1651 Dame Katherine Brooke of Norton

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In the name of God Amen; I Dame KATHERINE BROOKE widow late the wife of Sir RICHARD BROOKE of Norton in the County of Chester, Knight, deceased being weak in body but of good and perfect memory praise be given unto God considering with myself the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time to me am therefore desirous to settle my estate and to give and dispose such estate as it has pleased God to bestow upon me and whereof I shall be owner at my death and do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following.  First I commit and most humbly commend my soul to God that gave it faithfully believing through the merits of my only Lord Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ to have remission of my sins and my inheritance amongst the blessed saints when the corruptible body of mine shall be made incorruptible; and my body I commit to the earth and to be buried in the chancel of the parish church of Runcone as near as may be to my said late dear husband; and as for all such goods cattels and chattels as it has pleased God to bestow upon me and whereof I shall be owner at my death I will they be disposed as follows.  First I give and bequeath to my daughter HYDE wife to EDWARD HYDE Esq my jewel which my mother gave me which jewel is now in my said daughter’s custody, my new piece of hair coloured satin which I late bought and intended for a petticoat for myself.  ITEM; I give to WILLIAM MARBURY my Grandchild, heir apparent to THOMAS MARBURIE Esq my son in law my silver basin and ewer provided he suffer his mother to use the same and to keep the same during her life and I desire my said daughter Hide out of the legacy I have given her to buy herself blacks and I give my daughter Marbury five pounds to buy herself blacks withal.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to my daughter PLUMTREE wife to HUNTINGTON PLUMTREE Esq the mourning ring my cousin DUMVILL gave me at his death five pounds in money to buy herself black withal and six pair of sheets two of flaxen and four of tear of hemp.  ITEM; I give my three sons HENRY BROOKE Esq, RICHARD BROOKE and JOHN BROOKE each one twenty nobles in money to buy them blacks withal to wear in remembrance of me.  ITEM; I give to my said son Henry Brooke the two great [  ] the lake wort into standing in Norton Brewhouse the two greatest beef tubs standing in the Landar at Norton and the new bedstead standing in Carew Chamber at Norton.  ITEM; I give to my  said son Richard his wife two pair of flaxen sheets and two pair of tear of hemp sheets the tear of hemp sheets being marked with a ‘K’ and five cross stitches two Holland table cloths six quarters broad and three yards long two broad scotch cloth cupboard cloths one dozen of my best flaxen napkins stitched with white thread one fine flaxen towel of the same cloth marked with small catwork and two other towels more lately made and hemmed down the side.  ITEM; I give to my daughter in law Mrs JANE BROOKE my silver watch.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to my son John his wife my inlaid cabinet with mother of pearl with a scotts piece of gold of twenty one shillings to buy her a ring to wear in remembrance of me.  ITEM; I give to my grandchild Mrs MARGARET HIDE my carved ring her father gave me with a gold [spurneyall].  ITEM; I give to my grandchild Mrs KATHERINE MARBURY my little small pearl bracelet mixed with garnets.  ITEM; I give to my grandson RICHARD HIDE ten pounds in money and to my grandson NEVILL HYDE a twenty shillings piece of gold.  ITEM; I give to my grandchild KATHERINE BROOKE my late son THOMAS his daughter twenty pounds whereof her mother Mrs Jane Brooke owes me fourteen pounds thirteen shillings four pence and I will that debt shall be by my executors made up to the same twenty pounds and paid to the mother for the said daughter’s use.  ITEM; I give to my cousin BURROUGHES a gold ring with a death’s head engraven and to his wife another ring set about with blue stones.  ITEM; I give to my cousin MARY HOLBORNE the ring enamelled with white and green.  ITEM; I give to her husband a twenty shillings piece to buy him a ring withal to wear in remembrance of me.  ITEM; I give to Mr Elcocke Vicar of Rimcorne whom I give to preach my funeral sermon two twenty shillings pieces of gold and to his wife a [spurryall] of gold to buy her a ring to wear in remembrance of me.  ITEM; I give to my friend John Pickering twenty shillings to buy him a ring to wear in like remembrance.  ITEM; I give to Mrs Pilkington fifty shillings in money to buy her a mourning gown and some of my wearing linens at the discretion of my executrix hereafter named.  ITEM; I give to my chamber maid Martha Fletcher my new blackstuff gown with petticoat to it with some of my wearing linens at the like discretion of my executrix.  ITEM; I give to DOROTHY JONES my new [shacked] petticoat I bought lately with a quarter’s wages.  ITEM; to my servant Thomas Sutton the old black gelding or four pounds in money.  ITEM; I give to my old servant John Mather forty shillings in money.  ITEM; I give to my cook maid a quarter’s wages.  ITEM; I give to Thomas Barlow my foot boy ten shillings.  ITEM; I give to Thomas Burroughs my kitchen boy twenty shillings; out of the rest of my estate goods and chattels whatsoever within the realm of England I will my debts and funeral expenses  which I desire may not exceed thirty pounds be paid and discharged, and the over plus and what remains of my goods cattels and estate whatsoever within the realm of England I freely give unto my daughter DOROTHY as my free legacy beseeching God to bless her therewith; and of all my estate goods and cattels within the realm of England I make her my sole executrix; and I desire my good friend Mr John Pickering to be her assistant in performance of the same.  ITEM; whereas I conceive myself rightly and lawfully interested and entitled to certain lands and the tenements lying on or near Nottingham in the County of Nott. as by and under the gift and grant of GEORGE BROOKE gent deceased my late son I do hereby freely give and devise the same lands and tenements to the said Huntington Plumtree and CHRISTIAN his wife my daughter her heirs and assigns for ever; and for and concerning all those lands goods plantations real or personal estate whatsoever in the Barbados Islands which my said son George Brooke gave me by his last will and testament or otherwise I do hereby declare that I have contracted for bargain and sold the same to one Mr James Clinkett of the same island for six hundred and fifty pounds to have been paid in lawful English moneys and whereof I acknowledge to have received three hundred pounds in part and thereof remains three hundred and fifty pounds unpaid from the said Mr Clinkett I do hereby freely give to my said son  John Brooke two hundred pounds of the same debt; to my said daughter DOROTHY BROOKE one hundred pounds of the same debt; to my grandson RICHARD BROOKE son to my said deceased son Thomas Brooke thirty pounds; and to my grandchild KATHERINE BROOKE daughter to my said son Richard Brooke twenty pounds residue of the same debt; and if it should happen all the same three hundred and fifty pounds not to be had and gotten from the same Mr Clinkett I declare my mind and will to be that the first sum or sums amounting to one hundred pounds thereof that is received and had my said son John shall and may retain and keep to himself for his use. And the next sum or sums of money so received amounting to one hundred pounds shall be paid to my said daughter Dorothy. And of the next sum or sums of lawful money thereof to be received or had shall pay to my said two last-named grandchildren the particular sums last before mentioned to be divided as aforesaid and that my said son John Brooke shall retain to himself the remaining sum of the same debt when it is had.  And as for and concerning that debt only due as aforesaid from the said Mr Clinkett I make my said son John Brooke my only executor. Witness my hand and seal the twenty first day of April AD 1650 – Katherine Brooke – sealed published and delivered in the presence of Thomas Pickering, Thomas Wytters

 

Proved 30th January 1651/2 by John Brooke executor

 

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