George UNDERWOOD was christened at Holy Trinity Parish Church in Weston, Herts., on 8 May 1541. He was buried sometime in the month of December 1596.
He was the son of Constable William UNDERWOOD of Weston, and of Joanna CLARKE of Stevenage. They had married on 12 Oct 1539---one source says at East Barnet in deep southern Hertfordshire, and a different source says they married at Weston. Those sources will be eventually sifted out.
George's grandparents were Thomas UNDERWOOD of Weston and his wife Isabel, whose maiden name is unknown, but who may have been from the KNIGHT family in Weston.
And his other grandparents were John CLARKE of Stevenage and his wife. George's mother, Joanna CLARKE UNDERWOOD, was sister of George CLARKE, William CLARKE, Sir Edward CLARKE of Berkshire, and of Margaret CLARKE who married Laurence UNDERWOOD, who was probably the brother of Constable William UNDERWOOD. Old Laurence UNDERWOOD was also likely the same man who, in the mid 1500's, was working in the Grocers' trade in London, and was, perhaps, the inspiration behind George UNDERWOOD sending his youngest two sons, Edmund and Robert, to London to apprentice in the Grocers' trade.
George's mother Joanna (CLARKE) UNDERWOOD, remarried after her first husband William UNDERWOOD died in 1560. She remarried on 29 Apr 1564 to their good friend (and possible cousin of William) Richard KNIGHT, Sr., who was also a widower with many children. George UNDERWOOD, therefore had many UNDERWOOD siblings, and about age 30 gained a number of KNIGHT family step-siblings. (Richard KNIGHT, Sr. was previously married to Ann HALL, of London, who died in early 1563/64. Their children were, in order: Grace, Henry, Edward, Lucy, Joyce, Elizabeth [1st], John, Elizabeth [2nd], & Richard KNIGHT, Jr., and this family is listed in the 1572 Heraldic Visitation of Hertfordshire, which is on page 14 of the 1572 & 1634 combined Visitation of Hertf., published by the Harleiean Society in London in 1886.)
On 21 Nov 1563, at the beautiful St. Mary's Church in Hitchin, Herts, George married as his one and only wife, a young widow named Alice (PAPWORTH) BROCKET, daughter of William and Lettice PAPWORTH of Hitchin. Alice was the widow of young William BROCKET, II, also of Hitchin, who had died just 2 months earlier in Sep 1563. Alice had two very young sons, William BROCKET III, age 2, and Edward BROCKET, age 1; George became their stepfather, and seemed to have been a good one.
George and Alice seem to have had 11 children of their own: George III, William, Hugh, John, Thomas, Lettice, Edmund, Alice, Robert, Martha, & Marie UNDERWOOD. John, Thomas, Lettice, Alice, & Marie are not mentioned at all in George's 1596 Last Will and Testament, suggesting they had either died before then, or had been left out of his will for reasons of estrangement (which is not suggested here), or were left legacies in some other earlier legal instruments other than George's will, which was also quite commonly encountered in this period. It is known from the Weston Parish records that these other children were born to George and Alice, but the marriage records are not as specific, so there is some conjecture to the next generation of UNDERWOODs. As an additional supporting evidence, it is noted that George also did not make any mention of his two step-sons William and Edward BROCKET; this may not be unusual, but it was just as common for a man to mention step-children as not, especially if they are the oldest of his wife's children.
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Last Will and Testament of George UNDERWOOD, Yeoman of Weston, Herts., dated 16 Oct 1596.
(This is a faithful transcript of the text of this Will, except rendered here in more modern English spellings and with proper paragraph breaks for easier reading. The original text with exact spelling is also available from me, Matt UNDERWOOD, descendant of said George.)
(Page 106)
In the Name of God, Amen; the sixteenth day of October, in the grace & thirtieth year of the reign of our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth.
I, George UNDERWOOD of Weston in the County of Hertford, Yeoman, being of perfect mind & memory, God be thanked.
And knowing that it is the pleasure of Almighty God that all men shall die, and go the way of all flesh; Which in seeing the hour and time thereof to all men is uncertain; Calling to my remembrance how vain and transitory a thing this world and the goods of the same is; Considering also how dangerous it is in the hour of death to be troubled with the disposition of those goods and chattels which God hath bestowed upon me and blessed me withal; And that worldly things ought so to be disposed and distributed by me in my life time, that no strife or trouble, or occasion of strife or trouble, after my demise thereof may ensue and arise.
Therefore, I do ordain and make this my last will and testament in the manner and form following:
First: I commit my soul unto my only Saviour Jesus Christ, through whose death and passion, merits and mercy, I trust to have remission of all my sins; And by Him my full assured trust is to be saved.
And I will my body to be buried in family [ground] and [in a] decent manner, at the discretion of my executors hereafter named.
First: for the disposition of all my messuages, lands, tenements, & hereditaments: I will and bequeath them in this manner:
First: I give unto Alice, my widowed wife, one chamber wherein I now lie called the New Loft, with the loft along the same; which I will and my mind is, she shall have and enjoy for her dwelling place, with free ingress, egress, regress, recourse and concourse, into and from the yards, orchards, gardens and other rooms of my new mansion house, from time to time, for her necessary use at her pleasure during her widowhood.
Item: I will, give, and bequeath unto William, my son, one malthouse; one little parcel of ground, being a garden plot, where on two acres laying, and one orchard lying, without the ditch at the new back end, all with said parcel of ground I lately purchased of John HALE [of] Broxton, then yeoman; And six acres of arable land lying in the Parish of Weston; That is to say, two acres, lying one abeam [of the] hill abutting upon the way that ends [the road to] Lannock; two half acres, whereof one abutting upon [the] southeasterly corner, and the other half acre being in the same Parish towards Mill Hill; two half acres more in Bloody Mead towards Robert RUMBOLD's house; one acre in Town Field, otherwise called Lannock field, lying next [to] the highway side; and the other acre lying in the same field, butting upon the same way, called Hurrock Acres Way; To have, hold, and enjoy; to him, the said William, and to his heirs forever.
