11-0316-65_WilliamMarkland_1664
In the name of God Amen; I William MARKLAND of the Parish of Saint Michael Woodstreet London, freeman of the company of Innholders being at this present in reasonable health of body and of competent minds and memory (blessed be God) yet considering the frailty and uncertainty of human life do make and ordain this my last will and testament whereby I first commend my soul to Almighty God my creator hoping through his mercy and the merits of Jesus Christ my redeemer to have pardon of all my sins and be saved, and my body I commit to the earth to be buried in the vault where my late uncle Mr Oliver MARKLAND, late Treasurer of Saint Bartholemew’s Hospital now lies in the Parish of Little Saint Bartholemews London. And of my worldly estate which God has bestowed upon me I dispose as follows: inprimis, whereas I am seized of certain lands and marsh grounds in the parish of West Ham in the County of Essex known by the name of the Mill Meads, and which were heretofore the lands of my said uncle, I give out of the same lands and the rents and profits thereof unto my younger children, Alice, Jane, Edward and William MARKLAND the sum of one hundred pounds apiece to be raised by fifty pounds a year to begin at the end of one year next after the decease of my Aunt Mrs Judith MARKLAND, late wife of my said uncle for them my said children as they are in priority of birth, and according as they are above by me named, and while and until the said legacies shall be so raised I devise and bequeath the said lands and the remotes and profits thereof unto my loving brother Robert MARKLAND of Wigan in the County of Lancs, Mercer and unto my loving friends Thomas Drinkwater and Sellars Thornbury, salters, and Thomas Best, dyer and William Lane, salter, citizens of London, their heirs and assigns to the intent that they shall receive the rents of the said lands and pay the said fifty pounds per annum thereof into the Chamber of London for my said younger children’s use sand pay and dispose of the rest of the said rents according to their discretions unto or for the use and maintenance of Oliver MARKLAND my eldest son to whom the said lands are to descend after my death, but my will devise and appointment is that if he the said Oliver my son shall die and depart this life before he attain to his age of one and twenty years and leave no issue of his body lawfully begotten then living that the said lands shall be and remain to my said two younger sons Edward and William Markland and their heirs forever in common and not as joint tenants, and whereas I am possessed of divers leases of certain tenements in Woodstreet and Ladlane in the said parish of Saint Michael and of other leases and tenements elsewhere, I give and bequeath the same leases unto my said brother Robert MARKLAND and unto the said Thomas Drinkwater, Sellars Thornbury, Thomas Best and William Lane their executors and assigns to the intent that they receive the rents and profits thereof for the use and benefit of all my said children and to renew the said leases or any of them on their behalf as they shall see cause or to carry in the said rents into the said Chamber of London for them my said children’s advantage if they think it best, and when all my said children shall have attained to their said ages then my said leases or such new leases as shall be so taken thereof, and the rents and profits thereof I will and appoint to be for them my said children equally among them, and whereas upon my marrying with Susan my now wife an agreement was made between us that she should claim no dower out of my free Anne copyhold land or any share of my goods or personal estate save only such as is mentioned in the indentures therefore by us made and in which the said Thomas Drinkwater and Sellars Thornbury are parties and trustees. And what else I by my last will and testament or otherwise of my own free accord should or shall give unto her I do hereby out of the tender love and affection which I bear unto her my said wife give and bequeath unto her one hundred pounds to be paid at the end of two years next after the deceases of me and the said Mrs Judith Markland my aunt and of the longest liver of us if she my wife shall so long live and remain a widow, and likewise I give unto her all such lease and term of years as I shall have at my decease in my now dwelling house in Bow in the County of Middlesex if she shall so long live and remain a widow, and whilst she holds the same, she to pay the Lord’s rent thereof and keep the said House in repair; and whereas I have also in my house and custody certain child-bed linen left by Jane my late wife for her and my said daughters I do therefore according to her request unto me made at or about the time of her deceased give and bequeath to them my said daughters Alice and Jane Markland the said childbed linen and the mantles and what else concerns the dressing and attiring of children equally between them. ITEM; I give to the said Robert Markland my brother twenty pounds to be paid unto him at the end of one year next after my death, and to the said Thomas Drinkwater, Sellars Thornbury and William Lane twenty nobles apiece to be then also paid unto them and to my loving friend Henry Travers the like legacy of twenty nobles to be then likewise paid unto him and I give and bequeath to the Treasurer of the said Hospital of Saint Bartholemew that shall be in the said place at the time of my decease twenty pounds for the use of the poor thereof, and to be paid at the end of one year next after my death; and all the rest and residue of my goods chattels and personal estate I give will amend bequeath to and amongst all my said children equally; and I make and ordain the said Robert Markland my brother and the said Thomas Drinkwater, Sellars Thornbury, Thomas Best and William Lane my executors, and do will and appoint that it shall be lawful for them and every of them to satisfy unto themselves all such disbursement’s costs and damages as they shall reasonably disburse or sustain by reason of this their executorship, and I do entreat the said Henry Travers to be assistant unto them, with his advice in the due execution thereof, and my will and appointment is that if the said Susan my wife shall have any child or children by me begotten living at my decease or shall be then with child that then such child shall have the same portions legacies and shares of my estate as I have herein willed and appointed to the said Alice Jane Edward and William my younger children in all respects proportionately, and if the said Susan my wife or any of my children shall not be contented with what is in and by the said deed and this my will respectively appointed or bequeathed unto them, but shall claim any part of my estate by the custom or customs of the City of London, that then the legacy or legacies hereby mentioned or intended to be bequeathed unto him her or them that shall so so to be void and of no effect; anything aforesaid notwithstanding. In witness whereof I the said William Markland have hereunto set my hand and seal the second day of May in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand six hundred sixty four – Will: Markland – signed sealed and published on the day of the date in the presence of Henry Travers scrivener Sam: Fox, Michael Marshall his servants
Proved 29th day of January 1664