11-0181-526_SirRichardFenn-Alderman_1639
In the name of God Amen; the tenth day of April AD 1635 and in the eleventh year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord Charles by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith etc., I RICHARD FENN Alderman of the City of London being in good health and of sound and perfect memory thanks be unto God therefore, but mindful of this transitory life do therefore make and eclare this my last will and testament in manner following (that is to say): First and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God my merciful father and maker and unto his son Jesus Christ my blessed redeemer and unto the holy Ghost my sanctifier and preserver; and my body I commit unto the earth to be buried in decent manner in the Parish Church of St Michael Bassitshaw London (where I am a parishioner) or elsewhere at the discretion of my executrix and executors hereunder named; and for the ordering and disposing of such temporal estate as it has pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me, I give and bequeath the same as follows: First my debts and funerals being paid and discharged I will that all my goods chattels debts and other my personal estate whatsoever be divided into three equal parts according to the custom of the City of London, one third part thereof I give and bequeath unto my most loving wife in the name of her reasonable part to her of all my said goods chattels and other my personal estate by and after the laudable custom of the City of London belonging and one other third part of all my said goods chattels and other my personal estate whatsoever I give and bequeath to and between my sons JAMES FENN and ROBERT FENN equally to be divided between them according to the custom of the said City; and the last third part of all my said goods chattels and other my personal estate whatsoever I reserve unto myself and dispose thereof as follows viz. I give unto my most loving wife one thousand marks together with all the plate and household stuff yet remaining which she brought me when I married her and a great chain of gold and divers jewels of good value which I bestowed on her and all the network for bed curtains valance and other furniture of network or other works for her chamber; also I give unto my said loving wife my coach and two coach horses or geldings. ITEM; I give unto my said loving wife my dwelling house in the parish of St Michael Bassitshaw London together with the tenement thereto adjoining in the tenure or occupation of Robert Lewes for the term of twenty years commencing from and after my decease (if my wife shall so long live) she paying for both the said tenements the sum of twenty pounds yearly to the landlords thereof by quarterly payments and keeping the same tenements in good repair. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my said son James Fenn the remainder and residue of my estate interest and term of years of and in the said two messuages or tenements. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my said son James Fenn and to his heirs forever all my houses and tenements with the appurtenances situate and being in the parish of Saint Michael in or near Crooked Lane in London and all those my three messuages or tenements with the appurtenances in Silver Street in the City of London; and I give unto every of the children of my said son James Fenn fifty pounds apiece. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my said son Robert Fenn and his heirs forever all my freehold land in Eastham in the county of Essex and also I give unto my said son Robert Fenn the lease of certain marsh grounds and one other piece of land called Carvers Close lying in the parish of Westham in the said county of Essex which lease I lately bought of Mr Henry Birchinhead. ITEM; I do give and bequeath unto my said son Robert Fenn and his heirs forever it is but a lease all those two small tenements or cottages with the appurtenances situate in Greene Lane and Chadwell in the parish of Barking in the said county of Essex; and I do further give unto my said son Robert Fenn and his heirs forever all those my three messuages or tenements with the appurtenances situate in Fanchurch Street in the parish of Saint Katherine Coleman near Algate London and my two houses with the appurtenances in Saint Nicholas Lane in the City of London. ITEM; I do give unto every of the children of my said son Robert Fenn fifty pounds apiece; and whereas I have fully advanced my daughter KATHERINE the late wife of HUGH PERRY late Alderman of the City of London deceased yet not withstanding out of my fatherly love I give unto her two thousand pounds to be paid her within one year next after my decease upon condition that she shall make and give unto my executors within six months next after my decease a general release of all actions and demands whatsoever other and excepting the legacy by me before given unto her; and give unto every of her children fifty pounds apiece. ITEM; I give towards the reapiring of the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul London one hundred pounds to be paid by five and twenty pounds a year over and above my former gift. ITEM; I give unto the churchwardens of the parish of Saint Michael Basseshawe London twenty pounds for and towards the relief of the poor of that parish. ITEM; I give to the Mayor and parishioners of Wootton in the county of Glouc. One hundred ounces of silver plate to be used at the time of the administration of the blessed sacrament and my name to be engraven under the foot of the pots or cups. ITEM; I give to the Company of Haberdashers of London the sum of fifty pounds to be lent to a young man upon good security gratis for three years and so to be disposed of every three years and especially to a merchant adventurer if there shall be any a suiter for the same and further to the said Company forty pounds to make them a dinner on the day of my funeral. ITEM; I give unto St Bartholemew’s Hospital (where I am a Governor) one hundred pounds and to the Governors of that Hospital thirty pounds to make them a dinner on the day of my funeral. ITEM; I give unto Christ’s Hospital fifty pounds, to Ludgate, Newgate and the two Compters to every of them five pounds apiece. