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Will of William Townsend of Shipton, yeoman, 1714 (proved 1715)
Herts RO 152AW21
In the Name of God Amen I William Townsend 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 doe this Seaventh day of September Anno D(omi)ni 1714 make and Ordeyne this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following (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 Pertaker of Everlasting life and my Body I Com(m)itt to the Earth to be decently buryed att the discretion of my Executor 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 All those my Six acres and a halfe of Arrable land and Sweard ground herein after menc(i)oned lyeing dispersedly in the Com(m)on Feildes of Shipton aforesaid (Vizt) Two acres in Lambs Leyes the land of John Hendly lyeing on the South parte thereof One acre in Water furrowes the land of Robert Lowndes Esq(uir)e lyeing on the South parte thereof One acre in Drymeade in Licehill feild the land of Robert Lowndes Esq(uir)e lyeing on the West parte thereof One acre in Broadmoore in the Cow Pasture of or belonging to Shipton aforesaid and Three halfe acres of Arrable land and Sweard ground att Littleton in Blackgrove Feild the land of William Lowndes Esq(uir)e lyeing on the West parte thereof And alsoe all the Hades Baulkes Furrowes Com(m)ons Proffitts and App(ur)tenances whatsoever to the said severall parcells of land belonging or in any wise App(er)teyning unto my Sonn Henry Townsend and his Heires forever Provided always and upon this Condicon Neverthelesse That the said Henry Townsend my Sonn and his Heires doe and shall well and truely pay or cause to be paid unto Anne Hobbs my daughter the full Sum(m)e of Forty Pounds of lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine within Twelve moneths next after my decease And doe alsoe well and truely pay or cause to be paid unto my Grandchildren Anne Hobbs Hester Hobbs Rebeccah Hobbs and Henry Hobbs Tenn Pounds apeece of like lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine as they shall respectively attaine to the age of One and Twenty Years And doe alsoe in Case any or either of my said Grandchildren shall happen to departe this life before he she or they shall attaine to the age of One and Twenty Years well and truely pay or cause to be paid the mony hereby appointed for him her or them soe dyeing unto and amongst such of my said Grandchildren as shall live to attaine the age of One and Twenty Years Each of them an Equall Share thereof And doe alsoe from the tyme of my decease Yearely and every Yeare untill my said Grandchildrens mony shall become due and payable well and truely pay or cause to be paid unto the said Anne Hobbs my daughter (the better to Enable her to bring upp my said Grandchildren) Interest for my said Grandchildrens mony after the Rate of Five Pounds p(er) Cent p(er) annu(m) But in Case the said Henry Townsend my Sonn or his Heires shall Neglect or Refuse to Pay the said Forty Pounds unto the said Anne Hobbs my daughter when the same shall be due and
William Townsend [signature]
[f.2] Payable or the Tenn Pounds apeece unto the said Anne Hobbs Hester Hobbs Rebeccah Hobbs and Henry Hobbs my Grandchildren in manner as aforesaid or the Interest for my said Grandchildrens mony unto the said Anne Hobbs my daughter in manner as aforesaid Then I Give Will Devise and Bequeath the said Six acres and a halfe of Arrable land and Sweard ground and the App(ur)tenances thereunto belonging unto the said Anne Hobbs my daughter and her Heires forever Paying my said Grandchildren Tenn Pounds apeece in manner as aforesaid Item I give Will Devise and Bequeath unto the said Henry Townsend my Sonn and his Heires forever All the Rest of my coppyhold Mesuages Lands Tenements and hereditaments whatsoever lyeing in the Parish of Winslowe aforesaid and the App(ur)tenances thereunto belonging Item I give Will Devise and Bequeath unto my Grandchildren William Townsend and Katherine Townsend Tenn Pounds apeece of lawfull mony of Greate Brittaine to be paid unto them by my Executor herein after named as they shall respectively attaine to the age of One and Twenty Yeares But my Will meaneing and desire is that in case either of my said Grandchildren William or Katherine shall happen to depart this life before his or her Legacy shall become due and payable That then and in such Case the Legacy of him or her soe dying shall goe to the Survivor of them the said William and Katherine and I doe Give and Bequeath the same Accordingly Item I give Will Devise and Bequeath unto my loving Wife Anne Townsend and the said Henry Townsend my Sonn All my household goods to be Equally devided between them share and share alike Imediately after my decease Item All the Rest of my Goods Chattells and Personall Estate whatsoever and wheresoever not herein before Bequeathed I Give Will Devise and Bequeath unto the said Henry Townsend my Sonn Paying my debts Legacyes and Funerall Expences And I doe hereby make and Ordeyne the said Henry Townsend my Sonn full and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament And Lastly I doe hereby Revoke and make Voide all former Wills by me heretofore made and doe declare this to be my last Will and Testament In Witnesse 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 seaventh day of September Anno D(omi)ni 1714
William Townsend [signature]
Signed Sealed Published and Declared in the
Presence of us who hereunto subscribed
our names as Witnesses in the Presence
of the Testator
Henery Townsend Sen(ior)
William Shelton Jun(ior)
Peter Goldsworth
[Latin] 8 June 1715 Henry Townsend sole Executor named within was sworn before me John Croft cur. sur.
The testator has died.
[John Croft's signature but not his writing]
Notes
William Townsend was buried at Winslow on 28 Dec 1714. He married Anne Miller (b. 1642, daughter of Dorothy Miller), on 24 Dec 1663. His children mentioned in the will are Henry (bap. 29 April 1668, d.1723) and Anne (bap. 14 Oct 1672); he was also the father of Jonathan (d.1729) for whom provision was made in 1703, and John who was the father of the granddaughter Katherine. He was the son of William Townsend senior (d. 1690 and his wife Jane (d. 1707). His father bought property at Shipton in 1646, and William must have been born before his parents came to Winslow. He served as churchwarden at least twice and overseer of the poor once.