And my mind and will is that Alice, my wife, together with Martha, my daughter, shall have their board and sufficient maintenance of meat and drink at the only costs and charges of my son George UNDERWOOD, so long as she, my said wife, shall keep her self sole and unmarried. And if it shall happen that my said wife shall take dislike and shall refuse to board with my said son George, then my mind and will is that my said son George shall allow and provide for my said wife, together with Martha, my Daughter, sufficient firewood for their use and spending, according as my said wife shall think meet [= fit] and convenient; And shall bring it home unto her aforesaid dwelling place, at his own proper costs and charges.
And I leave unto her, my said wife, also two acres of wheat and two acres of barley; which I will and my mind is, my son George shall exhibit and perform unto her yearly during her widowhood; the which foresaid acres of wheat and barley shall be of the best and choice of the grain which shall be growing in and upon the lands which the said George shall have and enjoy by my gift after my demise; and whereas the time of harvest is now for this year so that she cannot receive her foresaid wheat and barley in the kind and quality aforenamed, I will and my mind is, if she shall, in respect and consideration of this be paid, and receive from and of my son George four quarters of wheat and three quarters of barley.
And I will also, if that my said wife shall every year likewise receive one fat hog from and of my Son George, which she shall choose out of the whole herd or company of the hogs of the said George.
Item: further, I give, will, and bequeath unto Alice, my wife, yearly ten pounds of current English money, out of all my lands which I give my Son George, shall pay unto her every year during her natural life, in manner following: that is to say, five pounds of current English money at, in, or upon the feast day of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary [= March 25 = New Year's Day], next after my decease; and the other five pounds of like lawful money at, in, or upon the feast day of Saint Michael the Archangel [= September 29 = Michelmas] then next following; And for every year consequently during her natural life.
And I give and bequeath unto her twenty fleeces of wool of the choice and best of my wool; twenty of the best of my sheep and the two milk kine [cows] at her choice; which twenty sheep and two kine [cows] of so many other in their sheds and rooms, at the pleasure of my said wife, shall be nourished and kept sufficiently by my Son George as his own, as from time to time, to the use and benefit of my said wife during her widowhood:
And that my said son George shall every year bring home or cause to be brought home the said four acres of grain, viz: wheat and barley; and lay them in some convenient place at the appointment of my said wife for her necessary use; and spending of the same at his own costs and charges.
And I give and bequeath unto her, my said wife, the bed-stand whereon I now lie, with the curtains and iron rods thereto belonging; the best coverlet on same post covered with silver and gilt [= gold leaf]; eight of the best silver spoons; and half of all my household stuff in the hall, parlor, kitchen, buttery [= where they made and stored butter], chambers, and all the other inward rooms whatsoever within my [present] dwelling house, the bed-stead and coverlet aforenamed being [part] of the same.
(page 107)
Item: also, my mind and will is, that if it shall so fall out that my said wife shall marry again, that then she shall be paid and shall receive towards her better preferment, by my will, gift, and bequest from and of my Son George, the sum of one hundred marks of currant English money, which shall be paid unto her by my said son George at the day of her marriage.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Hugh, my Son, one load of hay lying in the oat barn.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Edmond, my Son, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto him one year before he shall com forth of his apprenticeship.
Item: I give unto Robert, my Son, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto him at the age of twenty-two years.
Item: I give unto Martha, my Daughter, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto her at the age of eighteen years.
Item: also my mind and will is, that if any of my foresaid children shall die or depart out of this life before they have received their forsaid portions, if then the portion or portions of him, her, or them so dying or departing, shall be divided or distributed among the rest of my children surviving, after this manner: the one half thereof shall accrue unto my Son George, my executor; and the other half shall be equally and proportionably divided among my other Sons then living.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Lettys QUARRELL [QUARLES], my servant, forty shillings, half a quarter of wheat, and one load of wood;
And I give unto every one of my other servants, twelve pence forty.
Item: I give unto the poor people of Weston, forty shillings.
Item: I give unto John MOWBERYE's [MOWBRAY's] wife, the [previous] wife of Thomas TREAVISS [TRAVIS] deceased, the cottage wherein she now dwells for the term and time of her natural life; and after her demise, to Robert TREAVISS [TRAVIS] her son, and his heirs forever.
As for the residue of my goods and chattels, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever left and unbequeathed, I wholly give and dispose them unto George UNDERWOOD my Son, whom I make my sole Executor; to the intent and upon condition that he shall satisfy and pay all my debts, and also shall he satisfy and pay all my legacies and bequests, according to this my will and testament; in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written, in the presence of these witnesses hereafter named, viz.:
By me John BROSBEORNE [BROXBOURNE ?]
Thomas REYLDE [?]
the mark of XX John FLOUDE [FLOOD / FLUDD]
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Probate of George UNDERWOOD's Last Will, dated 20 Jan 1596/97, at Baldock, Herts. This Will is not filed in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, but in the County Archives at Hertford town.
(This probate, as was common, is in Latin. There are at least 5 words that have so far proven to be illegible and therefore unintelligible and untranslatable, but do not seem to be words that impede the overall understanding of the very simple Probate of this Will. Included here are the line-by-line Latin text as given, including the usual abbreviations. Then there is the expanded, unabbreviated Latin text. Then there is the best English translation that can be had at this time.)
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[Original Latin Text:]
Probat ap'd baldocke xxth Januarij Ano Dom' iuxta Comptn' ec. 1596 Cora' Otthowello HILL le' Doctoris com' et R'u'di _____ _____ _____ etc. _____ _____ Georgij UNDERWOOD Executor in D'c'o testa'to no'i'at in forma iure iurat Saluo etc.
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[Expanded (unabbreviated) Latin Text:]
Probatum apud Baldocke xxth Januarij Anno Domini iuxta Computationem ecclesie Anglicane 1596, Coram Otthowello HILL Legum Doctoris Commissario et Reuerendi _____ _____ _____ etc., _____ _____ Georgij UNDERWOOD , Executor in Dicto Testamento nominat [et] in forma jure jurati Salvo [de bene et fideliter Administrando eadem].
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[English Translation:]
[Having been] Proved at Baldock [the] 20th [day of] January in the year of our Lord, according to the reckoning of the Anglican church, 1596, before Ottowell HILL, Doctor of Laws, Commisary, and Reverend _____ _____ _____ etc. _____ _____ George UNDERWOOD the Executor named in the said testament [and] in the form of an oath, sworn without prejudice [his] right [to well and faithfully administer the same].
