11-0317-1754_JamesWinch_1665
In the name of God Amen, the ninth day of August in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty and five, I James WINCH of Reading in the County of Berks, Clothier, being sick and weak in body but of good and perfect mind and memory (praised be God therefore) do make ordain and declare my last will and testament in manner and form following (viz.) first I commend my soul to God that gave it me, and my body to the grave in hope of a glorious resurrection to eternal life by and through the merits of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto Sarah my daughter two hundred and fifty pounds of lawful money of England to be paid unto her at her age of one and twenty years or day of marriage which shall first happen, and it is my will that if she happen to die before she attain to the said ages of one and twenty years or be married, then I give ten pounds thereof to my wife’s son Robert FELLOW and fifty pounds more to my wife’s son Robert FELLOW and fifty pounds more thereof to her son John FELLOW, and fifty pounds more thereof to her son Thomas FELLOW and twenty pounds more thereof to my sister STEERE, and ten pounds more thereof to my sister CANTRELL, and ten pounds more thereof to my sister ARCHEPOL and the remainder thereof to my executrix. ITEM; it is my will that the said two hundred and fifty pounds shall be put forth at interest within six months next after my decease for the use of my said daughter and that the interest and increase that shall arise thereby shall be paid to my executrix hereafter named towards the maintenance and bringing up of my said daughter. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto the said John Fellow and Thomas Fellow twenty shillings apieceITEM; I give to my brother William WINCH and his wife ten shillings apiece to buy each of them a gold ring. To my three sisters and their husbands ten shillings apiece to buy each of them a gold ring. To my mother in law Mrs WINCH twenty shillings to buy her a gold ring, and to her two daughters eight shillings apiece to buy each of them a gold ring. ITEM; I give to Robert Mate my servant my grey riding suit and coat. ITEM; I give twenty shillings to be distributed in bread amongst the poor of the parish of St Mary in Reading aforesaid the day of my burial by the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the same parish. ITEM; all the rest and residue of my goods and chattels whatsoever unbequeathed, my funeral rites, testamentary expenses and these my legacies deducted I devise and give unto Sarah my wife whom I ordain and make full and sole executrix of this my last will and testament, and I request my brother William Winch and my loving neighbour George Thorne of Reading aforesaid to be overseers of this my will, and towards their pains to be taken in assisting my said executrix I give them ten shillings apiece so praising God for his mercies and favours towards me in this life, I humbly submit myself to his grace and favour in his son Jesus Christ, and do publish and declare this to be my last will and testament the day and year first above written – James Winch – signed sealed published and declared in the presence of Hugh Smith, the mark of Katherine Hildesheim
Proved 28th October 1665