John Bracy, "Taloughchaundler"

abstracted & compiled by Edwin C. Dunn

The earliest benefactor of the Tallow Chandlers Company of London was one John Bracy, who, by means of his last will, left his small estate to the company and enabled them "to play their part with dignity and usefulness through so many generations."¹

"It was found by office on the death of John Turnaunt, Esq., who died 31 July, 1 Hen. VII (1486), that he had at some date in the reign of King Edward IV enfeoffed² certain persons, some of whom were dead at the date of the inquisition and others yet alive, of four manors and certain acres of land in Tottenham and Edmonton. One of these feoffees, or ‘persons trusted for’ the said John Turnaunt, and who had predeceased him, was (the document is in Latin) John Bracy the elder, ‘taulow chaundeler.’ This is the only independent notice we have met with of the first recorded benefactor of the Company."³

"John Bracy’s will is dated 10 June, 1467, just five years after the patent of incorporation" of the company "was granted. It was made, as was then usual, in two parts, as touching goods and as touching lands, and it is the probate of the latter which is preserved among the Company’s records." It can be seen from a glance at its chief clauses "that if there was ever a bequest to what in the language of the next century were called ‘superstitious uses,’ the central provision of this will must be so classed. Yet, within half-a-dozen years of the time when it became operative, and half a century before the ‘superstitious’ view had been adopted by the legislature, the property charged with the performance of the testator’s ‘obit’ had been sold by the legatees to a future Lord Mayor of this city, freed from the conditions the testator had imposed. The trustees indeed remained bound to the purchaser, in the amount of the purchase-money, for the due performance of the trust, but the sanction for non-performance had none the less been reduced to the vanishing point. As a matter of fact, in the Act of Edward VI this property is not included in the schedule of lands in respect of which the Company was compelled to compound with the Crown. Nay, the ‘obit’ is not mentioned in the return made to the Commissioners in 1546-7 by the Church-wardens of St. Mary Woolchurch of the chantries in their church, the original certificate whereof is preserved, as will be hereafter explained, in the Land Revenue Record Office."

"John Bracy died in 1470—such at any rate is the date of probate. His widow Agnes, upon whose decease the Company’s reversion was expectant, died, we may presume, in 1477, in which year the will was brought to the Husting Court to be enrolled. It is perhaps not fanciful to suggest that the enrolment mentioned above of the Letters Patent of Incorporation granted to the Company, effected in 1471, was consequent upon the probate of John Bracy’s will in the previous year, which opened up the prospect of the speedy falling to the Company of the first benefit, so far as we know, received by them under the clauses of that patent enabling them to acquire land."

"It will be noticed that Bracy’s will was proved, not in the Court of the Archbishop, but before the Commissary General of the Bishop of London, William Wylde. By his clerks it was duly registered, and the volume, called ‘Wylde’ is now, four and a quarter centuries later, duly produced to us at Somerset House, and we find on the dorse of folio liij and on folio liiij, not only the testator’s will of lands, but his testament of goods, with directions for his burial in St. Mary Woolchurch beside his wife, and much other interesting information. He was twice married. By his first wife Margery, buried as above, we may presume he had a son John, who predeceased him, otherwise he would probably not have been described in Turnaunt’s feoffment as ‘the elder.’ His daughter Maud, the wife of John Mader, also died in his lifetime, leaving a daughter Margery, married to Henry Wiche. His second wife was Agnes, widow of John Chesham. He mentions his goddaughter, Anne Britle, very probably also a grandchild, for it is the inconvenient habit of testators of ancient date to merge all but the first degree of relationship in the term ‘cousin,’ and to prefer spiritual to blood affinity as a particular description. Then there is Thomas Hauchich the younger, and Margery his wife, ‘my cousin,’ and Elizabeth, late the wife of Nicholas Yeo, who takes a life interest in tenements that had belonged to his ‘predecessor,’ John Chesham. From these names, and from the nature of the bequest to Thomas and Margery Hauchich, we may venture perhaps to fix his county origin. He gives to the said Thomas and Margery the benefit of a sum of £23, for the payment whereof on ‘John Bacchecote of Dryghwich, co. Worcester, esq., deceased,’ stood bound to him, and Frederick Stuart, also deceased."

