11-0262-73_EdmundSleigh_1656
In the name of God Amen, the sixteenth day of October in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred fifty six, I EDMUND SLEIGH of London Alderman do make and declare this my present will and testament in manner and form following; that is to say my soul I commend to God and my body to Christian and decent burial in Mercer’s Chapel London and I order that in convenient time a marble stone be there laid; and my goods chattels and estate personal I give and dispose as follows: I give to my loving wife ELIZABETH SLEIGH one third part of my personal estate and to my four children THOMAS, ELIZABETH, MARY and REBECCA one other third part of my personal estate and I give to my said son Thomas Sleigh and his heirs forever all and every my freehold and customary lands and tenements with the appurtenances situate and being in East Sheen and in the parish of [Mortlake] in the County of Surrey (excepting only the third of my said wife Elizabeth of and in the said lands and tenements during her natural life) and also I give unto my son Thomas Sleigh two thousand and five hundred pounds, and also to my said daughter Elizabeth Sleigh two thousand pounds of lawful English money and to my said daughter Mary Sleigh one thousand and two hundred pounds of like money, and to my said daughter Rebecca Sleigh one thousand and two hundred pounds of like money to be paid to every of them at their respective age of one and twenty years or day of marriage which shall first happen and to the survivors and survivor of them; and I give to my sister MARTHA RUSSELL twenty pounds of lawful English money if she be living at the time of my decease; and I give to my brother FRANCIS DASHWOOD and to my brother MATHEW SHEPPARD and my sister the wife of the said Mathew; and to my brother ROBERT WINCH and my sister the wife of the said Robert; and to my sister LEADER; and to my cousin ANTHONIE BATEMAN and his wife; and to my cousin THOMAS LEWIS and his wife; and to my family and such others whom my executors shall think fit and to every of them (vidt) to the man good cloth and to the women good [searge] or other stuff for mourning as my executors hereafter named shall think fit; also I give to my uncle HENRY SAUNDERS and to my uncle JOSEPH SAUNDERS if they shall be in London at my funerals good cloth for mourning apparel and also to the wife of the said Joseph Saunders if she shall be at London at my funeral good searge or other stuff for mourning apparel as my executors hereafter named shall think fit; and I give to Thomas Horton Doctor of Divinity thirteen pounds six shillings eight pence as a legacy and also six pounds thirteen shillings four pence if he preach my funeral sermon for the instruction and exhortation of God’s people; but if he preach not a funeral sermon at my funeral then and in such case the said six pounds thirteen shillings four pence to be void; but I order that the said Doctor Horton shall have six pounds thirteen shillings four pence given him for mourning apparel; and also I give to my servant Richard Dunnidge one hundred pounds of lawful English money and also to my servant HENRY SAUNDERS Junior one hundred pounds of like money to be paid unto him at the expiration of the term of his apprenticeship (if he be then living) and I give to the Governors of Christ’s Hospital London to the use of the poor children of the said hospital so as they accompany my corpse at my funeral to the grave one hundred pounds of lawful money of England; and also I give to and amongst my poor kindred fifty pounds of lawful money of England to be distributed at the discretion of my executors and of the said Henry Saunders and Colonel THOMAS SAUNDERS and also I give to and amongst the poor people of Lullington in the County of Derby where I was born six pounds thirteen shillings four pence of lawful English money to be distributed amongst them where most need shall be at the discretion of the said Henry Saunders and Thomas Saunders; and also I give thirty pounds of like money to buy thirty rings to be engraven “memento mori” the same rings to be severally disposed of to my friends and acquaintances (videlicet) to Colonel Thomas Saunders and his wife, and to my cousin RICHARD HUNT the elder and to my cousin JOHN DUNNIDGE of Derby and to my cousin SUSAN MELLOR, widow, my cousin JOHN BINDWORTH, Cousin BARTHOLEMEW BINDWORTH and his wife, cousin WILLIAM GODDARD and his wife, cousin MATHEW SHEPPARD and his wife, Major Samuel Foote and his wife, and my neighbour John Laurence, my neighbour Theophilus Biddulph Esq, cousin TRESSELL and his wife, cousin MARY DASHWOOD, and to Alderman Tichbourne now Lord Mayor, gent, and Alderman Thomas Allen, Alderman Cheverton, Alderman Estwick, Alderman Tompson, Aldreman Fredericke, Alderman Milner, Alderman Tomms and my friend