Item I gyve and bequeath unto thirtye of the poore people of Cranbrooke thirty groates to bee equally payd and devided betweene them by mye
sayd executor wthin one month next after my decease
Item I gyve and bequeath unto Catherin my wife tenne pownds of good and lawfull money of England to bee payd her by my sayd executor
betwixt this and Michaelmas and my best great chest and three of my best kine (cows) and tenne of my sheepe at her
choyce to bee taken and my little blacke dunnie Mare together wth her wearing apparrell and other ornam[en]ts to her person belonging
Item I give and bequeath unto Lettice my daughter seavenscore pounds of good and lawfull money of England to bee payd unto her by my sayd
executor at her age of sixteene yeeres or daye of marriage wch shall first happen
Item I gyve unto Richard Austen my sonne forty pounds to bee payd unto him the sayd Richard by my sayd executor at his age of eighteene
yeeres
Item I will and bequeath unto Joane Dorley my maydservant five pownds of good and lawfull money of England to bee payd unto her by my
executors wthin three yeeres next after my decease
Item I gyve and bequeath unto Catherin my wife and John my sonne all my goods and houshold stuffe wthin my housse, mye wheate, barley and
oats and other Corne as well growing on my lands as in my housse and barne equallye to bee devided betweene them
Item my will and mind is that Katherin my Wife shall and maye have her dwelling in the howsse I nowe dwell in wth my sonne John untill my lease
come out and to have haye and pasture for her kine and sheepe untill (the) sayd lease bee ended, and wood for her fire
And the rest and residewe of all my goods and chattells not before bequeath(ed), my debts payd, my
legacies p'formed and mye funerall expences dischardged I will and bequeath unto my sonne John
Austen whome I make and ordeyne my sole executor of this my last will and testam[en]t
William Austen his marke
This is the last will and testamnt of me the sayd William Austen made and declared the daye and yeere first above written of all and sing[u]ler my messuage lands tenements and hereditaments whatsoever in the sayd County of Kent and Sussex
First I gyve and bequeath unto Catherein my wife one annuity or yeerly rent of fower pownds of lawfull money of England issuing out and to bee had, taken and levied of, in and uppon all that my messuage and lands w[i]th thappurtenances [the appurtenances] in Rolvingden in the sayd County of Kent to bee yeerly payd unto her during her naturall life at two usuall feasts or tearmes in the yeere, that is to saye, at th'annuncation of the blessed Virgin Mary and Saynt Michaell th'archangell by even and equall porcons
And if it shall happen the sayd annuity or yeerly rent of fower pownds or any part therof to bee behinde and unpayd after any the sayd feasts at wch as aforesayd it ought to bee payd that then and soe often it shall and may bee lawfull to and for the sayd Catherin and assignes into the sayd messuage and lands to enter and distreyne and the distresse and distresses then and theire fownde, to leade, drive, beare, carry, have a waye, impound, wthould and keep untill she the sayd Catherin or her assignes of the sayd annuity or yeerly rent and the arrrerages therof (if any bee) be fully saisfied contented and payd together wth the costs and chardges in that behalfe susteyned
Item I gyve and bequeath all that mye sayd messuage and lands conteyninge by estimation fower and forty acres wth thappurtenances in Rolvingden
unto my sonne John Austen his heires and assignes for ever uppon these condicons following, vizt. That he the sayd John Austen his heires and
assignes shall and doe well & trewlye paye unto the sayd Lettice the fower score pownds to her before bequeathed at the time before limitted for
the payment therof and paying her also sixe pownds a yeare yeerly from her age of tenne yeers for the p[ro]ffitt therof
And also that he the sayd John his heires executors or assignes shall and doe well and trewly paye unto the sayd Richard the forty pounds to him
before bequeathed at the tyme before limitted for the payment thereof
Item I gyve and bequeath unto the sayd John my sonne and his heires all those my parcells of land conteyning by estimation fortye acres wth thappurtenances in Biddenden in the sayd County of Kent at his age of one and twenty yeeres To have and to houlde to the use of himselfe and his heires paying the sayd seavenscore powndes unto the sayd Lettice at such time as before limitted And paying the sayd forty pownds to the sayd Richard att the tyme before limitted
And if default bee made of the payment of the sayd forty powndes Then the sayd John his heires
and assignes shall stand and be seysed of the sayd lands to the use of the sayd Richard until
