11-0199-661_DameJaneFenn-widow_1646

In the name of God Amen; the last day of November AD one thousand six hundred forty and six, and in the two and twentieth 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 Dame JANE FENN of London widow being at this present sick of body but of good and perfect memory praised be God [ ] consider the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour of death I [  ] this my last will and testament in manner and form following; that is to say: first and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God my creator hoping and assuredly believing that through the only merits and mediation of Jesus Christ my only Saviour and redeemer to have [  ] and full remission of all my sins and to be made partaker of his heavenly kingdom; and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried in Christian burial in such sort as my executors hereafter named shall think fit; and touching the disposition of such plate jewels household stuff leases adventures money debts and other goods and chattels as God of his mercy has blessed me withal I dispose thereof as follows: first my will and mind is that all the debts which I shall owe at the time of my decease unto any person or persons be forthwith paid after my decease.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto The Right Honourable the Lady NEWBURGH three hundred pounds and unto her four daughters, namely JANE, KATHERINE, REBECCA and MARIE fourscore pounds that is to say to each of them twenty pounds apiece.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my son JAMES FENN one hundred pounds; and to my son ROBERT FENN fifty pounds and to his wife fifty pounds and my best diamond jewel and my net bed with all the furniture to it.  ITEM; I give unto my nephew Sir JOHN LEE fifty pounds and to my nephew THOMAS LEE and my nieces ELIZABETH LEE and MARTHA LEE to each of them fifty pounds apiece.  ITEM; I give to my nephew JOHN OWEN fifty pounds and to my nephew RICHARD OWEN fifty pounds; and to my nephew HENRY OWEN two hundred pounds; and to my niece JANE WEEDEN one hundred pounds and one suite of damask and two dozen of damask napkins; and to my niece MARIE SMITH (daughter of my brother OWEN) two hundred pounds and one suite of damask and two dozen of damask napkins; and to my niece SARAH ROBOTHAM one hundred pounds and one suite of damask and two dozen of damask napkins; and to my niece ELIZABETH BUTLER two hundred pounds.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto the children of my niece Mistress OSBORNE one hundred pounds that is to either of them fifty pounds apiece; and to my niece JANE HEMINGS one hundred pounds and to my cousin WILLIAM BUTLER one hundred pounds and to my cousin JANE BUTLER two hundred pounds and my bed with furniture belonging to it which is in my chamber at London; and to Elizabeth Cawdwell sometime my servant ten pounds; and to my cousin HUGH FENN ten pounds.  ITEM; I give to my son RICHARD WYNCH two hundred pounds and to my nephew Sir RICHARD BRAWNE Knight fifty pounds; and to my nephew JOHN BRAWNE fifty pounds; and to my nephew EDWARD BRAWNE two hundred pounds; and to my nephew EDMUND BRAWNE two hundred pounds.  ITEM; I give unto my niece ANN JONES widow one hundred pounds; and to my niece MARIE TOURNEY one hundred pounds and to my cousin SARAH JONES daughter of Master EVANS fifty pounds and to my cousin ANN JONES the younger whom I took to dwell with me three hundred pounds and my bed and bedstead with [green] taffeta furniture and all things belonging to it and a suite of damask and two dozen of damask napkins.  ITEM; I give to Mistress Bassett to buy her a ring five pounds; and to Mistress Ball five pounds; and to Master Smart preacher of God’s word five pounds; and to Master Downham five pounds; and to Doctor Houldsworth (from whom I received much spiritual comfort) five pounds; and to Master Spencer preacher at St Leonard’s Bromley five pounds; and to Doctor Gifford five pounds; and to his wife five pounds.  ITEM; I give and bequeath the sum of fifty pounds to be distributed amongst poor preacher’s widows by five pounds apiece, they being of honest reputation for sober living.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to Master Humfrey Berrington ten pounds and to his wife ten pounds and to his son and his wife five pounds apiece; and to Margaret the wife of Hugh Osborne ten pounds; and to Mistress Maree five pounds; and to my servant Thomas Clarke three hundred pounds and my bed and bedstead and curtains of green grogram with the furniture belonging to it; and to my servant Hugh Bantock fifty pounds.  ITEM; I give unto RICHARD FENN and JANE FENN children of my son Robert Fenn two hundred pounds that is to say to either of them one hundred pounds apiece.  ITEM; I give unto my two brothers JOHN FENN and HENRY FENN to either of them fifty pounds apiece.   ITEM; I give ten pounds to be distributed amongst the poor inhabitants of Westham and ten pounds amongst the poor inhabitants of the parish of Michael Bassishaw.  ITEM; I give to the relief of the poor people harboured in Christ’s Hospital in London fifty pounds; and to the relief of the poor harboured in Saint Bartholemew’s Hospital fifty pounds; and to the relief of the poor harboured in Saint Thomas Hospital in Southwark ten pounds.  