11-0107-693_RobertWinche-Cookham_1605
In the name of God Amen; the seventh day of February in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and four (1604/5) and in the second year of the reign of our Sovereign and most gracious Lord James by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland king and defender of the faith etc., I ROBERT WINCHE of the parish of Cookham in the county of Berks yeoman considering the uncertainty and brittle estate of man’s life in this transitory world being of good health and of a perfect mind and remembrance laud and praise be to Almighty God make and ordain this my present testament concerning herein my last will in manner and form following that is to say; first I bequeath my soul unto Almighty God my maker and to Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer and unto the Holy Ghost my sanctifier and my body to be buried in the Church of the Parish of Cookham at the discretion of my executor and overseers hereafter named. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto LUCE KEMBER the wife of WILLIAM KEMBER of the Parish of Cookham as aforesaid during her natural life the one half and moiety of my house and tenement in Maydenheade commonly called and known by the name of the Holye Bushe with half the lands thereunto belonging; and the other half and moiety of the said house and tenement called the Holie Bushe aforesaid with the lands thereunto belonging I give and bequeath unto ROBERT SMITH son of the aforesaid Luce Kember within one year next after my decease together with the other part and moiety of the said tenement and lands called the Holie Bushe given and bequeathed as aforesaid to the said Luce Kember with all and singular the premises and appurtenances to the same I do wholly give and bequeath after the decease of the said Luce unto the said Robert Smith to be and to remain to him and his heirs for ever excepting and always reserving out of the said gift and bequest a certain tenement now in the tenure and occupation of one William Carter or his assigns and all the lands unto the said tenement now belonging in the tenure and occupation of the said William Carter. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto PRISCILLA KNIGHT the daughter of RICHARD KNIGHT all that my aforesaid house and tenement with all the lands thereunto belonging with all and singular the premises now in the use and occupation of the aforesaid William Carter set lying and being in Maydenheade within the Parish of Cookham during the natural life of the said Priscilla and after the decease of the said Priscilla to be and remain to the use of Robert Smith and his heirs forever. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto WILLIAM WINCHE and AGNIS his wife of the parish of Bray in the county of Berks yeoman all that my lands and parcels of ground called Ludloose [Ludlows] with all and singular the appurtenances thereunto belonging lying and being in the parish of Cookham and in the said county of Berks during their natural lives paying yearly and forever unto the churchwardens of the said parish of Cookham and their successors six shillings eight pence to be distributed to the use of the poor and afgter the decease of the said William Winche and Agnis his wife I do wholly give and bequeath unto ROBERT WINCHE son of the aforesaid William Winche and to his heirs forever all that my foresaid lands called by the name of Ludloose which I purchased of one Robert Chapman with all and singular the premises with their appurtenances lying and being as aforesaid in the parish of Cookham paying yearly and forever as before is declared unto the churchwardens of the said parish of Cookham six shillings eight pebnce to be distributed for relief of the poor of the said parish. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto ROBERT WARDNER all that my other tenement and house which he now dwelleth in being parcel of the purchase I bought of William Smith gent with the appurtenances belonging or anywise appertaining unto the same tenement set lying and being in Maydenheade in the parish of Cookham for and during the natural life of the said Robert and after his decease to be and to remain unto the Robert and to his heirs forever. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto KATHERINE WINCHE my wife during her natural life all that my said interest and term of years of the farm and messuage of a certain tenement by deed indented of one Edward Waller gent commonly called and known by the name of Sarazens Heade with all the lands and appurtenances to the same belonging or anywise appertaining set lying and being in Maidenheade aforesaid within the parishes of Cookham and Bray (excepting out of this bequest and tenement aforesaid only three acres of arable land whereof one acre lyeth under William Carter’s hedge and one other acre in the upper field butting upon the hollow lane in consideration that the said Katherine shall pay unto Richard Wormestone the son of Richard Wormestone when he shall accomplish the full age of twenty and one years the whole sum of forty pounds of current English money or if it happen the said Richard to decease before he shall accomplish the said full age of twenty and one years then to pay the said sum of forty pounds to him or them that may lawfully claim the same at such time as he or they shall be of full age to claim and have the same and also to keep and bring up or cause to be brought up the said Richard until he shall accomplish the full age of twenty and one years paying also yearly unto the churchwardens of Cookham to the only use and relief of the poor of the said parish out of this lease and term of years three shillings four pence. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto the aforesaid Robert Wardner all those three acres of land in this former lease excepted paying yearly during the full term of the said lease unto the said Catherine twelve pence. ITEM; I give unto the said Katherine my wife certain lands called by the name of Squires which I purchased of Henry Pecke gent to be and remain unto the said Katherine during her natural life and after her decease to John Roberts and his heirs forever the one moiety; I give and bequeath the said lands unto William Winche and Agnis his wife and to the logest liver of them and after their decease the said lands called by the name of Squires as aforesaid to be and to remain unto Robert Winche son of the aforesaid William and to his heirs forever. