Anselm Adorne's Will
KGS
Scotland in the hopes that it might be of use to anyone researching
Adorne/Adorno lines. The will was located by a member of a Dorothy Dunnett
discussion list (Helen), and translated by another member of the list (Lisa
Spurrier). Lisa has given me permission to repost her translation here. It
should be noted that she is not a professional translator and that the
document was rather difficult to read. I've included a few notes about
Anselm Adorne and about the will after the translation. All of Lisa's
comments are in brackets.
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[Lisa's note on the translation: I offered to read the copy of Anselm
Adorne's will which Helen got in Bruges. The bits in square brackets are
either interpolations (the of the in the first phrase), or bits I'm not 100
per cent sure about, some of which I got bogged down on the translation of.
With those Latin bits a square bracket implies a contraction where I know
what's left out, sometimes because it's a particular sort of contraction. An
apostrophe means it's not clear what's omitted. With proper names I've
Anglicised Christian names (but kept the spelling from the original text in
Anselm's name - he's written Ancelmus consistently here) but kept the
original spelling of surnames.]
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On the16th day of July in the year of the Lord 1487 and fifth [of the]
indiction of the Papacy of our most holy Father in Christ and the lord our
father Innocent VIII, Pope by divine rovidence, and [my fourth year as
public notary] the public notary and writer of wills, the [proindicatus] man
John Maktalze, appearing in person, presented to me, the public notary, in
the presence of the [partis constient'] the below-written will of the late
noble lord Lord Ancelm Adournes, knight, to be [retained and copied], the
tenor of which is word for word as follows thus. The will of Ancelm
Adournes, knight, of the household of the supreme lord and lawful King of
Scots, made by the words of the deceased in the presence of the
below-written witnesses, written in his own hand and on the 27th day of the
month of January Andrew Lepeltat presented to me, John Skellat curate of
Linlithg[o]w, in testamentary form taken before the below-written witnesses,
the tenor of which will made by the deceased, follows in this form, that is
to say, thus:
Inventory of all the goods of Ancelm Adournes, knight, in Scotland.
Firstly ten pounds Scottish money that he had - in [workshop and house
(utensilio et domicilio)] and in all his goods; next there are the debts of
the noble lord Ancelm Adournes written in his own hand [in libello
testamenti - in written testament?], firstly:
[List of debts continued from last
bit. I can't translate licstor. The coinage was also a problem, as I'm not
sure exactly what was used in Scotland. If it was an English source I would
expect it to be shillings, but I'm not sure if they were used in Scotland.]
John Abonkele of Edinburgh [spelt Edinburch] 36 pounds 9 s 7 pence, Thomas
Hu[n]tare 6 pounds 14 s 1 penny, Stephen Appotyn [blank], Stephen Robertsone
2 pounds 14 s 6 pence, [Dyr] Alex[ande]r Haliday L pounds 4 s 1 penny,
Andrew Chartes of the town of St John [Perth] 4 pounds 16 s, John Mur of
Linlithgow [spelt here and later as Linlithguu] 45 pounds 5 s, Henry Rothe 2
pounds 10 s, John Thomson, licstor 9 pounds 4 s 9 pence, Robert [and?]
Doncan [licstor quilibus pro toto - each on behalf of all?] 4 pounds 4 s 6
pence, Alex[ande]r Lesle 6 pounds 16 s 6 pence.
Here [are] the debts which the deceased owes.
To the wife of James Schaw 15 pounds, to Michael Ham[m]ilton 1 pound 10 s,
to Katherine Gibb[o]n and James Lawnevenis 6 pounds 7 s 6 pence, to John
Michelsen' [nante] 4 pounds 10 s
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[The will proper begins here! As you will see there were some sections where
my Latin got bogged down.]
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In the name of God Amen. In the year of our Lord 1480 and on the true
seventh day of the month of December before these witnesses below written,
that is to say Dom Henry Herlew, chaplain, Thomas Forest, William Mactalze
and various others, I make my will in this manner because I Ancelm Adournes,
knight of the household of the supreme king of Scots, have made my will and
disposed of my goods [particip'ior dis ad terram promissionis pergerens
vexit licet id fecerim iam] I wish to add this other will in case the day of
my extremity should happen in this kingdom of Scotland] [since nothing is
more certain than death and nothing more uncertain than the hour of death]
and there are those in this kingdom who having my blood and [vita mea
diminuenda cognatur. Sit cuetis cognatum [kinsman] pro id libentis grator
omna ferre desidero ob Jhesu Xt [I desire on account of Jesus Christ] ten
years [qui mortem patr pro me non dedignatus est neque suo preciosissimo
sanguinem a inferno Redimere et regni celor participe' me facere sibi qui me
suo preciosissimo sanguine redeunt et regni celor' participe' me facere] I
give and leave my soul to the blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints and my
body to be buried in the parish church of the blessed Archangel Michael of
Linlithgow four and church building [fabrice] of St Andrew [pro'''] I will
and desire that my boys [sons? pueri is the Latin word used] should complete
and have completed my precious and splendid chapel of Jerusalem in Bruges as
I would have ordered Also my said boys should found a perpetual service in
the said chapel of Jerusalem according to the form which is [used] now,
[for] six pounds "grossi Fland'" annually.
