Will of Mary Baldwin, widow, 1700 (proved 1703/4)

Herts RO 140AW4

In the Name of God Amen, I Mary Baldwin of Winslow in the County of Bucks Widdow being (though aged yet) of sound and perfect minde and understanding do this seven and Twenty day of October in the year of our Lord God one Thousand and seven hundred make frame and ordaine this my last Will and Testament in writing in Manner and form following. (that is to say) first and principally I commend my spirit into the hands of God who gave itt, my Body to decent Interment at the discretion of my Executor herein after named, And my worldly Estate of what kind nature or sortsoever I give and dispose of the same Thus Namely Imp(rimis)  I give and bequeath unto my sonne George Topping his heires and Assigns all my Land both Arrable and Lay ground whatsoever with their and every of their Appurtentces where soever lying and being,  And my will is that my said sonne George Topping his Executor Administ(rators) or Assigns shall have and injoy all my Meadow ground with the Appurtem(e)nces in Barkhamstead St. Peters in the County of Hartford Lately the Land of the Hon(oura)ble Thomas Edgerton Esq(uire) and which I have upon Mortgage and all Moneys that are and shall be due upon the same or thereby secured to be paid.  Item I give and devise unto my Daughter Mary Wainright of Winslow the sum(m)e of Twenty pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her yearly and every year at four quarterly paym(en)ts during the natural Life of my said Daughter Mary  And I give to my said Daughter one Hundred and fourty pounds of like lawful money to be at her disposing at her death, And I give to my said Daughter Mary all my Goods housholdstuff & imployments of Housholdstuff whatsoever or in whosoever Custody or hands they shall or may be found,  And further I give to my said \Daughter/ Mary a Ginney,  And I give to my sonne in Law Thomas Wainright of Winslow a Ginney to be paid unto within a moneth next after my decease  These Gifts and bequest, and all other Gifts given by me in this my last Will and Testam(en)t to be paid by my Executor herein after named.  Item, I give and bequath to Elizabeth Smyth my Kinswoman the sum(m)e of Five pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her within one year after my decease,  Item I give and bequeath unto Sarah Wainright, and unto Deborah Wainright Daughters of my sonne in Law Thomas Wainright of Winslow aforesaid to each of them Five pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto them within one year after my decease  Item I give and bequeath four pounds of Lawfull money of England to the poor of Barkhamsteed or other wise at the discretion of my Executor.  Item I give and deivise unto John Newman the younger and to Robert Newman the younger of Barkhamstead the sum(m)e of Twenty pounds apeice of lawfull money of England at the decease of my Daughter Mary Wainright  Item I give to my Brother John Newman and to my Brother Robert Newman to each of them a Ginney to be paid unto them within one Moneth next after my decease,  Item I give unto the said George Topping a Ginney and to George Toppings wife a Gold Ring   Item.  I give unto Clement Hunt of Dinton in the County of Bucks a Ginney to be paid unto him within a moneth after my decease  Item I do hereby Make Nominate constitute and appoint my said son(n)e George Topping to be my full and sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament,  And I do hereby revoke disanull and make voyd all former Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made and declare this and none other to be my last Will and Testament.  In witness whereof I the said Mary Baldwin have hereunto set my hand and Seale the day and year first above written

Mary Baldwin her marke

Signed sealed published pronounced and declared 
 by the said Mary Baldwin as her last will and
Testam(ent) in the presence of us
Daniel Coley                       his marke
Joseph Harding                his marke
Joseph Dandridge

[5 Feb 1703 George Topping son & executor sworn before John Cole archdeacon]

Notes

Mary Baldwin was buried on 18 Aug 1703. She was evidently a Baptist, as the vicar wrote "Buryd of the Rownd-heads" by her name. So were her daughter and son-in-law, Daniel Coley the witness and Clement Hunt of Dinton, and George Topping was a prominent Baptist at Berkhamsted. Mary had probably come to Winslow to live with her daughter; she does not seem to have had any earlier connections. Mary Topping, her daughter, married Thomas Wainwright at Whipsnade, Beds, on 29 July 1690.