1706 Will - Thomas Reeve
Introduction
Dated: 8 Jun 1706, High Easter, EssexProbated: Commissary of Bishop of London, 3 Oct 1706
Transcript
In the Name of God Amen I Thomas Reeve of High Easter in the County of Essex Gent being ill in body but of a sound & perfect mind & memory (praised be Almighty God for the same) but calling to mind the uncertainty of this life As to my temporal estate (comitting my soul to God & my body to decent Buriall) I do thus give & dispose thereof as followeth. Imprimis I Give & devise unto Mary my loving wife for & during the terme of her naturall life and after her decease to my Daughters Elizabeth & Efraw? Reeve & to their heirs & assigns equally to be divided between them all that my customary messuage or tenement called Harvies & all the outhouses Buildings yards Orchards & gardens lands meadows & pastures thereunto belonging, holden of ye manner of High Easter - bury in ye sd County of Essex & now in ye occupason of me the sd Thomas Reeve or of my assigns; And my mind & will is that in case my sd wife shall happen to intermarry at any time after my decease that then the sd Elizabeth & Efraw? shall imediately enter upon the sd messuage & prmises so as aforesd devised, & hold & enjoy the same as tenants in comon in manner as aforementioned and my sd wife to have no benefitt or advantage out of ye sd pmises from the time of said second intermarriage. Item I give & devise to the said Mary my wife all that my Freehold messuage or tenement called pleshey-hhouse & two acres of meadow to the same belonging situate & being in Pleshey aforesaid & now in my own occupasion to hold to her the said Mary for the terme of her natural life; And after her decease then I give & devise the same prmises last menconed unto my two daughters Mary & Jane Reeve & to their heirs & assigns equally to be divided (viz) to hold enjoy the same as tenants in comon & not as joynt tenants. Item I Give & devise to the sd Mary my wife for & during the term of her natural life All that my copyhold messuage or tenement called Holdings with the arabe lands meadow & pasture-ground thereunto belonging containing together by estimacon thirty acres more or less; As the same pmisses are situate lying & being in Pleshey & High Easter aforesd & now in my own occupason or of my assigns; And from and after the death & deease of my sd wife, then I give & devise the said pmises last mencioned unto my sd daughters Mary & Jane & to their heirs & assigns equally to be divided as aforesd Provided, and my mind & will is, that whereas I have given & devised to my sd wife for life my messuage called Pleshley-house & Holdings & the lands thereunto belonging, (over & above what is abovementioned to be to her given & devised) I do thereofore will direct & appoint that the said Mary my wife shall yearly pay or cause to be paid unto my sd Daughters Mary & Jane Reeve after my decease by two half yearly paymts *(to wit) at Michmas & Lady-day in every year the annual rent or sum of fifty shillings apiece of lawfull English money, to be issuing out of the sd messages & lands called Pleshey-house & Holdings; the first payment thereof to begin & be made upon the first of the sd Feast days that shall happen next after my decease or within thirty days after. Lastly all the rest & residue of my goods chattels stock Household stuff & personall estate whatsoever or wheresoever after paymt of my debts (except that debt of eight ? pounds & interest now due & owing unto . . . Shult of Chelmsford miller wch I will shall be paid & discharged out of my sd messuage & lands called Holdings by my sd Daughters Mary & Jane to whom I have given the same after my sd wife decease) and Funeral charges, I give & Bequeath unto the sd Mary my wife for life, and after her decease to my sd Daughters Elizabeth & Efraw equally to be divided between them part & part alike, whom I hereby constitute & appoint to be join executrixes of this my last will & Testament. In witness whereof I the sd Thomas Reeve have to this my ast will & Testament contained in two sheets of paper my seal affixed at ye top at the bottom of each sheet subscribed my name the Eight day of June Ao Dm 1706, and in ye fifth year of the Reign of ye Sovereign Lady Queen Ann, over England &c.Thomas Reeve
Signed sealed published & Declared by
the sd Thomas Reeve ye testator to be his
Last Will & Testamt in ye prsence of us who
as witnesses thereto have subscribed our names
in his prsence
John Howland
Isaac Asson?
Thomas Godfray
Jo Wheeler