the end of her life, and after the end of the life of the said Katherine the lands and holdings should [thuswise] revert to the heirs of my said son Thomas. But if my said son Thomas should die before he comes of age then I wish that, after my debts and bequests have first been discharged, my said wife Katherine should have it all until the end of her life, and after the end of her life it should revert to the next heir of my said son. I wish, dispose and ordain that the intention and wish of my maternal Uncle Richard Gregory[iv], and of me also, that we had about the endowment of a [chantry] in the town of Bekensfeld for the support of a priest of [exitibus and proficuis], of the manor of Bekensfeld, should be fully observed in every particular. I ordain make and constitute John Profyt and Richard Style executors for the good and faithful execution of this testament.