1632 Dame Joane Seymer

11-0163-105_DameJoaneSeymer-Handford_1632

In the name of God Amen, I DAME JOANE SEYMER of Handford in the County of Dorset widow being sick of body but of good and perfect memory and understanding thanks be to Almighty God for it the ninth day of October in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King Charles the eighth and in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and thirty two[1632] do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following; imprimis I commend my soul to Almighty God my maker trusting and steadfastly believing through the only merits death and passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that I shall receive free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins; and my body I commend unto the earth from whence it was taken desiring my executors hereafter named to see it buried in decent manner at Handford aforesaid by the body of SIR ROBERT SEYMER knight my late dear and loving husband; and as concerning the temporal estate which it has pleased God of his great goodness to lend me my will and desire is and I do bequeath the same as follows; First I give and bequeath unto the poor people of the town of Blandford in the said County of Dorset where I was born the sum of forty shillings.  ITEM; I give to the poor people of the parishes of Childoakeford Shillington and Stower Payne in the said county of Dorset forty shillings that is to say thirteen shillings and four pence to the poor people of every of the said three parishes; and I do appoint the said sum of four pounds to be distributed amongst the poor people of those four parishes by my executors of those whom they shall thereunto appoint.  ITEM; I do give and bequeath unto my dear and loving father SIR WILLIAM PITT knight my blue sapphire stone.  ITEM; my will is and I do appoint that my dear and loving mother DAME EDETH PITT [Dame Edith Pitt],my loving brother in law JOHN RUDDALL Esquire and my loving sister the LADY MARY CHOAKE his wife, my loving brother PETER BETSWORTH Esquire and ELIZABETH his wife, my loving brother EDWARD PITT Esquire and Rachel his wife, my loving sister ELIZABETH WHEELER widow, my loving brothers WILLIAM PITT and JOHN PITT Gent, my loving son in law RICHARD KINGE Esquire, and my Cousins JOHN COOKE Gent and ALICE his wife shall each of them have a gold ring of such reasonable price and value as my executors shall think fit for a remembrance of my love unto them.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my daughter ANN SEYMER the sum of five hundred pounds to be paid her at the day of her marriage or age of one and twenty years which shall first happen or so soon after as it may be raised of which said sum of five hundred pounds my will and meaning is that the sum of two hundred pounds shall be parcel which HENRY SEYMER my eldest son has heretofore agreed to pay unto my said brother Edward Pitt and son in law Richard Kinge in some time after my death to be employed as I should appoint provided always and my will is that if my said daughter Ann fortune to die before her marriage or age of one and twenty years that then the said sum of five hundred pounds shall be given and distributed by my executors hereafter named to one or more of my four younger sons namely ROBERT JOHN WILLIAM and RICHARD SEYMER by such parts and portions and at such times as to my said executors shall seem most meet leaving it freely to my executors (if it happen my said daughter Anne to die before her marriage or age of one and twenty years) to give the whole sum of five hundred pounds to any one or more of my said four younger sons as my said executors or the survivors or survivor of them shall think fit; and my will also is that the said sum of five hundred pounds so soon as it shall be made raised and received by my executors shall be employed for profit and the whole profit or such part thereof as my executors shall think fit shall from time to time be given and allowed my said daughter Ann for her maintenance and the remain thereof (if any be) shall be paid unto her together with the said sum of five hundred pounds at the time of payment aforesaid; and if she happen to die before her portion be payable as aforesaid my will and meaning is the remains of the proceeds of the said money shall be paid my said four younger sons some or one of them in the like sort as the said sum of five hundred pounds is hereby limited to be paid.  ITEM; whereas I had heretofore a purpose to have bequeathed unto my said daughter Ann Seymer the standard of linen usually standing and being in my bedchamber now considering that the value thereof will better further her advancement than that linen can do and yet being desirous that one of my children should have the same linen I do further appoint that the same shall be sold to one of my children for so much as the said linen is worth and in the sale thereof my said son Henry Seymer to be preferred before any other but if he refuse to buy it then my will is such other of my children shall buy the same whom my executors shall think fit and the money to be made by sale thereof with the increase to be made of that money my will is shall be paid my said daughter Ann Seymer upon the day of her marriage or at her age of one and twenty years which shall first happen over and above the said sum of five hundred pounds yet upon this condition likewise that if my said daughter Ann happen to die before her marriage or age of one and twenty years then the whole value of the said linen and proceed of the money raised by sale thereof shall be paid to some or one of my said four younger sons in such sort as the said sum of five hundred pounds is here before limited to be paid.  ITEM; my will is that my said son Henry Seymer shall have the refusal of buying all my plate and household stuff at such price as the same shall be worth but if he refuse to buy it that then my executors shall sell the same as they please.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto each of my cousins and goddaughters ELIZABETH YOUNGE and EDETH REEVES one of my little silver porridge dishes.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto William Kenway and [Treemer] Pawle my servants forty shillings apiece and unto Richard Curtisse and Barbara Northover ten shillings apiece; unto Lettice Kenway and Elizabeth Harbine ten shillings apiece and unto my three apprentices five shillings apiece over and above their respective wages to be due at the time of my death; and of this my last will and testament I do make and ordain my said father Sir William Pitt, my said brother Edward Pitt and son in law Richard Kinge executors upon this trust and confidence that if after my debts and legacies paid and funerals discharged there shall be any overplus of my estate left to the value of fifty pounds that they shall and will give and bestow the said sum of fifty pounds unto my said son William and the residue if any be unto my said daughter Ann alone or else unto her and my said four younger sons or some of them; but yet they shall give and deliver the same when and by such part and portions as in their discretions shall seem most meet.  In witness whereof I the said Dame Joane Seymer have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written – Joan Seymer sealed and published in the presence of Henry Seymer Richard Kinge Francis Cradocke Henry South, Thomas Stary

 

Proved 21st February 1632 (1633) by Sir William Pitt, Edward Pitt and Richard Kinge executors

 

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