The Last Will & Testament of William HORSFORDE of Dorchester in the County of Dorset Gentleman
Item: To be buried in the church of St. Peters.
Item: To the poor of the 'Hospital' of Dorchester five pounds.
Item: I give and bequeath my house and lands, with the appurtenances, in the parish of St. Peter's, in the lane there going towards the Fryery [Friary], wherein George HOOPER, needle maker, lately dwelt, and which I purchased of Mr Joseph LONGE and Thomas BULLOCKE, unto Joane my wife for the term of her life; then to Joane my daughter and the heirs of her body, &c.; then to my own right heirs forever.
Item: My daughter Sarah and her husband, my son in law, John HARDEY. To their children, John, Jane and Sarah HARDEY and the child wherewith my daughter Sarah is now great, one hundred pounds, which was meant to be given unto them by my brother Hugh HORSFORDE deceased, and one hundred pounds besides.
Item: To my daughter Joane HORSFORDE four hundred & fifty pounds. My daughter Grace, the wife of Thomas FRYE, and her children.
My friends John STRODE of Chantmarrell, Richard BINGHAM of Melcombe, Richard KESIER and William CLAPCOTT, of Frampton, to be executors
Genealogical Notes:-
[This short will reveals the following family structure:- William Horsforde (died 1621) had a brother Hugh (died 1621) and married a Joane probably pre 1587. William & Joane had at least 3 girls Sarah (Who had married John HARDEY and had 4 children John, Jane, Sarah and a child about to be born when he wrote the will) Joane still a spinster and Grace (who had married Thomas FRYE and already had at least 2 children).
(1). William Whiteway in his diary 1618-1635 records on page 27 that "Mr John Parkins was chosen to his third Bailliwicke. Mr William Horsford his partner to his second". There were always 2 Bailiffs chosen by the Corporation for Dorchester. William Horsforde first served 1613/14 and second 1618/19.
(2). William Whiteway also records William Horsforde's death on page 39 under his entry for 16th August 1621
(3). The Municipal Records of Dorchester show that William Horsforde was replaced as an Alderman of Dorchester on 16th August 1621 and as a Capital Burgess on 19th August 1621 by Bernard Toope
(4). I have not obtained a copy but one appears to be available at the National Archives Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Name of Register: Swann Quire Numbers: 1 - 66; PROB 11/141 proved 25 January 1622/3
(5).William Whiteway in his diary also refers on page 46 under July 1622 to "The 15th hereof in the morning Thomas WALTHAM caried away Joane HORSFORD and maried her at Lidlinch". The parish registers of Lyndlinch in Dorset record the marriage as "Thomas WALTHAM of Weymouth & Melcombe Regis & Jone HORSEFORD married 15-Jul 1622". I think this is his wife remarrying after his death but could be the marriage his daughter.
(6). The Dorchester 'Hospital' was not a hospital in the sense that we would know it today as caring for the sick but an institution established by the efforts of John White following the disastrous fire of 1613 when they had to rebuild half the town (about 170 houses). The Hospital was first established in 1617 and was a kind of working house 'for setting to work the poor children of the borough'. John White certainly saw it as a means of improving their education if only in a rudimentary form and teaching them some basic skills to hopefully make them more self sufficient - all laced with a good dose of spiritual guidance.
(7). His bother Hugh HORSFORDE pre-deceased him his will being at the National Archives PRO 11/137 and was proved 9th march 1621.
(8). The DHC has a record under the Netherbury with Salway Ash Parish:- "Receipt of churchwardens and overseers to executors of William Horsford of Dorchester for 30s left to him by his brother Hugh Horsford which money they have distributed to poor of parish thought to be in 'greatest want' PE/NBY/OV 4/1 1 Jan 1622".
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