ITEM; I give thirty pounds for the relieving and discharging of prisoners out of the two compters in London and Ludgate that is to say for each prison ten pounds which three several sums my meaning is shall be paid by my executors for discharging of four or more persons out of each prison being of honest life and conversation that shall be detained there for fifty shillings apiece or under.  ITEM; I give to my cousin HUGH GODDARD one hundred pounds and to goodwife Shepharde five pounds.  ITEM; I give to my cousin FRANCIS LEIGHTON one hundred pounds to be paid to his own proper hands and to his own proper use and if he die before the same be paid unto him then to be paid to his children begotten on the body of Margaret his late wife deceased.  ITEM; I give unto my cousin Sir WILLIAM MARTIN Knight two hundred pounds and to the Lady MARTIN his wife one hundred pounds and a suite of damask and two dozen of damask napkins; and to Mistress Greenway five pounds.  ITEM; I give unto my son James Fenn’s four children now living fourscore pounds that is to say to each of them twenty pounds apiece; and to Adrian Staples five pounds; and to my factor Robert Washington ten pounds.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my cousin THOMAS OWEN one hundred pounds and to my cousin JANE SMITH daughter of Hugh Brawne one hundred pounds the said last two mentioned legacies to be paid to the proper hands of the said two last named legatees severally and respectively and to their own several and respective uses so as their creditors or any others but themselves shall have no share or part thereof and if either of them die before the same be so paid unto them severally and respectively that then the legacy or part of him or her so dying shall be paid unto the several and respective children of him or her so dying respectively.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my niece BARSHEBA FARRAR the sum of five hundred pounds.  ITEM; I give and bequeath the sum of fifty pounds to be distributed amongst twelve poor preachers of the word of God of honest life and conversation at the choice and discretion of my executors that have been turned out of their livings sithence this Parliament began and shall not then have any benefice [  ] with [  ] of souls provided that [  ] of them be any of those ministers or persons before particularly named and that nine of them shall have about five pounds apiece.  ITEM; my will is that there be given to so many poor women as I shall be [  ] at my decease twenty shillings apiece in money and they therewith (if they be thereunto required) to find themselves gowns and kerchiefs to attend my corpse to the grave.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my executors hereafter named the sum of two hundred pounds in trust to be by them put forthwith and employed and disposed of [  ] for the use and benefit of my cousin EDWARD GODDARD and the benefit and profit thereof arising as also (if my executors shall think it meet) the two hundred pounds itself to be paid to the said Edward Goddard’s own proper hands and to his own proper use so as his creditors or any other but himself shall not have any share or part thereof or benefit thereby; and nothing but an acquittance under his own hand shall be their discharge for the same, and if the same two hundred pounds and the profit thereof or any part thereof shall remain unpaid to him at his decease then the same to be paid to such child or children of his body lawfully begotten as shall be living at his decease and for default of such issue then unto the executors or administrators of the said Edward Goddard.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto the fifth child of my said son James Fenn now living twenty pounds; and to Master Pinder and his wife five pounds apiece; and to Mistress Smarte five pounds and to her sister Thebe Holbrooke five pounds; and my will is that my executors shall cause my body to be buried in a decent and comely manner and according to my estate and degree and therein shall disburse and expend of my estate so much costs and charges as to them shall seem meet; and my will also is that the charges concerning my said funerals and also the legacies hereinbefore particularly given and bequeathed unto the ministers and poor before mentioned; and also all other legacies herein whereby given or bequeathed to any person or persons that is not by marriage or otherwise allied of kin to me other than my executors shall be paid and taken out of such monies and estate of mine as shall first come unto the hands of my executors hereafter named; and all other legacies herein particularly mentioned shall be paid unto each several legatee severally and respectively and rateably and proportionably according to each one’s legacy as the rest of my estate shall come into the hands of my executors wherein my will and meaning is that my executors shall use all possible care and diligence to get in and pay the same accordingly; and the rest and residue of all and singular my plate jewels household stuff leases adventures manors and other estates whatsoever my debts paid and funeral and legacies discharged I will shall be equally divided not only into so many equal parts and portions as there shall be children (living at my decease) lawfully begotten on the several and respective bodies of my said nephews and cousins, Sir John Lee, the Lady Martin, John Owen, Mary Torney, Margaret Leighton, Susan Owen als. Osborne, Barsheba Farrar, Ann Jones widow and my cousin FRANCIS SQUIER deceased (other than such of the children of the said Ann Jones to whom I have by this my will given other particular legacies) but also into [  ] so many equal parts and portions as there shall be children living at my decease lawfully begotten on the several respective bodies of my said nephews and cousins Edmund Brawne, Edward Brawne, Mary Smith, Jane Weeden, Sara Robotham, Thomas Owen and Elizabeth Butler (other than such children of the said Elizabeth Butler to whom I have by this my will given other particular legacies.  