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto THOMAS JARRETT of Maydenhead my thirteen acres of arable land lying and being in the parish of Cookham and Braye within the common fields which I also purchased of the said Henry Pecke gent to be and remain to him the said Thomas during the continuance of a former lease from the said Henry Pecke if the said Thomas so long live whereby I enjoyed the said lands before the purchase and after the end and expiration of the said lease or the said Thomas not surviving the said thirteen acres with all and other the lands lying and being within the parish of Cookham and Braye purchased of the said Henry Pecke to be and remain wholly unto the said William Winche and Agnis his wife and to the longest liver of them during their natural lives and after their decease all and every of the said lands purchased of the said Henry Pecke as aforesaid to be and remain wholly unto Robert Winche son of the aforesaid William and his heirs forever; provided always and my full mind and intent is that notwithstanding all this my gifts and bequests herein comprised given and bequeathed as aforesaid of all my houses lands tenements and leases that my executors hereafter named shall have all the profits commodities and advantages of all those houses lands tenements and leases during the full term of one whole year as shall be next after my decease paying and discharging all manner of rents taxes and duties due and payable for the same not cutting down any of the woods in and upon any of the premises herein mentioned during the continuance of and occupation of any of the said lands bequeathed as aforesaid unto the said Katherine during her natural life. ITEM; I give unto each of the children of BASTIAN WINCHEmy kinsman deceased so many as are now alive forty shillings apiece and either of them a quarter of barley apiece. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto RICHARD WINCHE my kinsman the son of ANDREW WINCHE deceased five pounds and one bullock. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto Robert Smithe and AGNIS SMITHE the children of Luce Kember aforesaid all the money equally between them the which William Kember of Cookham aforesaid doth owe and is indebted unto me excepting ten pounds only the which I give and forgive unto the said William. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto BASTIAN DOWSE als. TOWERS of the parish of Hurlie one bullock and one quarter of barley and to each of the children of the said Bastian half a quarter of barley apiece. ITEM; I give unto MARGARET POOLE of Tuploe widow one qurter of barley and one bullock and to each of the children of the said Margaret half a quarter of barley apiece. ITEM; I give unto a poor woman of Hurley called Christian and sister to the aforesaid Margaret Poole one quarter of barley. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto EDWARD POOLE late of Maydenheade one cow and one quarter of wheat and unto his daughter one ewe and one lamb. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto MARGARET BATTLETONE quarter of barley. ITEM; I give unto SILVESTER WARDNER half a quarter of barley and unto MARY TURNER a quarter of barley and three sheep. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto each of my godchildren twelve pence apiece. ITEM; I give unto RICHARD WORMESTONE one ewe and one lamb. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto the wife of MATHEW BRAYWICKE one quarter of barley and unto each of the children of the said Robert that shall be then surviving at my decease one ewe sheep apiece. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto JOHN APPLEBIE my kinsman half a quarter of rye and half a quarter of barley one cow one sheep and a lamb. All the rest of my goods and chattels unbequeathed my debts paid my funeral expenses performed and my legacies in these presents fulfilled I do wholly give and bequeath unto Katherine my wife whom I do ordain and make my full and whole executrix and do also ordain constitute and appoint my loving and good friends JOHN HARTWELL and Thomas Jerratt my overseers of this my last will and testament and do give and bequeath to either of them for their labour in that behalf twenty shillings apiece. And hereupon do utterly revoke and annul all and every other former testaments wills legacies bequests executors and overseers by me in anywise before this time made named willed and bequeathed.
A note of things bequeathed and not specified in the above said will by the deceased nor set down in writing in his lifetime but in such manner as is set down in a particular note following and beginning:
ROBERT SMITH
Inprimis: whereas the said testator has given and bequeathed in his will abovesaid unto Priscilla Knight one house or tenement with all the lands thereunto belonging lying in Maydenheade during her natural life and after her decease to remain to Robert Smith and to his heirs forever he willed that the said Robert Smith should pay out thereof to the poor of Maydenheade in Cookham six shillings eight pence yearly forever. ITEM; the said testator did give and bequeath to Silvester Roberts and his heirs forever one house wherein one Thomas Tudway dwelleth in Maidenheade aforesaid. ITEM; the said testator did give unto HENRY ROBERTS his son in law seven acres and a half of land lying in Cookham purchased of William Osborne to him and his heirs forever. ITEM; the said testator did give and bequeath to OLIVER ROBERTS one quarter of rye and one quarter of barley. ITEM; the said testator did give and bequeath to ELIZABETH ROBERTS his daughter in law five pounds. ITEM; the said testator did give and bequeath to Richard Smith one quarter of barley. ITEM; the said testator did give and bequeath to ELIZABETH ROBERTS daughter of Henry Roberts one quarter of barley. ITEM; the said testator did give and bequeath to John Hartwell the picked acre in Bray side. All these foresaid legacies above recited beginning at Inprimis whereas the testator [ ] more by words declared by the testator in manner as they are above set down or in the like effect but they were not so written down in the lifetime of the said testator; but in the lifetime of the testator they were set down in writing in form following only by that parson to whom he had declared his mind as is abovesaid Robert Smith is to pay six shillings eight pence yearly to the poor of Maydenheade in Cookham to Silvester Roberts and his heirs forever Thomas Tudway to Henry Roberts my son in law the seven acres and a half and his heirs. To Oliver Roberts one quarter of rye and one quarter of barley to Elizabeth Roberts my daughter in law six pounds to Richard Smith one quarter of barley. To Elizabeth Roberts daughter of Henry Roberts one quarter of barley. To John Hartwell the picked acre in Bray side.
Proved 6th March 1604/5 by Katherine, relict and executrix
Comments or questions are welcome.