11-0352-122_ThomasLane_1676
In the name of God Amen, I Thomas LANE of Ludlow in the County of Salop, Gent, being in good and perfect health yet, considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of this life, do make and declare this my last will and testament and hereby revoking all former wills; and FIRST, I give and bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God, assuredly hoping through the merits of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to receive salvation; and as for my worldly estate I dispose thereof in form following. FIRST I give and bequeath unto Sir Job CHARLTON, Knight, Chief Justice of Chester, my honoured Master, the sum of two hundred pounds of lawful England money. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto the Lady Lettice CHARLTON, wife of the said Sir Job Charlton, the sum of one hundred pounds of like money. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto every of the sons and daughters of the said Sir Job Charlton that shall be living at the time of my decease the sum of five pounds apiece of like money to buy them rings as tokens of my duty which I owe to my said honoured master. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto Frances, my dear and loving wife the sum of five hundred pounds of like money, and also the use of all my plate and household stuff during the term of her natural life. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my said dear wife and to John Holland of Brinfield in the County of Hereford, Gent, the sum of five hundred pounds of like money to the intent that they shall dispose the same unto my two sisters Elizabeth the wife of William Gardner and Margery the wife of … Knight and their children in such manner and form as to my said wife and the said John Holland and the survivor of them shall be thought fit. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my honoured father Thomas LANE of the Nash, Gent, the sum of one hundred pounds of like money to this intent that he may have the use thereof during his natural life and to dispose thereof at the time of his decease to his now wife and the children between them begotten in such manner and form as to my said father shall be thought fit, and I do hereby release and discharge my said father of all debts and demands due to me from him. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my half-brother and godson John LANE the sum of twenty pounds of like money. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my loving Aunt Johan’s the wife of Hugh THOMAS of Kyle in the County of Worcester (clear) the sum of one hundred pounds of like money to the intent she may have the use thereof during the term of her natural life and dispose thereof to such of her children as she shall think fit at the time of her decease. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto all and every the children of my late Aunt Burnell that shall be living at the time of my decease the sum of twenty pounds apiece of like money. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto Dorothy the wife of Captain Thomas Randolph the sum of five pounds of like money to buy her a ring. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto the said John Holland the sum of fifty pounds of like money. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto William Bigg and Margaret Cross, Anne Cross and Thomas Rocke, Gent, twenty shillings apiece to buy them rings. ITEM; I give unto my cousin Francis LANE the sum of forty shillings to buy him a ring, also I give and bequeath unto my cousins Edmond LANE and Anne LANE twenty shillings apiece to buy them rings. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto Luke Spencer the Elder, Gent, Leonard Spencer, Gent, and Luke Spencer the Younger, Gent, twenty shillings apiece to buy them rings. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my Godmother Elizabeth Hill twenty shillings to buy her a ring. And my will is that all the said legacies shall be paid within the space of one year next after my decease. ITEM; I do appoint the sum of one hundred pounds of like money for my funerals. ITEM; I give and bequeath unto my worthy good friend Thomas Walcott Esquire the sum of five pounds of like money to buy him a ring. ITEM; my will is to my said dear wife that she shall dispose my said plate and household stuff at her decease unto my said two sisters if they shall be then living, and if dead then to their children. And all the rest of my estate whatsoever not hereby bequeathed, I do surely give and bequeath unto the said Sir Job Charlton, Thomas Walcott and John Holland to the intent they shall dispose thereof in such manner and form as I shall by any writing under my hand and seal declare and appoint, and for want of such declaration and appointment then my will is that the said Sir Job Charlton, Thomas Walcott and John Holland shall dispose thereof to some charitable use or uses according to their best discretions as it shall please God to direct them. And I do hereby nominate, ordain and appoint my said dear wife and the said John Holland executors of this my last will. In witness whereof to this my will being two sheets I have hereunto put my hand and seal this twelfth day of November in the six and twentieth year of the reign of King Charles the Second over England etc., AD 1674 – Tho: Lane – signed sealed and published in the presence of Francis Holland, Thomas Yapp, (the mark of) Francis Higgins
A Codicil to be annexed to my last will and testament