"Now, inasmuch as soap, vinegar, barrelled butter, salt, oils, and hops, were all within the province of a Tallow Chandler, it is of course possible that the bond debt, due to Bracy in Droitwich, was on the balance of a trading account. On the other hand, we know from the ‘Visitation’ of Worcestershire, that in consequence of the marriage of ‘John Butler of Wiche in Worstersh:’ with ‘Elianor da: & heire to John Bachecotte of Droytwich,’ the Butlers ever afterwards quartered the arms of ‘Bagehott,’ and further that, among the most ancient families in that county (whose arms, oddly enough, were quartered by With through an heiress of Wiche), was that of—‘Bracey.’ Thus, for instance, as Mr. Grazebrook informs us, one Richard Bracey of Droitwich held two and a half hides of land in Doverdale, in the 20th year of King Edward III, which descended to his heir, John Bracey, ‘escheator’ of the said county, 5 and 10 Hen. V. That is to say, our Bracy and Bacchecote may have been gentlemen connected by the tie of a common birthplace."⁴

"The picture of his ‘obit’ as present to John Bracy’s mind, the service over-night, the solemn mass next day, attended by the Master and Wardens of the Tallow Chandlers and a considerable body of the Commonalty, summoned for that purpose, the candles burning round his tomb, the cakes and ale for the neighbours who dropped in, was drawn doubtless after the pattern of similar services in each of the churches within the City bounds. When we reflect that within a few years this type of intercession not only fell into desuetude but became strictly illegal, when we remember that of the church selected for this perpetual observance no stone remains, the picture to us does not lose in strangeness. For this ‘obit’ he made provision by his ‘will of lands.’"⁵

"His ‘testament of goods’…was made on his deathbed, for it is dated 12th March, 1469-70, and he had died before the 28th of the same month, when both his testament and will were proved before the Commissary."⁶ The document was written in Latin⁷.

"The other document, the will, namely, by which John Bracy provided for his ‘obit’ and endowed our Company, was executed nearly two years before his death, an interesting proof of the deliberation with which he had conceived a plan for his soul’s benefit and the advancement of his gild."⁸

Again, the text was in Latin. He left tenements in St. Michael Royal, which he had acquired from the "Master and Cominalty of the Cutlers," to his wife. Tenements in St. Mary Woolchurch called "le Nonne" were also given to his wife for the term of her life, with remainder after her death, as to "le Nonne" and a quit rent of 6s. 8d. out of the tenements in St. Michael’s, to go to the "Master, Wardens and Cominalty of Talughchaundelers," London. He provided that for the observance of an obit in St. Mary’s Church for the souls of himself, Margery his late wife, Agnes his then wife, and John Chesham her former husband, to be personally attended forever, yearly, by the said Master and Wardens, would be paid from trust, 6s. 8d. yearly, viz., 4d. apiece to the officiating clergy, and the residue for wax candles to burn round his tomb during the service, and bread and beer for the neighbours attending. Also, on further trust he willed for distribution twelve quarters of coals among the poorest persons of St. Mary’s parish between All Hallows and Christmas yearly. And remainder as to tenements in St. Michael’s, after his said wife’s death, it was to go to Henry Wiche and Margery his wife (daughter of John Mader and Maud his late wife, testator’s daughter) and the heirs of the body of the said Margery Wiche in tail, subject to the said quit rent of 6s. 8d., with remainder in default of such issue to go to the said "Master, Wardens and Cominalty of the Talugh-Chaundelers." Upon any default made in the performance of the above trust by the said Master and Wardens, the Rector and Wardens of St. Mary’s Church should be substituted for them. The testator’s wife, Agnes, and William Blakman, Citizen and Chandler of London, were to be the executors. The will was dated 10 June, 1467. Probate, Bishop of London’s court, was dated 28 March, 1470. It was enrolled in the Hustings Court, 19 May, 1477.⁹

