Gagnepain, 15 December 1591
From Rev. George Lee's MSS, copied in [Staff] Inq. post mortem &c, XI, p. 66. The Gagnepains were a well-off family in Guernsey and Sark with extensive interests in England. Also a note concerning the Norman Mansel or Mancel family.
Louis de Vic, Bailiff; Nicollas Careye, Jean de Beauvoir, Pierre Carey, jurats.
Edouard Gagnepain son of Henry appeared in person as representing his brother Pierre currently residing in London. Sold to Jean Effart son of Thomas of St Peter Port one twelfth of Le Moulin de la Mer next to the presbytery of the Town Church. Guillaume Ollivier son of Collas of the contrée des Hubits in St Martin; Reynolde Ollivier daughter of John of St Martin; James le Rossignol guardian of his daughter Marie in right of his wife Jeanne daughter of John le Retilley; Collas Mauger son of Collas of the contrée de Blanchelande; rent due to said John Effart in right of his mother Collette daughter of Nicollas de la Marche and Collyche Martin daughter of John. [For James Gagnepain, see Livre de Perchage 1573.]
11 March 1591: Guillaume Ollivier son of Collas, the said Collas being son of John of the parish of St Martin the contrée des Hubits acknowledges a debt to Jean Effart son of Thomas of St Peter Port.
4 December 1599: Jean Le Page [Paige] son of Guillaume of St Martin, Samuel Le Feyvre, guardians of Collete Le Paige daughter of Pierre [Piers], the said Pierre being son of Guillaume, and Jean Alles son of Collas of St Saviour by right of Marguerite his wife daughter of the aforesaid Pierre Le Paige son of Guillaume acknowledge a debt to Jean Effart son of Thomas of St Peter Port.
2 June 1600: Louis de Vic Bailiff, Pierre de Beauvoir & Nicolas Martin Jurats. Gyrard Bayeulx [Girard Bailleul?] of Normandy presently residing in Câtel parish, who in right of his wife Catherine daughter of Richard Mancell,¹ and this by right of Cecille Petevin, his wife's mother, acknowledges having sold to Jean Saumarez son of Nicollas of St Peter Port [..... from] Jean Brouard son of Jean of the parish of St Saviour.
Samuel Gagnepain, the King's Prevost, died in February of 1673/4 and was buried in St Peter Port.
Studer, Southampton Port Books, 1913, p. 33. 1427-28. Entre le Gracieu de Guernesy/ Mestre John Gaynepain: Le dit Mestre: j tone j pipe de vin—cust. vj d. ; a deschargé a Langestone iij peces de tele de cres [crestcloth]—cust. vj d. ; i fardel, contient ij C demi de canevas—cust. v d.Summa xij s. iiij d. ob.
Will of Nicolas Gagnepain
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen. I, Nicolas Gagnepain, resident in the parish of St Peter Port, having taken to my bed ill in my body but sound of mind, and considering that there is nothing more certain than death, and more uncertain than the hour of our passing, having called upon God I wish to speedily make my last will and testament, as follows:
First, I recommend my soul to our good God and Father, praying that He will wipe away my sins and offences and will receive me as one of His poor faithful servants in the name and favour ooif his beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I wish my body to be buried in the place where usually are laid to rest the bodies of Christians awaiting general resurrection.
To deal with the goods that God has given me, I leave appoint my four children as executors, individually and equally, so that they will remain at peace one with the other once they have done their duty in administering and distributing my aforesaid belongings following the customary procedures, giving them the power and authority that is accorded to legally appointed and genuine executors.
I desire very much that Thomas Le Marchant provide help and advice to my four children in this.
All this is done the 21 January 1582 in the presence of Johan Peszet [John Pezet], Johan Henry [John Henry] and Collas Henry in the said parish of St Peter Port by me in the correct way.
We, John De Vic, vice-dean, prove this with our seal, February 1583. [From Various MSS 1500-1510, in the Library, Staff B.]
Will of Samuel Gagnepain
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
I, Samuel Gagnepain, Junior, being very ill in my body but sound in mind, blessd be the Lord, I wanted to make this, my last will and testament, in the following manner, knowing full well that it is ordered that all men should die, and that the hour of our death is uncertain, I commend my spirit to God the Father my Creator, to Jesus Christ my Saviour, and to the Holy Spirit, my comforter. I commend my body to my dearly beloved wife and to all my friends to bury it where the faithful are usually buried in this parish. Concerning my worldy goods which God has been pleased to give me, I give to the poor of this parish of SPP 11 livres tournois. And to my sister, the wife of Sieur Jean Bord, ten livres tournois. I give all the rest of my wordly goods to my dear wife Marie Gagnepain, without her being accountable to anyone [for it], with the requiremenrt that she becomes the guardian of and sees to the education of the children that God has given us, and to provide them with living expenses, until they die or are married, as a good and faithful mother should; for this to be accomplished I leave my aforementioned beloved wife as executor of my last wishes, anulling thus any previous wills I may have made, declaring them null and void. And because of my illness I wish the Sieurs Jean Guille, Estienne Agenor, and Jean Roland to sign this my last will and testament. Drawn up in SPP on Monday 31st 1688.
And these men have thus signed: J Guille, Estienne Agenor, and Jean Roland. Will proved before PEter Bonamy, surrogate of the Reverend John de Saumarez, 10 February 1688/9. [As above, XX.]
¹ He was probably one of the Norman Mancell family mentioned in W C L de Guérin, Our Kin, Guernsey: Clarke, 1890, p. 113. This branch of the Mansell family was extinct at the time of the book's writing, but was thought to have originated in Normandy in the early 16th century, a theory perhaps borne out by this contract. 'François Bacon, dit St Martin, natif de Falaise en Normandie' married Elizabeth Mancel on the 29th April 1686 [Our Kin, p. 14, note: Eliz. was the daughter of Peter Mansell, of Guernsey, by his wife Anne Bird or Bord.']. In a letter under seal of 27 November 1558, Johan 'Mansees' son of Collas of St Saviour admits to owing a sum of money to Pierre Brehaut son of Pierre resident of St Andrew, in the form of rent to be taken from the estate of the said John Mansees. The document is endorsed 'To Richard Brehaut on Johan Mansees.' [From Various MSS 1500-1510, in the Library, Staff B.]