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(This biography is a work in progress ......)
He was the son of Constable William UNDERWOOD of Weston, and of Joanna CLARKE of Stevenage. They had married on 12 Oct 1539---one source says at East Barnet in deep southern Hertfordshire, and a different source says they married at Weston. Those sources will be eventually sifted out.
George's grandparents were Thomas UNDERWOOD of Weston and his wife Isabel, whose maiden name is unknown, but who may have been from the KNIGHT family in Weston.
And his other grandparents were John CLARKE of Stevenage and his wife. George's mother, Joanna CLARKE UNDERWOOD, was sister of George CLARKE, William CLARKE, Sir Edward CLARKE of Berkshire, and of Margaret CLARKE who married Laurence UNDERWOOD, who was probably the brother of Constable William UNDERWOOD. Old Laurence UNDERWOOD was also likely the same man who, in the mid 1500's, was working in the Grocers' trade in London, and was, perhaps, the inspiration behind George UNDERWOOD sending his youngest two sons, Edmund and Robert, to London to apprentice in the Grocers' trade.
George's mother Joanna (CLARKE) UNDERWOOD, remarried after her first husband William UNDERWOOD died in 1560. She remarried on 29 Apr 1564 to their good friend (and possible cousin of William) Richard KNIGHT, Sr., who was also a widower with many children. George UNDERWOOD, therefore had many UNDERWOOD siblings, and about age 30 gained a number of KNIGHT family step-siblings. (Richard KNIGHT, Sr. was previously married to Ann HALL, of London, who died in early 1563/64. Their children were, in order: Grace, Henry, Edward, Lucy, Joyce, Elizabeth [1st], John, Elizabeth [2nd], & Richard KNIGHT, Jr., and this family is listed in the 1572 Heraldic Visitation of Hertfordshire, which is on page 14 of the 1572 & 1634 combined Visitation of Hertf., published by the Harleiean Society in London in 1886.)
On 21 Nov 1563, at the beautiful St. Mary's Church in Hitchin, Herts, George married as his one and only wife, a young widow named Alice (PAPWORTH) BROCKET, daughter of William and Lettice PAPWORTH of Hitchin. Alice was the widow of young William BROCKET, II, also of Hitchin, who had died just 2 months earlier in Sep 1563. Alice had two very young sons, William BROCKET III, age 2, and Edward BROCKET, age 1; George became their stepfather, and seemed to have been a good one.
George and Alice seem to have had 11 children of their own: George III, William, Hugh, John, Thomas, Lettice, Edmund, Alice, Robert, Martha, & Marie UNDERWOOD. John, Thomas, Lettice, Alice, & Marie are not mentioned at all in George's 1596 Last Will and Testament, suggesting they had either died before then, or had been left out of his will for reasons of estrangement (which is not suggested here), or were left legacies in some other earlier legal instruments other than George's will, which was also quite commonly encountered in this period. It is known from the Weston Parish records that these other children were born to George and Alice, but the marriage records are not as specific, so there is some conjecture to the next generation of UNDERWOODs. As an additional supporting evidence, it is noted that George also did not make any mention of his two step-sons William and Edward BROCKET; this may not be unusual, but it was just as common for a man to mention step-children as not, especially if they are the oldest of his wife's children.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Last Will and Testament of George UNDERWOOD, Yeoman of Weston, Herts., dated 16 Oct 1596.
(This is a faithful transcript of the text of this Will, except rendered here in more modern English spellings and with proper paragraph breaks for easier reading. The original text with exact spelling is also available from me, Matt UNDERWOOD, descendant of said George.)
(Page 106)
In the Name of God, Amen; the sixteenth day of October, in the grace & thirtieth year of the reign of our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth.
I, George UNDERWOOD of Weston in the County of Hertford, Yeoman, being of perfect mind & memory, God be thanked.
And knowing that it is the pleasure of Almighty God that all men shall die, and go the way of all flesh; Which in seeing the hour and time thereof to all men is uncertain; Calling to my remembrance how vain and transitory a thing this world and the goods of the same is; Considering also how dangerous it is in the hour of death to be troubled with the disposition of those goods and chattels which God hath bestowed upon me and blessed me withal; And that worldly things ought so to be disposed and distributed by me in my life time, that no strife or trouble, or occasion of strife or trouble, after my demise thereof may ensue and arise.
Therefore, I do ordain and make this my last will and testament in the manner and form following:
First: I commit my soul unto my only Saviour Jesus Christ, through whose death and passion, merits and mercy, I trust to have remission of all my sins; And by Him my full assured trust is to be saved.
And I will my body to be buried in family [ground] and [in a] decent manner, at the discretion of my executors hereafter named.
First: for the disposition of all my messuages, lands, tenements, & hereditaments: I will and bequeath them in this manner:
First: I give unto Alice, my widowed wife, one chamber wherein I now lie called the New Loft, with the loft along the same; which I will and my mind is, she shall have and enjoy for her dwelling place, with free ingress, egress, regress, recourse and concourse, into and from the yards, orchards, gardens and other rooms of my new mansion house, from time to time, for her necessary use at her pleasure during her widowhood.
Item: I will, give, and bequeath unto William, my son, one malthouse; one little parcel of ground, being a garden plot, where on two acres laying, and one orchard lying, without the ditch at the new back end, all with said parcel of ground I lately purchased of John HALE [of] Broxton, then yeoman; And six acres of arable land lying in the Parish of Weston; That is to say, two acres, lying one abeam [of the] hill abutting upon the way that ends [the road to] Lannock; two half acres, whereof one abutting upon [the] southeasterly corner, and the other half acre being in the same Parish towards Mill Hill; two half acres more in Bloody Mead towards Robert RUMBOLD's house; one acre in Town Field, otherwise called Lannock field, lying next [to] the highway side; and the other acre lying in the same field, butting upon the same way, called Hurrock Acres Way; To have, hold, and enjoy; to him, the said William, and to his heirs forever.
And my mind and will is that Alice, my wife, together with Martha, my daughter, shall have their board and sufficient maintenance of meat and drink at the only costs and charges of my son George UNDERWOOD, so long as she, my said wife, shall keep her self sole and unmarried. And if it shall happen that my said wife shall take dislike and shall refuse to board with my said son George, then my mind and will is that my said son George shall allow and provide for my said wife, together with Martha, my Daughter, sufficient firewood for their use and spending, according as my said wife shall think meet [= fit] and convenient; And shall bring it home unto her aforesaid dwelling place, at his own proper costs and charges.
