Will of John Ardens of Addington, 1559/60 (proved 1560)

Bucks Archives, D/A/Wf/5/245

The xx day of Marche a(nn)o d(omini) 1559[/60]
In the name of God amen anno predicto & in the second yere of the
raigne of our soveraigne lady queyne Eliz etc I John Ardens
hole of mind & perfecte of remembrance laud & prays be to all(mi)ghtie
God do make & ordeyne this (m)y p(rese)nt laste will & test(ament) in
man(ner) & forme followinge First I beq(uea)th my sole to all(mi)ghtie God
my maker & Redy(mer) & (m)y body to be buried in the churche
yard at the chancell dore of the churche of Adington &
as to the disposing of all (m)y lands & ten(ement)s goods & cattells I
will & beq(uea)th them in man(ner) & forme following First I
beq(uea)th & gyve unto (m)y eldest so(nn)e Edward Arden all
that ye howsse & land in the parishe of Ad(in)gton with
one acre of mead grounde lainge in a furlonge called
Bradford in the parish of Cleyden Also I gyve & beq(uea)th unto
(m)y wellbeloved wiffe Ag(n)es Arden & Edward Arden my
eldest sonne afforeseyd all ye lands & cattells (m)oveable
& u(nm)oveable & they to occupey jointly together according
to there discrecion Also I will that (m)y sayd wiffe &
so(nn)e afforeseyd shall gyve unto Anthony Arden my
second so(nn)e v li when he shall accomplishe the age
of xxj yeres or be maried & unto Marian Arden
Dorothy Arden Anne Arden & Eliz Arden v li a pece
as is afforeseyd at the age of xvij yeres or at the
day of there mariages & yf it fortune any of the(m)
to die before [deletion] they shall acco(m)plishe the age
afforeseyd or be maried then I will his (s)heyres or
[?]thr+++is that so shall fort(un)e to die to be equally
devided betwe(en) (m)y seyd yongeste so(nn)e & dohters
the(n) lyvinge And yf it fort(un)e Edward Arden (m)y
eldest so(nn)e to die before he accomplishe the age
of xxj yeres or be maried I will & beq(uea)th his
p(ar)te & moitie of (m)y lands goods & cattells afforeseyd
to Antony Arden (m)y second sonne & he to occupy
use & [?]enjoie the sa(m)e [?]mann(er) & for(m)e as the
seyd Edward his brothere should have done
Also I will that (m)y wiffe & eldeste so(nn)e
[verso]
do feynd (m)y youngest so(nn)e & daghters sufficient
meat drinke loggings & apparell meat for there degre
until they co(m)e to the age of xxj yeres. Fy(n)ally
I (m)ake co(n)stitute & ordeyne (m)y welbeloved wiffe Ag(n)es
Arden & Edward Arden (m)y eldest so(nn)e (m)y exec(utors)
& (m)y trustie & welbeloved & I will that they
shall receave & p(er)ceyve to there [?]p(re)s(en)te use
all those debts [?]duties & [?]de(m)a(n)ds as are or
hereafter shall be due to (m)y by any [?]man(ner)
of (m)eanes I(n) witnes hereof I the seyd John
Arden have sette (m)y [deletion] marke to the [?]p(resent)s
Sir John [?]Knight Willm [?]Desi(n)gt(o)n Edward [?]Ki(n)ge
Humfrey Ward & [illegible] & others

[Proved 26  April 1560]

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Notes

John Arden was buried on 26 March 1560.  Annes Arden, presumably the widow, married Anthony Simpson at Addington in 1562. The daughters Marian and Dorothy both got married at Addington in 1569.

Another John Arden(e) or Ardern lived at Biggin in the 1580s.