11-0171-296_SirWilliamPitt_1636

In the name of God Amen; for that I think it the duty of every Christian to remember that his life is casual  frail and uncertain; and passes away as a [season] this world being but a vale of misery unto him, the kingdom of heaven being his hope and wished place of bliss and happiness which Christ our Saviour has by his death and passion purchased for us, I take it therefore the more begoneful in the time of health and life to prepare for death and to prevent disturbance and troubling of our minds with worldy cares in time of sickness when we should more especially employ them upon heavenly meditations, the consideration whereof now causes me SIR WILLIAM PITT of Westminster in the county of Middx knight[1] even this eight and twentieth day of April in the twelfth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King Charles AS one thousand six hundred thirty six being of late somewhat decayed in the strength of my body but continuing in my perfect memory (I thank God for it) to set down this my last will and testament in manner and form following.  Inprimis my faith and hope is to be partaker of the eternal joys of the Kingdom of Heaven through the great mercy of God by the death and passion and precious bloodshedding and victorious resurrection of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by whose merits and mediation only without any desert of mine own (acknowledging myself to be a very mass and lump of sin and iniquity by the corruption of mine own nature) I hope to receive full remission of all my sins and to inherit the blessed kingdom of heaven.  My soul therefore I commit to the mercy of the Holy and undivided Trinity (three persons yet but one God) whensoever it shall please him to separate it from this sinful body; and my body to the earth from whence it first came to be interred at Stratfeild Say by my dear wife or elsewhere and in what manner it shall seem good to my executors; and for the disposing of those worldly goods and chattels which it has pleased God to bless and endow me withal I do now by this my last will and testament (revoking all former wills and preparations for wills heretofore made by me) dispose of those my worldly goods and estate in manner and form following: First I do give and bequeath unto the poor people of Westminster the sum of ten pounds; to the poor people of Blandford Forum in the county of Dorset other ten pounds; to the poor people of Wareham and Stoborough in the same county of Dorset other ten pounds; to the poor people of Hartley Waspell, Stratfeild Say Stratfeild Turges Heckfold and Sherfeild upon Lodon in the county of Southton viz. to each of the parishes five pounds to be distributed by the appointment of my executors.  ITEM; I do give and bequeath unto my son WILLIAM PITT my second son my lease of the manor of Hartley Waspell in the said county of Southton with all the rights members and appurtenances thereof which I hold of the Dean and Canons of Windsor and all my estate and term of years now to come of and in the same; to have and to hold the said manor with his appurtenances unto my said son William and to the heirs males of his body (if he shall have any) during all the term of years to come of and in my said lease and if it shall happen so to fall out that he die without issue male of his body lawfully begotten and yet to have daughters of his body lawfully begotten then I do will limit and appoint that the full interest and term of years then to come in the said lease shall by this my will redound and come unto my eldest son EDWARD PITT his executors and assigns paying unto each of the daughters of his said brother William Pitt then living five hundred marks apiece of current English money; provided nevertheless that if my said son William or any claiming under him shall after my decease frustrate or make void any estate or grant estates or grants which I in my lifetime shall have made or granted by copy of Court Roll in the Courts of the said manor or by lease in writing under my hand and seal of any the tenements, mills or lands of the said manor and to any my tenants of the same unless it be upon cause of forfeiture committed after my decease by such tenants themselves which shall be so questioned or evicted by him or them or any claiming under him then my will and meaning is that this gift and bequest of my said lease to him and to the issue males of his body after him shall (ipso facto) upon avoiding of such tenants estate or estates by me made as aforesaid or any of them and putting out such tenant or tenants from the possession of his tenement mill or lands to him or them estated or granted cease and become utterly void; and I do further hereby require limit declare and appoint that in case the interest and remainder of years to come in this my said lease of the Manor of Hartley shall by virtue of and limitation of this my will or any clause or bequest in the same contained redound and come unto my said eldest son Edward Pytt his executors and assigns by reason of the death of my said son William Pytt without issue male of his body or otherwise as aforesaid that then my said son Edward Pytt (notwithstanding his payment of moneys unto the daughters of the said William Pytt his brother as aforesaid) shall assure grant and convey the said lease of the said manor and all the term of years the to come in the same unto his son JOHN PITT my grandson as a legacy which I intend unto him upon the like conditions and provisos as aforesaid.  