Austen Will 1713

Will of Thomas Austen

of East Peckham, Kent


Source: Prerogative Court of Canterbury PROB 11/536/257
Submitted by Nicola Ward
In the Name of God Amen the Seventeenth day of June in the Seventh yeare of the Reigne of Our Soveraigne Lady Queen Anne over Great Brittaine etc. Anno dini One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eight
I Thomas Austen of East Peckham in the County of Kent Tanner being at this present of good health and Sound memory doe make and declare this my Testam[en]t and last Will, Vizt.
First and principally I doe Commend my Soul to God that gave it hopeing to be Saved by the Meritts of Jesus Christ my Redeemer And my Body to be decently buried at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named

Item I give and bequeath unto Mary my Loving Wife the Summe of Fourty pounds now in the Hands of William Coyfe my Brother in Law, and also Fower paire of my Hempen Sheetes And also One Flock bed now Standing in the parlour of and in my now Dwelling house with the Bedstead Covering and all things thereunto belonging

And also I Will that my Executor shall and doe yearly and every year by even half yearly payments from and after my decease pay unto the said Mary my Wife as my Guift [Gift] out of my Goods and Chattles the yearly Summe of Fourty Shillings of lawfull money for and dureing the terme of the naturall life of the said Mary my Wife

Item I doe Will and give unto Ann my Daughter Wife of George Feilder the Summe of Fourty pounds of lawfull to be paid unto her within One yeare after my Decease by my Executor
Item I will and give unto Mary my Daughter Wife of William Park the Summe of Fifty pounds of Lawfull money to be paid unto her within One yeare next after my Decease

Item I doe Will and give unto Elizabeth my Daughter One Feather Bed Steddle Covering and all thereunto belonging as the Same now Stands in the Parlour of and in my now dwelling house
And also the Summe of Threescore [60] pounds of Lawfull money to be paid unto her within One year after my Decease by my Executor

Item I doe Will and give unto Thomas Feilder my Grandson the Summe of Twenty pounds of Lawfull money to be paid unto him as, when and if he shall attaine his Age of One and Twenty yeares by my Executor
Item I will direct and appoint all and every my Plate, Linnen and Pewter (other than what I have herein before bequeathed) shall be equally shifted and divided between my Four Children Ann, Mary, Elizabeth and William Share and part alike

Item I Will devise and give all that my Messuage and Four peeces of Land conteining by Estimation Seven Acres in the occupation of John Foreman lyeing in Horsmonden in the said County of Kent and all other my Lands and Tenements whatsoever wth the Appurtenances unto the said William Austen my only Son and to the Heirs of his body lawfully begotten for Ever

And for want of such Issue then the said Thomas Feilder my Grandson and to his Heires, hee and they paying Out thereof as and when the same shall come to the said Thomas Feilder or his Heires the Severall Summes of Twenty pounds of Lawfull money a peice to the said Mary and Elizabeth my Daughters respectively and to their respective Executors or Assignes
And for want of payment thereof accordingly I Will It shall and may be Lawfull for the said Mary and Elizabeth my Daughters Severally and respectively and their respective Executors Administrators and Assignes into my Said messuage and Lands or any part thereof to enter and take the Rents Issues and proffits thereof untill thereby or therewith She they and either of them of the Said Severall Sumes of Twenty pounds a peece and all Damages for want of payment thereof and all Costs and Charges thereby laid out and Susteined shall be fully paid and Satisfyed

Provided allways And I doe hereby Will devise and give unto the said Mary my Wife for and dureing the terme of her naturall life One Annuity or yearly Rent charge of Six pounds of Lawfull money free from all Taxes Charges and Reprizes to be issueing and going out of my said Messuage and Lands in Horsmonden aforesaid payable at the Feast dayes of the Nativity of St. John Baptist; St. Michaell the Arch Angell; the Birth of Our Lord God and the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary by even portions
And for want of payment thereof by the Space of Fourteen dayes next after any of the said Feasts (The first payment thereof to begin on the which of the said Feasts that shall come after my Decease) I Will It shall and may be lawful to and for the said Mary my Wife and her Assignes unto my said Messuage and Lands or any part thereof to enter and Distraine and the Distress and Distresses there found to take, leade, Impound, detayne and keep untill the said Annuity or yearly Rent of Six pounds and all damages for want of payment thereof and all the Costs and Charges thereby laid out and susteined shall be to the said Mary my Wife of her Assignes fully paid and Satisfied (any thing before conteined to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding)

Item I doe make and Ordaine the said William Austen my Son sole Executor of this my Will
and for and towards the payment of my debts, Legacies, Funerall and other incident[al] Charges I Will give and leave to the Said William my Son all my Ready money, Goods and Chattles not Formerly disposed of

In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Austen (Revokeing all former Wills by me made) have to this my Testament and last Will conteined in two Sheetes of Paper thereof Sett my hand and Seale the day and year first before written
Sign. Thomae Austen

Signed Selaed Published and declared by the Said Thomas Austen to be his Testament and last Will in the prsence of us who in his prsence did Sett Our Hands
Ruth Hooper - Anne Hooper - Geo: Hooper

Probatum fuit: [Latin] 2nd November 1713

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 15th March 2021


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Will of Thomas Austen
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