Testum Henrici Druce de Winkfield in Com Berks at Sarum Dicet

In the name of God Amen the Thirtieth day of November in the year of our Lord God 1728 I Henry Druce of the Parish of Winkfield in the County of Berks (Smith) being infirm in Body but of sound and perfect mind and Memory praised be Given to Allmighty God for the same knowing the Uncertainty of this Life on Earth do make and Ordain this my Last Will & Testament (that is to say) ffirst & Principally I Comend my Soul to Almighty God who gave it hopeing to receive free pardon of all my Sins and to be saved by the precious death and merits of my Deer Redeemer Christ Jesus And my Body to the Earth to be buried in such decent & Christian Manner as to my Executor hereafter named shall be thought meet & convenient And as touching my Worldly Estate I give & dispose of the same in the following manner and forme Imprimis I give to my Son George one shilling I give to my Son Thomas my lower Smith Shop wherein he now is & worketh and alsoe all my Working Tools therein belonging to the said Shop the same to possess and enjoy immediately after my Decease Allsoe I give to my said Son Thomas the Sum of Thirty Pounds of lawfull money of Great Britain to be paid to him after the decease of me and Susan my Wife Item all the rest of my Goods and Chattells and allsoe all my reall Estate I give to Susan my Wife to Possess and Enjoy the same so long as she shall remain A Widdow but if she shall fortune to be Marryed again then she shall Enjoy onely the Third part of my real Estate Item I give to George the Son of my Son George the sum of Twenty pounds Allsoe I give to the Two daughters of my said Son George namely Susan & Dorothy the Sum of Ten pounds Apeice of lawfull money of Great Britain Upon condition that my said Son George shall suffer his Mother peaceably to enjoy all that my Coppy hold land called Lees in the Parish of Warfield in the aforesd county of Berks Dureing the Term of her Naturall Life Item I give to the two Daughters of my Son John namely Deborah and Hanah each of them the sum of Ten Pounds of lawfull money of Great Britain Item I give to my five Daughters namely Alice Susan Rachell Elizabeth & Sarah each of them the sum of fourscore pounds of lawfull money of Great Britain but if any or either of my said Daughters or either of my above named Granddaughters shall happen to dye before either of their above Legacies shall become payable that then Her or their part & portion hereby given as aforesaid to either of them shall be be equally divided between the rest of the said Sisters that then shall remain alive Lastly I give unto my Son John his Heirs and Assignes all my reall and personall Estate after the decease of Susan my Wife upon Condition that he shall pay all the aforesaid Legacies hereby given to his said Brothers & Brothers Children and Sisters above named out of my said reall Estate within one whole year after the decease of the said Susan my Wife Allso I give to my said Son John my Vise which is in my working room And I doe hereby Nominate Constitute and appoint my said Son John to be full & whole Executor of this my Will & Testament In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand & Seale the day & yeare first above written /Henry Druce/

William Attlee
John Boyer his marke
Edw Skinner

Proved 23 July 1729
Wiltshire Record Office

This Will was kindly  transcribed and sent in by Ros.

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