Also I give and leave to my daughter Efemia [Euphemia] 26 crowns Scottish
money a year, rent on the house of Robert Nuce in Edinburgh with other
houses and lands in Linlithgow, which rents shall come to her when she
reaches her full age on condition that her mother maintains and
[fosters/rears/nourishes] my said daughter with the aforesaid rents. And in
case the aforesaid Effamia my daughter should reach the day of her end
without son or daughter of her body [qui co tuo] the said rents, houses,
lands and her other goods should revert to her sons and heirs. I also give
to my aforesaid daughter [donc] [the only offspring of my sisters] six
pounds of Flanders money to my memory [et hoc voluntat Actor srualium. And
my [mo' de ipsi cas habere et volent], asking [therefore or below - desuper]
my nephew Ancelm Sersanders [ac sowvic] my [daughter or son] one with [the
household of] Andrew Lepelcas and our friend [ut ips' putis] if they will
act as conservators and executors of the will and act on my behalf.
Written by the curate of Linlithgow [Linlithguu] under the seal [signo] of
the [same cure] and the witnesses noted before [prenotatus]. There follow
the expenses made on [behalf of] the deceased [on account of his death?].
For the service held in North Berwick [Northberweick] two pounds eight
shillings. Also to carrying his body from North Berwick [Northberweck] to
linlithgow [Lithguu] four pounds, four shillings [and] from Leith [ethe] to
Blackness [Bleknes] one pound. Also for torches and candles in Linlithgow
two pounds four shillings. Also for masses and other [things] in Linlithgow
three pounds. Also for bread twelve pounds. Also for alms nine pounds. Also
for bread for the poor, two pounds. Also in Edin[burgh] for bread 25 tume']
forty five pounds. Also for [torches] and candles in Edinburgh [Edyn'] eight
pounds. Also for [ringing] and [armis] in Edinburgh [Edyn'] and Linlithgow
[Lithguu] four pounds. Also for bread meat and services for the poor of
Edinburgh, forty eight pounds. Also for divine service celebrated on behalf
of the deceased in the parish church of the blessed Giles [brother of
[muor?] and the aforesaid [Insunall?] ,] seven pounds. And for other smaller
extraordinary expenses, ten pounds. The total of the above written expenses
expended on the deceased after he had reached his end written in the own
hand of the aforesaid curate under the seal of whose cure [locolent'
signat' - it is caused to be signed?]. Also the aforenamed John Makcalze
presented to me, the below written notary, other letters [to be] examined
and copied whose tenor is written thus:
To whosoever these present shall come, we Ancelm Sersanders, governor of the
palace and borough of Linlithgow [Linlithguu], and Andrew Lepeltact,
legitimate procurators of the venerable and worthy man Master John [Jan]
Adornes eldest son of the former noble lord, Lord Ancelm Adournez, of
[courtut'] knight, [and of] his sons and daughters, have received and had in
full from the hand of the [proindi'] man John Makcalzhe, burgess of
Linlithgow [Linlithguu], and his wife Joneta, faithful reckoning, payment
and satisfaction of all the goods of the said late lord Ancelm, knight, with
which [se mero miserunt aliq' aliqu'bus temporibus retroactis - they had
been charged at a previous time?], that is to say domestic utensils,
[valuable trade goods - jocaliu[m] mercantia] and other goods [quorumcuius
de quo quidem - which] reckoning, payment and satisfaction we hold ourselves
content, paid and fully satisfied. And the said John Makcalze and Joneta his
wife, their heirs, executors and assigns, in the name of the said Master
John [and] of the sons and daughters of the late Lord Ancelm, knight, on
behalf of all his heirs, executors and assigns quit claim for ever and
[puntes]. In testimony of
which things we have procured and applied the secret seal of the borough of
Linlithgow [Linlitguu] to the aforesaid plea on the same penultimate day of
the month of August in the year of the Lord 1488 and the third [intibus
honora viris jhac' laew patercio hantliwis et aler'o font font] of the
bailiff of the said borough Henry Levi[n]gston of Middilbeny[n]g, Thomas
Forest, Dom Peter Hill, chaplain, with various others.
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Notes:
There is a book called "Anselmus Adornes' Last Will" by a Mr. de Poorter,
indicating that the original will was written in Middle Dutch. The original
will is lost, last seen in 1955 or 56 and at least partially photographed.
An inventory of the Adorne papers has been made, beginning well before
Anselm and ending about 1957 and is available at the State Archives
(Rijksarchief). Anselm Adorne and his wife, Margareta van der Banck had 16
children (7 sons and 9 daughters), but apparently over the centuries, there
are no direct survivors of the line; however, the current owners of the
Jeruzalemkirk, the family Van Limburg Stirum, are indirect descendents
through marriage and the female line. The will translated above is the
second last will of Anselm Adorne and can be found in the Town Archives of
Bruges in the Van Limburg Stirum papers. It is available as two copies on
old yellow paper of the original testament made in the same hand, probably
in 1482. There are two other papers which are newer and probably an
attempt at deciphering the original, still in Latin but not complete and in
two different hands. Anselm Adorne is buried in St. Michael Church in
Linlithgow, and supposedly his heart is buried next to his wife in the
Jeruzalemkirk in Bruges.
Hope this is helpful to someone.
Gena Saunders