Will of Thomas Attwood

of Upper Hardres, Kent

Item I give towards repayeinge [repairing?] of the Church of Greate Hardes iijs iiijd [3s 4d] (to) be payd by myne executor, unto the churchwarden at the day of my buryall
Item I give unto the poore of the same p[ar]ishe ijs vjd to be payd by myne executor unto the Collectors at the day of my buryall

Item I give unto Joane my wyfe all my houshold stuffe as Beddinge, wollen, Lynnen, brasse, pewter and all other things called utensells and houshould stuffe duringe her naturall lyfe and after her decease my will is that the said houshould stuffe, as Beddinge, wollen, Lynnen, brasse, pewter and all other things called utensells and houshould stuffe shalbe equally devided betwixt my three sonnes John, William and Nickholas their and their heirs for ever,
except the bedd and bedstedle where uppon I doe usually Lye w[i]thall the furniture belnging to the same, w[hi]ch I doe give unto my sonne John over and besides the equall p[ar]te betwixt him and his two brothers of the residue of my houshould stuffe to him and his heires for ever

Item I give unto the saide Joane my wyfe two seames of wheate and two seames of malte yearly to be payd unto her by myne executor dureinge her naturall lyfe
Item my will is that the said Joane my wyfe shall have a Convenient roome or dwelling wthin my now dwellinge houyse wth Continuall ingresse, egresse and regresse unto the same, and sufficient wood or fuell growing in or uppon my lands duringe her naturall lyfe

Item I give unto the said Joane my wyfe fortye shillings a yeare of Lawfull money of England yearely to be payde unto her by myne executors duringe her naturall lyfe
And further my will is that the said wheate and maulte and fortye shillings a yeare of Lawfull money of England shalbe payd unto her yearly at fower [4] tymes or termes in the yeare, that is to say At ye feast of Thanuntiation of or lady, at the feast of St. John the Baptist, at the Feast of St. Michaell thearchangell and at the feast of the Nativity of or Lord by even porcons

Item I give unto Joane my daughter Five and Twenty pounds of Lawfull money of England to be payd unto her, her executors or assignes by myne executors wthin two yeares next after my decease
And Whereas I doe owe unto my sonne in Lawe George Marche twelve pounds of Lawfull money of England, my will is that myne executors shall make the said twelve pounds twenty pounds of Lawfull money of England and they shall pay the same unto the said George Marche his heires executors or assignes wthin one yeare next after my decease

Item I give unto Elizabeth my daughter a Hackfer (Heifer?) to be delivered unto her by myne Executors p[re]sently after my decease
Item I give unto the said Elizabeth my daughter every yeare yerly during her naturall Lyfe a petticote and a wa[i]stcote of good and new Clothe in price worth xiijs iiijd ready made to putt one [on] and to be delivered unto her by myne executors

If it shall happen the said wheate and maulte, and forty shillings of Lawfull money of England given unto Joane my wyfe, And the said Five and Twenty pounds given unto Joane my daughter, And the said Twenty pounds belonginge unto George March my sonne in Lawe, and the said pettycote and waistcote given unto Elizabeth my daughter, in pte or in all to be behind and unpayd contrary to the true meaninge of this my Last will and testament, then my will is that the said Joane my wyfe, Joane my daughter, George Marche my sonne in Lawe, and Elizabeth my daughter or any of them, their heires, executors, administrators or assignes, shall into all or any of my howses and Lands enter and distrayne, and the distresse or distresses then and there found or drive, leade or carry awy, and the same to detayne wthhould and kepe, until such legacie or legacyes or any parte of them soe behind and unpayd, together wth the arerages [arrearages] and Charges be fully satisfyed and payd

All the rest of my goods, Corne, Cattles and money my debts and funerall Charges beinge payd my will is shalbe equally devided betwixt my three sonnes John, William and Nicholas
And I doe make ordayne and appoynte my sonnes John, William and Nicholas executors of this my last will and testament

This is the last will and testament of me the aforesaid Thomas Atwood, had, made and declared the day and yeare first above written as concerninge the disposinge of my houses and Lands

First I give unto my sonne Thomas fower acres of Lands be it more or Lesse (wch be at Darmsted and now in the tenure of Michaell Fisher) to him and his heires for ever,
provided alwayes that if the said my sonne Thomas shall not wthin two yeares next after my decease, pay or cause to be payd unto my executors John, William and Nicholas ten pounds of Lawfull money of England, then and from thence forth it shall and may be Lawfull for my said Executors or any of them into the said foure acres of Land to enter and distreyne as in case of distresse is aforesaid

Item I give unto my sonne [John] that parte of my house where I nowe dwell w[i]th the ould barne and stable belonginge to the same wth the Courts and yards there unto belonginge, and a Certaine Close called the Longe medowe and a Close wth a little orchard behinde the said barne Conteyninge two acres more or lesse and a certaine Close called the Ruffe Close conteyninge two acres more or lesse; and another Close called the longe Close conteyninge two acres more or lesse, one other Close wth a carnet? lying next unto a sole and mans gardaine conteyninge three acres more or lesse, alsoe one other Close called mans Close conteyninge five acres more or lesse, All wch houses, Courts, yards, orchards and Lands I doe give unto the said John my sonne to him and his heires for ever

Item I give unto William my sonne that pte of my house wherein he now dwelleth together wth the new barne orchard and Courte belonginge to the same, and alsoe free libertye at all tymes to come and drawe watter at all tymes at the well belonginge unto my house or tenement, and one Close called the lower stone conteyninge six acres more or lesse and one close called the upper stone alias holmestone conteyninge fower acres more or lesse, all wch howse, barne, orchard, Courte and other the aforesaid p[ar]cells of Land I give to him and his heires for ever

Item I give unto my sonne Nicholas my houses bessides? the well adjoyninge conteyninge two acres and three yards more or lesse, alsoe one house wherein William Noxe dwelleth, and the close called burders banke conteyninge by estimation one acre more or lesse, and one certayne close called Six acres adjoyninge to a certayne feild called foxe hedge and a certayne pcell of lande lyinge in mylfeild and adjoyninge unto a Close called homestone conteyninge by estimacon five yards more or lesse wth free infresse, egresse and regresse, to drive, leade and Cary through a certayne close called mans Close wch I gave unto my sonne John as abovesaid All wch houses, buildings, orchard, Courte and other pcells of Lands I doe give unto my said sonne Nicholas to him and his heires for ever
Also my will is that my said sonne Nicholas his heires and assignes shall have free liberty to Carry and recarry at all tymes through all the Lands wch I have given to my sonne John and my sonne William unto the six acres

In Testimony hereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale the day and yeare aforewrytten in the prsence of:
The marke of Thomas Attwood
William Stacye, Thomas Atwood the younger his marke.

Probatum fuit: 28th February 1617/18

Note: Thomas Attwood was buried 3rd February 1617/18 at SS Peter & Paul, Upper Hardres, Kent.

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 3rd March 2022

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