Will of Richard Worsley, carpenter, 1704

The text of this will is given in the 1704 court rolls. It is not recorded as being proved at St Albans or the PCC.

In the Name of God Amen I Richard Worsley of Winslow in the County of Bucks Carpenter being weakly of Body but of sound and p(er)fect Mind and Memory doe make and ordain 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 and my Body I Comitt to the Earth to be decently Buryed at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named and as touching the Disposition of all such Temporall Estate as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I give and Dispose thereof as followeth Impri(mi)s I will that my Debts and Funerall Charges shall be all paid and Discharged  Item I give and bequeath unto my Loveing wife Jane Worsley Three pounds by the year of lawfull money of England to be paid her yearly and every year dureing her naturall Life in manner herein after mentioned  Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Shelton Four pounds of like lawfull Money to be paid her within one year after my Decease  Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Allen Five pounds of like lawfull money to be paid her within one year after my Decease  Item I give and bequeath unto my Two Daughters Ann Mayne and Frances Ballard Twenty pounds apeice of like lawfull money to be Severally paid them within one year after my Decease  Item I give and bequeath unto my Grandaughter Mary Shelton Twenty Shillings of like lawfull money to be paid \her/ within one year after my Decease Upon Condic(i)on Nevertheless and my Will Mind and true Meaning is that the Legatees before named and every of them shall pay Interest for their Severall and Respective Legacyes hereby given unto them after the rate of Five per Cent per ann(um) unto my said Wife dureing her (nat)urall Life by Four Quart(er)ly paym(en)ts in every Year (that is to say) On the Feast of St. Michaell the Archangell St. Thomas the Appostle the Annu(n)ciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John Baptist by Equall portions the first payment to begin and to be made the next of the said Feasts which shall first happen after the said Legacyes shall be paid Them the said Mary Shelton my Daughter Elizabeth Allen Anne Mayne Frances Ballard and Mary Shelton my Grandaughter and further my Will and desire is that upon their receiveing of their severall and respective Legacyes the said Legatees and every of them shall Sev(er)ally give Security unto my Executor by Bond or otherwise to the good likeing of Jane my Wife for the true payment of the said Severall Sum(m)es of Money or Interest as aforesaid during the naturall Life of her the said Jane my wife by Quart(er)ly payments on the Feasts or dayes of payment beforementioned according to the true Intent or meaning of this my last Will But if they the said Legatees or either of them shall refuse or Neglect to give Security as aforesaid then I give and bequeath his her or their part or Legacye (who shall so neglect or Refuse) unto the said Jane my Wife (to be paid her within one year after my Decease any thing in this my p(re)sent Last Will and Testament in any wise notwithstanding  And moreover my Mind and true Meaning is that in Case my said daughter Ann Mayne shall happen to depart this Life before the said sum(m)e of Twenty pounds shall become due to her as aforesaid That then the said Sum(m)e of Twenty pounds shall be paid unto the Children of the said Ann Mayne that shall be alive after my decease to be equally divided amongst them Share and Share alike  Item I give Devise and bequeath unto my Sonn John Worsley All that my Cottage or Tenement with the Appurten(an)ces in Winslow aforesaid in the severall Tenures or Occupations of me the said Richard Worsley Robert Brinckler and William Ridgard from and imediately after the Decease of the said Jane my Wife to the Use and Behoofe of the said John Worsley and of his heires and Assignes for ever according to the Custome of the Mann(or) of Winslow cum Memb(ris) aforesaid Provided always and upon this Condition that the said John my Sonn his heires or Assignes shall and doe pay unto my Loveing Wife Jane Worsley Tenn Shillings of Lawfull Money of England by the year Yearly and every year dureing her N(atu)rall Life by Quarterly payments as aforesaid and also Shall and doe well and truly pay the said Severall Legacyes or Sum(mes) of Money herebefore bequeathed at the time and in Manner herein before Limitted and appointed for the payment of them Butt if Default shall be made of or in the payment of the said Severall Sum(m)es of money or any of them unto the said Severall Legatees before named on the Dayes and times herein before limitted and Appointed for the payment thereof Then I give Devise and bequeath the Revertion Expectant after the Decease of the said Jane my Wife of all the said Cottage or Tenement with the Appurtenances unto Such of the said Legatees whose Legacyes shall not be well and truly paid (as aforesaid) And to their Heires for ever  Item I give to my Said Sonn John my long Table in the Hall of my now Dwelling house all my Working Tooles and all my plow Timber all the rest and Residue of my p(er)sonal Estate goods and Chattells not herein before bequeathed I give and bequeath to my Loveing Wife Jane Worsley for ever And I doe make my Loveing Sonn John Worsley Full and Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament and I doe hereby Revoake Disanull and make void all Former and other Wills by me heretofore made In Witness Whereof I have to this my last Will and Testament Conteyned in two Sheets of paper to each of them Sett my hand and Seale this Six and Twentyeth Day of October Anno D(omin)i 1703

The m(ar)k of Richard Worsley

This Will conteyned in two Sheets of paper was Signed Sealed and acknowledged by the Within named Richard Worsley (Testator) to be his last Will and Testament in the p(re)sence of Thomas Blake John Seaton Thomas Wainwright

Notes

Riichard Worstley, carpenter, was buried on 12 Nov 1703. He was probably the son of William Worsley, bap. 22 Aug 1630. He married Jane, daughter of John Stuchbury (d.1643), on 25 Nov 1657. She died very soon after her husband and was buried on 19 Dec 1703. The children mentioned in the will are:

Copyright 23 June, 2016