And I leave unto her, my said wife, also two acres of wheat and two acres of barley; which I will and my mind is, my son George shall exhibit and perform unto her yearly during her widowhood; the which foresaid acres of wheat and barley shall be of the best and choice of the grain which shall be growing in and upon the lands which the said George shall have and enjoy by my gift after my demise; and whereas the time of harvest is now for this year so that she cannot receive her foresaid wheat and barley in the kind and quality aforenamed, I will and my mind is, if she shall, in respect and consideration of this be paid, and receive from and of my son George four quarters of wheat and three quarters of barley.
And I will also, if that my said wife shall every year likewise receive one fat hog from and of my Son George, which she shall choose out of the whole herd or company of the hogs of the said George.
Item: further, I give, will, and bequeath unto Alice, my wife, yearly ten pounds of current English money, out of all my lands which I give my Son George, shall pay unto her every year during her natural life, in manner following: that is to say, five pounds of current English money at, in, or upon the feast day of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary [= March 25 = New Year's Day], next after my decease; and the other five pounds of like lawful money at, in, or upon the feast day of Saint Michael the Archangel [= September 29 = Michelmas] then next following; And for every year consequently during her natural life.
And I give and bequeath unto her twenty fleeces of wool of the choice and best of my wool; twenty of the best of my sheep and the two milk kine [cows] at her choice; which twenty sheep and two kine [cows] of so many other in their sheds and rooms, at the pleasure of my said wife, shall be nourished and kept sufficiently by my Son George as his own, as from time to time, to the use and benefit of my said wife during her widowhood:
And that my said son George shall every year bring home or cause to be brought home the said four acres of grain, viz: wheat and barley; and lay them in some convenient place at the appointment of my said wife for her necessary use; and spending of the same at his own costs and charges.
And I give and bequeath unto her, my said wife, the bed-stand whereon I now lie, with the curtains and iron rods thereto belonging; the best coverlet on same post covered with silver and gilt [= gold leaf]; eight of the best silver spoons; and half of all my household stuff in the hall, parlor, kitchen, buttery [= where they made and stored butter], chambers, and all the other inward rooms whatsoever within my [present] dwelling house, the bed-stead and coverlet aforenamed being [part] of the same.
(page 107)
Item: also, my mind and will is, that if it shall so fall out that my said wife shall marry again, that then she shall be paid and shall receive towards her better preferment, by my will, gift, and bequest from and of my Son George, the sum of one hundred marks of currant English money, which shall be paid unto her by my said son George at the day of her marriage.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Hugh, my Son, one load of hay lying in the oat barn.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Edmond, my Son, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto him one year before he shall com forth of his apprenticeship.
Item: I give unto Robert, my Son, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto him at the age of twenty-two years.
Item: I give unto Martha, my Daughter, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto her at the age of eighteen years.
Item: also my mind and will is, that if any of my foresaid children shall die or depart out of this life before they have received their forsaid portions, if then the portion or portions of him, her, or them so dying or departing, shall be divided or distributed among the rest of my children surviving, after this manner: the one half thereof shall accrue unto my Son George, my executor; and the other half shall be equally and proportionably divided among my other Sons then living.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Lettys QUARRELL [QUARLES], my servant, forty shillings, half a quarter of wheat, and one load of wood;
And I give unto every one of my other servants, twelve pence forty.
Item: I give unto the poor people of Weston, forty shillings.
Item: I give unto John MOWBERYE's [MOWBRAY's] wife, the [previous] wife of Thomas TREAVISS [TRAVIS] deceased, the cottage wherein she now dwells for the term and time of her natural life; and after her demise, to Robert TREAVISS [TRAVIS] her son, and his heirs forever.
As for the residue of my goods and chattels, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever left and unbequeathed, I wholly give and dispose them unto George UNDERWOOD my Son, whom I make my sole Executor; to the intent and upon condition that he shall satisfy and pay all my debts, and also shall he satisfy and pay all my legacies and bequests, according to this my will and testament; in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written, in the presence of these witnesses hereafter named, viz.:
By me John BROSBEORNE [BROXBOURNE ?]
Thomas REYLDE [?]
the mark of XX John FLOUDE [FLOOD / FLUDD]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Probate of George UNDERWOOD's Last Will, dated 20 Jan 1596/97, at Baldock, Herts. This Will is not filed in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, but in the County Archives at Hertford town.
(This probate, as was common, is in Latin. There are at least 5 words that have so far proven to be illegible and therefore unintelligible and untranslatable, but do not seem to be words that impede the overall understanding of the very simple Probate of this Will. Included here are the line-by-line Latin text as given, including the usual abbreviations. Then there is the expanded, unabbreviated Latin text. Then there is the best English translation that can be had at this time.)
...........................
[Original Latin Text:]
Probat ap'd baldocke xxth Januarij Ano Dom' iuxta Comptn' ec. 1596 Cora' Otthowello HILL le' Doctoris com' et R'u'di _____ _____ _____ etc. _____ _____ Georgij UNDERWOOD Executor in D'c'o testa'to no'i'at in forma iure iurat Saluo etc.
............................
[Expanded (unabbreviated) Latin Text:]
Probatum apud Baldocke xxth Januarij Anno Domini iuxta Computationem ecclesie Anglicane 1596, Coram Otthowello HILL Legum Doctoris Commissario et Reuerendi _____ _____ _____ etc., _____ _____ Georgij UNDERWOOD , Executor in Dicto Testamento nominat [et] in forma jure jurati Salvo [de bene et fideliter Administrando eadem].
.............................
[English Translation:]
[Having been] Proved at Baldock [the] 20th [day of] January in the year of our Lord, according to the reckoning of the Anglican church, 1596, before Ottowell HILL, Doctor of Laws, Commisary, and Reverend _____ _____ _____ etc. _____ _____ George UNDERWOOD the Executor named in the said testament [and] in the form of an oath, sworn without prejudice [his] right [to well and faithfully administer the same].
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(This biography is a work in progress ......)
