131328Allen Eps
Key Facts
Snapshot:lived in late medieval Kent, England
Parents:unknown
Born:unknown
Died:between 5 June and 9 September 1471
Brenzett, Kent, England
Buried:churchyard of St. Eanswith's Church, Brenzett, Kent, England
church's coordinates: N51.0140 E0.8571

Note: The research presented here is based on: John Frederick Dorman, Ancestors and Descendants of Francis Epes I of Virginia (Epes-Eppes-Epps), Volume I (Society of the Descendants of Francis Epes I of Virginia, 1992), page 7 ("ALANE EPES [        -1471]").

131328Allen Eps married Benet ___,1 but unfortunately nothing else about their marriage (e.g., when and where they married, and whether Benet was the mother of any of 131328Allen's children) is known.

131328Allen's will is dated 5 June 1471 and was proved 9 September 1471. The first few lines of the register copy are below. As you can see, the beginning of the will is in Latin. I've transcribed and translated the first few lines of the Latin text but no further, and I've transcribed all of the English text. You can see the full register copy here: 1, 2.1


The first few lines of 131328Allen's will (register copy).1

In dei nomine Amen quinto dei mensis Junii anno dom' [...] [text unclear]
Ego Alanne Eps de ꝑrochia de Brenzete compos mentis & sane memoriae ___
teste' meu' in hunc modum In ṗmis lego anim' mea' deo omnipotenti bt marie virgine
& ombs [sanctis] ___ corpus meu' ad sepeliendium in cimitero ___ Sti' Enswythe de Brenzete
[... I haven't attempted to transcribe or translate the Latin text.]

English translation:
In the name of God, Amen. On the fifth day of the month of June in the year of our Lord [...]
I Alanne Eps of the parish of Brenzett of sound mind and perfect memory ___
my testament in this manner. First I leave my soul to Almighty God the Blessed Virgin Mary
& all the saints ___ my body to burial in the ___ cemetery of Saint Eanswith of Brenzett

Thys is the laste Wylle of Aleyn Eps of Brenzete y made there the v day of
the monyth of Juyn in the yere of the regne of kyng Edward the iiiith the xjth
uppon a ffeoffement made to Thomas atte Reche and Willm Berret of Brenzete
forseide the feoffer of all the landys and tenements wth alle ther apptmnt the
which he hath in the parysh of Brenzete forseid ___ where Ẇḿ the ___
of Kent / ffirst the seid Aleyn will that his forseid feoffer anno aftyr his ___ [death?]
shall delyver unto Benet his wiff alle his foreseid lands & tent's wt all their
[appurtenances] to have & hold them to the seid Benet & to her assignes fro the feste
of Seynt Michell tharchangel next cmyng aft the date above writen unto[?] the
ende ___ time[?] of xiiij yere kepying the ___ of all the houses of the seid tenemt
wtoute ___ ___ waste / and also the said Benet hys wiff shall pay unto Robt
hys sone yerely aft' the tyme he comyth to the age of xiiij[? text unclear] yers -- xviij[?] d[?] and
to John hys oldest sone yerely aft' the tyme he comyth to the age of xiiij yers -- xij d
unto the time of his wiffs many[?] yere be atte ende. yif[?] thee[?] so long lyfe[?] / and yif
all his sones diye ___ the time of ___ yers or ___ the time of xij[?] yers aft
___ ___ then he will that all his foreseid lands & tenements wt all their
[appurtenances] shall ret̃rn to his foreseid feoffer or to their assignes and then to sell
___ the better price which thei can and of the money therof receyved he
will that they shall delyver therof to the seid Benet his wiff by mark of
___ [text scratched] money of ___ for the time of beyng behynde of the seid
___ [text scratched] And yif his sones lyve to the time of xij[?] yers and then diy ___ ___
time of his wiffe xiiij yers be at ende then the said Aleyn will[?] yt his forseid
feoffer shall pay to the seid Benet his wiff -- xx s[?] for the time of the latter
ij yers of the said xiiij yers and yt the remeñnt of the money therof receyved

he will that they shall pay Johne his daughter 2 xl ___ And to Agnes his daughter
xl s yers[?] any of them live so longe. ___ to be disposed for his ___. Also
he will that they shall synde an honest and an able prest ___ in the church
of Brenzete by the space & tyme of an hole yer for his ___ and all ___
___ / Also he will that ___ of his feoffer shall have thereof for his labour
-- xx d / And yif any of his sones lyve aft the time of his wiffe xiiij yers
be at ende than he will that all his forseid lands & tent's wt all their [appurtenances]
shall [return?] to his forseid feoffers or to their assignes / and they to keep ___ unto
the tyme William his youngest sone comyth to the age of xxii yer' And than
he will yt his forseid feoffers or his assignes shall delivr' unto his forseid sone
and to their heirs ___ & possession in all the seid lands & tent's wt his [appurtenances]
an ffee simple for ___ forthwith ___ accounte of ye receyte & ___
conveying of the forseid lands & tent's wt his [appurtenances] be ___ wtin ye said
___ of ___ ___

Probatum fuit nono die Septembrie anno dom[?] suprascripte [...]

As you can see, in his will 131328Allen requests to be buried in the churchyard of St. Eanswith's Church in Brenzett, Kent, England. The church, shown in the photo below, is at coordinates N51.0140 E0.8571. For more information on the church's history, see this document on pages 87-91.


131328Allen is buried here, in the churchyard of St. Eanswith's Church, Brenzett, Kent, England.2 Other photos.

Sources Cited:

1: 131328Allen's will. UK National Archives record CCA-DCb/PRC/17/1/389 (Canterbury Cathedral Archives / Diocese of Canterbury / Archdeaconry Court Wills [Registers]). FamilySearch (FHL microfilm 188917, images 433 and 434). FamilySearch restricts access to these images, so see copies here: 433, 434.

2: John Salmon, "St Eanswith, Brenzett, Kent" (online image, photographed 28 September 2001). Wikimedia <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Eanswith,_Brenzett,_Kent_-_geograph.org.uk_-_322965.jpg>, accessed 1 December 2014.