1666 Judith Markland

11-0321-303_JudithMarkland_1666

In the name of God Amen; I Judith Markland of the Parish of Little Saint Bartholemew, London, Widow, being in good health of body and of sound and perfect mind and memory (thanks be to God) knowing the uncertainty of my life’s determination and, being desirous to settle my estate, do make ordain and declare my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say: First I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God my maker, hoping through the merits of my alone saviour Jesus Christ to obtain full pardon of my sins and a blessed life eternal in the heavens; and my body I commit unto the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my (niece) Judith Gostin the (xxx xxx xxx) thousand pounds of lawful English money (xxx xxx xxx) Chamber of the City of London whereof four hundred pounds parcel is put there in the name of me the said Judith Markland, two hundred pounds other parcel thereof is put in there in the names of William Markland, Richard Pepis and Henry Smith as by an obligation bearing date the second day of April in the thirteenth year of King Charles the Second under the common seal of the said City of London doth approve; and also four hundred pounds other parcel of the said one thousand pounds is put in there in the names of Richard Peapis, Robert Taylor, William Markland and William Zouch as by one other obligation under the common seal of the said City dated the third day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred fifty seven doth appear, which said several obligations are taken in trust for me the said Judith Markland, the monies being my proper monies and I will that the said one thousand pounds be paid unto the said Judith Gostin at her day of marriage, and that in the meantime the said sum shall remain in the Chamber of the City London aforesaid, the said Chamber of London paying the due interest for the same, and that the interest of the said one thousand pounds shall in the meantime be employed and disposed by my executors hereafter named for and towards the maintenance of the said Judith Gostin and if the said Judith Gostin shall happen to die before her day of marriage then I give and bequeath unto my cousin Robert Taylor of Meopham in the County of Kent two hundred pounds parcel of the said one thousand pounds, and I give and bequeath also unto William Taylor his brother two hundred pounds other parcel of the said one thousand pounds, and unto my cousin John Arnold one hundred pounds other parcel of the said one thousand pounds, unto my cousin Anne Spilsteed I give one hundred pounds other parcel of the said one thousand pounds, and if it shall happen that the said William Taylor, Robert Taylor, John Arnold and Anne Spilsteed or any of them shall happen to be dead at the time of my decease then my will is that the legacy of such person so dying shall go to the children of such person to be equally divided amongst them, and for default of such child or children of such person then the legacy to be divided amongst the children of the survivor of them or any of them, and also my will is that the four hundred pounds residue of the said one thousand pounds shall go and be to such person or persons as the said Judith Gostin at or before the time of her decease  before the day of her marriage shall nominate and appoint, and my meaning is and I do hereby declare that the sum of money hereby given to the said Judith Gostin is in lieu and full satisfaction of all legacies and bequests whatsoever due and owing unto her by me by reason of the last will and testament of my former husband William SANDERSON deceased, and I desire my executors hereafter named to pay all such my former husband’s legacies as remain unpaid by reason of the young of the legatees, the sum to be paid out of my personal estate.  ITEM; I give and devise unto the churchwardens of the parish of Meopham in the County of Kent for the time being forever one annuity or yearly rent of three pounds of lawful English money to be paid unto them out of my messuages and lands herein hereafter mentioned to the use and behoof of such person and persons and in such manner and form as is hereafter mentioned, that is to say; to the minister or parson of the aforesaid parish church for his pains to preach a sermon in the said parish church one every New Year’s Day twenty shillings, and other forty shillings thereof to twenty poor people being inhabitants of the said parish of Meopham in manner following, that is to say; to each of them two shillings but if there shall not be so many poor people there then to such so ever number of poor people as shall happen to be then and there resident at the discretion of the churchwardens of the said parish for the time being, the said monies to be paid and distributed to the minister and such poor people the same day and immediately after the sermon shall be ended, and if it shall happen the said annual rent of three pounds or any part thereof to be behind and unpaid that then and from thenceforth and from time to time when and so often as default shall be made  of the payment thereof by my said cousin Robert Taylor his heirs or assigns or any other person who shall have the estate of the said lands herein hereafter mentioned, they and every of them shall and will forfeit and pay the sum of ten pounds of lawful English money (nomine pena) to be paid and distributed by the churchwardens of the said parish for the time being to the poor people thereof, and if it shall happen the said sum of ten pounds to be behind or unpaid in part or in all or the said annuity or yearly rent of three pounds or any part thereof to be behind after the day before mentioned for payment thereof that then and from thenceforth it shall and may be lawful to and for the churchwardens of the said parish of Meopham for the time being to enter upon the lands and premises herein hereafter mentioned and every or any part thereof and there to distrain and the distresses which shall be then and there from time to time found to take, lead, curry, drive away and keep until the said sum of ten pounds (nomine pena) together with the arrears of the said yearly rent of three pounds be fully satisfied and paid unto the churchwardens of the parish of Meopham aforesaid for the time being.  