Isabel Wetherstone b1555

ISABEL WETHERSTONE, was related to Richard Pate, Recorder of Gloucester, perhaps a step-daughter, and was almost certainly born in Gloucester. She was twice married, and by her first husband, Henry Browne, gentleman, she had a son and two daughters. They were then living in the parish of St. Mary de Grace, and she was her husband's residuary legatee and executrix when he died at the end of 1580. His will refers to 'my mother in law Mistress Pates.', whilst one of the overseers was 'Mr. Richard Pate, esq.'

In the May following her husband's death, Isabel Brown was married at Longdon, Worcestershire, to Thomas Wetherstone (c.1560-1597) at that time living at Hill Court in that parish. When he died Thomas Wetherstone left his widow, Isabel, the lease of some property in St. Mary de Grace parish, together with a stable and garden in Grace Lane, now St. John's Lane. The Wetherstones, who were connected with a number of Gloucestershire families of importance, had come from Tewkesbury and acquired Hill Court in 1562, but after the death of Thomas Wetherstone, who left no issue, the estate at Longdon passed to his two sisters, Alice Massinger and Isabel Phelps, whilst his widow, Isabel, gave up her rights to the property in consideration of the sum of £470. Amongst her possessions referred to by her husband's will was a quantity of gold plate which had been given her by her mother, 'Mistress Pate'.

Isabel Wetherstone's bequest to Gloucester would not seem to have been a large one, but even though she left Gloucester and moved away, she did not forget that there were poor people here. By her will she left to her son Henry Browne, the sum of twenty pounds upon condition that he should 'during his liefe and his heyers and Executors after him geve and bestow on Shere Thursdaye yerely for ever fforty shillinges uppon ffortye poore people of the said Cittie is Glouc.' It is not known when she died. Samuel Rudder, writing in 1781, concerning benefactions to the City, stated that 'some are quite lost, as Isabel Wytherington's (sic) 2 pounds per ann.' Her name occurs frequently and incorrectly as 'Wytherington'. The day on which her gift was to be distributed, Shere Thursday, was sometimes known as Shrive Thursday, and was the Thursday in Holy Week.