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto the chuirchwardens and other the parishioners of the parish of Westham in the county of Essex forever two small houses or cottages with the appurtenances being within the said parish, one of them now or late in the tenure or occupations of Thomas Turner and of [ ] Allen the other of them built on the [wast goring to Playstowe] to the intent and purpose that the rents and profits of those houses may be forever disposed and employed for the relief of the poor of that parish by giving and distributing of the same in bread on every Sabbath day after evening prayer. I do further give unto the said churchwardens the sum of ten pounds to be given and distributed to and amongst the poor of the said parish on the day of my funeral or the Sunday following. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my cousin HENRY FENN ten pounds. ITEM; I give to my cousin ARTHUR FENN son of my brother WILLIAM FENN fifty pounds and to his sister xxL and to my loving sister MARY their mother xL. ITEM; I give unto such children as my aunt KATHERINE MICHELL shall have living at my decease five pounds apiece. ITEM; I give unto RICHARD TAYLOR my godson five pounds and to all the servants in my house five pounds apiece. ITEM; I give unto every of my now apprentices the full sum of his money which I had with him when I took him to be my apprentice out of which he shall abate and pay to my estate what he any way owes. ITEM; I give to Thomas Clarke fifty pounds and to Mr Cullymore fifty pounds. ITEM; I give to Mr Berington forty shillings for a ring and mourning for him and his wife; and to Mr William Clarke sometimes my servant forty shillings for rings and mourning for themselves and their wives. ITEM; I give unto my good friends Mrs Askue widow the late of Mr James Askue deceased five pounds for a piece of plate. ITEM; I give to Anthony Fletcher twenty pounds and mourning. ITEM; I give unto my cousin MARIE OWEN who sometimes dwelt with me fifty pounds; to my cousin BUTLER thirty pounds; to my cousin WEEDEN five pounds and to my cousin ROBOTTOM five pounds. ITEM; I give unto my very good friend Doctor Gifford, Rector of the Parish Church of Saint Michael Bassitshaw London ten pounds and mourning for him and his wife. ITEM; I give to Dorothie Bigers ten pounds. ITEM; I give and grant unto my nephew RICHARD FENN son of my brother WILLIAM FENN for and during the natural life of my said nephew one annuity or yearly rent of five pounds payable quarterly out of the lands of Wootton and more to my said nephew xxxL besides the five pounds yearly given by my deed. To my cousin EDITH BURNETT the wife of ROBERT BURNETT for and during her natural life one annuity or yearly rent of five pounds payable quarterly. To Johan Field for and during her natural life one annuity or yearly rent of five pounds payable quarterly. To my cousin WILLIAM MARTIN son of my sister MARTHA for and during his natural life one annuity or yearly rent of five pounds payable quarterly. And to the poor of Wootton Underedge in the county of Glouc. forever one annuity or yearly rent of ten pounds payable quarterly; provided that those poor be not almsmen or almswomen nor pensioners by the gift of Hugh Perry late of London Alderman deceased; and I do will that if any of my kins that are in want and dwell in Wootton or within three miles thereof may have some part thereof; to be issuing and going and going out of all my lands and tenements whatsoever in the county of Glouc. the annuity at Wotton to be issuing out of the free lands at Wybley and two lives out of the lands in Wotton or Stinell; the first payment of which several annuities or yearly rents I will shall begin at such of the most usual feasts of the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Marie, the Nativity of Saint John Baptist and Saint Michael the Archangel which shall first and next happen after my decease and so from thenceforth to be paid quarterly on every of the said feast days by equal portions as aforesaid; and for non-payment of the said several annuities or yearly rents it shall be lawful for the several parties aforesaid respectively into all and every the same lands and tenements to enter and distrain and the distresses to impound detain and keep until such time as he she or they of the said annual or yearly rents with the arrearages thereof (if any shall be) shall be fully paid or satisfied. