Will of Thomas Adams of Little Horwood, yeoman, 1657

National Archives PROB 11/269/129

In the name of God Amen; The Thirtieth day of August in the year of our Lord according to The Computac(i)on the Church of England. One Thousand Six Hundred Fiftie and seaven I Thomas Adams of Litle Harwood in the County of Bucks yeoman being weak in Bodie but of perfect memory Thanks be given to God doe constitute ordaine and make this my Last Will and Testament in Writeing in manner & form following Revokeing and adnulling by these pr(ese)nts All and every Testament & Testaments Will & Wills heretofore by me made and declared either by word or by writeing and this is to be taken only for my last will and Testament and none other And first being penitent and sorry from the bottome of my Heart for my sinnes most humbly desireing forgivenesse for the same I give & commit my soul unto Almightie God my Saviour & Redeemer in whom and by the merits of Jesus Christ I trust and beleeve assuredly to be saved and so have full remission and forgivenesse of all my sinnes. And that my soul w(i)th my bodie at the generall day of resurrection shall rise againe w(i)th joy and through the merits of Christs death and pass(i)on possesse and inheritt the Kingdom of Heaven prepared for his elect and chosen. And my Bodye to be buried in such place where it shall please my Executor hereafter named to appoint. And now for the settling of my temporall estate and such goods and chattles as it has pleased God farr above my deserts to bestowe upon me I doe order give and dispose the same in manner & fome following: That is to say: First I doe give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife and yoke fellow Frances Addams the Reverc(i)on and remainder of a Lease of one Litle Tenement and one litle Close or Pightle thereto adjoyning w(i)th Th(e)app(u)rt(e)nances thereunto belonging scituate and being in Mursly in the Countie of Bucks afors(ai)d To hold the same dureing the Tearme of her naturall Life & Widowhood. But if she shall happen to marrie againe; then my will and meaning is that I doe give and bequeath the said Reverc(i)on and Remaynder of years of the said Lease of the said Tenement . . .  unto my beloved sonne John Addams his Heires Executors Administrators or Assignes to enter upon the same immediately after the marriage of the said Frances Addams my wife. And in case she doth not marrie again Then I doe give and bequeath unto my said sonne John Addams his Heires . . .  the said reverc(i)on and Remainder of the yeares of the said  Lease of the sayd Tenement … to enter the same immediately after the decease of the said Frances Addams my wife. Item I doe give and bequeath unto my said Wife Frances Adams Two cowes the best she can choose at Mursley and every yeare Two loads of Hay dureing her naturall Life. To be delive(re)d and brought unto her at the cost and charges of my Executor hereafter named and one Load of Wood, and every year dureing her Life to be brought in unto her between the First day of November and the Five and Twentieth day of December at the cost and charges of my Executor. And everie year one Quarter of marketable wheat to be delive(re)d unto her by my said Executor . . . as she shall have occasion to use the same.  Item I doe give unto my said wife Frances Adams dureing her naturall Life Two Cowes Commons every yeare in Mursley aforesaid  Item I doe give  . . . unto my sonne John Adams and to his Heires forever All that my Freehold Land in Mursley . . . with the Appurtnances Conteyning by estimac(i)on Twelve acres be they more or Lesse together with halfe a yard Land Common thereunto belonging to enter upon the same when he shall accomplish the Age of Thirtie yeares. All which said Land was purchased and bought by me of one William Evidale. Item I doe give and bequeath unto my said sonne John Adams the Reverc(i)on and remainder of the Tearme of years of a Lease of Three acres of Land scituat in Mursley . . . to enter upon the same when he shall accomplish the Age of Thirtie years Item I doe give unto my s(ai)d sonne John Adams one bushell and a Role which are now at Mursley And one new cart & wheeles & all that belongeth unto ye same. To enter upon ye same immeadiatly after my decease. But if my Executor . . . shall give sufficient Bond to pay unto my . . . sonne John Adams the summe of Five pounds within Five yeares next after my decease Then my . . . Executor shall have the . . . cart and wheeles . . . to his own use. Item I doe give and bequeath unto my sonne John Adams Twentie shillings yearly to buy him Clothes untill he shall accomplish the Age of Twentie and One years To be payd unto him by my Executor . . . Item I doe give unto my s(ai)d wife Frances Adams All my Brasse Pewter & Linnen which I have in Mursley to be delive(re)d unto her by my Executor . . . immediately after my decease Item I doe give . . .  unto my daughter Anne Adams the summe of Sixtie pounds of Lawfull English Monie in manner & forme following that is to say Twentie pounds thereof to be payd unto her by my Executor . . . when she shall accomplish the Age of Twenties & one years or at the day of her marriage whichsoever shall first happen And Twentie pounds . . . within one yeare next after the first said Twentie pounds . . . And the other Twenty pounds to be payd unto her by my s(ai)d sonne John Adams within one year next after the Land which I have herein bequeathed unto him shall come into his Hands . Item I doe give and bequeath unto my daughter Anne Adams Twentie shillings yearely to buy her Cloathes untill she shall accomplish the Age of Twenty and One years or untill the day of her marriage . . .  Item I doe give and bequeath unto my s(ai)d daughter Anne Adams one Table and Frame, Six joyned stooles, Two chaires, One court cupbord, Five cushions, one Bedsteed with curtaines and Vallance, One coverled, One Flockbed, One Bo<l>ster and One Pillow, One cupboard in the Hall, One Pottag pott and Two kettles To be delive(re)d unto her by my Executor . . .  when she shall accomplish the Age of Twenty and one years or at the day of her marriage . . . All the rest of my goods and chattles unbequeathed My debts being payd and my Legacies perfomed and my funerall Expences discharged I doe give devise & bequeath the same unto my beloved sonne Thomas Adams whom I doe make constitute and ordaine the full and sole Executor of this my Last Will & Testament  In Witnes hereof I have hereunto set my hand and seale and published the same to be my Last Will and Testament the day and yeare first above Written The Mark of Thomas Adams. Sealed subscribed & published in ye pres(en)ts of John Harris cler. The m(a)rke of John Adams & William Bayley

This Will was proved at London The Nine and Twentieth day of October in ye yeare One thousand  Six hundred and Fiftie seaven Before the Judges for probat of wills and graunting of Administrac(i)on Lawfullie Authorized By the oath of Thomas Adams the sonne & sole Executor named therein: to whom was granted Administrac(i)on of all and singuler ye goods chattles and Debts of the s(ai)d deceased He being first sworne truly to Administer