ITEM; I do give and bequeath the use and occupation of any leases of my dwelling house with the appurtenances in the old Palace of Westminster and of the backer garden adjoining to the same which I bought of the late Mr Sergeant Lancaster and his wife or of Mr Dubledaie sithence deceased and the inheritance of the old tower and of the said backer garden and of the way leading into the same from out of the lane or highway which leads from the Great Court called the Old Palace to the mill after my decease unto my said son Edward Pitt if he shall survive me and if it shall please God to dispose otherwise of him then I do give the said leases unto my said son William Pitt his executors and assigns and all my estate of inheritance also in the said old tower backer garden and way unto my said son William Pitt his heirs and assigns forever provided nevertheless my will and intention is and I do by this my will and testament give bequeath limit and appoint that for so much as my daughter ELIZABETH WHEELER is and now remains a widow and has no house fit for her habitation and dwelling that she my said daughter (notwithstanding my bequest aforesaid) shall have the use and occupation of such convenient rooms in my said house to attend her as long as she remain sole and unmarried with such necessary household stuff of tables stools chairs and such like lumber and of the furniture of the kitchen as her household will require together with such a proportion of bedding and furniture to it not exceeding six beds and of ordinary linen for her table as shall be meet and reasonable until she can conveniently provide for herself of such bedding and linen as she shall need, two of the chambers of the said house whereof her own now chamber to be one and one of the Garrett chambers the other to be private and several to herself; and that she shall also have the said house under my right or title without payment of any rent by her for the same only giving security to my said son for restitution of such household stuff as she shall desire to use without spoil (reasonable wearing being allowed) the furniture and household stuff so to be allowed to her to use to be chosen out by my executors; and whereas I have of late years bought of one Grace Copperthwaite and others a lease of ten acres of meadow lying in Longmead in Hartley Waspell aforesaid of the grant of the Provost and Scholars of Queen’s College in the University of Oxford by them made unto one Henrie Horsley, student of the said college for term of the lives of Steven John and Thomas Copperthwaite sons of Stephen Copperthwaite Clarke deceased and of the longer liver of them, which said lease and the estate in the said ten acres of meadow is by mean conveyances granted and conveyed to friends in trust of my [nomination] to my use and behoof in respect whereof I have charged some of my lands in Hartley Waspell aforesaid with the payment of six pounds by the year of current English money unto the said Grace Copperthwaite for the term of threescore years (if she the said Grace shall so long live) I do now by these presents signify and declare unto my said friends in trust and by this my last will and testament limit and appoint that the issues and profits of the said ten acres of meadow clear above the rents reserved by the said lease and payable to the said Provost and Scholars shall inure and be unto my said son William Pitt his executors and assigns and I do give and bequeath limit and appoint and by this my will signify and declare that my full intent meaning and desire is that the full interest and remainder of the said lease and estate of and in the said ten acres of meadow shall be passed and conveyed over by such person and persons as I have trusted therein unto my said son William Pitt his executors and assigns to his own proper and absolute use and benefit, and whereas my late loving father Mr JOHN PITT late of Blandford Forum in the county of Dorset gent deceased did heretofore purchase and buy of one Twynnihoe of Barnsley in the said county of Dorset gent the inheritance of a certain tenement and lands thereto belonging lying and being in Preston in the said county of Dorset called Twynehoeshold and took the assurance and conveyance thereof in the name of John Swaine Esq his father in law and to his heirs and took back to himself only a lease thereof for the term of two thousand years which lease my said father gave unto me by his last will and testament, now I the said Sir William Pitt do hereby give and bequeath the said lease and term of years to come thereof unto my said son Edward Pitt and to the heirs males of his body to have and to hold to him and them in like manner and with like remainders over as I have by deed before time conveyed the Lordship or Manor of Preston (in which the said tenement lies) unto my said son Edward and to the heirs males of his body, and for want of such issue to my son William Pitt and to the heirs males of his body, and for want of such issue to my son JOHN PITT and the heirs males of his body; in which course my intention and desire is that the said lease of the said tenement with the appurtenances shall go and continue with the said manor and whereas I have had an intention to have built up a mansion house for myself and for my posterity to dwell in (if it should please God) in and upon the manor of Iwerne Stipleton in the county of Dorset in the stead and place of the old house there which in respect of the extreme ruinousness thereof (not being repairable) I have taken down and to the purpose of new building thereof I have provided and brought in place divers quantities of timber stone and other provisions I do now give and bequeath all and singular the said provisions provided by me or coming of the ruins of the said old house taken down unto my said son Edward Pitt to the intent he may better pursue that my foresaid intention of building upon the said manor (being a place so situated amongst good friends and kinsfolks).  