Will of Roger Baker

of Westwell, Kent

Item I bequethe to the use of the said church for lying therein vjs viijd [6 shillings and 8 pence]
And I bequeth to the highe aulter there for my tithes & oblacons [obligations] necligently forgotten a vs [5 shillings]
Item I bequeth unto every of the lights within the sayd churche iiijd [4 pence] and
Item I bequeth unto every of my godchyldren beyng [bearing] my name a iijs iiijd [3 shillings 4 pence]

Item I bequeth unto every of Joane & Margaret my daughters x [10] marks to be paide unto every of my saide daughters when they come to thage [the age] of xviij [18] the either of them to be the others heir Iff any of them my said daughters fortune to decease within the age of xviij years the survivor of them to be the others heire
Iff it fortune both my saide daughters [to] decease wthin [within] the age of xviij yeres then I will the said xx [20] marks to them before ordeyed [ordered] shall remayne to Harry my sonne to his heires or assignes

Item I ordeyne that myne Executors distribute for the heth [health] of my Soule in the daye of my buryall my monethes & my yere mynde the hole summe of xxl [�20] of the which xxl [�20] I will thereof be delt unto power [poor] people a vl [�5] in manr yn forme [manner and form] folowyng [following] (that is to say) unto every power [poor] man and woman a ijd [2 pence] & to every childe a ijd [2 pence] as farforth [as far] as the saide vl [�5] will azed [extend]

Item I will that my Executors paye for to have iij trentalls * of masses to be long after the helth of my Soule within the foresayd churche there of one trentall * to be song [sung] or said in the day of my buryall another at my monthyes [month�s] day & the other at my yeres mynde
* A trentall = 30 � so he is asking for 30 masses to be sung or said at 3 times in the year � the day of his burial, one month after his burial and on the anniversary of his burial

Item I will that myne Executors doe make a doyn [dozen] for honest psons [persons] as foreforthe as the overplus of the said xxl will reache [i.e., anything remaining to go to good honest people � probably the poor]

The resydue of all my moveable goods and cattalls [chattels] unbequeathed after my dettes my bequethes payd I gyve & bequeth to Justyn my wyffe under the Condicyon [Condition] that she do keep her hole or els not the which the said my wyffe and Phylyp Wayte [Philip] of Lytle Charte of this my p�sent [present] testament I ordeyne & sett myne executors by theis p�sents [these presents]

And I order the same Phylyp for his labs [labours] xl [�10] And I wyll the saud Phylyp have for every day that he hath any busynes [business] wth [with] my testament & wyll as muche monye as wth good conscens [conscience] dothe remayne

Yf Justen my wyff fortune to mary [marry] after my decese then all (my) said moveable goods as I have before ordered to her I wyll the sayd Phylype have & he therwth [therewith] to fulfyll my testament

This is the last wyll of me before rehersed Roger Baker made & by me psonally [personally] reheasyd [rehearsed] the day & yere above said And the xxvth yere of the reigne of Kyng Henrey the viijth [8th]

First I wyll as soon aftr [after] my decease that my Feoffes suffer Justyne my wyff to occupy and the profettes [profits] to recyve [receive] of all my lands & tentts. wth there apprtenns [tenements with their appurtenances] Untyll Henry my sonne comyth to the age of xxjth [21] yere she kepyng my chyldren honestly and she also kepyng repracons [reparations � actually repairs] and pay the rent wthowt [without] want strepe or wast [strip or waste � meaning to keep the property in good repair and not to devalue it]

And after that Henry my sone comyth to the age of xxj yere I wyll all my foresaid lands & tentts wth ther apptennes (sic) remayne unto Henry my sone To be had to the said Henry hys heyers or assygnes do pay or cause to be paid to Justyn my wyff yerely duryng all the terme of he lyffe xls [40 shillings] of good currant money of England to be payed yerely to the said Justyne or to her assygnes at ij usuall times of the yere, That is to say, in the feast of saynt mehcoll tharchangell [Saint Michael the Archangel] xxd [20 pence] And in the feaste of the Annunceyacon [Annunciation] of our Lady xxd [20 pence] And so yerely at the said fests to be payd to the said Justyn or to her assygnes duryng all the terme of her lyffe

