84 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



C2'«« S. VII. Jan. 29. '59. 



BXTKACTS FROM A BOOK OF WILLS AND INVEN- 

 TORIES PBESERVED IN THE DIOC. REG., CORK, 

 TEMP. ELIZABETH. 



The documents contained in this MS. throw 

 considerable light on the social and commercial 

 relations of the citizens at the period above men- 

 tioned. Some record the places abroad whither 

 the merchants travelled for the purposes of traffic ; 

 some contain inventories of the stock in trade ; 

 from others we may obtain an idea of the value 

 of the several commodities offered for sale ; from 

 them we learn that personal ornaments and plate 

 were commonly substituted for money as pledges in 

 business transactions. We have frequent notices 

 of articles of personal attire, religious insignia, 

 weapons of defence (which it appears the citizens 

 then stood badly in need of), donations for cha- 

 ritable purposes, bequests to churches for mor- 

 tuary offices, allusions to the " olde faithe." One 

 in particular gives an account of the state of de- 

 fence, &c. of one of the principal fortresses in 

 Munster, namely, Blarney Castle. Considering 

 that at this period Cork was a walled town con- 

 tinually threatened on all sides by very hostile 

 neighbours, it is remarkable with what uniformity 

 the internal machinery was regulated, since We 

 must consider the citizens in the light of a mili- 

 tary garrison, constantly on the watch. The two 

 churches so frequently mentioned, St. Peter's and 

 Christ Church, were within the walls, and still 

 retain some memorials of the families and persons 

 here mentioned. At this period it was customary 

 to inter the bodies within the church ; the most 

 distinguished had graves within the chancel, others 

 in the choir. The parish records of the last-named 

 church show this practice to have existed at the 

 close of the seventeenth century. The charge for 

 burial in the chancel was 13s. Ad. ; in the body of 

 the church, 3*. Ad. This last mode of interment 

 was called " breaking the ground." Strangers 

 were consigned to the churchyard. It may be 

 remarked that, as a consequence of such an iso- 

 lated position, most of the leading citizens were 

 connected by marriage ; and although the city 

 must have been visited by many foreign traders, 

 we do not meet with a single instance of an inter- 

 marriage with a stranger. There was doubtless 

 no inducement ; a city built on a marsh, and sur- 

 rounded with water, could afford no temptation 

 to a sojourner from sunnier climes. This brief 

 account may give the reader some idea of what 

 Cork was at the close of the reign of Queen Eli- 

 zabeth. The following extracts are taken from 

 the body of each will passim. 



The will of Adam Gold, executed 29th July, 

 proved 26th November, 1571 : — 



" Item, to Christ Church, Cork, four marks, so that the 

 olde faithe be set up ; and to my sister Catherine Gooll 

 the best golde rynge 1 have ; and I order that my brother 

 James Myaghe shall have my buget that is in keping 



w*!* me hostas at Ronne at the singe of the silver 



to be conveyed in such forme as is stated to Ireland to be 

 delivered to my wyflfe and children." 



William Skiddie's will, dated 5th April, 1578, 

 bequeaths — 



" To Christ Church a big girdle or Corse of silver gilt, 

 to be devided betweene the chancell and the body of the 

 church. Also three bedds or plotts of land I have in a 

 garden in Shandon, to be sold to the most advantage, 

 and to be equally devided betweene the chauncell and the 

 body of Christ Church." 



Andrew Brown, bound for Bourdeaux, 10th 

 Oct. 1587, makes his last will, &c. : — 



" To his son James, his heir, three cups of silver and 

 another w«^ I have in pledg of nyne Cowe hides and halfe 

 of James Galwey. It. to him my best tastor of silver. 

 It. the best two crosses of Gold that I have, and a King 

 of Gold. It. to my second son Andrew two cupps of 

 silver, not the best. To my cosen John Gold f5 Ed- 

 mond, my best ring of gold, my clock, and my best pair 

 of hoast, and to his bedfellow a croun of the sunne. To 

 my goshipp Walter f3 Andrew Galwey a little cross of 

 gold," &c. 



William Galwey fj Geoffrey's will, proved 12th 

 April, 1582 : — 



" Corpus meum sepeliendum in Ecclesia de Kinsale in 

 loco majorum. It. filio et heredi Galfrido tributum piscis 

 vulgariter nominati See fish, &c. eidem G. cyphum sculp- 

 tum argenteum, Anglic^ a Graven Cupp, et salsarium 

 argenteum et duodecem cochlearia argenti et parvum 

 cyphum argenteum vocatum a tastor. It. lego G. duos 

 cj'phos communiter vocatos Macers, quorum unum Will- 

 mus Bales habet in pignore duorum coriorum bovilium 

 et alteram Bernardus Daily habet in pignore decem soli- 

 dorum. It. eidem scapham meam piseatoriam communiter 

 vocatam apinac cum suis vestimentis et piscandis instru- 

 mentis et cum retibus omnibus. It. volo quod meus heres 

 et ejus successores ministrent sacerdotibus et clericis et 

 pauperibus xiii. solidos annatim," &c. 



Andrew Galwey, of Cork, Alderman, will proved 

 9th Feb. 1580 : — 



" My body to be buried in one grave -k^^ mj' second 

 wyfe Catherine Roche, in the Chauntrey of my p'ish 

 churche of Saincte Peters. It. that my heirs shall finde 

 upon their p'per costs three prests, two to serve in S' 

 Peter's Church, where my buryall is, and the third in 

 Christ Church. It. to St. Peter's, towards the reparacon, 

 the summ of three pounds; also the vestments, coope, 

 w**^ the two tunycles of Velvett that I have. It. to Christ 

 Church the sum of two pounds six shill,, and to chantery 

 of sd. church, thirteen and four pence. It. to St. Bai-ryes 

 Church six shill. and eight pence. It. to the Holy Roode 

 Chapell, St. Stephens, St. Clements, and our Lady 

 Church, three shill. each, and that my Executors pay 

 towards the building of every church that shall be set up 

 in the Byshopricke of Corcke the sum of three shill., or 

 the value thereof in yron ; and to the poore people of this 

 cittie, within one moneth after my decesse, the value of 

 fortie shill. in frise, in the honor of God and for almes, to 

 be worren for my soule and mj-^ friends," &c. 



Christopher Galwey, of Cork, Alderman, will 

 proved 12th Sept. 1582, bequeaths to — 



"His daughter Anstas all the Jewels within a smale 

 bladder in a smale chest w"='' he received of his sisters 

 goods ; Also to sd. dr. two gold crosses in a little white 

 bladder, and his mother's bigg corfe." 



