Will of Richard Baker

of Cranbrook, Kent

Also I bequeth to the high aluter of the said churche for my tithes and offryngs forgoten vs
Also I bequeth to the repacions of the ymage of Saint Dunstane in the forsaid church xxd
Also I will than an honest pr[i]est be found by myn executors to Rede and sing divine in the said church for my soule and all my good frends soules during the space of A hole yere

Also I bequeth to John my sone A ayafer [a heifer] and a flate pece of silv[e]r at his age of xxiiij yeres to be hym delivred
and if it happen hym to decesse before the age of xxiiij yeres that the said ayafer and pece be delivred to Thomas my sone and also the eldest sone lyving and if it happen any to decesse before the said age
Also I bequeth ij dosen of sponys [spoons] to be delivred amongs myn sones
if it happen any of theym to decesse before the forsaid age of xxiiij yeres his part to be devided amongst my iij doughtes [daughters]

Also I will that my sone James have my gretest brasse pot
Also I bequeth to the mariage of evry of my doughters xvj li xiijs iiijd [£16 13s 4d] to fulfill the some of xxli [£20] wt v more that evry of theym most have of the bequeth of my fader [father]

All other of my stuff of my houshold I will it be atte guyding of Johane my wif durying the tyme that she abideth my wedow
And if it happen hir to be maried I will that she have the voy? half thereof the other half to be devided amongs my sones by egall porcions after the discrecion of myn executors
Also I bequeth to Johane my wif A cowe

Also I bequeth to Mr. Rc Marson Vicar of Cranebrok iijs iiijd
Also to Sr John Bolde, p[ar]isshe preest of the said church of Cranebrok xxd
Also I bequeth to John Baker Scolemaistr in Cranebrok iijs iiijd
Also to Elizabeth the wif of the said John iij pens and peny worth iijs iiijd
Also to William Garrard vjs viijd
Also I bequeth to either of myn executors xls And during all the tyme till the yongest of my sones come to the age of xxiiij yeres, iijs iiijd yerely above their labour and expens(es)
Also I bequeth to the ovrseer of this my testame(n)t xls

The Residue of all my goodes catells above not bequethed and funerall expencs paied faith [faithfully] wt all remaines of my lands and ten[emen]ts if any be I geve and bequeth to my sones betwene theym to be delivred eqally amongst theym when they shall come to the laufull age of xxiiij yeres by the discrecon of myn executors And of this my testament I make and ordeyne John Davy and Thomas Sheff myn executours by these presentes
and Gervase Hendele to be thereof and of (my) last will Ov[e]rseer

This is the Last will of me the said Richard Baker made the daye and yere abovesaid

First I will that my feoffes suffer Johane my Wif to have to hir and to hir assignes the mesuage that blak barbor now holdeth & dwellith yn and iiij li [£4] yerely at the fest of Saynt Abighell / the nativitie of o[u]r Lord God / Ester / and of Saynt John Baptist by even porcions to be paied by all the tyme she abideth my Wedow and lyving (with) Benet my moder
And if it happen Benet my moder to dye the said Johane then beying my Wedow I will the said Johane have the said mesuage and have fro(m) the deth of my moder to hir and to hir assignes the mesuage With the apptenncs [appurtenances] that my said moder now dwellith yn and vjli yerely at the said termes by even porcons by all the terme that the said Johane abideth my Widow
And if it happen the said Johane to marye then I will she shall have no mesuage aft(er) hir mariage and she to have to hir and to hir assignes durying the lyff of my said moder iiij li [£4] yerely atte seid termes by even porcons

Also I will that the Residue of all my lands tents wt their apprtenncs in Kent and Sussex And the Rev[e]rsion of the said ij mesuages when they shall fall I will that my feoffes suffer myn executors to have the occupacion and to Receyve the yssues Revenues and proffits holly till myn eldest sone lyving cometh to the age of xxiiij yeres
And of the said proffits and Revenues I will that my said executors pay the said yerely some before by me willed to my Wif and also vjli to my moder p[ar]cell of x ...? to hir assigned and Willed by my fader durying hir liff whereof my said good moder of hir good mynde hath graunted me to relesse xiijs iiijd durying hir liff