ITEM; I give and devise unto my said cousin Anne Spilsteed wife of John Spilsteed during the term of her natural life one annuity or yearly rent of six pounds of lawful English money to be paid out of my messuages lands and tenements herein hereafter mentioned at the most usual feasts or days of payment in the year, to wit, on the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, and the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary by even and equal portions, the first payment thereof to begin on such of the said feasts as shall first happen after my decease.  ITEM; I give and devise unto my cousin William Taylor during the term of his natural life one annuity or yearly rent of six pounds of lawful English money to be paid out of my lands messuages and tenements herein hereafter mentioned at the feasts last mentioned, and if it shall happen the said several yearly rents of six pounds or any part thereof to be behind and unpaid by the space of fourteen days next after either of the said feasts, that then and thenceforth it shall and may be lawful for the said Anne Spilsteed and William Taylor severally and for their several assigns severally to enter into and upon the messuages lands and premises herein hereafter mentioned and every of any part thereof and there to distrain and the distress and distresses which shall be then and there from time to time found to take, lead, drive curry away and impound and keep until the said several rents of six pounds with the arrears thereof and all such costs charges expenses and damages as they or any of them severally shall be put unto or lay out for or by reason of the said several rents shall be fully satisfied and paid.  ITEM; my will and meaning is that my said cousin Judith Gostin shall in her marriage consult with and take the advice and approbation of John Bathurst of London Esquire or of my cousin Richard Pepis if either of them shall be living.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my cousin Robert Taylor the sum of two hundred pounds and to Elizabeth Spilsteed fifty pounds and to my cousin John Arnold fifty pounds of lawful English money.  ITEM; I give and devise unto the said Robert Taylor and his heirs forever all and singular my messuages lands tenements and hereditaments whatsoever situate lying and being in Meopham aforesaid or elsewhere in the said County of Kent, and now or late in the tenure and occupation of Edward Wouldham his assign or assigns lessees or tenants chargeable with the several rents above mentioned.  ITEM; I give and devise unto my loving friend Mr Robert Taylor, Minister of Little Saint Bartholemew London forty shillings, and to my cousins Henry Harris and Dorothy his wife, Robert Sanderson, Mrs Amy Hillersden, Mrs Margaret Pepis, Anne Pepis, Anne Eaton, widow, all of them fifty shillings apiece, and to my goddaughter Judith Troughton five pounds.  ITEM; I forgive unto John Arnold my kinsman the debt he owes me.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto Mrs Towns nd relict of Christopher Townsend twenty shillings to buy her a ring and to my cousin Elizabeth REGNIER fifty shillings to buy a ring, and to my cousin Elizabeth CODDINGTON fifty shillings to buy a ring.  ITEM; I give unto my servant Anne Higley four pounds.  ITEM; give and bequeath to the said John Bathurst and my cousins Richard Pepis and William Zouch gent ten pounds apiece to buy them mourning, and to my cousin James CODDINGTON of the Inner Temple, gent ten pounds to buy him mourning.  All the rest and residue of my goods chattels debts and credits and personal estate whatsoever not by me herein before given or devised (my debts and funeral charges discharged) I give and devise to the said Judith Gostin, and I do hereby make ordain and appoint the said John Bathurst and Richard Pepis and Judith Gostin executors of this my last will and testament, and for the better ordering and assisting of my said executors in the execution of this my last will according to my true intent and meaning I entreat name make and appoint William Zouch and James Coddington aforesaid overseers of this my last will and testament, and lastly I do hereby revoke disannul and make void all former wills and testaments by me made, and I do publish and declare this only to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name or mark and have set to my seal and have declared the same to be my last will in the presence of those whose names are endorsed the seventeenth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King Charles the Second of England etc – the mark of Judith Markland – signed sealed and published as the last will and testament of the within mentioned Judith Markland after several (erasures and interlinings) in the presence of Mary Smith (Murray Chambers) Mary Keely

Proved 26th July 1666 by all three named executors