Lovell begins with the usual dedication to God and Saint Mary, and desires to be buried in the chapel of Halywell (also known as Holywell) priory in Shoreditch.

Lovell was the principal patron of the priory and had a house there, which he bequeaths to his nephew Francis (see Part 4).

Following the Dissolution, the priory went on to become the location of The Theatre and was recently excavated by the Museum of London

In the name of Almighty God the Father

Son and the Holy Ghost and Our Blessed Lady Saint Mary, amen.

The tenth day of December in the year of our Lord God a thousand five hundred twenty and two, and in the year of the reign of my Sovereign Lord King Henry the Eighth the 14th

I Sir Thomas Lovell, Knight, being of whole and good mind and perfect memory, ordain and make my last will and testament as hereafter follows:

First, I bequeath my soul to Almighty God and to Our Lady Saint Mary and to all the saints of Heaven, and to all the good prayers of all good Christian people.

And my body after this transitory life, if it stand with the pleasure of God, to be buried within the monastery of nuns called Halywell besides London, in a little chapel which was by me the same Sir Thomas Lovell caused to be made.

And immediately after my death, I desire and will my executors to cause my body to be brought and conveyed to the chapel in the nunnery aforesaid in honest manner and not pompously, there to be buried.

Item: I remit to the discretion of my executors to cause service to be done at Dirge and Mass as convenient may be.

Item: I will there be said within the monastery aforesaid the day of my burying one hundred Masses, and that every priest that there shall say the said Masses have eight pence.

Item: I will that my executors, for such service as shall be done by the nuns of the same place, I will that my executors give to them five pounds thirteen shillings and four pence.

Item: I desire and will my executors to cause to be delivered of my goods in alms the day of my burying to every poor man and woman four pence and to every child assembled 2 pence.

Item: I will it be desired by my executors of the Prioress of nuns of Halywell that they all together, if disease and sickness let not, that the year after my burying once in the day every day in the foresaid year come unto the tomb where within their place I shall be buried and together say Deprofundis for my soul.

And they be agreed I will my executors give unto them immediately ten pounds.

Item: I will if I establish not in my lifetime, two priests to say and pray for me in my chapel where I shall be buried, then I will that my executors shall purvey and establish them there to pray for the souls of King Henry the 7th, the souls of me, my wife, my father, my mother. And the said priests, every of them before they go to Mass and at the time even as they shall go to Mass, for to stand at the tomb and say Deprofundis, so that all they that shall be within the said chapel may hear the saying thereof for the souls aforesaid, openly to be remembered.

Item: I will the said priests say in the said chapel Placebo and Dirge two days in the week for to pray for the souls aforesaid and all Christian souls.

Index Part 2