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my said son James Fenn my house and lands in Wootten Underidge in the said county of Glouc. now or late in the tenure or occupation of Henry Fenn or his assigns; and also I give unto my said son James Fenn and his heirs forever all my free lands in Wibley in the said county of Glouc. now or late in the tenure or occupation of my brother JOHN FENN or his assigns; provided my son James do pay and discharge the annuities and legacies charged upon them. ITEM; I give unto my sister Martin’s daughter five pounds. ITEM; I give unto my brother John Fenn two hundred pounds and I do forgive him all such monies as he owes me; and I give unto his son HUGH FENN two hundred pounds; to his son ARTHUR FENN one hundred pounds and to the rest of my said brother’s children ten pounds apiece. ITEM; I give to my brother HENRY FENN one hundred pounds and do forgive him all such monies as he owes me. To his son THOMAS FENN twenty pounds and to all the rest of his children ten pounds apiece. ITEM; I give to Mr Leech minister five pounds; to Mr Smart preacher five pounds and to Mr Axton preacher of Wootten Enderedge five pounds. ITEM; I give to my good friend Clement Mosse ten pounds and mourning for him and his wife. ITEM; my will and mind is that my executrix and executors shall not dispose of any leases otherwise than is by this my will set down and appointed but that they may go to the uses intended. ITEM; I give unto Sir Thomas Rowe knight five pounds for a ring; to Mr Robert Rowe son of Mr William Rowe five pounds for a piece of plate and to my loving brother Mr ROGER DUNSTER ten pounds and mourning. ITEM; I give unto my worthy friend Mr Justice Hutton one of the Judges of His Majesty’s Court of Common Pleas at Westminster five pounds for a piece of plate; the rest and residue of all and singular my goods chattels debts and other my personal estate whatsoever unbequeathed I give and bequeath unto my said two sons James Fenn and Robert Fenn the remainder not bequeathed to both my sons to be equally divided between them; and I do make and ordain my said most loving wife and my said two sons James Fenn and Robert Fenn executors of this my last will and testament charging and requiring my said sons to be dutiful to my said loving wife. In witness whereof to every sheet of paper I have set my hand and sealed this with my seal proven the day and years first above written – Ric. Fenn – signed sealed published and declared by the said Richard Fenn Alderman as his last will and testament in the presence of Clement Mosse, Thomas Clarke, Tho. Thornton, Tho. Worseley the thirtieth day of January 1635, published as the last will and testament of the aforenamed Richard Fenn Alderman with the several alterations and amendments aforesaid and for testimony and confirmation thereof the said Richard Fenn has subscribed his name – Ric: Ffen, witnesses: Clement Mosse, Tho. Thornton
Whereas I SIR RICHARD FENN Knight and Alderman of the City of London by the name of Richard Fenn Alderman of the said City made my last will and testament in writing bearing date the tenthy day of April AD 1635, now forasmuch as I am minded to alter something in my said last will contained and for and concerning all other things in the said will mentioned (other than such as I shall not hereby otherwise dispose of) I do by these presents confirm and ratify the said last will and testament; and first whereas by my said last will I declared that I had fully advanced my daughter Katherine the late wife of Hugh Perry late Alderman of the City of London deceased, yet notwithstanding out of my fatherly love I by the same my last will and testament gave unto her two thousand pounds to be paid her within one year next after my decease upon condition that she shall make and give unto my executors within six months next after my decease a general release of all actions and demands whatsoever; other than and excepting the legacy by me given unto her as by my said last will and testament may appear; my will and mind is and I do hereby declare that the said two thousand pounds so by me given is in full satisfaction of and for all such part or portions which she or the right honourable EDWARD LORD NEWBURGH her new husband shall or may challenge out of my estate by any ways or means whatsoever; and upon this proviso and condition that if they or either of them shall require or sue for any further part or portion sum or sums of money or goods out of my estate then what I have before bequeathed to my said daughter then my said legacy of two thousand pounds to be utterly void; and also upon this further proviso and condition that the said Right Honorable Edward Lord Newburgh and my said daughter his now wife shall within three months after my decease and before the sum of two thousand pounds be paid to them or either of them give good security to my executors or to the survivor of them to have and keep my executors harmless as well against William Fitzwilliams Esquire and Jane his wife and the executors and administrators of them and either of them as also against Edward Perry the orphan of Robert Perry late citizen and mercer of London and the executors and administrators of the said Edward Perry otherwise the said legacy of two thousand pounds to my said daughter to be utterly void; and my will is that this codicil or schedule be and be adjudged and taken to be parcel of my last will and testament and to be of force by the right of a codicil or by any other right in the best manner that may be; and I require my executors that they do cause all things in this schedule or codicil contained to be faithfully performed according to my true meaning as if the same were so declared and set down in my last will and testament. In witness whereof to this present codicil I have set my hand and seal [ ] this sixteenth of August 1639 – Signed Sir Richard Fenn kt. Signed sealed published and declared to be part of the last will and testament of the said Sir Richard Fenn by him in the presence of Clement Mosse, Thomas Clarke, Roger Livesey
Proved 25th November 1639 by James Fenn and Robert Fenn – reference to relict Jane Fenn
Comments or questions are welcome.