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In the name
of God Amen the
nineteenth day of April
in the second year of
the reign of our most
gracious sovereign Lord
James by the grace of
God King of England
France Ireland defender
of the Faith etc and of
Scotland the 37th
year of his most
gracious and happy reign
I Edward Leedes of
Benenden in the County
of Kent yeoman being
sick in body but of good
and perfect remembrance
thanks be given to
Almighty God do make
this my present
testament and last will
in manner following viz,
First and principally I
give and bequeath unto
Almighty God creator and
maker my soul that gave
it me hoping and
assuredly believing to
be saved thereby and
merits and blessings and
death of our Lord and
saviour Jesus Christ and
my body to the earth.
Item I will and bequeath
unto the poor people of
the parish of Benenden
twenty shillings of
lawful English money to
be distributed unto the
said poor by my executor
hereafter named at my
burial.
Item I will and bequeath
unto every of my
godchildren 12d a year
to be paid to each of
them by my executor
within one year next
after my decease.
Item I give and bequeath
unto Alse Welles the
daughter of my daughter
Joan now wife of Anthony
Welles the sum of ten
shillings to be paid
unto the said Alse
Welles by my executor
within Five years next
after my decease.
Item I give will and
bequeath unto Elizabeth
Leedes my daughter the
sum of forty pounds of
lawful money of England
to be paid unto the said
Elizabeth Leedes my
daughter by my executor
when my said daughter
shall accomplish and be
of the full years of one
and twenty years of age
and if it shall happen
that my executor shall
marry before my daughter
Elizabeth happen to be
of the age of one and
twenty years then my
very mind is that my
executor shall pay over
into the hands of
Anthony Welles the said
sum of forty pounds
given to my daughter
Elizabeth or else put in
such sufficient bonds
for the payment of the
said forty pounds to my
said daughter at her age
of one and twenty years
as the said Anthony
Welles shall think to be
sufficient. All the
residue of all my
movable goods chattels
and cattles whatsoever
not before given nor
bequeathed I do will and
bequeath unto Margaret
my wife for bringing up
my children in good sort
both with meat drink and
apparel, whom I do make
my sole and whole
executrix of this my
present testament and
last will hoping she
will accomplish this my
present testament and
last will and I have put
the confidence in her to
do. And I do desire
Anthony Welles my
overseer to be aiding
and assisting my wife to
perform this my present
testament and last will.
Concerning the disposing
of all my lands
tenements and
heriditaments in the
parish of Benenden in
the said County of Kent
or elsewhere whatsoever.
This is my last will
made the day and year
aforesaid First I will
that Margaret my wife
shall have to her proper
use and behoof all that
my messuage and lands
with all profits and
commodities whatsoever
for and during the full
term of five years next
after my decease upon
condition that she the
said Margaret my wife do
maintain all the said
tenements and buildings
well and sufficiently
repaired with all
needful reparations and
do not commit any wilful
or voluntary waste of
the said lands or any of
them and after the said
five years be expired my
very mind and will it is
that if Sara Leedes my
daughter shall have hold
possess and enjoy all
that my said tenement
messuage buildings and
lands with all and
singular their
apputanances whatsoever
that I do now dwell in
to her heirs forever to
have hold possess and
enjoy the said messuage
and lands with all
securities and
commodities whatsoever
to the said Sara Leedes
my said daughter and to
her heirs for ever in
fee simple provided
always and my very mind
and will is that if Sara
my daughter shall happen
to decease and leave
this her mortal life
before she accomplish
the years of one and
twenty years of age and
without heirs of her
body lawfully begotten
then my very mind and
will is that Joan Welles
now the wife of the said
Anthony Welles my said
daughter shall hold
possess and enjoy the
said messuage lands and
buildings with their
apputanances to her the
said Joan Welles and her
heirs in fee simple
forever. And my very
mind is that if the
lands happen to come and
descend to Joan my
daughter then my very
mind and will is that
Joan Welles or Anthony
Welles or either of them
or their heirs executors
administrators or
assigns of either of
them shall pay unto my
daughter Elizabeth
Leedes the sum of four
score pounds of good and
lawful money of England
to be paid unto her
within two years next
after the death and
decease of the said
Sara Leedes and if Sara
Leedes happen to die and
leave this life then I
will that the twenty
pounds of the forty
before given to
Elizabeth Leedes shall
not be paid to her but
remain in the hands of
my executrix and she to
have but only twenty
pounds of my stock.
Item I will and bequeath
and I do give unto Joan
Welles my said daughter
the sum of twenty pounds
of lawful English money
to be paid unto her or
heirs two years next
after the death and
decease of Margaret my
wife by Sara Leedes my
daughter and if Sara my
daughter do refuse to
pay the said twenty
pounds then it shall be
lawful to the said Joan
Welles or her assigns to
enter in all my said
messuages and lands and
to profit of the same
until the said sum of
twenty pounds be to her
paid and satisfied.
Item I give will and
bequeath unto Margaret
my wife after the term
of the said five years
the sum of four pounds
yearly and every year
during the term of her
natural life to be paid
unto the said Margaret
at four usual terms of
the year out of my said
messuage and lands that
I now dwell in viz:
at
the feast of the
announciation of the
blessed Mary the Virgin
Saint John the Baptist
Saint Michael the
Archangel and the
Nativity of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ and
if it should happen the
said yearly rents or
four parts or any part
or parcel of the same to
be behind and unpaid by
the space of eight days
after any of the said
feasts it then and at
all times after it shall
be lawful to and for the
said Margaret and to her
assigns into my said
messuage and tenements
and lands and into every
part and parcel of the
same to enter and
thereto distrain and the
distress or distresses
then and there so had
and taken from these
lawfully to take lend
drive bear and carry
away and the same to
hold and keep until the
said yearly rent of four
pounds be unto her fully
and wholly satisfied
contented and paid
together with all
damages and expenses by
the occasion had and
sustained.
Further I do give will
and bequeath unto
Margaret my wife yearly
and every year during
the term of her natural
life and the profit and
fruit that shall come
and grow of the four
pipping trees and one
rysminge tree being a
red rysminge and the
four other trees to be
her choice.
Also I will that my wife
shall have the use of
the parlour and the
chamber over the parlour
and one little chamber
at the end of the
chimney and one small
buttery under the stairs
that leads to the
parlour chamber with
free liberty of ingress
and regress to the said
parlour buttery and
chamber during her
natural life without let
molestation vexation or
trouble of any person or
persons who or whatever
and to have free liberty
to fetch water at the
sermer to the house and
there to wash and dry
her linen or other
necessaries and a place
to lay wood in and to
further to have the
keeping of one cow
yearly and every year
during her natural life
to be kept in the
grounds pertaining to
the messuage both summer
and winter and she to
have the profits of the
said cow and to renew
the said cow so ought as
she shall think meat and
corn unto and finally my
mind and will it is that
if my wife depart and
leave this her mortal
life before the five
years be expired that
which she is to have the
profit of my house and
lands in this my very
mind is that Elizabeth
my daughter shall have
the rents of my house
and lands so many years
as my wife shall happen
to leave unexpired of
the said five years of
which my wife should
have had if she had
lived and this I finish
and end this my present
testament and last will
made the day and year
aforesaid present at the
reading and declaring
thereof Edward Marsden
John Sharpe Edward Fowle
PRC17/53f227 |
