1684 William Croune

11-0377-150_WilliamCroune_1684

I William CROUNE of London, Doctor in Physick, being now through God’s mercy in perfect heath of mind and body, declare and appoint this my last will and testament. FIRST; I give unto the parish of Islington the sum of fifty pounds sterling to be paid as soon as conveniently it can after my decease, so to be laid out by them that the interest or other profits of it may be paid out forever, in equal shares every Lord’s day in the year to buy bread which shall be distributed every such time among the poor of the said parish in consideration of having seen my dearest wife’s face first in their church and thankfulness to God for it.  ITEM; I give to the Company of Barbers Surgeons the sum of one hundred pounds on condition and in consideration that they shall and will for every year allow the sum of six pounds for and towards the augmentation of provision of the dinner upon the last day of Mr (Arris’s) muscle lecture, and if there be no lecture read, it shall be added to the six pounds of the following year and so from year to year and then to be divided and expended at the discretion of the Master and Wardens; also I mean and my will is that part of the six pounds as much as a shall be needful shall be laid out for printing of tickets to be affixed on the places of most public resort giving notice of the said lectures.  As for my books I give such Phisick books as the College of Physicians please to accept to the said college, and such mathematical books to Emmanuel College in Cambridge as they shall think fit to accept; the rest to be disposed as my executors please, but it is my earnest request  and most strict charge to any executor that they be first all turned over to see if there are any papers by letters in them direct with my hand, and that both these and all other books and papers whatsoever of my writing except such as concern the estate and all manner of letters and papers written by or to me in English (except as before and the memorials left for my wife and an account of my father’s to my uncle Croune) be immediately burned and I (streightly) charge that all such papers and letters be no further looked over or read only so far as to discern whether they are of that sort already excepted.  ITEM; I leave to my Goddaughter France CROUNE the sum of fifty pounds; to my cousin John CROUNE the younger fifty pounds if he take good courses; to my cousin Thomas Lloyd fifty pounds on the same condition and he promise to take care of his aunt Katherine if she be living, and I give to her ten pounds; to goodwife Rawlyns of Lambeth or her daughter (if she be dead) ten pounds; to Mrs Mohun as a legacy ten pounds; to every servant that has lived with us one whole year twenty shillings; and to Jane Throgmorton if she be with my wife and resolves to stay with her and be careful and tender of her of which I make my dearest wife sole judge; twenty pounds to such particular friends and relations both men and women asmy wife thinks fit twenty shilling rings; and mourning to whom she pleases; and I desire she will please to accept my diamond ring and wear it for my sake; to be plainly and decently buried where my dear wife intends to rest herself; I also give to Harry ten pounds to be paid him at the age of one and twenty years; and lastly I give and devise the sum of fifteen hundred pounds to be paid after my wife’s deceaseand not sooner unless she please to the uses following: FIRST it is my will and intent that the interest certain and casual of six hundred pounds of the said fifteen hundred pounds shall become due and payable to my poor brother to support him in his great affliction during his natural life by equal and half-yearly payments on the day of the Annunciation of our Blessed Lady and the day of St Michael the Archangel, the first payment to begin on either of these days which shall first happen after the decease of my dearest wife, and after his departure out of this life the principal six hundred pounds and the profits of it shall go with the remaining nine hundred pounds and the interest thereof for the use and benefit of his three children: Laurentia, Mary and Frances Croune to be equally divided among them in manner following(that is to say) such of them as shall be under the age of one and twenty years or unmarried at my dear wife’s decease as they shall attain their respective ages or be married, and to such of them as shall have attained such age or be married before the decease of my said wife within one year next after her decease; but if any of them shall depart this life unmarried before the decease of my dear wife, then my will is that the part or parts of her or them so dying shall be paid to such other or others of them as shall survive my said wife and shall attain such age or be married, the same to be paid as aforesaid with their respective proper parts of the said sum of fifteen hundred pounds, or if my brother be still living of nine hundred pounds, but if any of them, the said Laurentia Croune, Mary Croune and Frances Croune shall be married and depart this life in the lifetime of my said wife then my will is that the part or parts of her or them so married and departed this life shall be paid to their respective executors or administrators; also I give and devise to the said Laurentia Croune, Mary Croune  and Frances Croune and such their executors and administrators respectively as aforesaid, the interest of such their respective parts certain and casual to be paid by equal and half-yearly payments on the day of our blessed Lady and St Michael the Archangel, the first payment to begin on either of those days which shall first happen after the decease of my dearest wife, and it is my earnest request to my dear wife that, for the present support of him and his children during her lifetime (especially for him) she would please to allow him some yearly sum of money yet, to be paid in equal and half-yearly payments which I hope she will not make less than thirty or forty pounds per annum unless any loss considerable should fall upon the estate, which Almighty God prevent, and because if my dearest wife should marry again (in which case  I pray God direct her for the best) she will not be able without the consent and concurrence of her husband to make or give any special security for the payment of the said sum of fifteen hundred pounds and such yearly payments and allowances as aforesaid, and therefore my will and desire is that before such marriage she shall and will by the advice of Counsel settle upon trustees in this behalf some such part of the estate for the more sure payment of the said sum of fifteen hundred pounds and of the yearly payments and allowances as aforesaid as may well seem the same according to the intent of this my will; and lastly my will and meaning is that if all of them, that is to say, my brother and his three daughters as aforesaid, shall depart this life before the decease of my dearest wife, and unmarried, that the said sum of fifteen hundred pounds shall be applied for and towards the settlement of Algebra Lectures according to a memorial left by me for my wife directing her how they should be settled if she die unmarried, and if she be married to be disposed by her as she pleases.  Also I give and devise all my freehold, copyhold and leasehold lands, tenements and hereditaments and all my mortgages, debts, monies, jewels, goods, chattels, personal estates, rights and credits to my said dear wife, her heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, subject and liable to the payment of the aforesaid sum of fifteen hundred pounds and to the yearly sums and my other legacies aforesaid; and of this my last will I make my dear wife executrix, praying God Almighty to have her ever in his most blessed and tender keeping and to direct her in all things, and more especially if she die unmarried, in settling the Algebra Lectures which I conceive will be for the glory of God and good of posterity, and if after she has done kindly for her own relations and mine the estate will not reach to all the colleges then to as many as it will, to Emanuel College be one – W Croune – signed sealed published and declared in the presence of us this fifth day of October one thousand six hundred ichthyosaurs and four, and also attested and subscribed in the presence of the testator by us Arthur Myles, Nevill Norton, Phillip Parry

Proved 1st November 1684 by Mary Croune, relict.