1625 Will - John Reeve
Introduction
Dated: 15 Nov 1625, Willingale Doe, EssexProbated: Commissary of Bishop of London, 3 Oct 1626
Transcript
In the name of God Amen the fifteenth Daie of November Anno Domini 1625 and in the raigne of our Sovraigne Lord James by the grace of God of England Scotland France Ireland king Defender of the faith &c king of England France & Ireland the twoe & twentieth and of Scotland the eight and fiftieth. I, John Reeve of Willingale DOe in the County of Essex yeoman being sickley but in good & pfect memory praysed be god doe make and ordeyne this my prsent last will and testament in maner & forme following First and before all things I comend my soule unto Almightie god the father sonne & holie ghost trusting and assuredly beleiving that I by and through the meritts death and passion of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ shalbe forever? made ptaker of the celestiall joyes prpared by him for his elect & chosen people & saints and my body I comytt to the earth from whence it came to be buried in Christian buriall in the prsh churchyard of Willingale Doe aforesaid hoping of the resurection thereof againe at the latter daie and the uniting thereof ageyn unto my soule their joyfull affection into life everlasting.Item I give & bequeath unto Mary Reeve my beloved wife all that my free messuages or tenemt called Stevens wth the apptenances wth all the freehould land thereunto belonging trieing? & being in the prishes of Willigale Doe and Willingale Spaine shee the said Mary my wife to have hould & enjoye the same for & during the terme of her naturall life if she keepes her selfe for longe a widdowe provided and my will & mind is that Mary my said wife shall paie unto John Reeve my sonne yearly during her said life if shee shall for longe keepe her selfe unmarried the yearly some of foure pounds of lawfull money of England at the twoe usuall feastes or dayes of payment (that is to say) at the feast of the annunciacon of our Ladie St Mary the Virgen and St Michaell the archangell by even & equall porcone the first payment thereof to begin at one of the said feaste dayes wch shall first happen after the said John Reeve my said sonne shall attaine to the full age of twentie one years And from & after the decease or from & after the daye of her marriage if shee happen to marri againe (which shall first happen) I give and bequeath the said tenemt & lands aforesaid wth the appurtenances unto John Reeve aforesaid my sonne and to his heires for ever.
Item I give and bequeath unto William Reeve my sonne all my copiehoulde land lyenge & being in the prish of Willingale Spayne aforesaid belonging to the mornn of Fyfield to have hould & enjoy the same to him & his heires for ever according to the custome of the said mannr
Item I give & bequeath unto Mary Reeve my daughter the some of therty poundes of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her wthin twoe yeres next after my decease
Item I give & bequeath unto Sara Reeve my daughter the some of therty poundes of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her when she shall attaine to the full age of eighteene yeres And my will & mind is that if any one of my said twoe daughters shalbe dead at the time when any of these bequests shalbe due to be paid that then the said pegacie shalbe paid unto my other daughter that shalbe then liveng And if it shall soe fortune that my first twoe daughters shall both dye and dept this life before these sevrall legaces shalbecome due to be paie that then at the time upon the said legaces shalbe due the same legaces shalbe paid unto my twoe sonns equallie devided betweene them or the whole some soly to him that shalbe then living if one of my sonns shall fortune to dye alsoe before that time that the legaces shalbe due to be paid as aforesaid.
Item I give & bequeath unto the poore people of the prish of Willingale Doe the some of tenn shillings of lawfull money of England to be dystrubited amongs them at the discretion of the churchwardens ovrseeres for the ppore with other of the prish... wthin twoe monthes next after my decease All the residue of my goods chattells money... stuff of howshold moveable and unmoveable whatsoevr before or hereafter not given or bequeathed I give and bequeath them all unto the said Mary my wife whom I make and ordeyne sole executrix of this my last will & testament shee to take my debts and paie my debts & to bringe upp my children according to my good meaning and the trust reposed in her and to doe and pforme whatsoevr is of her pt to doe & pforme And I make and ordeyne my loveng freinds & neighbours Robt Cubort and John Allam to be overseeres of this my said last will and testament desireing them to be oriding? and asisting to my said wife wth ther good advise & counsell that my last will & testament may be the better pformed and I give unto them for ther paines therein to be taken pt a yeere of lawfull money of England. In witnesse whereof to this my prsent last will & testament written in three sheets of pags whereof this is the last I have sette my hand to evry sheete sevrallie and my seale to them isynthie given declared and published the daie and yere above written in the prsence and testimony of us whose names are hereunder written bind?
John Reeve
Robert? Oulit
John Allum
Henry Pauett