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Written on the outside of the Will " 1670 Test: (i.e. Testament) Dorothea Ffreake" Item: That my son John FFREEKE and my son William FFREEKE shall equally enjoy my house whearin now I am for the lives as they two shall agree upon it. Item: I doe give unto John FREEKE the chest that stands in the kitchen and the Amory that is in my chamber Item: I doe give unto John FREEKE the ffeatherbed and bed sheet that now he lyes in Item: I doe give unto John FREEKE two pewter dishes one great and one small one Item: I doe give unto William FREEKE all my other goods in my house that are not mentioned Item: I doe give unto my daughter Jone RASCOR two shillings Item: I doe give unto Richard FFREEKE two shillings The marke of Dorothy [X] FFRAEKE This done in the presence of us The mark of William [X] WHITE [Signed] Robert SWAFFORD Probatum apud ffordington late of Fordington deceased: praised by Samuell BURGES, Henry HOLMAN ye 12th of Decemb(er) Anno 1670 Impremis: one Tablebord, three Joyne Stooles, one brown chaire one other chaire one Cubbord And apayer (a pair) of billowes praised att xiiijs iiijd (14s. 4d) Itm [Item]: six pewter platers, ffive smale (small) pewter dishes, one pewter quart, two little candlestickes, one pewter bole (bowl), ffoure (four) belts three little sacers one pewter chamberpott, one brass Morter (mortar) and pistle (pestle) one warming pan, one brass candlestick and plus ladle xixs ijd (19s. 2d) Itm [Item]: one spitt, one crooke, a fryingpan, one payre (pair) of andire one case of Iron; a firepike, apaire (a pair) of tonges (tongs), And two paire of pothokes iijs. vjd (3s. 6d.) Itm [Item]: one Cubbord, one chest, two Covels, six old tubbs, two trenchers, one little paile (bucket) wth sum (some) lumber praised att xs (10s. 0d) Itm [Item]: two brass pots, ffoure bras (brass) kittles, two skillets, praised att 1l. xvs (£1. 15s 0d) Itm [Item]: two chests, two copbords, ffoure little boxes and one Amery praised att xs. viijd (10s. 8d) Itm [Item]: one standing bedstead, one old ffeatherbed, two ffeather pooles, one sheete, one pire of blankets, one Coverled, one Rugg, two tablecloathes, And one napkin praised att 1l. vjs. viijd (£1. 6s. 8d) Itm [Item]: her wearing apparrell praised att xiijs. ivd (13s. 4d) Itm [Item]: due unto her upon bond And otherwais (otherways) of wh (which) greate (greater) pte (part) is defpratt (def= defaulted; pr= praised; att= at) xviijl. xs (£18. 10s. 0d) Sum is xxvl. ijs. viijd (£25. 2s. 8d) Genealogical Notes:- (1). No trace of burial in Dorchester or Fordington or on the National Burial Index for a Dorothy Freak ( or any derivative of the name). The Bishops Transcripts for St Georges Church Fordington have survived for 1669, 1670 and 1672 but are missing for 1671, 1673 & 1674. The will seems to have been written in a very curt form, perhaps a friend or vicar rather than a legal notary and possibly with some haste. The Inventory was taken on 12th December and approved on 27th so I would have expected burial in the first weeks of December. Annoyingly in the return for 1670 the last entry is at the end of November and is the last entry right at the foot of the page so its possible that a December burial was on the next page which is missing. (2). Many records for this period are missing, including the entire period 1640 to 1663 inc, which makes it impossible to be sure of anything, but it is noted that a Richard FREAKE married in St Georges Church Fordington on 18th Nov 1633 to a Dorothy WHITE and had a son baptised there on 2nd Feb 1633/34. The Will mentions a Richard Freeke (but does not state that he is her son) and the will was witnessed by a William WHITE so this looks like it may be her marriage. The will is written without the usual preamble so there is no statement as to whether she was a widow but the absence of any reference to a husband and the fact that it was necessary for her to write a will, and that she clearly had at least 3 children, suggests that she was. (3). For the same reasons as outlined above we also cannot be sure about other people mentioned in the will but it is also noted that a John & Joane RASKAR were having children in Fordington (Michaes 22 July 1666 & Christopher 15 May 1670). The choice of names suggsests these were not their first children and their marriage is likely to have predated 1664 when all the records are missing. This Joane Raskar appears to have died in Fordington 26th Oct 1703. Whilst speculative it is at least possible that this is her daughter and she would not have featured much in the will having been endowed at marriage. |