"Assuming that the above will was enrolled upon the occasion of the death of Agnes Bracy, the testator’s widow (and we believe that such a will of lands would not in usual course have been enrolled before the life estate created by it lapsed), it was in the spring of the year 1477 that the Company entered upon the enjoyment of ‘le Nonne’ in the parish of St. Mary Woolchurch Haw. Before the spring of the year 1481-2 it was sold. The purchaser was John Wyngar, citizen and grocer, Mayor of London twelve years later, ‘a great helper,’ as Stow records, ‘to the building of this church’ (St. Mary Woolchurch), and who ‘was there buried 1505; he gave unto it by his testament two large basons of silver and twenty pounds of money.’ The substance of the deed which supplies us with the particulars of the sale is as follows [original indenture in Latin]:

Counterpart indenture, dated 8th January, 21 Edward IV [1482-2], between Thomas Sewale, Master, William White, John Clyff (of whom more hereafter), Robert Gebon, and John Hale, Wardens of the Mistery of Talughchaundelers of the city of London, and the Cominalty of the same, of the one part, And John Wyngar, citizen and grocer of the said city, of the other part. Reciting the will of the said John Bracy enrolled as above, and the gift of the said tenement called ‘le Nonne’ and of the said rent charge of 6s. 8d. from tenements in St. Michael Royal, and that the said Agnes the widow enjoyed all the said premises for the term of her life, and that she was now dead, and reciting the said ‘obit’ and distribution of coals; And reciting that the said Master, Wardens, and Cominalty, in consideration of £60 paid them beforehand by the said John Wyngar, and applied to the use of the said Cominalty of the said mistery, had demised, delivered, and confirmed, the said tenement or messuage, called ‘le Nonne’ to him the said John Wyngar, John Brown, clerk, one of the Clerks of the King’s Chancery, Thomas Northland, Alderman, Henry Kesteyn, gent., Richard Golofre, Mercer, Henry Wyngar, Haberdassher, and John Thorp, Grocer, their heirs and assigns for ever; Now it is agreed between the parties by these presents, that the said Master, Wardens, and Cominalty shall for ever hereafter do and observe the said ‘obit’ and distribution of coals, and acquit the said John Wyngar and the others thereof; And whereas the said Master, Wardens, and Cominalty stand bound by bond of even date with these presents in £60 to the said John Wyngar payable at Easter next, nevertheless if they observe the said ‘obit,’ paying yearly 6s. 8d. therefor, and provide the said twelve quarters of coals, and save the said John Wyngar and the others, their heirs, assigns, and tenants harmless, so that they may quietly enjoy the premises discharged of the said observances and payments, then the said bond to be void, or otherwise to be of good effect."¹⁰

"It is worthy of note that not only Bracy’s ‘will of lands,’ but also the above indenture, were entered on the Hustings Rolls."¹¹

"And, pray, what did the Master and Wardens of the Tallow Chandlers do with the sixty pounds in cast received from John Wyngar, grocer, for ‘le Nonne’? We have, unhappily, no account-books of that date to explain this, but the answer to the question is none the less as certain as can be, and exceedingly interesting. They obtained it in 1477 and sold it in 1482, you remember. Now in 1476 they had entered into a contract to pay £36 13s. 45d. before Lady Day next, £30 the next year, £30 the year after that, and then £10 yearly till the year 1485, very heavy payments for a comparatively poor body at the then value of money. And the object of these payments was, as we shall see, nothing less than the purchase of the site for the Company’s present Hall, which is surely a very permanent memorial of John Bracy’s good will to the craft of which he was a member."¹²

Footnotes

¹M.F. Monier-Williams (ed.), Records of the Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers, London (London, 1897), p. 45.

²An enfeoffment was a means of transferring land by an owner who did not want his land to pass to his eldest son by primageniture, who wanted to deprive the king or other lords of their escheats or fines, or who wanted to avoid forfeiture, by making it over during his lifetime to trustees who held it to the use of the original owner, who then executed his last will indicating who should be the user after his death.

³Ibid. p. 46.

⁴Ibid. p. 48-50.

⁵Ibid. p. 51.

⁶Ibid. p. 54.

⁷Ibid. pp. 51-54.

⁸Ibid. p. 55.

⁹Ibid. pp. 55-62.

¹⁰Ibid. pp. 62-63.

¹¹Ibid. p. 63.

¹²Ibid. p. 64.

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