Austen Will 1564/5

Will of Valentine Austen

of Ickham, Kent


Source: Consistory Court of Canterbury, Canterbury Cathedral Archives PRC 32/30/310 or: PRC/31/6 A/2
Submitted by Margaret Glenn
In the name of God Amen the third daie of Februarie in the yeare of our Lorde God a Thowsand fyve hundreth Lxiiij [1564/5]
I Valentine Austen of Bramlinge in the Parish of Ickham and in the Countie of Kent Sicke in Bodde but of good and p[er]fecte meorie, thankes be to God, do make this my Will and Testament in manner and fourme following
First I Bequeath my Sowle to Godd Allmightie my onlie chreatour and Redemer & my Bodde to christen Buriall in the churche of Ickham

Item I will towards the reparacon of the saide churche xxs [20s]
Item to the poore at my Buriall xiijs iiijd [13s 4d]
Item to every Godchilde that hath had all readiie, one ewe

Item I will to my wief haulf my houshould stuff, haulf my Poultry, one mare of the Best, iij kyne, xxtie [20] sheepe, fyve quarters of wheate, fyve quaters of maulte, to be delivered after the feaste of Sainte Michaell next cominge
Item one Sowe, ij Lyneware and she to have hir abydinge uppon my Fearine? wth my Executrices unto Michellmas next cominge, and to Occupye Joyntlie w[i]th my saide Executrixe, untill the said Myhellmas for the behaulfe of my children
And the lords Rent and Repairons to be Discharged owte of my goods

Item I will to hir vj horse, one carte, one Plough with all thinges belonginge to them, LX [40] Sheepe, foure kyne; the rest of my hogges; And so much corne, as my Overseer shall thinke sufficyent to sowe the grounde for one yeare

Item I Will the Residue of all my goods, moveable and unmoveable to my five Daughters to be equally devided amongest them
And if it please God to caule [call] any of them owte of this Lyef before the Daie of the[i]r marriage my Wille is that all my goodes bequeathed to my fyve Daughters shall be sould at Myhellmas nexte, with the Consent of my Overseer and Executrixes and to be put fourth to the use of my saide Daughters by the Discreacon [Discretion] of my Overseer & Executrixes and the said goodes to be delivered to them at the daie of ther Marryage or when they shall come to the yeares of Discreacon

Item my Wille is that if my Daughter Anne To marie and die w[i]thowt Issue of hir bodie Lawfullie begotten That then hir husband shall paie to my five daughters or to as many of them as shall remaine alive xx li [£20] of Lawefull money wthin the space of one haufe yeare after hir Diceasse

Iterm to every of my Servants, one quarter of Barlie Condiconallie they carrie owte theer cfouennt? honestlie ells not
Item my will is that if my wief be wth a childe, w[hi]ch a maiden childe that she shall have hir p[ar]te equally wth my five Daughters
Item my will is that if my wief marry such a maner of Parson [Person] as shall mysuse ev[er]y of my children during the[ir] nonage, that my Children shalbe at the Orderinge of my Overseer wth ther p[ar]tes during ther said nonage

This is the laste Wille of me the saide Valentine Austen, made the daie and yeare above written, of all my Landes, tenements and Annuyties, that I have in the Premisses of Wickham, Adsham, Bridge, Preston. Sellinge or ells where within the Countie of Kent

First I will to my wief my Landes and Tenements at Bridge, and my Landes, Tenements & annuyties at Adesham duringe her naturall Lyef, keapinge due Reparacons wthowt Strippe or Waste, excepte Loppinge of Trees,
and after hir Dicease I will all the said Landes, Tenements & Annuyties to Valentine my Sonne, and allso my Landes and Tenements at Sellinge to him and to his heires for ever

Item I give to George my Sonne all my Landes, Tenements and Annuyities, at Wickham and Preston or ells Wher Within ye County of kentt to him and his heires for ever
And if it shall fortune either of my Sonnes Valentine or George to departe this World wthowte heires of their Boddies Lawfully Begotten, one to be an others heire

And if it to be my wief be wth childe wth a manne childe my Wille is that he shall have his porcon equallie wth his Brothers
and if it so fortune that God take them to his mercie wthowte heires of ther boddies Lawefully begotten, Then I will my Lands to Remaine equally to my Daughters & to the Heires of ther Boddies lawefullie Begotten for ever

Item if my Wief Departe this Worlde before my Sonnes come to Age, my Will is that my Overseer & my Executrixes shall have the Oversighte of my Landes for the Proffyt of my said Sonnes untill they be of Sufficient Age
Item my Will is that if my Executrices do fortune to marrie such manner of p[er]sons wch shall mysuse [misuse] my Children That then my Overseer to have the Government of my Children untill they shall be of Sufficient Age

And for the fullfillinge of this my Wille, I make Jonne and Elizabeth my Daughters my Executrices and Thomas Awsten my brother my Overseer, and he to have xxs and one mare stagge
These are wittnes:
Sir William Pyat; Powle Parker and Thomas Awsten with others

Probatum fuit: 3rd March 1564/5

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 21st July 2021


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Will of Valentine Austen
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