hee bee of the rent and pffitts of the sayd lands full contented satisfied and payd the sayd fortye pownds
And if default bee made of the payment of the sayd seaven score pounds Then the sayd John and his
heires and assignes shall stand and be seysed of and in the sayd lands to the use of the sayd Lettice
her heires and assignes untill shee or they of the rent and pffitts of the sayd lands bee fully satisfied
contented and payd And then to the use of the sayd John and his heires forever
Item my mynde and will is that Catherin my wife shall take have and receyve the rent of the sayd p[ar]cells of lands in Biddenden aforesayd untill my sayd sonne John shall or maye accomplishe his age of one and twenty yeeres to her owne proper use
Item I gyve and bequeath unto Richard my sonne at his age of one and twenty yeeres his heires and assignes for ever all those my lands conteyning by estimacon twenty acres late purchased of James Meme in Biddenden and Bennenden aforesayd
Item I gyve and bequeath unto Catherin my Wife for (the) tearme of her naturall (life) all that my
messuage and lands conteyning by estimacon twenty acres late purchased of Edward Bigge in
Bennenden paying my sonne Wylliam five pounds of good and lawfull money of England yeerly therfore during her naturall life after his age
of one and twenty yeeres at two usuall feasts or tearmes in the yeere, that is to saye, at the annunacon of the blessed virginne
Mary and St. Michaell by even and equall porcons and bringinge him uppe
Item I give and bequeath unto the sayd William my sonne the sayd messuage and lands after the decease of Catherine and to his heires and
assignes for ever
Item I give unto the sayd William my sonne twelve oakes to repayre the sayd housse to bee felled
had and taken out of the woodland before bequeathed unto the sayd Richard at the pleasure of him or his mother
Item I gyve and bequeathe unto the sayd William two parsells of Woodland conteyning by estimacon eight acres late purchased of Isaack Simes
in Byddenden at his age of xxj yeeres to him and his heires for ever
Item I gyve unto Thomas my sonne at his age of twentye and one yeeres his heires and assignes for ever all that my messuage and lands conteyning bye estamacon fortye acres in Warbleton in the County of Sussex
Item I give and bequeath unto Lettice my daughter all that my messuage and lands in Newenden in the County of Kent at her age of tenne yeeres her
heires and assignes for ever
Provided allwayes and my will and mynde is that if my sonne John shall and doe well and trewlye paye unto the sayd
Lettice threescore of good and lawfull money of England att her sayd age of tenne yeeres That then from and after such payment he shall have the
sayd messuage and lands to him and his heires for ever
Item my minde is that my sayd wife shall and maye have the rent of the sayd messuage and lands
towards the bring(ing) uppe of the sayd Lettice untill her age of tenne yeeres findeing the reparyacons and comitting noe waste
Item my mynde and will is that the says Catherin my Wife shall have receive and take the rent of the lands before bequeath(ed) unto mye sonne Richard untill his age of xxj yeeres bringing hym uppe and giveing sufficient security to my sayd sonne John for the payment therof unto mye sayd sonne Richard his heires or assignes at his age of xxj yeeres and being allowed fower pownds a yeere towards his bringing uppe untill his age of sixteene And Comitting noe wast
Item my mynde and will is also that the sayd Catherin my wife shall and may have receyve and take the rent of the messuage and lands bequeathed unto my sayd sonne Thomas untill his age of xxj yeeres findeing the reparacons bringing him uppe And gyving sufficient security to my sonne John for the payment therof unto my sayd sonne Thomas his heires or assignes being allowed fyve pownds a yeere the rest towards the bringing uppe of the sayd Thomas untill his age of sixteene yeeres and comitting noe waste
Item I gyve unto John my sonne and his heires one Annuitye or yeerly rent of forty shillings yssuing out of certeyne lands in Bennenden in the
occupacon of James Munne
William Austen his marke
No witnesses.
Probatum fuit: 24th April 1612 To John Austen.
Notes:
William Awstin, householder, was buried at St. Dunstan, Cranbrook, Kent on 29 Jan 1612.
William Austine married Katherine Weller on 25 Feb 1594 at Cranbrook.
Their known children (all baptised at Cranbrook, and all as 'Austine'): John 1 Jan 1595/96; Lillie [Lettice] 28 Jun 1601; William 9 Oct 1603;
Thomas 2 Sep 1610. Son Richard Austine's baptism has no parents named, on 1 Oct 1598 at Cranbrook.
Transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh Mason 29th December 2022
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of William Austen