Will of Henry Lucas the elder of Little Crakehall, 26th August 1676



In the name of God Amen. I Henry Lucas of Crakehall the Elder in the County of York yeoman, being of good health in body and sound and perfect mind and memory praise be given to almighty God do make and ordain this my present last will and testament in manner and form following : 
That is to say, first and primarily I commend my soul into the hands of almighty god hoping through the merits, death and passion of my saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and so inherit everlasting life and my body I comit to the earth to be decently buried where and at the discretion of my executors hereafter named. And as touching the disposing of my real and personal estate which it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof as follows - 
first I will that my debts and ..........all charges shall be payed and discharged, and in discharge thereof I give unto my two brothers Oliver Lucas and John Lucas all and every of my messuages, cottages, lands, tenements and hereditaments situate, lying and being in Little Crakehall, Great Crakehall, Langthorne and Melmerby in Coverdale in the County of York aforesaid in manner and form following - 
that is to say I give unto my brother Oliver Lucas all that messuage or mansion house wherein I now live, with all my houses, buildings, cottages, barns, stables, milnes, kilnes, orchards, gardens garths, backsides to the same belonging and the moiety or the one half of all my lands of arable, meadow and pasturage lying and being within the several townships of Little Crakehall, Great Crakehall, Langthorne and Melmerby aforesaid, to have and to hold the same unto my said brother Oliver, his heirs and assigns for ever. 
And I give unto my said brother John Lucas all that messuage or mansion house in Little Crakehall aforesaid which I heretofore purchased amongst other lands from the trustees of John Johnson late of Little Crakehall, to have and to hold the same unto my said brother John Lucas, his heirs and assigns for ever (only excepting and severing forth from the same the east end of the messuage from the entry or the narrow passing thereof which heretofore I purchased from the trustees of the said late deceased John Johnson with a way to the same in at the old garth yatte to the back door thereof, and the orchard belonging to the same messuage, which I give unto my loving wife Christabell during her natural life). 
I give unto my said brother Oliver Lucas one farm in Great Crakehall which I now hold by and under the demise of one Abraham Cartwright esq. and one other farm lying within Newton in the Willows which I now hold by and under the demise of the right Honble Robert, Earl of Ailsbury and all my right and title therunto, and I give and bequeath unto my said two brothers Oliver Lucas and John Lucas all the rest of my goods, cattle and chattels whatsoever, they paying forth of my real and personal estate all my debts equally betwixt them. And do make my said two brothers sole executors ...... 


Witnesses Joseph Chapman, John Whitton