This is the transcribed will of Walter Buckner of Longcombe (Combe), Oxfordshire, England, 1579 (Oxfordshire Record Office 186.103; 3/1/2)
This is a strange will. Much of the traditional preamble has been omitted, and no probate information has been given, so it may never have been probated. Certainly, the numerous deficiencies and irregularities in it might have caused problems. The one part dealing with land has been damaged, though it seems to have devised what there was to his father, Christopher Buckner. It was also clearly not written by a professional scrivener. One has to feel sorry for his widow, who seems to have inherited little more than a long list of outstanding debts from the likes of one Palmer of Stonesfield. Like his father Christopher, Walter seems to have been a husbandman of sheep but also a copious borrower and lender. More than likely, Walter Buckner, a tailor of London in the early 1600s, was a nephew or great nephew of this Walter. The will names an interesting array of people and places, though many of them are spelled in such idiosyncratic ways as to defy identification. Walter's will seems so hastily written that I would have to assume that his demise was imminent at the time of writing.
By some odd coincidence, there is also a record of the administration of the estate of Walter Buckiner" by his wife Alice in Maydeston, Kent in 1571, but I don't think there's any connection. The name is probably actually a misreading of "Buckmere" or "Buckmer."
I've tried to preserve the line arrangement so anyone who wants can compare this to the original image. I don't claim perfection, and there are some things that can be interpreted different ways. The notation {ER} and such indicates a superscript abbreviation. These are common in period documents, though sometimes they can be a little idiosyncratic.
Date of will: 22 Aug 1579
Probate: none given
People named in the will:
In the name of god Ame~ the xxiith daye of Augost in the yere of ou{r} Lord god A thousa~
fyve hundred Seventie and Nyne I Walter Buckner of Longcombe beinge
sycke in bodye, but in whole and p{er}fite in mynd and memory, laud and prayse
be unto Almightie god, I doo make and ordayne this my laste will and testamente
prim{is} I geve and bequethe my Soule unto Almightie god my maker and redeemer
and verelie hope to be saivd by the bludsheedinge of our savior Jesus Christe
and my bodie to be buried w{ith}in the p{ar}ishe Church yeard of Longcombe A
fore sayd I gieve to the mother Church in Oxon ijd Ite~ I gieve to my p{ar}ishe
Church of Combe iijs iiijd Ite~ I bequeth unto the poore w{ith}in the p{ar}ishe
of Longecombe xs to be destributed at my buriall at the descretio~ of my
overseers / Ite~ I bequeth unto Walter Boughts my godson A yew sh[iep]
Ite~ I gieve unto Edward Buckner of Handborowgh [i?] ew shiep[?] Ite~ I bequeth
unto John Reddberd of Handborowgh vis that he doth owe me Ite~ I beque
unto Nicolas Buckner my Brother one ~~~[?] qu{ar}t{er} of Barlye ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ite~ I bequeth unto my Brother Thomas Buckner one vii[?] qu{ar}t{er}[?] of Barl[ye?]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ and on Bollocke / Ite~ I bequeth unto my cosen Agnis ~
Hyorne of Sutto~ under braylies A shippe [sheep?] / Ite~ I doe ac[?]knowledge my selfe
to owe unto my Brother Nicolas Buckner vili / Ite~ I doe Acknowledg
my selfe to owe unto Edward Buckner of Handborowgh xxvis viijd
Ite~ I bequeth unto Xp~ofer Buckner my Father a halfe acar of feches by
one acar waye upo~ the which all ma[*****************]wh[***************************]
Xp~ofer Buckner and the sayd wal[e?] are c[***]ely[***********************]
I bequeth unto Agnis Buckner my mot[her?***] ew shiep Ite~ I beq[u]eth
unto my Brother Nicolas my best Dublat and my best shurte ITe~ I beq[th?]
unto my Brother Thomas my best Jurkyn Ite~ I bequeth unto Richard
Kinges my best hose Ite~ I bequeth unto Peeter Bates my second
hose/ Ite~ I bequeth unto John Ripingall my best hatt / Ite~ Thomas
Kynges my Father in law of Ledwell^do owe meviijlo[?]xs of the which I have receave[d?]
in p{ar}te of payment iij qua{r}ters of Barlye Ite Amboros Warrin of Farne[?]
borow Vuawle[?] w{ith} Mr Raulie[?] do owe mee xxxvs which I bequeth unto
Allice Buckner my wyff whom I doe mak my full executrix of this
my laste wyll and Testament Ite on Pulme{r} of Stonffyld owet[h?]
me x shippe or else xxvjs viijd and for the haer of the sa[y?d] shippe[?]
which I bequeth unto Allis my wyffe Ite~ I geve unto William
Dykes of Handborowe iijs iiijd that he dothe owe me Ite I beque[th]
unto henry huffyll[?] my letherne Dublat all the shipp that I hav[e?]
geve~ by this my last will and Testament, to be deliverd w{ith}in ^on monnethe
after my deseas Ite~ Willia~ Heathen of Ca[v?]cam[?] doo owe me vs
vjd which I bequeth unto Allis Buckner my wyfe all the rest of
my goodes moveables and unmoveables ^unbequethed my dettes payed, and my legaties
fulfilled and my funall expences discharged
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also I doe make and ordayne Allis Buckner my wyfe my full
Exe~ricties of this my laste will and Testament / also I doo Apoynt
and ordayne xp~ofer Buckner, and Willa~ Boughton overseers of this my
last will and Testament/ having for there paynes xijd A peece
and all other wylles, Testaments Legaties bequethes Executors and
overseers I utterly revoke and ad null, by me by fore this ti{me} made
willed or bequethed witnis heare unto
ove{r}see{r}s xp~ofer Buckner xijd John Houhe curate {havinge for
there payne~
Willia~ Boughto~ xijd John Harriat xijd A peece}