George UNDERWOOD was christened at Holy Trinity Parish Church in Weston, Herts., on 8 May 1541. He was buried sometime in the month of December 1596.
He was the son of Constable William UNDERWOOD of Weston, and of Joanna CLARKE of Stevenage. They had married on 12 Oct 1539---one source says at East Barnet in deep southern Hertfordshire, and a different source says they married at Weston. Those sources will be eventually sifted out.
George's grandparents were Thomas UNDERWOOD of Weston and his wife Isabel, whose maiden name is unknown, but who may have been from the KNIGHT family in Weston.
And his other grandparents were John CLARKE of Stevenage and his wife. George's mother, Joanna CLARKE UNDERWOOD, was sister of George CLARKE, William CLARKE, Sir Edward CLARKE of Berkshire, and of Margaret CLARKE who married Laurence UNDERWOOD, who was probably the brother of Constable William UNDERWOOD. Old Laurence UNDERWOOD was also likely the same man who, in the mid 1500's, was working in the Grocers' trade in London, and was, perhaps, the inspiration behind George UNDERWOOD sending his youngest two sons, Edmund and Robert, to London to apprentice in the Grocers' trade.
George's mother Joanna (CLARKE) UNDERWOOD, remarried after her first husband William UNDERWOOD died in 1560. She remarried on 29 Apr 1564 to their good friend (and possible cousin of William) Richard KNIGHT, Sr., who was also a widower with many children. George UNDERWOOD, therefore had many UNDERWOOD siblings, and about age 30 gained a number of KNIGHT family step-siblings. (Richard KNIGHT, Sr. was previously married to Ann HALL, of London, who died in early 1563/64. Their children were, in order: Grace, Henry, Edward, Lucy, Joyce, Elizabeth [1st], John, Elizabeth [2nd], & Richard KNIGHT, Jr., and this family is listed in the 1572 Heraldic Visitation of Hertfordshire, which is on page 14 of the 1572 & 1634 combined Visitation of Hertf., published by the Harleiean Society in London in 1886.)
On 21 Nov 1563, at the beautiful St. Mary's Church in Hitchin, Herts, George married as his one and only wife, a young widow named Alice (PAPWORTH) BROCKET, daughter of William and Lettice PAPWORTH of Hitchin. Alice was the widow of young William BROCKET, II, also of Hitchin, who had died just 2 months earlier in Sep 1563. Alice had two very young sons, William BROCKET III, age 2, and Edward BROCKET, age 1; George became their stepfather, and seemed to have been a good one.
George and Alice seem to have had 11 children of their own: George III, William, Hugh, John, Thomas, Lettice, Edmund, Alice, Robert, Martha, & Marie UNDERWOOD. John, Thomas, Lettice, Alice, & Marie are not mentioned at all in George's 1596 Last Will and Testament, suggesting they had either died before then, or had been left out of his will for reasons of estrangement (which is not suggested here), or were left legacies in some other earlier legal instruments other than George's will, which was also quite commonly encountered in this period. It is known from the Weston Parish records that these other children were born to George and Alice, but the marriage records are not as specific, so there is some conjecture to the next generation of UNDERWOODs. As an additional supporting evidence, it is noted that George also did not make any mention of his two step-sons William and Edward BROCKET; this may not be unusual, but it was just as common for a man to mention step-children as not, especially if they are the oldest of his wife's children.
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Last Will and Testament of George UNDERWOOD, Yeoman of Weston, Herts., dated 16 Oct 1596.
(This is a faithful transcript of the text of this Will, except rendered here in more modern English spellings and with proper paragraph breaks for easier reading. The original text with exact spelling is also available from me, Matt UNDERWOOD, descendant of said George.)
(Page 106)
In the Name of God, Amen; the sixteenth day of October, in the grace & thirtieth year of the reign of our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth.
I, George UNDERWOOD of Weston in the County of Hertford, Yeoman, being of perfect mind & memory, God be thanked.
And knowing that it is the pleasure of Almighty God that all men shall die, and go the way of all flesh; Which in seeing the hour and time thereof to all men is uncertain; Calling to my remembrance how vain and transitory a thing this world and the goods of the same is; Considering also how dangerous it is in the hour of death to be troubled with the disposition of those goods and chattels which God hath bestowed upon me and blessed me withal; And that worldly things ought so to be disposed and distributed by me in my life time, that no strife or trouble, or occasion of strife or trouble, after my demise thereof may ensue and arise.
Therefore, I do ordain and make this my last will and testament in the manner and form following:
First: I commit my soul unto my only Saviour Jesus Christ, through whose death and passion, merits and mercy, I trust to have remission of all my sins; And by Him my full assured trust is to be saved.
And I will my body to be buried in family [ground] and [in a] decent manner, at the discretion of my executors hereafter named.
First: for the disposition of all my messuages, lands, tenements, & hereditaments: I will and bequeath them in this manner:
First: I give unto Alice, my widowed wife, one chamber wherein I now lie called the New Loft, with the loft along the same; which I will and my mind is, she shall have and enjoy for her dwelling place, with free ingress, egress, regress, recourse and concourse, into and from the yards, orchards, gardens and other rooms of my new mansion house, from time to time, for her necessary use at her pleasure during her widowhood.
Item: I will, give, and bequeath unto William, my son, one malthouse; one little parcel of ground, being a garden plot, where on two acres laying, and one orchard lying, without the ditch at the new back end, all with said parcel of ground I lately purchased of John HALE [of] Broxton, then yeoman; And six acres of arable land lying in the Parish of Weston; That is to say, two acres, lying one abeam [of the] hill abutting upon the way that ends [the road to] Lannock; two half acres, whereof one abutting upon [the] southeasterly corner, and the other half acre being in the same Parish towards Mill Hill; two half acres more in Bloody Mead towards Robert RUMBOLD's house; one acre in Town Field, otherwise called Lannock field, lying next [to] the highway side; and the other acre lying in the same field, butting upon the same way, called Hurrock Acres Way; To have, hold, and enjoy; to him, the said William, and to his heirs forever.