Thomas Chaundler; and I give to the Company of Mercers, London (whereof I am a brother) one hundred pounds of lawful money of England to be lent to a young man free of the said Company gratis for five years upon good security by bond the security of two hundred pounds [ ] with three sureties such as the Master, Wardens and Assistants of the said Company and their successors shall like and approve conditioned to be repaid at the end of five years then next following and see from thenceforth constantly and successively forever to be lent gratis to one young man free of the said Company for five years sure [ ] upon good security with sureties and to be approved of as afore is specified and to be repaid at five years and as afore is expressed and so to be continued successively forever for the preferment and encouragement of young men free of the said Company; but my desire is that a silkman be preferred in the first place provided the party be brought into the Livery he to pay in the moneys within thirty days after; and also I will and order that thirty pounds lawful English money shall be expended by my executors at the day of my funeral for a dinner for the livery of the said Company of Mercers that shall be at my funerals; and also I give unto Master[Parke] Minister of Mortlack and to Master Rutton and Master Taylor and Master Calamy and Master Cranford and Master Watson Ministers for mourning apparel at the day of my funerals six pounds thirteen shillings four pence apiece; and also I give to the said Master Parke over and above the said six pounds thirteen shillings four pence ten pounds as a legacy; and also to my cousin MARY HUNT widow ten pounds and unto my sister SIBILL LEADER eight pounds per annum during her natural life the same to be paid unto her by even portions by my executors quarterly out of the rents of my lands in East Sheen and Mortlack in the County of Surrey provided always that at such time as my executors or either of them shall pay unto my said sister Sibill Leader forty pounds lawful English money at one entire payment that then the said eight pounds per annum to [ ] and be void and the said Sibill thereupon to make and execute a lawful and sufficient release and discharge therefore as shall be requisite unto my executors; and I give to four poor scholars in the University of Cambridge such as Doctor Horton shall approve of five pounds apiece of like money; and also I give to every of my servants apprentices not before mentioned which shall be dwelling with me at the time of my decease six pounds thirteen shillings four pence apiece of like money and to every of my own servants men and maids that shall be dwelling with me at the time of my decease five pounds apiece of like money and to ten old men such as my executors shall think fit thirty shillings apiece and to ten old mainds such as my executors shall think fit twenty shillings apiece and I give to the children of Robert Wright and George Gosling as he the said Henry Saunders shall think fit forty pounds of like money; and also I give to my uncle Henry Saunders twenty pounds of like money and to Robert Minchard, scrivener six pounds thirteen shillings four pence and to Elizabeth Turner five pounds and to Nurse Everton three pounds and to my godson Henry Minchard five pounds and I name and make my wife Elizabeth Sleigh and my son Thomas Sleigh executors of this my present last will and testament and I appoint my said brother Francis Dashwood and my brother Robert Winch and my brother Mathew Sheppard and my cousin Anthony Bateman overseers thereof to whom i give for their pains and as a testimony of my love to them ten pounds apiece of like money; in testimony whereof to this my last will and testament contained in six sheets of paper and part of another sheet I have put my hand and seal and published and delivered in the presence of James Hansby, John Chapman and Robert Michard Notarie Publique
Memorandum; that I the above named Edmond Sleigh so further give unto Minister Parke Minister of Mortlack towards the maintenance of the Summer Lecture beginning the first week in May and ending the nine and twentieth day of September the sum of forty pounds to be paid to him by ten pounds a year successively for the next four years after my decease – Edm. Sleigh – witnesses hereunto [ ] John Chapman, Robert Minchard notarie publique
I do give to the poor of Mortlack in Surrey to be laid out in good bread two shillings worth every week for the next four years next after my decease and my desire is that my executors will bestow it upon such persons as usually frequent the public worship of God – Edmund Sleigh
Proved 3rd February 1656 by Elizabeth Sleigh relict and one of the executors; administration reserved for Thomas Sleigh the son and other executor
Comments or questions are welcome.