It[em] of the same proffitts I will that myn executors pay to John my sonne yerely till he come to the age of xxiiij yeres yf he liff so long xli to fynde hym to Scole aswell in recompense of the lands in Stapulhurst [Staplehurst] by my fader assigned to hym as of my bequest to fynde hym to his learnyng in Court

It[em] I will that all somes that myn executors be charged or shall happen to be charged wt by reason of this my testament and last will above my moveables they shall reteyne in their hands of the same proffitts and Revenues
and I will that of the Residue of the said yssues and pffitts all myn other iij sonnes be convenyently found as they owe to be by the discrecion of myn executors Allweys the lands assigned to my sone Thomas in Burwasshe by my fader to be accompted for his fynding

And when my sone John cometh to the age of xxiiij yeres if he so long lyve or ells the age of the eldest of my sones lyving I will that all my lands and tents in Kent and Sussex and all the lands and tents that were my fader in Kent & Sussex and the Revrsion of the said ij mesuags [messuages] by the discrecion of my said executors and their assignes and other as they shall call unto theym be devided in iiij partes or ells in as many partes as they I have sones lyving in forme folowing (that is to say)
To John my sone to have to be accompted for his parte in the lands in Stapulhurst assigned to hym by my fader And the Residue of his parte at my tente at Meddeltons by the discrecion of my said executors
And Thomas my sone to have and to be accompted for his parte the lands in Burwasshe in Sussex to hym assigned by my fader and the Residue as shall attayne to his parte in myn other landes and tents by discrecion of myn executors as is before said
And to James my sone for his part the tente that I dwell yn and the lands thereto appteynying [appertaining] and the Residue in myn other lands and tents by the discrecion of myn executors
And to my sone Robert for his part my lands & tents in the marshe? and the Residue as shall happen for his part in myn other lands and tents by the discrecion of myn executors soe doing?

I will that my feoffes graunt to my said Wif in forme foresaid by the avise of suche lerned councell as myn executors or their assignes then shall call unto theym to be made wt a clawse of distresse in evry deede for non payment and then I will that the part of my sone John be delivred to hym by my feoffes to have to hym his heirs and his assignes for evr so that the relesse to my feoffes by my sevrall relesses all his right in the other iij parts to thuse [the use] of his brethern [brethren]
And iij other parts myn executors shall take the issues and pffitts till my sone Thomas cometh to the age of xxiiij yeres fynding him James and Robert my sones as is before said
And at the age of the said Thomas of xxiiij yeres his part to be delivred to him to be held to hym to his heirs for evr wt the condicion that by his iij Writtings relaxatory as they shalbe advised relesse to the said John all his right in the parte of the said John and to the said feoffes to thuse of the said James and Robert in their parts

And then I will that my said executors take th'issues and proffitts of the said ij parts till James my sone be of the age of xxiiij yeres fynding him and Robert my sone as is aforesaid And at the age of the said James of xxiiij yeres I will that his parte be delivred unto hym to his heirs for evr so that by his iij sevrall writtings by the advise of lerned councell to John and Thomas his brethern and to my feoffes to thuse of Robert all his Right in their parts as is beforesaid as well of xli to hym bequested by my fader to be paid by the said Thomas my sone as of any Right
And if he refuse that to doo I will that myn executors or their assignes shall by their discrecion take oute of the part of the said James as muche lands as then shalbe worth xli to purchase and delivre it to Thomas my sone to be had to hym and to his heirs for evr

And I will that my said executors take the issues and proffitts of the part of my sone Robert till he come to thage of xxiiij yeres fynding as is beforesaid And at his said age I will the said part be delivred to him and to his heirs for evr so that he by his sevrall writtings by lerned councell to be advised relesse to the said John, Thomas and James all his right in two partes

This Wittnessth Ric: Marson, Vicar of Cranebrok, John Baker, Scole maister, Gervase Hendell, John Baker sone of the said Ric? Baker, John Hamme? and others

Probatum fuit: 15th November 1504.

Transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh Mason 2nd August 2022

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