Will of Thomas Henly, yeoman, 1720 (proved 1721)
Herts RO 158 AW11
In the Name of God Amen I Thomas Henly of Shipton in the Parish of Winslowe in the County of Bucks Yeoman 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 do this ffifth day of August Anno Dni 1720 make and Ordeyne this my last Will and Testament in the manner and forme following (that is to say) ffirst and Principally I Com(m)end my Soule into the hands of Almighty God my Maker hoping 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 Executors 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 Impri(mi)s I Give and Will Devise and Bequeath all that my coppyhold Mesuage or Tenement wherein I now dwell and the Outhouses Barnes Stables Yards Orchards Gardens Backsides and Appertenances thereto belonging or in any wise Apperteyneing unto my loving Brother John Henly and my welbeloved friend William Shelton of Winslowe aforesaid Linnen Draper and theire Heires In Trust and to the Intent that they shall and may sell and dispose of the same soe soone as Conveniently they cann att and for the best price they cann get for the same and by and out of the mony raised by such Sale in the first place Pay and Sattisfie all such debts as I shall Owe to any Person or Persons whatsoever att the tyme of my death and after all my debts shall be paid and sattisfied shall and will pay and dispose of the Overplus mony which shall be raised by such Sale and not dispurst forwards the Payment of my debts in manner as is hereinafter ment[i]oned and appointed Item I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto my loving Wife Elizabeth my ffeather Bedd and Beddstead in the Parlour and other the ffurniture belonging to that Bedd to be delivered unto her by my Executors Immediately after my death Item I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto my daughter Mary Henly my Feather Bedd and Beddstead in the Chamber over the Kitchin and other the Furniture belonging to that Bedd to be delivered unto her by my Executors within Two Years next after my death or att such tyme as she shall be Marryed which shall first happen Item I Give Will Devise and Bequeath all the Rest of my Goods Stock Chattells and Personall Estate whatsoever and whosoever unto the said John Henly and William Shelton In Trust and to the Intent that they and the Survivor of them and the Executors and Administrators of such Survivor Shall and will out of the same and the mony which shall be raised by Sale of my said Mesuage or Tenement and Premisses hereinbefore appointed to be sold Pay and Discharge all such debts as I shall Owe to any Person or Persons whatsoever att the tyme of my death and my Funerall Expences and after all my debts and Funerall Expences shall be paid and discharged Pay and dispose of the Overplus of my Stock and Personall Estate and the mony which shall be raised by such Sale as aforesaid as shall be then remaining in theire hands in manner following (that is to say) Upon further Trust and Confidence in them reposed That they the said John Henly and William Shelton and the Survivor of them and the Executors and Admi(ini)strators of such
Tho: Henly [signature]
[page 2]
Survivor shall and will out of the same well and truely pay or cause to be paid unto John Henly and Thomas Henly my Sons Tenn Pounds apeece of lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine within Two Yeares next after my death and unto ffrancis Henly my Sonn the Sum(m)e of ffifteene Pounds of like lawfull mony att such tyme as he shall have attained the age of Three and Twenty Yeares and unto William Henly my sonn the like sum(m)e of Fifteene Pounds of like lawfull mony att such tyme as He shall have attained the age of Three and Twently Yeares and unto George Henly my sonn the su(m)me of Twenty Pounds of like lawfull mony att such tyme as He shall have attained the age of Three and Twenty Yeares and unto Mary Henly my daughter the sum(m)e of Tenn Pounds of like lawfull mony within Two Yeares next after my death and unto Elizabeth Henly my daughter the su(m)me of Twenty Pounds of like lawfull mony att such tyme as she shall have attained the age of Three and Twenty Yeares and alsoe shall and will out of the sale Pay and Reimburst to themselves all such Charges Expences and disburstments as they shall be putt unto or disburst concerneing the Management of the Trusts hereby reposed in them and alsoe shall and will permit and suffer the said Elizabeth my loving Wife to have hold and Enjoy the Rest Residue and Remainder thereof dureing the Terme of her natural life or until such tyme as she shall be marryed againe which shall first happen and upon further Trust and Confidence in them Reposed that they the said John Henly my brother and William Shelton and the Survivor of them and the Executors and Adm[ini]strators of such survivor shall and will Imediately after the death or Marryage of the said Elizabeth my Wife which shall first happen well and truely pay or cause to be paid out of that parte of my Stock soe left for my Wifes Use only the Sum(m)e of Twenty Pounds of lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine unto such Person or Persons as the said Elizabeth my Wife shall by her last Will and Testament or otherwise direct or appoint and distribute the Residue thereof unto and amongst my said Children John Thomas Francis William George Mary and Elizabeth or such of them as shall be then living Each of them an Equall Share thereof and I doe hereby make and Ordeyne the said John Henly my Brother and William Shelton full and sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament in Trust for the Purposes hereinbefore ment(i)oned 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 the last sheete my hand and seale this Fifth day of August Anno Dni 1720
Thomas Henly [signature] (seal)
Signed Sealed Published and Declared in the
Presence of us who have hereunto subscribed
our names as Wittnesses in the Presence of the
Testator
The marke of
Henry Townsend the Eld(er)
Charles Bowler [signature]
Peter Goldsworth [signature]
[Latin text in another hand] 1mo Junii 1721 Johannes Henley & Gulielmus Shelton Ex'tores intronominat' jurati sund de veritate hu'mo'i &c coram me [signature] Ph: Stubbs Archidiacono
[translation] On 1 June 1721 John Henly and William Shelton, executors named within, were put on oath about the truth of this, etc., in the presence of me, Philip Stubbs, Archdeacon.
Notes
Thomas Henley was baptised in 1665, a younger son of John Henley. He married Mary Glenister in 1689. She was probably the daughter of Francis Glenister, mercer, d.1681, who left her £60. She died in 1705. Elizabeth, named in the will, was his second wife, married before 1710. His children as named in the will were:
- John: bap.1691. He was executor for Jonathan Townsend of Shipton in 1730 and described as yeoman, but it's not clear if he was still living in Winslow. He could be the man described as "John Henley Shade Lane" in the early 1730s. He had an uncle and a cousin with the same name.
- Mary: bap.1693
- Thomas: bap.1696
- Francis: bap.1698
- William: bap.1703
- Elizabeth: bap.1710
- George: bap.1714
Thomas was a prominent figure in Winslow, serving as churchwarden several times. He sold 12 acres of land to William Lowndes for £140 in 1715. They were settled on him by his father John in 1690. He was the only member of his family to leave a will, probably because of his second marriage. He was buried on 15 Aug 1720.
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