From the 1560 PCY copy of the will of Rawffe Vycars of Old Malton

The opening of the PCY copy of the 1572 will of Thomas Conghen, alderman and JP of Nottingham

The opening of the PCY copy of the 1571 will of Lawrence Fox, husbandman of Eccleshall

The opening of the PCY copy of the 1571 will of Thomas Sysson of Hessle

The opening of the PCY copy of the 1570 will of William Otis of Weatley

The opening of the PCY copy of the 1570 will of Richard Hezlewood of Kingston upon Hull

In its records of wills in the PC of York registers, Ancestry records 629 testators from the town of Mynd. What the text will actually say in these cases is that the individual while sick in body is sound of mynd, or equivalent. Corrections today . . .😣

There's a lot going on in this PCY copy of the will of Robert Holtby of Skringham. Serpents and a dog!

John Watson of Sherburn also has a serpent in his mouth. He does, however, have his dog as company.

The opening of the PCY copy of the 1570 will of William Dibb, husbandman of Staynburne. A serpent disappearing down the throat has replaced the ivy leaf clenched between the teeth.

The opening of the PCY copy of the 1570 will of George Jacson of Burley, husbandman.

1570 The opening of the PCY copy of the will of Percival Walker of Harwood

The capital I of "In the name of God Amen" resembles a caterpillar.

The scribe of this PCY copy of the 1573 will of James Darvill of Carleton Nottinghamshire might have been observing the local caterpillars!

Facial doodle in the capital 'I' opening the 1556 will of Genet Sheppeard of Sulland. The face has an ivy leaf clenched between its teeth.

1556 Opening of the PCY copy of the will of Genet Sheppeard of Sulland.

I have found 25 examples of the ivy leaf clenched between the teeth in York wills, but not one in PC of Canterbury wills. Are they the work of a single Catholic scribe, whose resistance ended with the death of Queen Mary?

Detail from the Prerogative Court of York (PCY) copy of the 1558 will of Thomas Ramsom of Harlethropp, showing the symbolic ivy leaf clasped between his teeth.

Detail from the Prerogative Court of York (PCY) copy of the 1558 will of Thomas Day of Hovingham, showing the symbolic ivy leaf clasped between his teeth.

Detail from the Prerogative Court of York (PCY) copy of the 1558 will of William Paslow of Gaytford, showing the symbolic ivy leaf clasped between his teeth.

The PCY copy of the opening of the will of Henry Miles of Wintringham, proved in 1558.

What is it between his teeth? I now believe that it's an ivy leaf (excuse me if this was obvious to everyone else!), a Christian symbol of eternal life and eternal love. This symbol was later to evolve into the red heart used for the playing card suit.

Facial doodles in PCY copies of wills tend, in general, to be coarser than PCC examples. However the years 1577 and 1558 have proved to be a rich seam, with many cartoons including a symbol that perplexed me. Here is a detail from the will of Henry Miles of Wintringham.

An overlooked period of English history . . .

Opening of the PCY copy of the will of John Watson of Withernwick, proved in 1533.

The lower extract is from the will of Dame Joan Chamberlyn of the parish of St John the Baptist

Page 68 of Reg. 6 on ancestry.co.uk

PCY copy of the will of Thomas Wanforth of Lastingham (top)

The opening of the Prerogative Court of York copy of the will of Robert Hogeson, proved on 27th August 1502.

Here is the opening of the copy of the will of Robert Clay, made by the Prerogative Court of York. The will was proved on 22nd October 1502.

Please let me know if you find one in the 'missing' years!

The incidence of #inhabited_initial in PCC wills between 1487 and 1581. There is then a break of over a hundred years, without a single one, until a sudden rush of 27 examples in 1690.

This may be the first face to appear in the PCC wills.