And for (de)faulte of ye payment of the said xls [40 shillings] I wyll my said wyffe or her assygnes shall goe in all of my foresaid lands & tentts. and destreyne And the dystrese [distress] so taken lawfully to bere wys [bear away] & carry away And irreplysable to whold in pownde [impound] untyll the tyme the said Justyne of her Assygnes be fully contente and payed forthe wthall [with all] costes and chargs had by occasyon [occasion] of the same

Also I wyll that yf Henry my sone fortune to decease wthin the age of xxj yere wthowte lawfull issue then I wyll yf my said wyfe keeps her sole she to take the p�fetts [profits] of all my foresaid lands & tentts. wth thapprtenncs [tenements and the appurtenances] Untyll Johane & Margarett my doughts [daughters] comyth there age of xxjth [21] yeres

And at the same age I wyll all my foresaide lands & tents. wth there apprtenncs (sic) remayne unto the said Johane & Margarett in fee symple to them that the said my doughtrs [daughters] there heres or assignes pay uerely unto my foresaid wyff xls aftr the forme before rehersyd that I dye appoynte to Henry my sone yf any of my said daughters fortune to decease wthn the age of xxj yere wthowt lawfull (issue?) the onlyver [the on-liver � i.e. survivor] of them to be (the) others heire

Yf hit fortune that both my said doughtrs deceese wtin [daughters decease within] the age of xxj yeres wtowt [without] lawfull yssue then I wyll all my foresaid lands & tentts wth there apptencs (sic) remayne unt the sonnes of Justyne Knotsted my sister in fee symple so then that the same sonnes there heyres or Assygnes pay or doe (cause) to be payed to the repacon [repair] of the Steple of Westwell aforesaid xl [40] marke of good & lawfull currant money of England

Also I wyll the said sonnes of my Sister ther heyers or assigns paye unto my foresaid wyff yerely yf she bee then lyvng xls [40 shillings] duryng the tyme of her lyffe to e payed to her or her assignes aftr the forme before wryten

Also I wyll that yf all the sonnys of my said Sister fortune to deceese wthowt lawfull Issue then I wyll my Feoffes there heyres or assygnes sell all my foresaid lands and tentts in the best manr [manner] that they can or may And all the money thereof recyvyd [received] In hand shall fynd to make with a new steple as foresaid at Westwell Recyved all hay and also it is my wyll that yf my foresaid wyffe do marye agayne at any tyme after my decease then I wyll from the tyme that she is maryed she shall not take more pfitts [profits] of my foresaid lands & tentts But only xls of thereof before ordered to her in my wyll duryng all the tyme of her lyffe

And then I wyll all the p�fetts [profits] remayne of all my foresaid Lands & tentts above the xls before ordein(ed) to my wyffe & above reperacn & rent payed I wyll it remayne to the use of my heyers

And I will that the foresayd Phylype Wayte have the custody of all such theyngs [things] as I have before ordered wyll to the use of myn heyers Untyll they comyth to the age of xxj yeres

And I wyll that my Feoffes have the oversyght of all suche thyngs as I have ordein(ed) in my wyll to myn heires it may be forth comyng to them att the age of xxj yeres
And I order to every of my Feoffes for ther [their] labours vjs viiijd [6 shillings and 8 pence]

To theis Wyttnessyth Henry Archer James Archer gentylmen James Swyft & Thomas Taylour

Provided always & also it is my wyll that Justyne my wyffe shall have & occupye the one end of my messuage wth the Solar & the Chambers thereto belongyng duryng all the terme kepyng her sole wth free comyng in & free comyng out wthowte any impedyment of any p�son [person]

Notes: This pre-dates the commencement of parish registers at Westwell significantly by 25 years.

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 30th October 2019. All rights waived for personal use � BUT please quote source and reference.

Return to Kent Genealogy