ITEM; I give devise and bequeath unto Frances, my dear and loving wife the messuage and tenement wherein I now dwell and inhabit situate in Ludlow in the County of Salop in a street there called the Broad Street, and all outhouses, gardens, lights, easements, profits, hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging, and my garden lying in the town of Ludlow aforesaid in or near a Street there called the Brand Lane, and one meadow lying within the liberties of Ludlow aforesaid, between the Mill Street Mills and Ludford Bridge which I lately purchased of one Mr Morris, to have and to hold the said messuage, tenement, gardens, meadow and premises with the appurtenances unto the said Frances my wife for and during her natural life. ITEM; I give unto my servant William Rocke one meadow with the appurtenances which I lately purchased of Mr Richard Cole lying and being in the township of Halton in the County of Salop, commonly called Whores Meadow, to have and to hold the said meadow lastly mentioned unto the (said) William Rocke for and during the term of his natural life, and after his decease I give and devise the said meadow lastly mentioned unto the said Frances my wife for and during the term of her natural life. And whereas by my said will I did give and bequeath to my Aunt Johane The then wife of Hugh Thomas the sum of one hundred pounds to be by her disposed amongst her children, the said Johane being since dead I do hereby revoke the said legacies, and I do hereby give devise and bequeath unto my cousin Elizabeth Griffiths, the daughter of the said Johane by her first husband the sum of twenty pounds, and I do also give and bequeath unto the children of the said Johane begotten by the said Hugh Thomas and as shall be living at the time of my decease, the sum of ten pounds apiece of lawful English money. ITEM I give unto Margery the daughter of my Uncle Francis LANE deceased the sum of five pounds of like money. Witness my hand and seal this thirteenth day of May in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred seventy and six – Thomas Lane – signed sealed and published in the presence of Frances Holland, Tho: Yapp, (the mark of) Francis Higgins
Memorandum that by this codicil subscribed and annexed to my last will which I make as part of my said will and desire it be annexed thereon, I do give devise and bequeath all those my closes of meadow and pasture grounds lying near to the east side of the Broad Street in the town of Ludlow in the County of Salop which I lately purchased of and from Mr Thomas Coates of Ludlow aforesaid, cutler, and of his wife and son unto William Archer of Ludlow aforesaid, Gent., William Deverell of Richard Castle in the County of Hereford, Gent., and Richard Cam of Ludlow aforesaid, Gent., their heirs and assigns to the intent and purpose and upon trust and confidence that they the said William Arthur, William Deverell and Richard Cam and their heirs shall and will immediately after my decease convey settle and assure the said premises unto certain feeoffees and their heirs as Counsel shall advise upon trust and confidence in the said feeoffees reposed that the full yearly rents and profits of the said premises may be weekly disposed of in bread or money amongst twenty poor widows of the said town as shall be appointed from time to time by the bailiffs of the said town of Ludlow and the pardon of the said parish for the time being or any two of them the pardon being one. And, whereas I have formerly appointed my loving friend Mr John Holland joint executor with my loving wife of my last will and testament, and whereas the said Mr John Holland is since deceased unto whom I devised the sum of fifty pounds as a legacy in and by the aforesaid will, now my will and desire is, and I do hereby appoint, constitute and make my loving friend Mr William Biggs a joint executor with my said wife in the stead of the said Mr John Holland decease, and I do further give and devise the sum of ten pounds part of the said fifty pounds aforementioned unto Frances Holland daughter of the said John Holland and my goddaughter. ITEM; I give and bequeath and devise the sum of ten pounds unto my sister Fleetwood. ITEM; I do give and bequeath the sum of twenty pounds unto my loving friend Mr William Biggs the aforesaid joint executor with my said wife. ITEM; I do give bequeath and devise all my gold and silver pieces that is now in my possession and is really mine and not formerly bequeathed in and by my last will and testament unto my loving wife Mrs Frances Lane. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this nineteenth day of June in the 28th year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord Charles the Second over England etc., AD 1676 – Thomas Lane – signed and sealed in the presence of Richard Fenton, William Gardner, William Rocke
Memorandum that whereas Thomas Lane late of Ludlow in the County of Salop, Gent., deceased, whilst he lived, being of perfect mind and memory, did on the nineteenth day of June in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred seventy six make a codicil in writing to the will and codicil by him formerly made by which codicil bearing date the nineteenth day of June aforesaid, there is (among other bequests) a legacy given and bequeathed unto his wife Frances Lane in these words following (viz.) “ITEM; I do give bequeath and devise all my gold and silver pieces that is now in my possession and is really mine and not formerly bequeathed in and by my last will and testament unto my loving wife Mrs Frances Lane” as by the said written codicil may more fully approve, now the truth is that the deceased (at the very time of writing the codicil aforesaid) did declare unto several persons then and there present that he had money in his house in his custody which did belong to other persons and was none of his own, and more particularly, (thirty xxx) or pieces of gold which was left with him as a pawn or surety for thirty pounds in silver by him lent to one Mr Carter which gold the deceased declared was to be delivered back to the said Mr Carter when he brought the thirty pounds in silver to redeem it and the said deceased (notwithstanding it is otherwise set down in the written codicil aforesaid by the mistake of the writer thereof) did declare that his will and mind was to give and did give all his gold and silver in his house and that was then in his own possession and really his own to the said Frances Lane his wife, and at the time of writing the codicil aforesaid and giving instructions for the writing thereof the said Thomas Lane uttered words to the same purpose and signification, and it was the full intent and meaning of the said deceased that his wife should have all his money and gold in his house that was really his own, although it be otherwise set down in the codicil aforesaid. Witness our hands whose names are hereunto subscribed being present and hearing the instructions given for writing the codicil aforesaid – William Gardner, William Rocke, signed Elizabeth Gardner, Anne Hinton
Proved 28th September 1676