And my mind and will is that Alice, my wife, together with Martha, my daughter, shall have their board and sufficient maintenance of meat and drink at the only costs and charges of my son George UNDERWOOD, so long as she, my said wife, shall keep her self sole and unmarried. And if it shall happen that my said wife shall take dislike and shall refuse to board with my said son George, then my mind and will is that my said son George shall allow and provide for my said wife, together with Martha, my Daughter, sufficient firewood for their use and spending, according as my said wife shall think meet [= fit] and convenient; And shall bring it home unto her aforesaid dwelling place, at his own proper costs and charges.
And I leave unto her, my said wife, also two acres of wheat and two acres of barley; which I will and my mind is, my son George shall exhibit and perform unto her yearly during her widowhood; the which foresaid acres of wheat and barley shall be of the best and choice of the grain which shall be growing in and upon the lands which the said George shall have and enjoy by my gift after my demise; and whereas the time of harvest is now for this year so that she cannot receive her foresaid wheat and barley in the kind and quality aforenamed, I will and my mind is, if she shall, in respect and consideration of this be paid, and receive from and of my son George four quarters of wheat and three quarters of barley.
And I will also, if that my said wife shall every year likewise receive one fat hog from and of my Son George, which she shall choose out of the whole herd or company of the hogs of the said George.
Item: further, I give, will, and bequeath unto Alice, my wife, yearly ten pounds of current English money, out of all my lands which I give my Son George, shall pay unto her every year during her natural life, in manner following: that is to say, five pounds of current English money at, in, or upon the feast day of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary [= March 25 = New Year's Day], next after my decease; and the other five pounds of like lawful money at, in, or upon the feast day of Saint Michael the Archangel [= September 29 = Michelmas] then next following; And for every year consequently during her natural life.
And I give and bequeath unto her twenty fleeces of wool of the choice and best of my wool; twenty of the best of my sheep and the two milk kine [cows] at her choice; which twenty sheep and two kine [cows] of so many other in their sheds and rooms, at the pleasure of my said wife, shall be nourished and kept sufficiently by my Son George as his own, as from time to time, to the use and benefit of my said wife during her widowhood:
And that my said son George shall every year bring home or cause to be brought home the said four acres of grain, viz: wheat and barley; and lay them in some convenient place at the appointment of my said wife for her necessary use; and spending of the same at his own costs and charges.
And I give and bequeath unto her, my said wife, the bed-stand whereon I now lie, with the curtains and iron rods thereto belonging; the best coverlet on same post covered with silver and gilt [= gold leaf]; eight of the best silver spoons; and half of all my household stuff in the hall, parlor, kitchen, buttery [= where they made and stored butter], chambers, and all the other inward rooms whatsoever within my [present] dwelling house, the bed-stead and coverlet aforenamed being [part] of the same.
(page 107)
Item: also, my mind and will is, that if it shall so fall out that my said wife shall marry again, that then she shall be paid and shall receive towards her better preferment, by my will, gift, and bequest from and of my Son George, the sum of one hundred marks of currant English money, which shall be paid unto her by my said son George at the day of her marriage.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Hugh, my Son, one load of hay lying in the oat barn.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Edmond, my Son, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto him one year before he shall com forth of his apprenticeship.
Item: I give unto Robert, my Son, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto him at the age of twenty-two years.
Item: I give unto Martha, my Daughter, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto her at the age of eighteen years.
Item: also my mind and will is, that if any of my foresaid children shall die or depart out of this life before they have received their forsaid portions, if then the portion or portions of him, her, or them so dying or departing, shall be divided or distributed among the rest of my children surviving, after this manner: the one half thereof shall accrue unto my Son George, my executor; and the other half shall be equally and proportionably divided among my other Sons then living.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Lettys QUARRELL [QUARLES], my servant, forty shillings, half a quarter of wheat, and one load of wood;
And I give unto every one of my other servants, twelve pence forty.
Item: I give unto the poor people of Weston, forty shillings.
Item: I give unto John MOWBERYE's [MOWBRAY's] wife, the [previous] wife of Thomas TREAVISS [TRAVIS] deceased, the cottage wherein she now dwells for the term and time of her natural life; and after her demise, to Robert TREAVISS [TRAVIS] her son, and his heirs forever.
As for the residue of my goods and chattels, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever left and unbequeathed, I wholly give and dispose them unto George UNDERWOOD my Son, whom I make my sole Executor; to the intent and upon condition that he shall satisfy and pay all my debts, and also shall he satisfy and pay all my legacies and bequests, according to this my will and testament; in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written, in the presence of these witnesses hereafter named, viz.:
By me John BROSBEORNE [BROXBOURNE ?]
Thomas REYLDE [?]
the mark of XX John FLOUDE [FLOOD / FLUDD]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Probate of George UNDERWOOD's Last Will, dated 20 Jan 1596/97, at Baldock, Herts. This Will is not filed in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, but in the County Archives at Hertford town.
(This probate, as was common, is in Latin. There are at least 5 words that have so far proven to be illegible and therefore unintelligible and untranslatable, but do not seem to be words that impede the overall understanding of the very simple Probate of this Will. Included here are the line-by-line Latin text as given, including the usual abbreviations. Then there is the expanded, unabbreviated Latin text. Then there is the best English translation that can be had at this time.)
...........................
[Original Latin Text:]
Probat ap'd baldocke xxth Januarij Ano Dom' iuxta Comptn' ec. 1596 Cora' Otthowello HILL le' Doctoris com' et R'u'di _____ _____ _____ etc. _____ _____ Georgij UNDERWOOD Executor in D'c'o testa'to no'i'at in forma iure iurat Saluo etc.
............................
[Expanded (unabbreviated) Latin Text:]
Probatum apud Baldocke xxth Januarij Anno Domini iuxta Computationem ecclesie Anglicane 1596, Coram Otthowello HILL Legum Doctoris Commissario et Reuerendi _____ _____ _____ etc., _____ _____ Georgij UNDERWOOD , Executor in Dicto Testamento nominat [et] in forma jure jurati Salvo [de bene et fideliter Administrando eadem].
.............................
[English Translation:]
[Having been] Proved at Baldock [the] 20th [day of] January in the year of our Lord, according to the reckoning of the Anglican church, 1596, before Ottowell HILL, Doctor of Laws, Commisary, and Reverend _____ _____ _____ etc. _____ _____ George UNDERWOOD the Executor named in the said testament [and] in the form of an oath, sworn without prejudice [his] right [to well and faithfully administer the same].
