In the name of God Amen. The year of our Lord god 1537 the 20^th day of November. I Richard Ballard of Orbye being whole of mind and perfect of remembrance make my last will and testament after the manner and form following. First and principally I bequeath my soul unto Almighty God my creator and maker and my body to be buried within the church of All hallows at Orbye. Item I bequeath in the name of my mortuary as the same requireth. Item I give unto our ladies house at Lincoln xii s. Item I bequeath to the High Altar of All Hallows <now> the parish church of Orbye iii s iii d Item I give to the <??????> of Saint John's altar <within> the same church viii s. Item I will that there be bestowed iii candles to keep light before the blessed sacrament xii s. Item I bequeath to the <???> <?????> xii s. Item I bequeath to the parish church of Orbye xx s. and I will that the <??> which the parish oweth me be for the laying of ii of my children late deceased in the church. Item I bequeath to the mending of <high> <names> in Orbye when as the vicar of Orbye and three of the best of the town shall think most necessary xiii s. iii d. Item I give to the making of a gate or <a close> at my mortuary x s. Item I bequeath to the poor folks in Orbye other to be dealt with my own hands or otherwise as the vicar of Orbye and iii of the best of the town shall think most needy xxvi s. viii d. Item I bequeath to the vicar of Orbye to pray for me my good friends and all Christian souls <xiii s.> viii d. Item I bequeath to Robert Cross vi s. viii d. Item I give unto the said Robert the <cape> that he hath of mine. Item I give unto the same Robert my marble coat. Item I bequeath to John Spencer of Bratoft vi s. viii d. and I forgive him vi s. viii d. which I lent his wife. Item I bequeath to Audrey Brewster xii s. Item I forgive her vi s. viii d. which I lent her. Item I bequeath to Sir John Day priest xii s. and I forgive him vi s. viii d. that I lent him. Item I bequeath to Aysby <Dave> my servant vi s. viii d. Item I give to the said Dalyson a <gul?> Item I will that Water Day immediately after my death do re-enter upon his lands that I have recompensing me for the charges that I have had<???> if. And I will that mine executors be accountable to him of all the profits that I have received of it. Item I bequeath Randall Hothllow vi li. Xiii s. iiii d. Item I bequeath to Thomas Hothllow his brother x li. And that to be delivered to them or either of them when they shall come to the lawful age of xxi years and if it chance other of them to decease before he come to the lawful age of xxi years Then I will that the portion or part due unto him deceased shall remain to his brother <surviving> And if it chance at gods <defend> that they do both decease before they come to the foresaid lawful age of xxi years then I will that the one half of the whole be bestowed amongst poor people and that the other half to remain divisible unto my children. Item I bequeath to the parish of Barrow to the parish of <Gunbye> to the parish of Wolton every parish <x s.> the one half to be divided amongst the poorest of the town the other half to remain to the churches of the same town. Item I bequeath to the parish of Spillesby iii s. iiii d. Item I bequeath to John Ballard of Orbye £5. Item I give to the same John the <qrey> that he hath of mine. Item to the same John my best leather doublet and my orange <corduroy> coat. Item I will that the same John have a pasture of iiii acres lying in borough parish as long as he <taxeth> in Orbye. Item I bequeath to John Ballard of <Spa???ding> vi s. viii d. Item I give to the same John my <go???> finished with white <trim> and to the same John a <jug>. Item I give to every one of my godchildren iiii d. Item I bequeath to every servant of my house that hath continued with me xii s. and to every one of them a <????>. Item I will that an honest priest sing in the parish church of Orbye the space of one year for me my good friends and all Christian souls and he to have for his <???> <????> Item I will that an honest priest sing within the parish church of Sefton in Lancashire the space of half a year for me my good friends and all Christian souls and he to have for his soul £5. Item I bequeath to every one of my sisters Anne, Elizabeth and Helen vi s. viii d. Item to every child that they have iii s. iii d. Item I will that there be distributed amongst the poor people of the town of Ynse where I was born xxvi s. viii d. Item I give to the parish church of Sefton xx s. Item I bequeath to Sr. Edward <Dav?????> to pray for my soul vi s. viii d. Item I bequeath to Sr. Robert Ballard priest my brother £4 in money and a grey trotting gelding of v years old. Item I bequeath to the same Sr. Robert a chamlett jacket a velvet night cap and my best worsted doublet. Item I bequeath to Sr. Thomas Massingbird knight my best <G?????> so that it be not <worn> <out> when he shall depart that world he give it to Mr. Martyn Massingbird his son. Item I give to Sr. Austen Massingbird my best velvet doublet. Item I give to Mr. Augustus Massingbird my green velvet doublet. Item I bequeath to John Hersing my marble jacket. Item I give to Thomas Green my green <sarten> doublet my chamblett jerkyn and my best <hose?> Item to Robert Hering a green coat Item I bequeath to Thomas Tinker my worst leather doublet a pair of <hose> and my russet jacket. Item I give to William Thacker my <toste> my <fress> coat. Item I give to young William Bloundell a <cote clothe> of new <????> my sword and my <Buckela> Item I give to John <???thing> my coat of the new <colann??> Item to Robert Herring my worst worsted doublet and my best leather jerkyn. The remainder of my goods my debts paid and my body brought unto the ground I will be equally divided amongst my wife and my iii children so that every one of them have part and portion like. Which part or portion of other the said children I will be contented to them or other of them as they shall come to the lawful age of xxi years or marriage at the age of xiiii years or above and if it chance either of them to depart this world afore they come to the lawful age of xxi years or marriage as is aforesaid then I will that the portion or part of her so deceasing shall remain whole to the survivor if it fortune them both to depart afore they come to their lawful age or marriage as is afore specified then I will that one part of their goods to them by me bequeathed be dealt amongst the poorest of my kin and the other part to be distributed in alms amongst poor people The third part be divided between Thomas Lyttllowe and Randall Lythllowe his brother. Provided always that Randall have ii parts of it Thomas Lythllowe the third part of it. And if it fortune the one of them to depart afore they come to the lawful age of xxi years that they the other be his heir And if it chance they both to depart afore they come to the lawful age of xxi years Then I will it be given to an honest poor priest to pray for me my good friends souls and all Christian souls within the parish church of Orbye. And I will that all this be done by Edythe Ballard my wife Sr. Robert Ballard my brother, John Hering and William <Tre??> whom I make my executors to the performance of this my last will and I will that John Hering and William <Trenham?> for their pains taking either of them xiii s. iiii d. Witnessed John <Megsey> John Glene Richard Hamman John Greenwike and others <????>

Also <????> the last will of me Richard Ballard made the year and day above named. First I will that Edith Ballard my wife have half the lands that I have by <sake> of years by any <may> during her life natural and the other half I will be to the bringing up of my children and after the decease of my wife that my children enter into the whole during the term of years and the one of them to be heir to the other if it fortune either of them to decease afore they come to their lawful age of xxi years or marriage as is afore specified and if it fortune both my children to decease afore they come to the lawful age of xxi years or marriage as is afore specified the mother being in life that then I will that Randall Lytollow have ii parts of the half property bequeathed unto them and Thomas Lytollow his brother the third part during <her> years Also I will that my feoffees in xxiii acres of pasture ground called <Twede> land and five acres of arable land lying in the  west field of Orbye stand and be <soas??> to the use of my during my life and immediately after my death to the use of Margaret Wyke according to the last will of Margaret Ballard late my wife. Witnessed John Megsey John <Glene> Richard Hamman John Greenwike and others.