Robert Pershall

     Robert was born circa 1557 in Swynnerton, Staffordshire, England. The family resided at Blorepipe, Staffordshire, England. He had a daughter, Elizabeth [m. 1st Robert Bosville & 2nd Humphrey Styles]. Robert made his will on 7 October 1622.

The will of Robert Peshall reads as follows: - (Extracted from the Principal Registry of the Probate Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice. In the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.) In the name of God Amen the seaventh day of October in the yeare of our Lord God 1622 and in the yeares of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord James by the Grace of God of England France and Ireland the twentieth and of Scotland the Sixe and Fiftith. I, Robert Peshall of Blorepipe in the Countie of Stafford Exqur (albeit somewhat diseased) yet of perfect mynd and remembrance (thankes be to God) doe constitute ordaine and make this my last will and testament in manner and forme followinge first I bequeath my soule to Allmightie god and my body to be buried as it shall seeme good to my executrix. Item my will and mind is that thirty pounds shall be imployed and bestowed by my executrix for the good of the poore inhabitants of the towne of Ecclesshall in the said countie of Stafford in forme followinge That is to say to put out yerely to sixe poore artificiers or tradesmen in the said towne at the rate of twelue pence of ewie pound (upon good securitie taken for repayment at ewie yearie end) And I will that all such money as shalbe received by twelue pence for the pound as aforesaid shall be yerely upon the first Sonday in Lent dealt amongst the poor inhabitants of the said towne vizt To such as keepe noe inmakes in their houses nor be common beggars nor hedge tearers by the discrecon or appointment of the Lord Bushop of this Dioces for the tyme beeinge and of my nephewe Sr John Peshall baronet and his heyers or by such as they shall apoynte thereunto until such time as the said thirty pownds may conveniently be bestowed in land or rent to have continewance for ever which I desire may so be And if the said thirtie poundes shalbe bestowed in land or rent then I will that the yerely porfittes thereof shalbe dealt in forme afore said Item my will & mind is that tenn poundes shalbe imployed and bestowed by my executrix fort the good of the poore of the parish of Adbaston in the said countie of Stafford in forme followinge that is to say to be put out yearly to twoe poore householders in the said parishe of Adbaston at the like rate and securitie as aforesaid and the money to be received by twelve pence in the pound to be distributed amongst the poore of the said parishe of Adbaston in forme aforesaid until the said tenn pounes may be conveniently bestowed in land or rent to have contynewance for ever which I also desire may be and afterwards the profits thereof to be dealt amongst the poore of the the said parishe of Adbaston in the forme aforesaid Item I will that my executrix within one moneth next after my decease delivr to the Maior of the burroughe of Stafforde in the said countye for the tyme beinge fortie shillings to be by him distributed to the poore prisoners which shall remaine in the Como Gaole there on Ashwensday then next followinge Item I give and bequeathe to my loving neece th Lady Anne Peshall wife of the said Sr John Peshall on e hundred pounes in money to make her a juell and I give to my brother Edmund Peshall on hundred pounds ot be allowed him upon the paynment of the money which he oweth mee Item I give and bequeathe to Sr Robert Bosevile Knight fiftie poundes and to my sister Constance Gaywood other tenn poundes And to Margerett wife of James Rowley somtymes daughter of Raphe Gragge tenn poundes Item I give and bequeath to my loving friend William Iremonger five poundes And to my good friend Mr Shipton Parson of Ashley three poundes sixe shillings eight pence Alsoe I give to Dorothy halfe penny wife of Henry Halfepenny for her paines taken in nursing of Charles Bossevile fower poundes and to my servante Nicholas Hand five poundes And to my servant Abraham Pennyfather tenne poundes And that the said Abraham Pennyfather after the death of Anne Pennyfather his aunte shall have and enjoy the messuage or tent wherein she now dwelleth in Croxton and the land thereunto belonginge for and duringe his natural life yielding and paying therefore yearly twentie shillings at the two usual feasts videlt Our Lady day and St Micheall Tharkeangell Item I will that the rente of that house wherein Thoms Yardley of Croxton dwelleth beinge twelve shillings yearly be from tyme to tyme as it shall growe due paid to Thomas Allott of Croxton aforesaidduring his life towards his maintenance Item I give and bequeath to James Harris three powndes six shillings eight pence And to his daughter Alice Harries fortie shillings And I give unto Dorothy Robertes my daughters