Will of Martha Gyles, spinster, 1714 (proved 1715)

Herts RO 152AW9

In the Name of God Amen I Martha Gyles of Winslowe in the County of Bucks Spinster being weake in body but of sound and perfect minde and memory Praised be Almighty God therefore and Calling to minde the Certainety of death and the Uncertaine tyme thereof doe this Three and Twentyeth day of July Anno D(omi)ni 1714 Make and Ordeyne this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme followeing (that is to say)  First and Principally I Com(m)end my Soule into the hands of Almighty God my Maker Hopeing through the merritts death and Passion of Jesus Christ my Saviour to be made Partaker of Everlasting life and my Body I Com(m)itt to the Earth to be decently Buryed att the discretion of my Executrix herein after named  And as for such Temporall Estate as itt hath Pleased Almighty God to Bestowe upon me I Give and dispose thereof as followeth  Impr(im)is I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto my Cousin Joannah Morris the Sum(m)e of Tenn Pounds of lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine to be paid unto her att such tyme as She shall have attained the age of One and Twenty Yeares by my Executrix herein after named  Item I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto my Cousin Maria King the Sum(m)e of Tenn Pounds of lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine to be paid unto her att such tyme as she shall have attained the age of One and Twenty Yeares by my Executrix herein after named  Item I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto my Cousin Sarah King the Sum(m)e of Five Pounds of lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine to be paid unto her att such tyme as she shall have attained the age of One and Twenty Yeares by my Executrix herein after named with lawfull Interest for the Same from such tyme as she shall have attained the age of Tenn Yeares to the tyme of the Payment thereof  Item I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto my Sisters Mary King Joannah Foster and Elizabeth Gyles Each of them a good Suite of Mourning to be delivered unto them by my Executrix herein after named  Imediately after my decease  Item I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto Mr Leonard Wilkins of Lee the Sum(m)e of Five Pounds of lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine to Buy him Mourning to be paid unto him by my Executrix herein after named  Imediately after my decease  Item I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto John Brittaine of Cosgrave the Sum(m)e of Five Pounds of lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine to be paid unto him by my Executrix here in after named within Three moneths next after my decease  Item I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto John Anderson of Aylesbury Dyer the Sum(m)e of Five Pounds of lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine to be paid unto him by my Executrix herein after named within Three moneths next after my decease  And whereas I am now Intitled to a Fourth part of diverse Coppyhold lands and Tenements holden of the Mannor of Winslowe cum Membris in the County of Bucks and itt being my Will and desire that my Mother should have the same att here disposall I doe hereby Give Will Devise and Bequeath All my said  Fourth parte or Share 

[signed] Martha Gyles

[f.2] and Interest which I have of in or to any Coppyhold lands or Tenements holden of the Mann(or) of Winslowe cum Membris aforesaid unto my Deare and Loveing Mother Sarah Gyles her Heires and Assignes forever  And whereas I am Intitled in Revercon (Expectant upon the decease of Sarah Gyles my Mother) to a Fourth parte of diverse Freehold lands Tenements and Hereditaments lyeing and being in the Severall Parishes of Winslowe and Greate Horwood in the said County of Bucks and itt being my Will and Desire that my Mother should have the same likewise att her disposeall I doe hereby Give Will Devise and Bequeath the Revercon (Expectant upon the decease of Sarah Gyles my Mother) of all that my said Fourth parte or Share and Interest which I have of in or to any Freehold lands Tenements or Hereditaments lyeing and being in the severall Parishes of Winslowe and Greate Horwood in the said County of Bucks unto my said Deare and Loveing Mother Sarah Gyles her heires and Assignes forever  Item I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto the said Sarah Gyles my Mother All the Rest of my Chattells and Personall Estate whatsoever and wheresoever not herein before Bequeathed Paying my debts Legacyes and Funerall Expenses  And I doe hereby make and Ordeyne the said Sarah Gyles my Mother full and Sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament  And Lastly I doe hereby Revoake and make Voide all former Wills by me heretofore made and doe declare this to be my last Will and Testament  In Wittnesse whereof I have to this my Will Conteyned in Two sheetes of Paper to the first sheete sett my hand and to the last sheete my hand and seale this Three and Twentyeth day of July in the Thirteenth Yeare of the Raigne of our Soveraigne Lady Queen Anne of Greate Brittaine &c Annoque D(omi)ni 1714

[signed] Martha Gyles

Signed Sealed Published and Declared in the Presence of us who have hereunto Subscribed our Wittnesse as Wittnesses in the Presence of the Testator.

Phillip Budd
William Norman Juner
Peter Goldsworth

[Probate to Sarah Gyles, mother and executrix, by John Cole, surrogate]


Notes

Martha was the daughter of William Gyles d.1713, Winslow's leading baptist, and Sarah Gyles d.1726. She was buried at the Baptist Meeting House on 10 August 1714. See Gyles Family page.

Cousin: i.e. niece

Joannah Foster: it seems that this should have read "Sarah Foster"

Elizabeth Gyles: Martha's sister-in-law, widow of her brother William.

John Brittaine: He came from Cosgrove and was elder of the Baptist congregation in Stony Stratford.

Copyright 5 October, 2017