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my said oldest son Edward Pitt my fine suite of hangings bought of Sir Thomas Sherley and my biggest gilt basin and ewer bought of my cousin MAN and a fair pair of gilt pots to it my great gilt flask and cover which Sir Edward Moreton gave me, my two first bought Noremburgh [Nuremburg?] cups and covers and my two flat cream bowls gilt.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to my said son William Pitt my lesser gilt basin and ewer and pair of pots to it given to me by the late noble lady the Lady LUCIE MARCHIONESS of WINTON[2] the lesser of my two other last bought Norimnburgh cups with his cover my best white basin and ewer and the best pair of pots white to it, and so much of my other white plate to furnish his house at Hartley as may conveniently be spared not exceeding the value of thirty pounds.  ITEM; I give more to my said son William Pitt all my household stuff at and in my house at Hartley Waspell or belonging to the same excepting such parcels of my table linen pewter and brass there together with six ordinary featherbeds with their furniture and linen to them as may in some reasonable manner help to furnish my son John Pitt’s copyhold house called Newhouse in the parish of Hartley Waspell or of Stratfeild Turges when he shall come to dwell in that house the said beds and furniture for that house to be chosen out for him by my executors hereafter named out of my household stuff lying and being at Westminster and Hartley Waspell aforesaid and I do give more to my said son John Pitt my deep silver basin and a […] pot now used with it two beer bowls one stock salt one small trencher salt of silver white and one dozen of silver spoons to be chosen out of my old plate at Westminster by my executor or new to be bought for him as shall best like my executors; the plate in all so allotted to him my said son John not to exceed the price and value of above forty pounds in the whole.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to my two daughters The Lady CHOCKE and Elizabeth Wheeler to each of them in old gold or plate at their own choice the sum or value of twenty pounds apiece.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to my said two daughters before named and to my three grandchildren PENELOPE BETTSWORTH and  ANNE SEYMER and FRANCES WALKER in their good mothers stead, children of my two other daughters who are deceased and are now with God I hope; all my wife’s best wearing apparel now remaining not given away by me already and all her jewels chains of gold bracelets borders rings and suchlike excepting her second best diamond ring which I do hereby give to my son William Pitt and excepting her pointed diamond ring and her sables muff which I hereby give to my daughter in law RACHEL PITT as a remembrance from me the said muff I have already sent unto her to keep and use the said apparel and jewels to be equally and indifferently divided amongst them according to their worths and values without breaking or defacing but the part and portion which shall appertain to my grandchild Frances Walker to be retained and kept in the hands of my executors until she be married and then I hope her father CLEMENT WALKER Esquire will also restore and deliver to her all such jewels pearls childbed linen and other things as her deceased mother at the time of her death gave her by her said husband’s consent.  ITEM; I do hereby forgive to my nephew WALTER RIDEOUT of Blandford aforesaid the forty pounds which I have before lent him to begin his trade withal which I now intend to him as a legacy already paid him.  ITEM; I give to my brother THOMAS PITT and to my sister DOWNE and to my sister SHERLEY to each of them a piece of plate of the value of ten pounds as remembrances from me; and for my sister GREENE and sister BREMBLE I have set down nothing for them here by cause I have otherwise better provided for them towards their yearly maintenance for term of three lives.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to my two grandchildren and godsons WILLIAM PITT and WILLIAM WALKER to each of them a piece of plate to the value of ten pounds for a remembrance from me with my arms graven on them.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to my three women grandchildren ANNE SEYMER, FRANCES WALKER and MARGARET RUDHALL children of my three sons in law Sir ROBERT SEYMER knight deceased, JOHN RUDHALL Esquire also deceased and the said Clement Walker Esquire the sum of one hundred pounds apiece to every of them as a blessing from me and my late wife their grandfather and grandmother to be paid to them severally when they attain to the age of eighteen years or be married if they live so long whichever of those shall first happen.  