The Will of Robert Jenkins - Including Inventory

 

Summary: Testator:                           Robert Jenkins (1), gent, of Bremhill, Wiltshire Son and daughter-in-law:  Robert and Mary Jenkins (2) Son:                                  Richard Jenkins (3) Daughters:                        Anne, Mary (4), Joan, Margaret and Elizabeth (5) Jenkins Wife and executrix:           Joan Jenkins (6) Signed:                             24 November 1670 Overseers:                        Robert Gabye and William Gabye of Bromham, Wilts Witnesses:                        John Holyhead and Joan Somers Probate:                           Granted at Chippenham 10 May 1672 to Thomas Henchman and Arthur Wilkes   Notes: Testator (1602-1670) was the son of an earlier Robert Jenkins of Bremhill; he married twice and had children by both wives; Robert (1636-1716), testator’s eldest son by his first wife Katherine Salmon (1612-1639) married Mary Flower of Melksham; Richard (c 1643-1702) was testator’s eldest son by his second wife, Joan (d 1693); he was Vicar of Frome, Somerset from 1672 until his death; he married and had twelve children; Anne and Mary were testator’s daughters by his first wife; Joan, Margaret and Elizabeth were testator’s daughters by his second wife; Testator’s wife Joan survived her husband and died about 1693, leaving a will with an extensive inventory; her maiden name is not known.   Source: Wiltshire and Swindon History Center, Will of Robert Jenkins (1670), P3/IJ/109   Text: Will: In the name of God, Amen.  The twenty fourth day of November in the two and twentieth year of our sovereign lord King Charles the second, by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, etc, I, Robert Jenkins the elder of Bremhill in the county of Wilts, gent, being weak in body but of good and perfect memory, praised be God, do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following: First, I bequeath my soul to Almighty God and my body to the earth from whence it came, hoping for a joyful resurrection only through the death and passion of our lord and saviour Jesus Christ; And as for my worldly goods, as followeth: Imprimis, I give and bequeath unto the poor of Bremhill aforesaid twenty shillings, to be distributed in bread; Item, I give unto Robert Jenkins my son twenty shillings, and Mary his wife twenty shillings; Item, I give unto my son Richard Jenkins ten shillings, unto my daughter Anne Jenkins twenty shillings, and unto my daughter Mary Jenkins ten shillings, these legacies to be bestowed in mourning rings; Item, I give unto my daughter Anne the great brass pot; Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Joan Jenkins one hundred pounds; Item, I give unto my daughter Margaret Jenkins one hundred pounds; Item, I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Jenkins one hundred pounds; to be paid to them and every of them at their several ages of one and twenty years, or before at the day of their several marriages, provided they marry with the consent and approbation of my executrix afterwards to be mentioned; and if it shall please God that either of my four daughters last named shall die unmarried, then shall the money given to either of them so dying be equally divided amongst the rest of those daughters last named upon this my will and testament; All the rest of my goods and chattels, movable or unmovable of what kind soever not herein before bequeathed, my debts and legacies being paid and my funeral expenses discharges, I give and bequeath unto my wife Joan Jenkins, whom I ordain and make my whole executrix of this my last will and testament, revoking all former wills by me made; And I do entreat Robert Gabye of Bromham in the county of Wilts aforesaid and William Gabye of the parish and county aforesaid, my loving friends, to be overseers of this my will, to see it performed and for their pains in this behalf I give unto them five shillings apiece; In witness whereof that this is my last will and testament, I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written // Robert Jenkins // Signed, sealed, published and declared in the presence of us // John ?Holyhead, his mark // Joan ?Somers, her mark //     Probate: (in Latin) was given at Chippenham 10 May 1670 to Thomas Henchman and Arthur Wilkes     Inventory: An inventory of all the goods, chattels and debts of Robert Jenkins the elder of Bremhill in the county of Wilts, deceased, taken, valued and priced the seventh day of December the two and twentieth year of the reign of our sovereign Lord King Charles