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(This biography is a work in progress ......)
He was the son of Constable William UNDERWOOD of Weston, and of Joanna CLARKE of Stevenage. They had married on 12 Oct 1539---one source says at East Barnet in deep southern Hertfordshire, and a different source says they married at Weston. Those sources will be eventually sifted out.
George's grandparents were Thomas UNDERWOOD of Weston and his wife Isabel, whose maiden name is unknown, but who may have been from the KNIGHT family in Weston.
And his other grandparents were John CLARKE of Stevenage and his wife. George's mother, Joanna CLARKE UNDERWOOD, was sister of George CLARKE, William CLARKE, Sir Edward CLARKE of Berkshire, and of Margaret CLARKE who married Laurence UNDERWOOD, who was probably the brother of Constable William UNDERWOOD. Old Laurence UNDERWOOD was also likely the same man who, in the mid 1500's, was working in the Grocers' trade in London, and was, perhaps, the inspiration behind George UNDERWOOD sending his youngest two sons, Edmund and Robert, to London to apprentice in the Grocers' trade.
George's mother Joanna (CLARKE) UNDERWOOD, remarried after her first husband William UNDERWOOD died in 1560. She remarried on 29 Apr 1564 to their good friend (and possible cousin of William) Richard KNIGHT, Sr., who was also a widower with many children. George UNDERWOOD, therefore had many UNDERWOOD siblings, and about age 30 gained a number of KNIGHT family step-siblings. (Richard KNIGHT, Sr. was previously married to Ann HALL, of London, who died in early 1563/64. Their children were, in order: Grace, Henry, Edward, Lucy, Joyce, Elizabeth [1st], John, Elizabeth [2nd], & Richard KNIGHT, Jr., and this family is listed in the 1572 Heraldic Visitation of Hertfordshire, which is on page 14 of the 1572 & 1634 combined Visitation of Hertf., published by the Harleiean Society in London in 1886.)
On 21 Nov 1563, at the beautiful St. Mary's Church in Hitchin, Herts, George married as his one and only wife, a young widow named Alice (PAPWORTH) BROCKET, daughter of William and Lettice PAPWORTH of Hitchin. Alice was the widow of young William BROCKET, II, also of Hitchin, who had died just 2 months earlier in Sep 1563. Alice had two very young sons, William BROCKET III, age 2, and Edward BROCKET, age 1; George became their stepfather, and seemed to have been a good one.
George and Alice seem to have had 11 children of their own: George III, William, Hugh, John, Thomas, Lettice, Edmund, Alice, Robert, Martha, & Marie UNDERWOOD. John, Thomas, Lettice, Alice, & Marie are not mentioned at all in George's 1596 Last Will and Testament, suggesting they had either died before then, or had been left out of his will for reasons of estrangement (which is not suggested here), or were left legacies in some other earlier legal instruments other than George's will, which was also quite commonly encountered in this period. It is known from the Weston Parish records that these other children were born to George and Alice, but the marriage records are not as specific, so there is some conjecture to the next generation of UNDERWOODs. As an additional supporting evidence, it is noted that George also did not make any mention of his two step-sons William and Edward BROCKET; this may not be unusual, but it was just as common for a man to mention step-children as not, especially if they are the oldest of his wife's children.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Last Will and Testament of George UNDERWOOD, Yeoman of Weston, Herts., dated 16 Oct 1596.
(This is a faithful transcript of the text of this Will, except rendered here in more modern English spellings and with proper paragraph breaks for easier reading. The original text with exact spelling is also available from me, Matt UNDERWOOD, descendant of said George.)
(Page 106)
In the Name of God, Amen; the sixteenth day of October, in the grace & thirtieth year of the reign of our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth.
I, George UNDERWOOD of Weston in the County of Hertford, Yeoman, being of perfect mind & memory, God be thanked.
And knowing that it is the pleasure of Almighty God that all men shall die, and go the way of all flesh; Which in seeing the hour and time thereof to all men is uncertain; Calling to my remembrance how vain and transitory a thing this world and the goods of the same is; Considering also how dangerous it is in the hour of death to be troubled with the disposition of those goods and chattels which God hath bestowed upon me and blessed me withal; And that worldly things ought so to be disposed and distributed by me in my life time, that no strife or trouble, or occasion of strife or trouble, after my demise thereof may ensue and arise.
Therefore, I do ordain and make this my last will and testament in the manner and form following:
First: I commit my soul unto my only Saviour Jesus Christ, through whose death and passion, merits and mercy, I trust to have remission of all my sins; And by Him my full assured trust is to be saved.
And I will my body to be buried in family [ground] and [in a] decent manner, at the discretion of my executors hereafter named.
First: for the disposition of all my messuages, lands, tenements, & hereditaments: I will and bequeath them in this manner:
First: I give unto Alice, my widowed wife, one chamber wherein I now lie called the New Loft, with the loft along the same; which I will and my mind is, she shall have and enjoy for her dwelling place, with free ingress, egress, regress, recourse and concourse, into and from the yards, orchards, gardens and other rooms of my new mansion house, from time to time, for her necessary use at her pleasure during her widowhood.
Item: I will, give, and bequeath unto William, my son, one malthouse; one little parcel of ground, being a garden plot, where on two acres laying, and one orchard lying, without the ditch at the new back end, all with said parcel of ground I lately purchased of John HALE [of] Broxton, then yeoman; And six acres of arable land lying in the Parish of Weston; That is to say, two acres, lying one abeam [of the] hill abutting upon the way that ends [the road to] Lannock; two half acres, whereof one abutting upon [the] southeasterly corner, and the other half acre being in the same Parish towards Mill Hill; two half acres more in Bloody Mead towards Robert RUMBOLD's house; one acre in Town Field, otherwise called Lannock field, lying next [to] the highway side; and the other acre lying in the same field, butting upon the same way, called Hurrock Acres Way; To have, hold, and enjoy; to him, the said William, and to his heirs forever.
And my mind and will is that Alice, my wife, together with Martha, my daughter, shall have their board and sufficient maintenance of meat and drink at the only costs and charges of my son George UNDERWOOD, so long as she, my said wife, shall keep her self sole and unmarried. And if it shall happen that my said wife shall take dislike and shall refuse to board with my said son George, then my mind and will is that my said son George shall allow and provide for my said wife, together with Martha, my Daughter, sufficient firewood for their use and spending, according as my said wife shall think meet [= fit] and convenient; And shall bring it home unto her aforesaid dwelling place, at his own proper costs and charges.
