1694 Will - Robert Reeve
Introduction
Dated: 23 May 1694, Foulness, EssexProbated: Commissary of Bishop of London, 6 Oct 1694
Transcript
In the Name of God Amen the three & twentith day of May In the sixth yeare of the reaigne of our Soveraigne Lord & Lady William & Mary by the grace of God King & Queene of England Scotland France & Ireland Defender of ye faith &c Annoq Dm 1694. I Robert Reeve of Fowlness in the County of Essex yeoman being aged & considering the sudden approach of death & being of sound and perfect mind & memory all praise & thankes be given to Almighty God for the same doe make & ordeyne this my Testament & last Will in manner & forme following (that is to say) first & principally before all things I doe comend my soule into the handes of Almighty God my mest mercifull father & Creator, through whose mercies, and in & by the meritts & bitter sufferings of Jesus Christ my oly saviour & blessed Redeemer I doe hope to have ye full & free pardon & remission of all my sinnes & finally everlasting life in his Kingdome of Glory, and I doe remitt my body to the dust from whence it was taken to be decently buried according to the discretion of my executor and executrix hereafter named, & as for my worldly estate I give and dispose as followethImprimis I give and bequeath unto my welbeloved wife Mary Reeve the sume of fiftey poundes of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her att twelve monthes next after my decease and two feather bedds & furniture belonging unto them and all her Goodes chattells household stuffe & lynnen that was her owne before the intermarriage betweene us.
Item I give and bequeath unto Mary Say my granddaughter ye sume of fiftey poundes of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her (out of my personall estate by my grandsonne Robert Say) att twelve monthes next after my decease.
Item I give and bequeath unto my granddaughter Joane Say the summe of fiftey poundes of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her (out of my ersonall estate by my granddaughter Martha Say) att her age of eighteene yeares without any deduction or abatement out of her legacy of fifety poundes by me aforegiven unto her in & by this my will but that her said sister Martha Say shall find & bring upp ye said Joane Say wth meats drinks boards & schooling & other necessary suitables to her equality untill her said age of eighteene yeares freely. And in case any of there legacye or legacyes of every or either of them soe dyeing before ye severall dayes of payment of every or either of their legacye or legacyes aforegiven in this my will
Item all the rest & residue of my goodes chattells cattell moveables household stuffe silver plate ready moneys corne & graine hay my lease & tenure of yeares of in newhouse farme & landes in Fowlness aforesaid, Bills Bodnes rights credditts personall estate & things whatsoever of this myne (after my debtes legacyes & funerall charges are first paid & discharged) I give & bequeath unto my two grand children Robert Say & Martha Say equally to be devided betweene them share & share parte and parte alike, whome I doe hereby nominate & appoynte executor & executrix of this my last will & Testament & if ye said Robert Say shall happen to dye before he take upon him ye burthen of ye executorshipp then my mind & will is that Mary Say shalbe joynte executrix wth her sister Martha Say nevertheless my mind & will is that my loveing wife Mary Reeve shall have & enjoy her dwelling & possession in ye dwelling house of my farme & landes of Newhouse in Fowlness aforesaid during her life without any disturbance whatsoever from my executor or executrix or every of them and further I doe hereby revoke make null and void all former wills by me made.
In wittness whereof I the said Robert Reeve have unto this my last will and Testament written in two sheetes of paper sett my hand and seale the day and yeare first above written.
Rob Reeve
Read Signed Sealed published and declared to be
the last will and Testament of the said
Robert Reeve in the prsence of us
Tho Sly
Otho Procter