ITEM; I give limit and appoint to my servant Margaret Ward for recompense of her honest diligent and faithful service done both to me and my said wife deceased one annuity or yearly pension of twenty nobles per annum for term of her life to be issued and paid out of such lands in Stratfeild Say and Heckfeild as my eldest son is to inherit and possess there whom I require to see this legacy or annuity to be duly performed nevertheless if it shall hereafter happen that my said servant Margaret shall incline herself to marry and shall be willing to accept of money towards her preferment therein I do then appoint that my said eldest son shall give her fifty pounds in lieu of the said annuity; and after payment thereof the said annuity to cease and determine; and to every of my servants which now receive wages of me (excepting the said Margaret Ward) I do give and bequeath one whole year’s wages those legacies to servants to be paid to them within three months after my decease.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to my daughter the Lady Chocke one of my Noumburgh cups with his cover which I formerly intended to John Rudhale Esquire her late deceased husband; and to my son in law Clement Walker Esquire I give and bequeath the watch which his wife my daughter gave and appointed to be given unto me but was never delivered.  ITEM; I do give and bequeath to my trusty and honest servant JOHN COOKE my gilt cup with the cover called the ‘Cup of Battells’ as a remembrance of his good service done unto me hoping and expecting requiring and appointing that my son Edward Pitt shall and will continue to him his employment in his office of Teller in his Majesty’s Exchequer with such incident fees and profits as he now enjoys there and will also otherwise think and esteem of him as a trusty and careful servant unto me; and I desire my executors named in this my will to bestow gold rings some of forty and some of twenty shillings apiece to my other good friends mentioned in a paper of mine own writing and laid with this my will; and all other my goods and chattels not before in and by this my will given and bequeathed excepting such as I have by conveyances or declarations in writing under my hand and seal otherwise limited and appointed I do give and bequeath unto my said sons Edward Pitt and William Pitt whom I do make my whole and sole executors of this my last will and testament hoping that they will see this my will carefully and justly performed and my debts and legacies well paid and discharged charging my said son Edward Pitt to be a loving brother to his other brothers and sisters and aiding to them upon all occasions in my stead to the utmost of his power; and I pray God to bless prosper and direct them all in his fear and to walk in his laws. Amen Amen.  And I do heartily desire my entire loving friends my uncle RICHARD SWAINE Esquire, George Reeve of Randleton in the county of Dorset gent and [blank] to be overseers of this my last will and testament to every of whom I give and bequeath a piece of gilt plate of the value of ten pounds with my arms engraven thereon for a remembrance of me desiring them to be aiding and assisting to my said executors with the execution of this my will and testament.  In witness of which my will and testament I have to this and all the former sheets subscribed my name and fixed my seal to a label enclosing all the sheets the day and year first above written – William Pitt – Memorandum that this will and testament of the said Sir William Pitt was by him published and signified to be his last will and testament the second day of May AD 1636 and the 12^th year of King Charles in the presence of us whose names are hereunder written – Arthur Squibb, Wm Ireland, Joh. Plucknett, Tho. Stacy

Codicil the twelfth of May 1636:

ITEM; I the aforesaid Sir William Pitt do give to my niece PENELOPE BETTSWORTH my ruby ring or my sapphire ring which she shall best like to choose to be taken peculiarly to herself and the other of my said rings I give to the said Ann Seymer and do also limit and declare and appoint unto the said Penelope Bettsworth and to Ann Seymer her sister only one fourth part of my said late wife’s wearing apparel jewels chains borders rings and other things before by this my will given and intended to my said two daughters  and to them and Frances Walker the said fourth part to be taken jointly between them the said Penelolpe Betsworth and Anne Seymer and I do give to my neighbour Mr Hayes a legacy of ten pounds – William Pitt – witnesses hereunto John Cooke, Jo. Plucknett.

ITEM. Whereas I the said Sir William Pitt have before in and by this my last will limited my lease of the manor of Hartley Waspell with the appurtenances to my son William Pitt and to the heirs males of his body during all the term of years to come in the same and for want of such issue male with other remainder as aforesaid; now my will and mind is and I do hereby limit appoint and declare that my said lease of the manor of Hartley Waspell with the appurtenances shall wholly remain and be for all the term of years therein to come unto my said son William Pitt and to the heirs of his body lawfully to be begotten upon the conditions nevertheless as I have before by this my will limited expressed and appointed.  Witness my hand the nineteenth day of May AD one thousand six hundred thirty six – William Pitt – in the presence of John Cooke, Joh. Plucknett

Proved 2^nd June AD 1636 by Edward Pitt and William Pitt sons and executors

Comments or questions are welcome.