the second, by grace of God, King of England, etc Anno Domini 1670, by William Dyke and William Gaby of Bromham in the county aforesaid, as followeth, viz:   £ s d Imprimis, his wearing apparel at 10 00 00 Item, in ready money in his house when he died 24 00 00 Item, debts due by specialty 39 05 00 Item, due more from Robert Jenkins, junior, without specialty 20 00 00        In the Hall       Item, two table boards and two carpets, seven joint stools, two chargers, five turkey cushions, two velvet cushions, a glass cupboard and glasses, wainscot about the room, two iron andirons, five pans and tongs 05 00 00        In the chamber over the Hall       Item, one standing bedstead, one feather bed and two feather bolsters, two feather pillows covered with tyke [ticking], three blankets, one green rug, curtains and valances, one pair of iron dogs and tongs, one little chair, four worked stools, one cupboard and one chest 08 00 00        In the new chamber       One bedstead, one feather bed, two pillows, two bolsters covered with tyke, two blankets, one red rug, curtains and valances, one bed case, one chair, one side table board, one coffer 06 00 00        In the chamber over the entry or passage       One bedstead, one feather bed, two pillows, one bolster of feathers, one flock bolster, two pair of blankets, one rug, one coverlet, curtains and valances, one trunk, two cupboards, a box on a frame, one coffer, one chest, two boxes 05 10 00        In silver and plate       One tankard, one bottle, one bowl,[bottom of the page missing] 09 10 00        In ??? [top of page missing]       …, one standing bedstead, two ??? bedsteads, one feather bed, three flock beds, one red rug, five coverlets, blankets nine, three bolsters, seven pillows, one chest, one press with two cupboards, two trunks, one splat chair, two coffers, seven boxes, one desk, one beating hurdle, one ?malt tub, one pistol, one barrel of a gun, and other lumber 10 10 00        In the chamber over the white house       One bedstead, one flock bed and one bolster, two coverlets, three blankets, two milk tankards with other lumber 03 05 00        In the cheese loft       One table board and frame, shelves and cheese tack, cheese scales with an iron beam and several weights 13 00 00        In the white house       One cheese press, one ?silt ?trow, one butter churn, five pails, four keeves, one cheese ?kowle, with other lumber 01 10 00        In the buttery       One table board, one safe, nine ?barrels, one case of knives, one leather bottle, one wood bottle, one ?foarsend 02 00 00        In the kitchen       Four chamber pots, four pewter candle sticks, one pewter salt cellar, thirty pewter dishes, one pewter still, one pewter flagon, two pewter cups, six small pewter dishes, with other pewter 06 05 00        More in the kitchen       One brass furnace, five brass pans, four brass pots, three brass kettles, two brass skillets, one warming pan, one ?skimmer, two brass ladles, two brass ?spice mortars, one pestle, six spits two dripping pans, one gridiron, three pair of pothooks, one pair of andirons, one toasting iron, one pair of dogs, two fire pans, one mincing knife, one pair of snuffers, two smoothing irons, one ?jack, two table boards, five joint stools, one box in a stool, and other lumber 13 10 00 Item, four flitches of bacon 03 00 00 Item, in the pigsty, one hog pig and four ?store pigs 02 00 00 Item, in the back side and outhouses, one malt mill, one pump, wood, ?rick ?stavell stones, and lumber 03 00 00 In the garden, seven stocks of bees 02 06 00 In the stable, one mare, bridle and saddle 05 10 00 In the barn, hay with other lumber 05 10 00 In the ?field, one rick of ?hay 06 00 00 [bottom and top of pages damaged or missing]       … cows, two heifers, one bull and three yearlings 27 10 00        Item, in linen       One pair of Holland sheets, five Holland pillow, two pair of fine Dowlas sheets, two pair of fine Dowlas pillow boxes, three pair of coarse Dowlas pillow boxes, six pair of flaxen sheets, six pair of canvas sheets, three bolster cases, five fine table cloths, three coarse table cloths, four dozen of table napkins, three side board cloths, four towels fine and others coarse, two fine cupboard cloths 18 03 00 Item, one great English bible and other books 00 10 00 Item, the executrix’s year for the three copyholds in Bremhill and one in Bewdley in the parish of Lacock 80 00 00 Sum total 330 14 00   // Willm: Dyke Willm: Gaby// [A Latin footnote in a different hand] Exhibit decimo Mai 1672 per executrix ….