And I leave unto her, my said wife, also two acres of wheat and two acres of barley; which I will and my mind is, my son George shall exhibit and perform unto her yearly during her widowhood; the which foresaid acres of wheat and barley shall be of the best and choice of the grain which shall be growing in and upon the lands which the said George shall have and enjoy by my gift after my demise; and whereas the time of harvest is now for this year so that she cannot receive her foresaid wheat and barley in the kind and quality aforenamed, I will and my mind is, if she shall, in respect and consideration of this be paid, and receive from and of my son George four quarters of wheat and three quarters of barley.
And I will also, if that my said wife shall every year likewise receive one fat hog from and of my Son George, which she shall choose out of the whole herd or company of the hogs of the said George.
Item: further, I give, will, and bequeath unto Alice, my wife, yearly ten pounds of current English money, out of all my lands which I give my Son George, shall pay unto her every year during her natural life, in manner following: that is to say, five pounds of current English money at, in, or upon the feast day of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary [= March 25 = New Year's Day], next after my decease; and the other five pounds of like lawful money at, in, or upon the feast day of Saint Michael the Archangel [= September 29 = Michelmas] then next following; And for every year consequently during her natural life.
And I give and bequeath unto her twenty fleeces of wool of the choice and best of my wool; twenty of the best of my sheep and the two milk kine [cows] at her choice; which twenty sheep and two kine [cows] of so many other in their sheds and rooms, at the pleasure of my said wife, shall be nourished and kept sufficiently by my Son George as his own, as from time to time, to the use and benefit of my said wife during her widowhood:
And that my said son George shall every year bring home or cause to be brought home the said four acres of grain, viz: wheat and barley; and lay them in some convenient place at the appointment of my said wife for her necessary use; and spending of the same at his own costs and charges.
And I give and bequeath unto her, my said wife, the bed-stand whereon I now lie, with the curtains and iron rods thereto belonging; the best coverlet on same post covered with silver and gilt [= gold leaf]; eight of the best silver spoons; and half of all my household stuff in the hall, parlor, kitchen, buttery [= where they made and stored butter], chambers, and all the other inward rooms whatsoever within my [present] dwelling house, the bed-stead and coverlet aforenamed being [part] of the same.
(page 107)
Item: also, my mind and will is, that if it shall so fall out that my said wife shall marry again, that then she shall be paid and shall receive towards her better preferment, by my will, gift, and bequest from and of my Son George, the sum of one hundred marks of currant English money, which shall be paid unto her by my said son George at the day of her marriage.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Hugh, my Son, one load of hay lying in the oat barn.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Edmond, my Son, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto him one year before he shall com forth of his apprenticeship.
Item: I give unto Robert, my Son, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto him at the age of twenty-two years.
Item: I give unto Martha, my Daughter, one hundred pounds of current English money, to be paid unto her at the age of eighteen years.
Item: also my mind and will is, that if any of my foresaid children shall die or depart out of this life before they have received their forsaid portions, if then the portion or portions of him, her, or them so dying or departing, shall be divided or distributed among the rest of my children surviving, after this manner: the one half thereof shall accrue unto my Son George, my executor; and the other half shall be equally and proportionably divided among my other Sons then living.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Lettys QUARRELL [QUARLES], my servant, forty shillings, half a quarter of wheat, and one load of wood;
And I give unto every one of my other servants, twelve pence forty.
Item: I give unto the poor people of Weston, forty shillings.
Item: I give unto John MOWBERYE's [MOWBRAY's] wife, the [previous] wife of Thomas TREAVISS [TRAVIS] deceased, the cottage wherein she now dwells for the term and time of her natural life; and after her demise, to Robert TREAVISS [TRAVIS] her son, and his heirs forever.
As for the residue of my goods and chattels, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever left and unbequeathed, I wholly give and dispose them unto George UNDERWOOD my Son, whom I make my sole Executor; to the intent and upon condition that he shall satisfy and pay all my debts, and also shall he satisfy and pay all my legacies and bequests, according to this my will and testament; in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written, in the presence of these witnesses hereafter named, viz.:
By me John BROSBEORNE [BROXBOURNE ?]
Thomas REYLDE [?]
the mark of XX John FLOUDE [FLOOD / FLUDD]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Probate of George UNDERWOOD's Last Will, dated 20 Jan 1596/97, at Baldock, Herts. This Will is not filed in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, but in the County Archives at Hertford town.
(This probate, as was common, is in Latin. There are at least 5 words that have so far proven to be illegible and therefore unintelligible and untranslatable, but do not seem to be words that impede the overall understanding of the very simple Probate of this Will. Included here are the line-by-line Latin text as given, including the usual abbreviations. Then there is the expanded, unabbreviated Latin text. Then there is the best English translation that can be had at this time.)
...........................
[Original Latin Text:]
Probat ap'd baldocke xxth Januarij Ano Dom' iuxta Comptn' ec. 1596 Cora' Otthowello HILL le' Doctoris com' et R'u'di _____ _____ _____ etc. _____ _____ Georgij UNDERWOOD Executor in D'c'o testa'to no'i'at in forma iure iurat Saluo etc.
............................
[Expanded (unabbreviated) Latin Text:]
Probatum apud Baldocke xxth Januarij Anno Domini iuxta Computationem ecclesie Anglicane 1596, Coram Otthowello HILL Legum Doctoris Commissario et Reuerendi _____ _____ _____ etc., _____ _____ Georgij UNDERWOOD , Executor in Dicto Testamento nominat [et] in forma jure jurati Salvo [de bene et fideliter Administrando eadem].
.............................
[English Translation:]
[Having been] Proved at Baldock [the] 20th [day of] January in the year of our Lord, according to the reckoning of the Anglican church, 1596, before Ottowell HILL, Doctor of Laws, Commisary, and Reverend _____ _____ _____ etc. _____ _____ George UNDERWOOD the Executor named in the said testament [and] in the form of an oath, sworn without prejudice [his] right [to well and faithfully administer the same].
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(This biography is a work in progress ......)
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