Home › Peter Paggen › William Paggen’s will, 1636
Last modified: 5 October 2026
William Paggen, a London brewer of the parish of Allhallows the Great in Thames Street, made his will on 7 September 1636, while the plague — “the present visitacon” — was raging in London. He survived that epidemic, but died two years later: the will was proved on 14 September 1638 by his only son, Peter Paggen, who was his sole executor.
This transcription is made from the registered copy of the will (The National Archives, PROB 11/177/700). See also the will of William Paggen, merchant, 1688, the will of Peter Paggen, 1717 and the will of Katherine Paggen, 1724.
The Paggen family’s roots. This will takes the family back a generation before Peter Paggen of Wandsworth. Peter of Wandsworth (born about 1651) is said to have been the son of a brewer whose parents belonged to the Dutch Church at Austin Friars. This William was a brewer, left money to the poor and the ministers of “the dutch Church in London”, and had an only son named Peter. It seems likely that his son Peter was the brewer who became the father of Peter of Wandsworth and of William Paggen, merchant (died 1689/90). If so, this William was their grandfather. The will does not prove the link, and it needs to be confirmed from other records.
“The Countrey of Gulick”. William owned land “beyond the seas” in Gulick — the Duchy of Jülich (Dutch Gulik), on the Lower Rhine between Aachen and Cologne — which his brother Henrick Paggen held from him. This is the clearest evidence yet of where the family came from: the German–Dutch borderland, not France. It fits Kershaw’s “William Paggin, in the Low Countries” and Historic England’s “Low Country refugee”, rather than the frequent description of the Paggens as Huguenots.
His wife Mary. Mary was left the household goods “above stayres”, £2,000 in four half-yearly payments with interest at 7 per cent meanwhile, and a life interest in his houses in St Martin Vintry, which then went to Peter. William explains that he did not make her executrix because he did not want her “burdened wth the trouble charge and care” of it.
Kin and friends. He left £50 each to his nephews Rayner and Arnold [Hynskins?], £25 to their sister, and £25 to “my wives Cousin Elizabeth”, who was living with Mary. His overseers were John [Nulls?], merchant, Peter [Lonacke?], brewer, and John Peters, scrivener, all of London.
‖1‖ [margin: T[estamentum] Willielmi Paggen] In the name of God Amen the seaventh day of September Anno Dni One Thousand six hundred thirty six In the Twelveth yeare of the reigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God King of England Scotland ffrance and Ireland defender of the faith &c I William Paggen of London Brewer being at this present in good health of body And also of perfect remembrance prayesed therefore be Almighty god yet calling to mynd the uncerteintie of this life and the assurance of death wth the quicknes of the tyme by reason of the present visitacon [the plague] doe therefore in tyme of my good memory and health make and declare this my Testament and last will in writing in forme following
ffirst and before all things I commend and bequeath my soule to God the father sonne and holy Ghost assuredly beleiving through the precious death and meritts of my mercifull Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and remission of all my sinnes and to be saved My body I remitt to the earth to be decently buryed in Christian buriall in the parish church of Allhallowes the greate in London whereof I am a parishioner Att and by the discretion of my wife and my sonne not doubting of a Joyfull resurrection at the last day unto life eternall
And as touching such worldly estate and meanes as it hath pleased god of his mercy to endowe me wth in this vale of misery I dispose devise and bequeath the same as followeth
Item I give and bequeath to my loving wife Mary all and every my goods of houshold stuffe plate and Jewells wch I have above stayres in the ‖2‖ house where I now dwell in the said parish Except all my wearing apparrell and furniture of and belonging to my owne body
And I doe also give and bequeath unto her my said loving wife the full sume of Two thousand poundes of lawfull money of England the wch I will shalbe payd unto her by my Executor of this my Testament and last will in forme following That is to saie wthin six monethes next after my decease five hundred poundes thereof And wthin six Monethes then next after wch wilbe Twelve monethes after my decease five hundred poundes more thereof And wthin six monethes then next ensuing wch wilbe eighteene monethes after my decease five hundred poundes more thereof And wthin six monethes then next ensuing wch wilbe two yeares after my decease the other five hundred poundes residue and in full payment of the said two thousand poundes
And I will that my Executor shall allowe and pay unto her my said wife for and in consideracon of the forbearance thereof from the tyme of my decease untill due paymt thereof shalbe to her made as aforesaid for and towardes her maynetenance interest or consideracon after the rate of seaven poundes per Cent p[er] Annu[m] for every hundred poundes of the said two thousand poundes for so longe tyme as the same shall remayne unpaid unto her after my decease by and according to the said severall tymes and sumes afore herein lymitted proporconed and appoynted for the payment thereof
And moreover I doe give unto my said loving wife Mary all and every my messuages or Tenemts landes and hereditamts whatsoever wth thappurtennnces scituate lying and being in the parish of St Martyn in the Vintry in London To have and to hold the same for and during the whole terme of her naturall life shee keeping and maynetayning of the same and every of them in good and tenantable repaire during all her said terme
And I give and bequeath all and every my said Messuages or Tenements landes and hereditamts wth thappurtennnces from and after my said wives decease unto my loving sonne Peter Paggen To have and to hold to him and his heires and Assignes from thenceforth for ever
Item I give and bequeath to my Nephewe Rayner [Hynskins?] fiftie poundes of lawfull money of England And to my Nephew Arnold [Hynskins?] also fiftie poundes of like money And to the sister of the said Reyner and Arnold Twenty and five poundes of lawfull money of England And to my wives Cousin Elizabeth that is nowe wth her the like sume of Twentie and five poundes of like money
