In the name of God, Amen, I JOHN SPORLE of Hemmysby, languishing in extremis, the last day of the month of January, the year of the Lord a thousand cccc xiviij, make my testament in this wise. Firstly, I commend (and) will my soul to almighty God, the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, and my body to be buried in the cemetery of the church of St.Mary of Hemmysby.

Item I leave to the high altar of the church of the Holy Trinity, Norwich, xijd.

Item to the high altar of the church of Hemmysby xijd.

Item to the light of the Blessed Mary in the same vjd.

Item to the light of St.Cross vjd.

Item to the light of St.Nicholas j iijd

Item to the lamp in the chancel iiijd.

Item to the support of the same church iiij bushels of wort1

Item to the iij guilds of the same town viz. to each of them ij bushels of barley.

Item to the Friars Minor of Jernmu' iiij bushels of wheat and iij bushels of malt.

Item to the Friars Preachers of the same town iiij bushels of wheat and iiij bushels of malt.

The residue of all my actual goods I give and leave to Leticia, my wife, and Richard, my son, whom I constitute my executors, that they shall settle my debts and leave and dispose of all for the salvation of my soul according to that which seems to them most expedite and beneficial to my soul. To which testament I affix my seal to this part I have written, Given etc.,

Through this present indenture made at Hemmysby, the xx day of January in the xxvij year of the reign of Henry the sixth after the conquest, I John Sporle of the same dispose of all my lands and tenements in Hemmysby through this following will viz. firstly, I will order and dispose that Leticia, my wife, and Richard, my son, my executors, shall find or cause to be found a suitable chaplain to celebrate in the church of the aforesaid for a whole year for my soul and the souls of my parents and benefactors.

I give also and assign to the same Leticia and Richard, (and) the heirs and assigns of Richard, all my lands and tenements ..... with all their pertinences, the aforesaid Leticia and Richard, and the heirs and assigns of Richard, to have and to hold the aforesaid lands and tenements ...... with all their pertinences in perpetuity, and if it should happen that the said Richard shall die without legitimate heirs of his body, then I will that all the aforesaid lands and tenements ..... with all their pertinences in perpetuity; and if it should happen that the said Richard shall die without legitimate heirs of his body, then I will that the all the aforesaid lands and tenements .... with all their pertinences shall, after the death of the said Leticia, be sold and the money thereby procured distributed for my soul and the souls of my parents in the celebration of mass, and in the repairing of the ornaments of the said church, and other charitable donations, at the discretion of my executors.

I give also and assign to Emma, the daughter of Richard Murray, (and) her heirs and assigns, half an acre of lands lying in the south field of Hemmysby, next to the land of John Hay on the east side, and abutting on the land lately of John Murray on the south; and if the aforesaid Emma shall die before her majority, and without heirs legitimately procreated of her body, then I will that the aforesaid half acre of land shall be sold, and the money thereby produced distributed for the souls of John Sporle and Leticia his wife. Moreover I give and assign to Leticia, the daughter of the daughter of the said Murray, the said acre of land lying in the same field next to the land of William Wakemann on the western side, and abutting against the land of John Syles towards the north; and if the aforesaid Leticia shall die before reaching her majority, and without heirs of her body, then I will that the aforesaid half acre of land be sold and disposed of as above. In matter of this testament, I attach my seal to this present indenture. Given the day, place and year stated above.

The present testament was proved with the last will at Martham before ourselves etc., the viij day of April, the year of the Lord etc. xlix; and the executors named in the same, having been legally sworn, are appointed to the administration of the goods etc.,

In witness of which etc.,
This page last modified on Saturday, October 18, 2008