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Will of Katherine Watts, widow, 1701 (proved 1710)
National Archives, PROB 11/518
In the Name of God Amen I Katherine Watts of Winslowe in the County of Bucks Widow being (thought aged yet) of sound and perfect mind and memory Praised be Almighty God therefore and considering the certainty of death and the uncertaine time thereof doe make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) First and principally I com(m)end my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Maker hoping through the Merits 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 buried at the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named And as for such temporall Estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof as followeth Imprimis I give will devise and bequeath unto my Eldest Son William Watts the sum(m) of Forty pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto him by my Executor within One year next after my decease Provided always nevertheless and this my said Guift and Bequest to my said Sonn William Watts is upon this express Condition That if he the said William Watts or his heires doe not or shall not within one Month next after my decease enter into seal and duly execute one Bond or Obligacon good and suffficient in the Law of the penalty of Five Hundred pounds of good and lawfull money of England to my Sonn Thomas Watts his Executors or Administrators with Condicon thereunder written That if the said William Watts and his Heirs and Assignes doe and shall at all times for ever quietly permitt and suffer the said Thomas Watts and his Heirs to have hold and enjoy and receive and take to his and their own use the Rents Issues and profitts of all that Messuage or Tenement now in the tenure or occupacon of me the said Katherine Watts scituate in or near the Market Place of Winslowe aforesaid in the said County of Bucks with all and every the Rights profitts and appurtenances to the said Messuage or Tenement belonging without any Claime Challenge Entry Eviction Molestac(i)on or demand whatsoever of from or by the said William Watts his Heires or Assignes or any person or persons claiming under him or them Then such Obligac(i)on to be void or else to stand in force That then and in such case this my said Guift and Bequest to my said Sonn William Watts shall be void and of none effect And then and in such case I give to my said Sonn William Watts the sum of Twelve pence to be paid to him within One year next after my decease Item I give will devise and bequeath unto my said Sonn William Watts my great Brass Porridge Pot to be delivered unto him by my Executor within one Moneth next after my decease Item I give will devise and bequeath unto my Second Sonn John Watts the summ of Twenty pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto him within one year and six Moneths next after my said Eldest Sonn William Watts shall have given my said Son Thomas Watts the aforesaid Bond or Obligac(i)on of the penalty of Five hundred pounds Item I give will devise and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Stutsbury the summ of Twenty pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her by my said Son Thomas Watts within Two years next after my said Eldest Sonn William Watts shall have given my said Sonn Thomas Watts the aforesaid Bond or Obligac(i)on of the penalty of Five hundred pounds Item I give will devise and bequeath unto my two daughters Anne Anderson and Katherine Blunt the summ of Twenty Shillings apiece to be paid unto them by my said Sonn Thomas Watts within Eleven Moneths next after my said Eldest Sonn William Watts shall have given my said Sonn Thomas Watts the aforesaid Bond or Obligac(i)on of the penalty of Five hundred pounds Item my wearing Apparell and my Moiety or halfe part of the Linnen I give will devise and bequeath unto my Three daughters Anne Anderson Elizabeth Stutsbury and Katherine Blunt to be equally devided between them Item I give will devise and bequeath unto the said Katherine Blunt my daughter my downe Bed and Bolster to be delivered unto her by my Executor within One Moneth next after my decease Item I give will devise and bequeath unto three of my Grandchildren that are my Godchildren the summ of Forty Shillings apiece to be paide unto them by my said Sonn Thomas Watts within one Moneth next after my said Eldest Sonn William Watts shall have given my said Son Thomas Watts the aforesaid Bond or Obligac(i)on of the penalty of Five hundred pounds Item I give will devise and bequeath unto all the rest of my Grandchildren the summ of Twenty Shillings apiece to bee paid unto them by my said Sonn Thomas Watts within one Moneth next after my said Eldest Son William Watts shall have given my said Sonn Thomas Watts the aforesaid Bond or Obligac(i)on of the penalty of Five hundred pounds Item I give will devise and bequeath unto my Sonns in Law and to my daughters in Law each of them Ten Shillings to buy them Rings to be paid unto them by my said Son Thomas Watts within one Moneth next after my said Eldest Sonn William Watts shall have given my said Sonn Thomas Watts the aforesaid Bond or Obligac(i)on of the penalty of Five hundred pounds Item I give will devise and bequeath unto my Grandaughter Katherine Anderson One pewter Platter and my Brass Pann to be delivered unto her by my Executor within one Moneth next after my decease Item I give will devise and bequeath unto my six other Grandaughters each of them a pewter Platter to be delivered unto them by my Executor within one Moneth next after <my> decease Item all the Rest and Residue of my Estate both Real and Personall Goods and Chattells Householdstuffe Ready money Plate and Jewells (if I have any) I doe hereby give will devise and bequeath unto the said Thomas Watts my Son for ever The which said Thomas Watts my Sonn I do hereby make ordaine constitute and appoint full and sole Executor of this my last Willl and Testament And Lastly I doe hereby revoke annull and make void all former Wills by me heretofore made and doe declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Seal this Twentyeth day of February in the Fourteenth year of the Reigne of our Soveraign Lord King William the Third over England &c and in the year of our Lord God One Thousand Seven Hundred and One.
The Marke of Katherine Watts.
Signed Sealed published and declared in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses in the presence of the Testator.
Joseph Glenester Tho(mas) Henly Peter Goldsworth
Memorand(um) that on the Seaventeenth day of October 1707 the within named Katherine Watts and Thomas Watts did agree that the Legacies of Forty Shillings apiece menc(i)oned to be given to the Three Godchildren of the said Katherine Watts in her Will should be made up Five pounds apiece and to be payable to them as their said Legacies within menc(i)oned And also that the Legacy of Twenty Shillings given to Katherine Anderson should be made up Five pounds and to be payable to her as her Legacy within menc(i)oned As Witness their hands.
The Marke of Katherine Watts Thomas Watts
Witness W(illia)m Shelton Jnr Peter Goldsworth
[Probate at London 23 Dec 1710 to Thomas Watts, son and executrix]
Notes
Catherine was the widow of John Watts (d.1692), q.v. for details of their children. She was buried in linen on 29 Sep 1710. In her determination to pass her property in Winslow to her younger son Thomas (d.1725), she made nearly all her legacies to her other children conditional on her eldest son William waiving his claim. This was probably one of the first wills drawn up by Peter Goldsworth, Winslow's new lawyer.