Item I give and bequeath to and amongest the poore people of the parish of Allhallowes the greate aforesaid the sume of Tenne pound sterling the same to be bestowed and distributed unto and amongest the poore people of the said parish where most need is at the discretion of the Parson and Churchwardens for the tyme being of the said parish
Item I give unto the Parson for the tyme being of the parish Church of Allhallowes aforesaid five poundes And to the Curate of the said parish for the tyme being fortie shillings And to the Clerke thereof for the tyme being Twentie shillings of lawfull money of England
Item I give and bequeath to the poore people of or belonging to the congregacon of the dutch Church in London to be delivered for them unto the Deacons of the same Church for the tyme being Six poundes of lawfull money of England And to the Ministers for the tyme being of the said dutch Church to every one of them fortie shillings sterling
Item I will that my brother Henrick Paggen shall not be demaunded or in any wise troubled or molested for any rent or other yearly or other profitt of or for my land wch he holdeth of me in the Countrey of Gulick in the parts of beyond the seas for any tyme past or incurred before the day of my decease And doe by this my will release and discharge him his heires executors and administrators and assignes of and from all such rent and profitt
Item I doe give and bequeath to my loving friendes John [Nulls?] of London merchant Peter [Lonacke?] of London Brewer and John Peters of London Scrivener to every one of them five poundes a peece of lawfull money of England
The rest and residue of all and singuler my goods money debts landes Tenements Chattells meanes and estate whatsoever not before herein by me given or bequeathed I doe fully and wholy give and bequeath to my only and welbeloved sonne Peter Paggen whome I make and ordeyne full and sole executor of this my Testament and last will
And I doe constitute ordeyne and request my said loving friendes John [Nulls?] Peter [Lonacke?] and John Peters to be Overseers of the same praying them as my trust in them is that they wilbe assistant to my Executor to see this my will performed according to my true meaning herein before declared
And I doe declare the reason why I have not made my said loving wife Executrix of this my will is for that I would not have her to be burdened wth the trouble charge and care of execution thereof But doe think it better for her to have her part and porcon of my estate and meanes as I have herein before ‖3‖ appoynted her quietlie to her selfe wthout any trouble or incumbrance The wch I doubt not but she will lovingly so accept according to my intention and good will towardes her
In witnes whereof I have to this my Testament and last will sett my hand and seale dated the day and yeares first before herein written William Paggen
Signed sealed published and declared by the testator as and for his last will and Testament the day of the date (the wordes vizt [wch wilbe Twelve monethes after my decease] [wch wilbe eighteene monethes after my decease] [from the tyme of my decease] in the second leafe [for and towardes her maynetenance] [for so long tyme as the same shall remayne unpaid unto her after my decease] in the third leafe [Curate] in the fourth leafe [for] in the fift leafe [to be] of this my will [thereof] and [it] in this leafe first enterlyned) in the presence of John Peters Scrr Chr: Turnor William [Whittaphe?]
Probatum fuit Testamentum suprascriptum apud London coram venerabili viro Johanne Exton legum Doctore Surrogato venerabilis viri Dni Henrici Marten militis et legum Doctoris Curie Prerogativae Cant[uariensis] Magistri Custodis sive Commissarij legitime constitut[i] Decimo quarto die mensis Septembris Anno Dni Millesimo Sexcentesimo tricesimo Octavo Juramento Petri Paggen filij dicti defuncti et executoris in hui[us]mo[d]i Testamento nominat[i] Cui commissa fuit administracio omnium et singulorum bonorum iurium et creditorum dicti defuncti de bene et fideliter administrand[o] eadem Ad sancta Dei Evangelia Jurat[i] Ex[aminatur]
In English (summary): The will written above was proved at London before John Exton, Doctor of Laws, surrogate of Sir Henry Marten, Knight, also Doctor of Laws, Master, Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, on 14 September 1638, on the oath of Peter Paggen, son of the deceased and executor named in the will. He was granted administration of all the goods, rights and credits of the deceased, having sworn on the Holy Gospels to administer them faithfully.
1. The will begins half way down image 1, below the end of the will of Hugh Hunt the elder, which is not transcribed. The margin heading reads T[estamentum] Willielmi Paggen. Folio 478 is marked at the top of image 2. The will of John Mitchell, sailor, follows it on image 3.
2. The plague. “The quicknes of the tyme by reason of the present visitacon” refers to the plague epidemic of 1636, in which some 10,000 Londoners died.
3. Gulick is the usual English spelling of the time for Jülich (French Juliers), then a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire bordering the Spanish Netherlands.
4. Uncertain names. The nephews’ surname, read here as [Hynskins?], could also be Heynskins or Hinskins. The overseers’ names [Nulls?] and [Lonacke?] are doubtful; the second appears to be written slightly differently in its two places. The last witness, read as William [Whittaphe?], is uncertain. “Chr: Turnor” is Christopher (or Christian) Turnor. John Peters, scrivener, who wrote the will, was both an overseer and a witness.
5. Interlineations. The witnessing clause lists the words added between the lines of the original will before it was signed (the second to fifth “leaves” were the sheets of the original, not the register). They have been placed in the text where they belong.
6. The will is written in a secretary hand. The marks at the line ends are the clerk’s line-fillers and are not transcribed. “Prayesed therefore be Almighty god” is “praised therefore be Almighty God”.
Transcribed from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury register copy by Philip Boys, with Claude, October 2026. Build 1.