WILL OF JOHN TALCOTT of Braintree, Essex

Dated 1604

Johannis Taylcott

In the name of God Amen Anno Domini 1604 Annoq? Domini nostri Jacobi dei gra Anglie ffranc et Lyybme ? Yege? fidei defendor ?? secundo et Gratie tricesimo septimo [In the year of the Lord 1604, in the reign of our Lord James by the grace of God King of England, France and Ireland, defender of the faith in his 37^th year] I John Tailecot of Brainetrie in the Countie of Essex Pewterer being at this time sick in bodie: but of good sounde and perfect memorie sence and minde I thank and praise almightie god for it, well weighing the incertaine and fraile state of this mortall and miserable life, doe hereby and herein ordeyne and make my pnte [present] testament and last will in manner and forme following that is to saie, Imprimis I doe commend and comit my soule into the handes and [tincon?] of th’almightie god my creator and redemer, And my bodie to be buried in xpian [Christian] buriall where it shall please almightie god to take my life from me by and at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named Itm I doe giue vnto the poore people of the parish of Braintrye twentie shillinges of lawfull money of England to be paide to and amongst them within one month nexte after my decease by my executrix hereafter named Item I will devise and bequeath all that my messuage or tenement wherein I nowe dwell with the yards gardens and appurtenncs [appurtenances] to the same belonging as they nowe are in my occupation set and being in –[Braintree] aforesaide unto Anne my wife for and during the whole term of her naturall life, And from and after the decease of the saide Anne my said wief I will deuise and bequeath all that my afore mentioned messuage or Tennement with the yardes and gardens and other [appurtenances] thereunto belonginge as they now are in my tenure or occupation unto John Tailcot my sonne and to his heires of his bodie lawfullie to be begotten for ever, And for wante of such issue to remaine to the righte and next heire of me the saide John Tailcot first named for ever  Item I will and deuise all that my tenement with the yardes garden and appurtenances thereunto belonging in Braintrie aforesaide as the same now are in the tenure or occupation of one Barnabe Boltell Taylor or of his assignes vnto Anne my saide wief and to her assignes for and during the full terme of twentie yeares from the daie of my death and from thence nexte to come and fully then to end And from vppon and after the determination of the same terme of twenty yeares I doe deuise giue and bequeath all my saide tennement with the said yards gardens and appurtenances to the saide tennement belonging as they nowe are in the tenure or occupation of the saide Barnabe Boltell or of his assignes vnto Rachell Tailcot my daughter and to the heires of her body lawfully to be begotten for euer And for wante of such issue to and amongest all the residue of my daughters that shall happen to survive the saide Rachell and to their heires of their bodies lawfully to be begotten for ever And for wante of such issue to John Taylcot my sonne and to his heires of his body for ever, And for wante of such issue to revert to the right And next heires of me the said John Tailcot for ever Item I doe giue vnto John Taylcot my sonne And to Anne Tailcot Marie Tailcot Grace Tailcot and Sara Tailecot my daughters to every of them fortie poundes a peece of lawfull money of England to be paide to them seaverally at their seaverall accomplishments of their seaverall ages of one and twentie yeres, if they shall soe longe fortune to live, And in case any of them shall fortune to die before the receipt of their saide legacie of fortie poundes that then I will deuise and bequeath the portion of him her or them soe dyenge of fortie poundes to and amongest all the residue of my daughters whatsoever which shall fortune to survive to be paide and aportioned and deuided amongest them at their seaverall ages of one and twentie yeres  Item I doe giue vnto John Tailcot my saide sonne my best bedstedle standing in my parlor next my hall with my best vallaunce and hanginge to the same my best coverlet my best feather boulster my best flocbolster a paire of my best blanckets a paire of my best sheetes, two of my best pillowes with two of my best pillowbeeres to the same, my booke of Martirs and my booke intituled by the name of m^r Rogers booke to be delivered vnto him by the executors administrators or assignes of Anne my saide wife within one moneth next after her decease, And she during her life to haue the necessary vsing thereof without altering the propertie, other then is hereby intended  Item I doe in like manner giue and bequeath my ioyned [joined] table with the frame and bench bordes and six ioyned  stooles in