THE WILL OF THOMAS BLENCOWE

(See The Bells of Marston St Lawrence )

Thomas Blencowe bought Marston Hall in 1540. We visited there during the Reunion'93 and had the Blencowe Memorial Service in the church.

In the name of god Amen the vij day of Julij the yer of our Lord god Anno Millesimo cccc xlti and in the Rayne of our Sovereign Lord Kynge Henry the eighth xxij I Thomass Blynckow of Marston Saynt Larans in the Counte of Northampton Holle In mynde & perfect in remembrance but febell & syke in body do make ordain & devyse this my present testament & last wyll in manner & forme folowyng  First I bequeth my soull unto allmyghty god my maker & redemer   And my body to be Buryd in the churche of Marston Saynt Larans beforesaid Item I bequeth to the Hyghe alter of Marston xij d Item to the mother churche of Peterburgh iij d Item I bequeth towards the [illegible] the newe bell of Marston xx s Item I do bequeth to evry man woman & chyld dwelling in the towne of Marston one peny to be gyven to them att the day of my buryall to pray for my soull etc.etc.

Thomas did not in fact die for another two years and an "inquest -post mortem was held to determine the value and, right-of -titile to his property. This document confirms that Thomas had died on 22 May 1542 and that the King had granted him the manor and lands of Marston (formerly the property of the Carthusian priory of Shene in Surrey) on 22 July 1540 (two weeks after Thomas had written his will) for the sum of £180 and an annual payment to the Crown of 20 shillings. Two things emerge from this will, firstly we now know the date of one of the 16thC bells in the church and secondly that a Blencowe paid for it! It is reasonable to assume that if £180 had bought his whole estate in Marston and that threepence was a significant amount to leave to the cathedral church of Peterborough, the twenty shillings was probably enough to pay for a new bell, or at least the casting of it.

Jack Blencowe, Oxford England

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updated: 20 January 2003