Will of Robert Grainger, shoemaker, 1691 (proved 1703)

Herts RO 140AW13

In the name of God Amen The Fifteenth day of December in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred ninety and one I Robert Grainger of Winslow in the County of Bucks Shomaker being sick and weake of body, but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto minde the mortallity of my body & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to dye, do make and ordaine this my last Will and Testament, in manner and form following: That is to say, First and Principally I give my soul into the hands of God who gave it me. And for my body I commend it to the Earth, to be buried in Christian and decent manner in the Church yard of the parrish Church of Winslow aforesaid, nothing doubting but at the generall Resurrection I shall receive the same againe by the mighty power of God. And as touching such wordly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, devise, bequeath, and dispose in manner & form following.

First I give and bequeath unto my son Robert Grainger the summe of Twelve pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto him when he shall come to the Age of one and Twenty yeares, or to be imployed in setting him to a trade in the meane time according to the discretion of the overseers of this my Last Will & testament hereafter named, I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Grainger the summe of Five pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her at the day of her Marriage or when she shall come to the age of one and twenty years which shall first happen, and if my son Robert Grainger or my daughter Elizabeth Grainger shall depart this natural life before the times of receiving of their money as aforesaid then both the said Legacyes shall be to the use of the surviver of them, but if it shall happen that both my said son and daughter shall decease & depart this life as aforesaid before the time of the receiving of their money Then I give Twenty shillings of lawfull money of England unto my Brother Thomas Grainger to be paid unto him within one year next after the decease of my said son & daughter, and the other Sixteen pounds unto my Executorix hereafter named, Item I give unto my wife Anne Grainger the summe of Five pounds of lawfull money of England, and I give also unto my said wife all and singular my goods chattel & chattels whatsoever, my debts & Legacies being payed and funerall charges being defrayed whom I make my full and sole Executorix of this my last will and Testament, and I do make and ordaine Joseph Glenister of Winslow aforesaid  mercer and \my brother/ Thomas Grainger of Loughton in the said County of Bucks Labourer overseers of this my last Will and Testament, And I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and annul all and every other former Testaments, Wills, Legacies, bequests & executors by me in anywise this time named, willed & bequeathed, ratifying and confirming this and none other [to] be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

Robert Grainger his marke

Signed, sealed, published pronounced & declared by the said Robert Grainger at his last Will and Testament in ye presence of
William Shelton Senior
William Shelton Junior
Joseph Dandridge

[verso] [Ann Grainger, widow and executrix, sworn before John Cole, archdeacon, in the presence of Edmund Browne, registrar, 20 May 1703]

---

Notes

Robert Granger was buried at Winslow on 22 March 1702/3, so made his will a long time before his death, as seems to have become commoner in Winslow in the 1690s. He married Ann Pitkin at Winslow on 15 Oct 1682. She was the daughter of Dorothy Pitkin (d.1689), and was referred to as Ann Webbster in her youngest son's will made in 1748. The children mentioned in the will were baptised at Winslow: Robert on 7 Nov 1686 (d.1718) and Elizabeth on 6 Oct 1689. Two other sons were born after the will was made: John (d.1748) was bap. 18 March 1693/4 and William (d.1749) was bap. 28 Sep 1701.