PROBATUM (Prologue in Latin)

Memorandum the second: December one thousand five hundred eighty nine
and in the two and thirtieth year of the reign of our sovereign Lady
Elizabeth by the grace of God Queen of England and Ireland, Defender of
the Faith, Sir Reynold Meade of Elmdon, in the county of Essex, Gent.,
being sick in body but perfect in his mind and memory, by word in the
presence and hearing of Barbara his wife, Thomas Cloughe clerk of Elmdon
aforesaid, Thomas Meade, Richard Meade, John Meade and of Mary wife to
the said Thomas, did declare and publish and express his last will and
testament to be and stand as if the same had been set down in writing in
manner and form, or to the true effect, following that it to say.
Emprimis he did commend his soul into the most merciful hand of Almighty
God and his body to be buried in the church of Elmdon aforesaid, and
concerning all his lands, goods and chattels as he then had he willed,
disposed and devised them in manner and form or to the effect following,
that is to say he gave and devised to Barbara his wife all his household
stuff and movables he then had in his then dwelling house in Elmdon
aforesaid, half his keep at Chrishall, and four of his horses, and he
willed and devised all the profit and commodities of Elmdonbery farm and
of the keepness (?) and the commodities to it unto the said Barbara his
wife for and during the term of three years next after his decease to
the end and intent that during the said term she do keep and bring up
Edward Meade his fourth son, and yearly during the said term at the
_____ feast the said Barbara of the farm's profit do content and satisfy
unto the Lord thereof the rent due out of the same and also yearly
during the said term of three years the said Barbara or her assignee do
content and pay the yearly annuity or sum of twenty pounds in good and
lawful English money unto John Meade his third son at the feasts of the
Annunciation of our Lady Saint Mary the virgin and Saint Michael the
Archangel by even and equal portions. And from and after the said three
years expire he willed and devised the profit and commodities of the
said Elmdonberry farm and keepness and commodities to it unto the said
Edward Meade his fourth son for and during the natural life of the said
Barbara and from and after her death it then the remainder thereof unto
the said John Meade for and during the years then to come in the same.
And he devised an annuity or yearly rent of seven pounds of good and
lawful English money unto the said Barbara for and during her natural
life to be yearly issuing and payable out of the quitrents of the manors
of Mounteneys and Dagworths in Elmdon aforesaid at the feasts of the
Annunciation of our Lady Saint Mary the virgin and Saint Michael the
Archangel by even portions to be paid by the hand of Thomas Meade his
son and heir, his heirs or assignees. Item he devised also that the
messuage wherein he then dwelt in Elmdon and the lands to it called
Coyce (?) and the lands that were Streates and Cosins. All the rest of
his free lands in the corn fields of Elmdon being no part of the Manor
of Mounteneys and Dagworths; the croft called Pillcroft, the profit of
the pigeon house at the Bury, half an acre of wood yearly to be taken
out of his fellable wood for her fuel, his free land in Chrishall fields
and three acres of crop land called Taylors adjoining to the said
messuage unto the said Barbara for and during her natural life. And the
said Thomas Meade should surrender the said crop hold accordingly. And
he expressed he dealt the more liberally with the said Barbara because
she should be good to her children and should not trouble her children.
And he then willed from and after her death the said messuage and lands
called Crories (?) and of the said Chrishall fields should go and remain
unto the said John Meade, his heirs and assignees for ever. And that
after the death of the said Barbara the said Cosin Streates and the said
other lands being in the cornfields of Elmdon after her decease as is
aforesaid (Bury Land excepted) should go and remain unto the said Edward
Meade, his heirs and assignees for ever. All and every which legacy and
bequest disposed unto the said John he expressed for his better
maintenance and preferment in study and learning at the Inns of the
Court. Item he willed and devised all the profits of all the woods and
grounds of the woods and lands in Chrishall, Chisall magna and Chisall
parua which he held of the lease or grant of Mr Penruddof (?) unto the
said Thomas Meade and unto Richard Meade his second son and to their
assignees to the end and intent that with the same they should well and
truly content and satisfy and pay unto Martha Meade, Agnes Meade and
Mary Meade his daughters the several sums of one hundred pounds of good
and lawful English money within one year next after their several
marriages or sooner if his said sons should gain it of the wood sales of
the said woods. Item he devised and bequeathed the sum of forty pounds
of like English money unto Frances Wise the daughter to the said
Reginald and wife of Edward Wise to be paid unto her by the said Thomas
Meade and Richard Meade out of the rest of the profit of the said
_______ woods and grounds. Item he willed and devised unto the said
Thomas Meade all the profit and felling of all the wood belonging to the
said Manor Dagworths and Mounteneys to the end and intent by the
discretion of the said Thomas he do give one part thereof to Frances
Wise daughter of the said Edward and Frances Wise, and the rest of that
land he do satisfy unto Barbara Meade daughter of the said Thomas Meade
toward her better preferment in marriage. Item he gave and bequeathed
all his interest he then had of and in the moiety or half part of the
said Manor of Dagworths and Mounteneys which he held by leases of Mr
Cutter (?) except certain parcels thereof he had devised to the said
Barbara his wife for her life and seven acres thereof called Berry
garden unto the said Edward Meade and to his assignees for all the years
then to come in the same. Item he willed and bequeathed unto the said
Richard four of his plough horses and sufficient corn to sow his lands.
Item he gave and devised the other moiety or rest of the said Manors of
Dagworths and Mounteneys that he had purchased in fee simple (?) and the
Manor place S___ and all other edifices thereunto belonging and all the
pastures thereunto adjoining lying severally and the said Bury garden to
the said Thomas Meade his heirs and assignees for ever. The rest and
remainder of all his goods and chattels whatsoever bequeathed or
disposed as the aforesaid he gave and devised unto the said Thomas Meade
and Richard Meade his sons and did constitute them the said Thomas and
Richard his executors of his said last will and testament, requiring and
charging them effectually and truly they should perform the same.

Probatum etcetera

         Martha, sister of John and Joseph Mead was said to have been an epileptic. In 1653 she married John Richardson, about whom there is practically nothing in the records. He knew that she was pregnant before their marriage, and when the time came for her to give birth, he took her away to Roxbury, Massachusetts, to avoid scandal. The baby died a month thereafter. Who was the sneaky one who found out and leaked the news in Stamford?  This wrong doing was considered serious enough for New Haven to handle. Joseph Mead explained about her fits, and Martha herself said that when she was at her master's house, she happened to have a fit and came to find only Joseph Garnsey in the room. There was also a John Ross in the house.  Martha claimed that she was taken advantage of while unconscious and therefore did not know the father's name. Several goodwives-- Knapp, Stuckey, Buxton, Webb, and Emory--testified about her fits. They also admitted that she lied about ever having had the baby.
          The court didn't buy Martha's story. They considered it nonsense. The men concurred that a sexual act involved some reaction, particularly a reaction of pleasure. Punishment should have been a severe whipping, but since Martha was pregnant yet again, she was fined ten pounds, which, of course, her brother and husband were responsible for. The death of the baby in Roxbury aroused suspicion, but Joseph said he would present proper documents to prove that the death was a natural one. Though this case is handled or at least written about, in a very cut-and-dried fashion, one can draw inferences from it. Martha was evidently a servant as she refers to being in her masters house. Were many girls so employed? Both her family and her husband wholeheartedly supported her. Was it to protect themselves also from being charged with murder? Did they know the true facts or did they honestly believe her? The full weight of the Puritan Law stands on this case, but the court members seem ready to be lenient. The case also provides a glimpse of Martha's lady supporters, how they defended her, and how they may have enjoyed their moment in an almost gossipy way.