the saide parlor and all the wainscot seelinges setles glasses and windowes and hangings now fixed vsed or imployed as propertie belonging to the house and the great chest in the saide parlor vnto John my saide sonne to be delivered to him by the executors administrators or assignes of the saide Anne my saide wife within one moneth nexte after the decease of the saide Anne my saide wief, and she to haue the necessary vse of them during her life nott altering the proptie [property] of them or aine [any] of them  Item I doe giue vnto every of my children one brasse pott a peece [apiece] of the waight of sixtene poundes two kettles a peece th’one of every of them to conteine in measure fiue gallons, th’other of them to conteyne in measure three gallons, twelve pewter [pints?] dishes a peece of thre seaverall sortible sizes conteyning every twelve dishes five and twentie poundes in weight or above to be delivered vnto them seaverallye at their seaverall ages of xxi^ti yeres or to soe maine [many] of them as shall live to attaine to that age by my executrix hereafter named  Item I doe giue vnto Anne tailcot my daughter all that my standing bedstedle standing in my chamber over my hall furnished as it now standeth that is to saie, having a featherbed a flocbed a feather bolster a flocbolster a paire of blanckets a coverlet two pillowes Two pillowbeeres and a paire of sheets now vsed uppon the same to be delivered vnto the saide Anne Tailcot my saide daughter at such time as she the said Anne shall accomplish her full age of xxi^ti yeres by my axecutrix hereafter named Itm I doe giue and bequeath vnto Marie Tailcot my daughter my standing bedstedle standing in my chamber over my kitchin where I now dwell and all the bedding and furniture as it now standeth having a feather bed and other appurtenances and alsoe a paire of sheets and a pillowbere to be delivered vnto her at her accomplishmente of her age of xxi^ti yeres by my executrix hereafter named  Item I doe giue vnto Grace Tailcot my daughter one bedstedle with a flocbed and all things therevnto apperteyning to be delived [sic] to her at her age of xxt^ti yeres by my executrix or her assignes  Item I doe giue vnto Anne my daughter my chest standing in the hall chamber to be delivered vnto her at her age of xxi^ti yeres Item I doe giue vnto Elizabethe Ingram my mayde-servainte x^s of lawfull money of England  Item I doe giue vnto William Mullings and Thomas Clarke to either of them xx^s of lawfull money of England vppon this condition that either of them doe serve their apprentishodes [apprenticehoods] with my wief after my decease, And to be paide to him or either of them at the determynation of their apprentishoode and not otherwise, then vppon their seaverall servinge of their apprentishoods with my wief  Item I doe giue vnto every of my children three of my silver spoones to be delivered vnto them seaverallie as they shall come to and accomplish their seaverall ages of xxi^ti yeres if they shall so longe live, All the residue of my goodes chattels cattell money plate debts houshold [sense?] implem^ts of houshould moveables and imoveables whatsoever nott being herein before bequeathed, my debts being paied my ffunerall expence disbursed and these my legacies herein giuen and bequeathed being paide and pformed [performed], I wholie giue and bequeath them vnto Anne my wife And doe make her sole Executrix of this my last will and testament, And I will that my wief vppon the Probate of this will she my saide wief doe enter her owne bonde in the somme of thre hundred poundes to my ffather in law William Skynner and Robte Tailcot [Robert brother of the testator] for the pformance of all and every my legacies herein giuen by her to be performed according to the true meaning hereof, And that in case she shall fortune to marrie againe That before her such marriage she shall enter into sufficient bonde in fower [4] hundred poundes with one sufficient suretie that my saide father in lawe Skynner and Robert Tailcot truelie to pforme all the legacies which on her parte is to be paide according to the true meaning of this my last will & testament.

Witnesses. Marke Mott Erasmus Sparhawke and James Sparhawke.

Probatum fuit suprascriptum testaum apud London coram xenli viro domino Johanne Bennet mihite of logum deore survagato xenlis etiam viri domini Johannis Gibson milie legum? morib curie Prerogati?e Jank magri custadis sine ?? Marij ltime constituti vicesimo quarto die mense Januarij Anno Domini nixta cursum of computa?onem Echio Anglicane millimo sexcentesimo quarto Inram^to Moysis wall mriti Anno retee dicti defuncti of Executris in hinoi? testo moiate Eui commissa fuit Administraco ben?? ?? of credito? ?uisdem defuncti de bene et fidel? administrando oadem Ad sancta dei Evangelia inrat.