And I do give and bequeath to each of the children living at my decease lawfully begotten on the several and respective bodies of my said nephews and cousins, Sir John Lee, the Lady Martin, John Owen, Mary Torney, Margaret Leighton, Susan Owen als. Osborne, Barsheba Farrar, Ann Jones widow and my cousin Francis Squier deceased (other than such of the children of the said Ann Jones to whom I have by this my will given other particular legacies as aforesaid) one of the said equal parts and portions so divided; and unto each of the children living at my decease lawfully begotten on the several respective bodies of my said nephews and cousins Edmund Brawne, Edward Brawne, Mary Smith, Jane Weeden, Sara Robotham, Thomas Owen and Elizabeth Butler (other than such children of the said Elizabeth Butler to whom I have by this my will given other particular legacies as aforesaid) two of the said equal parts and portions so devised; and my will and meaning farther is that if any of the said children to whom I have given or limited any part or portion of the said rest and residue of my said estate shall happen to die before such part and portion shall be due unto them that then the part and portion of him her or them so dying shall remain unto the children of him her or them so dying and for default of such issue unto and amongst the brothers and sisters of him her or them so dying and for default of such brothers and sisters then unto the executors and administrators of him her or them so dying.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to the said Mistress Greenway the sum of five pounds more to be unto her as the other five pounds formerly given is limited to be paid; and I do make and ordain my said cousin Sir William Martin Knight and my said servant Thomas Clarke to be sole executors of this my last will and testament not doubting but that the will (according to the trust and confidence which I repose in them) carefully perform the same according to my true intent and meaning; and lastly I do hereby revoke and make void all former wills and testaments by me formerly made or published.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to Mistress Salter, Mistress Barnes and Mistress Blow to each of them forty shillings apiece and Elizabeth daughter of Mistress Cawdwell forty shillings.  In witness whereof to this my last will and testament being written in seven sheets of paper I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written.  Signed sealed published and declared by the said Dame Jane Fenn as and for her last will and testament in the presence of us Robert Smith, Robert Hoult, John Winterborne, William Llewellyn, George Gould.

A codicil to be annexed to the last will and testament of me Dame Jane Fenn of London widow vidlt. Whereas I the said Dame Jane Fenn have made will bearing date the last day of November now last past now I do hereby ratify and confirm the same in all things according to my true meaning therein declared; and I do hereby further give and bequeath to the Lady Martin my best furs which I wear about my neck, my cloth of silver petticoat and my best scarlet gown and muff.  ITEM; to my cousin Leighton’s eldest son twenty pounds and to my sister BACKHOUSE forty shillings to buy her a ring; and to Sir William Martin’s servants that now be in this house five pounds amongst them; and to my Goddaughter the daughter of Master Davies at the Lyon in Maidenhead five pounds; and to my son James Fenn’s two children now at school two rings vizt. To the elder a ring that was his grandmother’s and to the younger my Godson a little diamond ring set with five stones.  ITEM; I give to my cousin JOHN JONES twenty pounds and to his wife forty shillings; and in regard of the request and desire of my late father RICHARD GURNEY Alderman deceased I desire my body may be interred in the Parish Church of St Michael Crooked Lane as near to my said father as conveniently may be and I do give unto the poor of the same parish five pounds. Aand I declare that Master Spencer may preach my funeral sermon un to whom I give for the same (over and besides that I have given him by my will) five pounds.  All which legacies hereby given I will shall be paid as the ministers and poor in my will are appointed to be paid.  And my will is that this codicil be and shall be adjudged and taken to be parcel of my last will and testament; and I require my executors to ensure all things herein contained to be faithfully performed according to my true meaning herein declared.  In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the three and twentieth day of December one thousand six hundred forty and six – Jane Fenn – Sealed and published after the interlining of the words ‘five pounds’ in the presence of John Winterborne 

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