April 17. 1852.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



337 



TBE TREDESCANTS AND ELIAS ASHMOLE. 



Dr. Hamel, of whose memoir of the elder Tre- 

 descant and his voyage to Russia I gave some 

 account in Vol. iii., p. 391., being again in England 

 last vear, pursued with unremitting zeal his re- 

 searches into the history of the Tredescants, and 

 has given the results in a short Memoir read 

 before the Imperial Academy of Sciences at 

 Petersburg on the 5ih of December last. Having 

 been favoured with a copy of the memoir, and a 

 flattering letter from the writer, I think it incum- 

 bent upon me to add to my former communication 

 a brief abstract of this interesting paper. 



Dr. Hamel first directed his researches toward 

 an endeavour to develope the means by which Elias 

 Ashmole became the possessor of the Tredescant 

 collection ; and naturally expected that he should 

 be able to trace the document of 1659, upon 

 which Ashmole rested his claim to the ownership ; 

 but he could not find any such deed. 



He was, however, fortunate enough to trace out 

 the original Will of John Tredescant the younger, 

 bearing his seal and signature, made at a subse- 

 quent date, and formally proved, after his death 

 in 1662, by his widow Hester. This important 

 document throws much light upon the transaction 

 respecting the Museum, and its destination. Dr. 

 Hamel was naturally much pleased with this dis- 

 covery, and rejoiced to see for the first time the 

 autograph of a man about whom he had so much 

 interested himself, but was somewhat surprised to 

 find that the name which has been usually written 

 Tradescant was uniformly spelt Tredescant in the 

 body of the Will, as well as in the signature ; the 

 seal, bearing the same coat of arms given on a 

 plate in the Catalogue of the Museum, being 

 placed between the syllable Tre and descant. This 

 document runs thus : 



" THE LAST WILL AND TESTMANENT OF ME JOHN TREDES- 

 CANT. 



" In the name of God, Amen. 

 " The fourth day of April in the yeare of our Lord 

 God one thousand six hundred sixtie-one, I, John 

 Tredescant of iTouth Lambeth in the Counlie of Surrey, 

 Gardiner, being at this present of perfect health, minde, 

 and memorie, thanks be therefore given to Alinightie 

 God, and calling to minde the uncertaintie of death, 

 and being desirous whilst I am in a Capacity to settle 

 and dispose of such tilings as God of his goodnesse 

 hath bestowed upon me, doe make and declare this my 

 last Will and Testament as followeth. First and prin- 

 cipally I commend and yield my soule into the hands of 

 Almighty God my Creator, and ray bodie to the Earth 

 to be decently (according to the quality wherein 1 have 

 liued) interred as neere as can be to my late deceased 

 Father John Tredescant, and my sonne who lye buried 

 in the parish Churchyard of Lambeth aforesaid, at the 

 discretion of my Executrix hereafter named ; hopeing 

 by and through the merits, death, and passion of my 

 onely Saviour and Retleemer Jesus Christ to have full 



remission of all my Sinnes, and to see my God in the 

 Land of the Living ; and for my temporal! Estate I 

 doe will, bequeath, and dispose thereof as followeth. 

 That is to sale, I will that all such debts as shall be 

 by me justly due and owing to anie person or per- 

 sons whatsoever at the time of my decease (if anie 

 such be) shall be truly paid and satisfied, and a;\er 

 my Funeral charges shall be defrayed, for the 

 doeing whereof I appoint the summe of twe.ity 

 pounds or thereabouts shall be expended by my 

 Executrix but not more. Item, I giue and bequeath 

 upon the condition hereafter mentioned to my 

 daughter Frances Norman the summe of ten pou.ids 

 of Lawful! money of England, which I will shall be 

 paid unto her within six moneths after my decease, and 

 likewise I doe forgive her the summe of fourscore 

 pounds or thereabouts, Principall Money, besides the 

 Interest thereof which I long since lent her late der 

 ceased husband Alexander Norman. Provided that 

 shee and her husband, if she shall be then againe mar- 

 ried, give my Executrix a generall release for the same. 

 Item, I give and bequeath to my two namesakes Robert 

 Tredescant and Thomas Tredescant, of VValberswick ia 

 the Countie of Suffolk, to cache of them the summe of 

 five shillings apiece in remembrance of my loue, and to 

 every childe or children of them the [said] Robert and 

 Thomas that shall be lining at the time of my decease 

 the summe of two shillings and sixpence apiece. Item, 

 I giue to Mris. Marie Edmonds, the daughter of my 

 louing Friend Edward Harper, the summe of one 

 hundred pounds, to be paid unto her after my wife's 

 decease ; and in case she die before my said wife, my 

 will is and I doe hereby giue and bequeath the said 

 summe of one hundred pounds, after my wife's decease, 

 to my Foure God -children, vizt. Hester, John, Leonard, 

 and Elizabeth Edmonds, sonnes and daughters of the 

 said Mris. Mary Edmonds Equally to be diuided 

 amongst them, share and share alike ; and if either of 

 them die before he, her, or they receiue their share or 

 portion so to be diuided, then the said share or portion 

 of him, her, or them so dying to goe and be giuen 

 to the survivor and survivors of them, share and share 

 alike. Item, I doe hereby giue, will, devise and be- 

 queath to my Cosin Katharine King, widdow, after 

 the decease of my wife, the Little House commonly 

 called the Welshmans house situate in South Lambeth 

 aforesaid, together with that Little Piece of Ground 

 now enclosed thereunto adjoyning ; and to her hjirs 

 and assignes for euer. Item, I giue, devize, and be» 

 queath my Closet of Rarities to my dearly beloued 

 wife Hester Tredescant during her naturall Life, and 

 after her decease I giue and bequeath the same to the 

 Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, to which of them 

 shee shall think fitt at her decease. As for such other 

 of my friends and kindred as I should nominate for 

 Rings and small tokens of my Loue, I leaue that to the 

 Care of my said wife to bestow how manie and to 

 whome shee shall think deseruing. The rest and Re- 

 sidue of all my Estate Reall and personall whatsoeuer, 

 I wholly giue, devize, and bequeath to my deare and 

 louing wife Hester Tredescant, and to her heires and 

 assignes for euer. And I doe hereby nominate, ordaine, 

 constitute, and appoint my said Louing Wife Hester 

 Tredescant full and sole Executrix, of this my last will 



