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 is known only from his will, dated 5 June 1471 and proved 9 September 1471. It shows that he had a wife Benedict; sons (from oldest to youngest) 65664John, Robert, and William; and daughters Johanne and Agnes. Part of the will is in Latin, and part in English. Below are a transcription and (where necessary) a translation, which no doubt contain numerous errors or oddities, so if you have a correction, please contact me. You can see a bigger image here: 1, 2.1

In dei nomine Amen quinto die menſ̸ Junii anno dm millimo ȼȼȼȼmo lxxo primo.
Ego Alanus Eps de prochia de Brenzete compos ment ⁊ bone memorie condo
testm meu in hunc modu[.] In ṗmis lego anim mea deo omnipotenti be marie virgini
⁊ ombʒ ſtis et corpus meu ad sepeliendum in ȼimitero ecclie Ste Enswithe de Brenzete.
pdict[ae]. Itm do ⁊ lego smmo altari eiuſdm ecclie p decimis ⁊ oblatoibʒ meis oblit — xvi d.
Itm lego ȼurato meo ibm —— viii d. Itm do ⁊ lego ȼlis[?] prōchiali ibm —— vi d.

Modernized Latin without scribal abbreviations:

In dēi nōmine Āmen. Quintō diē mēnsis Junii, annō Dominī mīllēsimō quadringentēsimō septuāgēsimō prīmō.

Ego Ālānus Eps de parōchiā de Brenzete, compos mentis et bonae memoriae, condō

testāmentum meum in hunc modum. In prīmīs legō animam meam Deō omnipotentī, beatae Marīae virginī

et omnibus sānctīs, corpusque meum ad sepeliendum in cimēteriō ecclesiae sanctae Enswithe de Brenzete

praedictae. Item dō et legō summō altārī eiusdem ecclesiae pro decimīs et oblātiōnibus meīs oblītīs — xvi d.

Item legō cūrātō meō ibidem —— viii d. Item dō et legō ecclesiae[?] parōchiali ibidem —— vi d.

English translation:

In the name of God, Amen. On the fifth day of the month of June in the year of our Lord 1471

I Alan Eps of the parish of Brenzett, being of sound mind and good memory, make

my testament in this manner. First I bequeath my soul to Almighty God, to blessed Mary the virgin,

and to all the saints, and my body to be buried in the churchyard of the church of Saint Eanswith of Brenzett

aforesaid. Item I give and bequeath to the high altar of the same church for my forgotten tithes and offerings 16 pence.

Item I bequeath to my curate there 8 pence. Item I bequeath to the parish church there 6 pence.

Itm lego lum Ste Antonij ibm ii d. Item lego lum Ste Crucis ibm — vi d. Itm
lego lm be Marie ibm — vi d. Itm lego lum Ste Anne ibm — vi d. Itm lego lum
Se Katine ibm — vi d. Itm lego Johanne filie mee unam ___ rub color, una
magna patella ___ c___ et ___, una magna olla en    [?] ii candelabra de laton   ,
unam pa___idem[?] ⁊ ii sawcers de pewt unu ___ de ferro[?]. Do doſeyn    de diſc lign   
⁊ do doſeyn de trenchonrs ii par lintham, ii pulvinar[?], ii birr pann russet
⁊ do parte de le fflaxe ii birr de Blanket ⁊ una cista. Itm lego Robto filio
meo — ii birr de russet. Itm lego cuilt filiolor ⁊ filiolar meor — iiii d. residen[?]
___ om bonor meor supris non legator solut debit, legat ⁊ expenſ̸, do ⁊ lego
Benedicte uxi mee ⁊ Stepho Harry, quos quidm Benedict ⁊ Stephn facio ordino
⁊ constituo execut meos p pſentes et[?] ipsī pſens testamentuu meu compleant cum
effeu p ſalute aie mee/ Itm lego Stepho Harvyum[?] execut meor p labore ſuo — ii £[?] uſ d[?]

Modernized Latin without scribal abbreviations:

Item legō lūmen Sanctī Anthōniī ibidem — ii d. Item legō lūmen Sanctae Crucis ibidem — vi d. Item

legō lūmen Beateae Mariae ibidem — vi d. Item legō lūmen Sanctae Annae ibidem — vi d. Item legō lūmen

Sanctae Katerīnae ibidem — vi d. Item legō Johannae fīliae meae ūnam ___ rubri coloris, ūnam

magnam patellam ___ c___ et ___, ūnam magnam ollam aeneam[?], ii candelabra de latōne,

ūnam pa___idem[?] et ii sawcers de pewter ūnum ___ de ferrō[?]. Dō doseyn de discēris ligneīs

et dō doseyn de trencherōnēs ii pares lintheamēnta, ii pulvināria[?], ii birrōs pānnae russātae

et dō partem de le fflaxe ii birrōs de Blanket et ūnam cistam. Item legō Rōbertō fīliō

meō ii birrōs de [pānnā] russātā. Item legō cuilibet filiolōrī́s et filiolarī́s meōrum iiii d. residēn.[?]