chambermaide fortie shillings if shee happen to be in service with my said daughter at the time of my death Item whereas by my deede indented of graunte bearing date the tenth day of September in the fourteenth yeare of the raigne of our said souaigne Lord the Kings Maiestie that nowe is of England I have given graunted bargained sold assigned and confirmed to my trustie and welbeloved friends and kinsmen Richard Daston of the middle Temple London Esq. all and singular my goodes and chattelis whatsoever as well reall as personall of what nature kind or qualitie soevr the same bee And alsoe all and singular my juells plate ready money household stuffe counter pointes & hangings of Arras and tapistrie whatsoever and all implements and househould stuffe and husbandrie ware whatsoever lyingand beinge at Bloorepipe aforesaid or elsewhere and all my estate right title interest claime and demaund whatsoever of in and to the same and euie or anie part or parcel therof To have and to hould upon such trust and confidence and to such uses purposes intents and behoofs as in and by the said recited deede are by me elymitted of appointed Nowe my will and desire is and I doe herby charge the said Richard Daston and John Chetwynd that all thesaid goodes and chattels and all other premises in the said recited deede menconed or expressed shall be from thyme to tyme disposed of an imployed as the Lady Elizabeth Bossevile wife of the said Robert Bossevile shall appoynte and if shee make noe such appointment then according to the contentes of the said deed And wereas alsoe I have conveyed the Priory of Vlscrofte in the Countie of Leycester and other land s in the said countie of Leicester and in the said countie of Stafford to Sr John Leveson Knight nowe deceased and to Rober Brome Esqr. For the trerme of certaine years after my decease upon certaine trust and confidence by me in them reposed by the conveyance thereof I doe by this my will declare and my mind and will is alsoe that the same and the profits thereof shalbe disposed of and their estae therein shabe assigned on as the said Lady Elizabeth Bosseville shall appointe and if shee make noe such apointmente then the same shall enure and goe and be enjoyed and imployed accordinge to the true entente and meaninge and according to the lymittacons in the said conveyance thereof Item I will that the Lord Bushopp of Coventry and Lychfeild for the tyme beinge after my death shall habe three of my best beasts instead of three herriottes or composition ofr soe many videlt one for an nouse somtyme Steedmans scituate in Eccleshall in a streete there called Cheriffes Rowe one other for the house late in the tenure of James Walker deceased in Croxton adforesaid and one other for the house in Bushopps Offley now in the houldinge of one Thomas Wise (anie conveyance or assurance by mee formerly made not withstandinge) yet neutheles yf the said Lord Bushopp for the tyme beinge or anie for him doe demaund anie more or more heriottes by or after my death the said three heriottes (which three heriottes are all that could be dewely demaunded yf noe conveyance weare by mee made as I take it) Then I will that the said Lord Bushopp as to the said three herriottes shall take noe benifitt by this my will and that my executrix and those to whome my landes are conveyed shall be at libertie toe pleade or shewe anie conveyance by me formerly made in defence of discharge thereof Item my will is that all such leases as I have heretofore made to any person or persons shall be eniued and shall stand and remaine good to the lesses and purport of their leases Alsoe I doe constitute ordayne and make the said Lady Elizabeth Bossevile my sole and only Executrix of this my last will and Testament And I give and bequeath to my said kinsman John Chetwine twentye pounds for his counsel and assistance to be used to and for my said executrix in the execucon of this my will And all the rest of my goodes chattels household stuffe money plate debts jewels and implements of household (my debts and legacies beinge paid) and my funeral discharged I give and bequeath tho my said executrix.²


Robert departed this life on Monday, 12 December 1622 in Blorepipe, Staffordshire, England. His will was probated on 16 January 1622/23. Robert and his brother, Edmund had made an agreement to take the monies that Edmund was gaining as a merchant of London to obtain properties and estates in an effort to return the family to a Landed and gentile family as it had been earlier in Staffordshire. These lands were to be in the names of both brothers with the goal that Edmund's son Robert would eventually recieve a baronet. However, Robert contrived to have the obtained lands put into his name only; Edmund, not knowing of this until the reading of Robert's will in 1622. Edmund spent the rest of his days fighting a legal battle to gain the properties that were rightfully his.³