___ omnibus bonīs meīs superdictīs nōn legātōrum solūtīs dēbitīs, legātīs et expēnsīs, dō et legō

Benedictae uxōrī meae et Stephānō Harry; quōs quidem Benedictam et Stephānum faciō ordīnō

et constituō executōrēs meōs per praesentes, et[?] ipsī praesēns testamentum meum compleant cum

effectu prō salūte ānimae meae. Item legō Stephānō Harvy-um[?] executōrem meōrum prō labore suō — ii £[?] u s d[?]

English translation:

Item I bequeath the lamp of Saint Anthony there 2 pence. Item I bequeath the lamp of the Holy Cross there 6 pence. Item

I bequeath the lamp of Blessed Mary there 6 pence. Item I bequeath the lamp of Saint Anne there 6 pence. Item I bequeath the lamp of

Saint Catherine there 6 pence. Item I bequeath to my daughter Joanna one ___ of red color, one

large plate ___ ___ and ___, one large bronze[?] pot, two brass lampsticks,

one ___ and two saucers of pewter one ___ of iron[?]. I give a dozen wooden plates

and I give a dozen trenchers, two pairs of linen clothes, two pillows[?], two birruses of red-dyed panne,

and I give part of the flax, two birruses of Blanket and one chest. Item I bequeath to my son Robert

two birruses of red-dyed [cloth]. Item I bequeath to each of my godsons and goddaughters[?] 4 pence from the residue.[?]

To all my goods not aforesaid, after debts, legacies and expenses not yet paid, I give and bequeath

to my wife Benedicta and to Stephen Harry; whom (Benedict and Stephen) I make, appoint,

and constitute my executors by these presents, and may they carry out this my present testament with

effect for the salvation of my soul. Item I bequeath to Stephen Harry, executor, for his labor 2 pounds, 5 shillings, and a pence[?].

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 ffeoffament made to Thomas atte Reche and Willm Benet of Brenzete
forſeide his feoffer of all his landys and tenements wthalle ther appatmnt the
which he hath in the paryſſh of Brenzete forſeid or eff where wtin the shire
of Kent / ffirſt the ſeid Aleyn will that his forſeid feoffer anons[?] aftyr his diſcece
ſhall delyver unto Benet his wiff alle his foreſeid lands ⁊ tent wtall their
appatmnt to have ⁊ hold them to the seid Benet ⁊ to her aſſignes fro the feſte
of ſeynt michell tharchangell next comyng aft the date above writen unto the
ende ⁊ time[?] of xiiij yere kepying the repacon of all the howſes of the seid tenemet
wtoute streſse[?] ⁊ waste / and alſo the ſeid Benet his wiff shall pay unto Robt
his sone yerely aft the tyme he comyth to the age of xiiij yere — xviij d and
to John his oldeſt sone yerely aft the tyme he comyth to the age of xiiij yers -- xij d
unto the time of his wiffs xiiij yere be atte ende. yef ther ſo long lyve / and yef
all his sones deye wtin the time of vij yere or wtin the time of xij yere aft
his diſcece than he woll that all his foreſeid land ⁊ tenement wtall their
appatmnt shall ret̃on to his forſeid feoffes or to their assignes / and then to sell
git[?] the better price which thei kan / and of the money therof receyved he
woll that they ſhall delyver therof to the ſeid Benet his wiff vi mark of
lawfull money of Ingland for the time of yeres beyng behynde of the ſeid
xiiij yere / and yef his sones lyve to the time of xij yers and then dey or þe
time of his wiff xiiij yere be at ende than the ſeid Aleyn woll þt his forſeid
feoffer ſhall pay to the ſeid Benet his wiff — xx s for the time of the latter
ij yere of the ſeid xiiij yere and wt the remennt of the money therof receyvid

he woll that they ſhall pay Johne his doughter — xl s and to Agnes his doughter
xl s þeve any of them leve so longe orell to be diſpoſed for his sawle [soul]. Alſo
he woll that they ſhall ſynde an honeſt and an able preſt ſyngyng in the cherch
of Brenzete by the ſpace ⁊ tyme of an hole yer for his sawle and all crysten [Christian]
sawlys / Also he woll that eche of his feoffes ſhall have therof for her labour
— xx d / And yef any of his ſones lyve aft the time of his wiff xiiij yere
be at ende, than he woll that all his forſeid land & tent wtall their appatmnt
shall retorne to his forſeid feoffes or to their aſſignes / and they to kepe hit unto
the tyme William his yongeſt sone comyth to the age of xxii yer and than
he woll þt his forſeid feoffer or hee ſſignes shall delyv unto his forſeid sones
and to their heir ⁊ poſſeſſion in all the ſeid land ⁊ tent wt her[?]? appatmnt
in ffee simple for evmore forthwith a trewe [true] accounte of þe receyte ⁊ pfit
comyng of the forſeid land & tent wt her appatmnt be their[?] wtin þe ſeid
time[?] of yeris receyvid.

Probatu fuit nono die Septembris anno dm ſupraſcript commiſſarʒ[?] est administraco
executoribus in eodem testomonatis[?].

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,2 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 here1 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: Wikimedia user Poliphilo, "St Eanswith, Brenzett.JPG" (online image, photographed 4 January 2016). Wikimedia <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Eanswith,_Brenzett.JPG>, accessed 4 December 2025.