Will of John Brett

of Eythorne, Kent

and my body to the earth, whereof it was first formed decently to be buried at the discretion of my loving sonne Robert Brett, whom I make sole Executor of this my last will and testament and my loving and trusty Friends and kinsmen John Jekin and Valentine Jekin Overseers thereof

And touching the disposing of my worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to blesse me I give and dispose thereof as followeth
First I give and bequeath unto my sonne James Brett the sum of thirty pounds of lawfull money of England and the presse which was my father’s to be paid and delivered unto him by my said sonne and Executor Robert Brett within three months next after my decease

Also unto my daughter Thomazine I give and bequeath the sum of Forty shillings of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her by my said sonne and Executor within twelve months next after my decease
Also I give and bequeath my grandchild William son of my said daughter Thomazine fifteen pounds of like lawfull money of England
And to my grandchild Anne Richards daughter of my said daughter Thomazine the sum of Five pounds of like money
to be paid unto them my said grandchildren William Richards and Anne Richards and to either of them by my said sonne and Executor att their and either of their severall and respective age and ages of one and twenty years And until my said grandchildren shall attain their said severall ages whereby their severall legacies herein bequeathed to them shall become due my mind and will is that my said sonne and Executor shall yearly pay or cause to be paid unto my said daughter Thomazine interest for the said legacies herein bequeathed to my said grandchildren according to the rate allowed by the lawe of the land during such time as the said legacies become due to be paid (if my said daughter Thomazine so longe shall live)
And if my said daughter [die?] before my said grandchildren attain their severall ages of one and twenty years then my mind and will is that my said Executor shall pay the interest for the severall legacies aforesaid during the tyme the same shall be unpaid proportionally according to his or her legacy herein bequeathed.

Also I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mildred now the wife of John Austen the sum of Forty shillings of like money to be paid unto her within twelve months next after my decease.
Also I give and bequeath unto my grandchild John Brett sonne of my said sonne and Executor Robert Brett the sum of Five pounds of like lawfull money of England to be paid unto him my said grandchild by my said Executor att his age of one and twenty years
Also I give and bequeath unto Anne my now loving wife the sum of twenty shillings of like money to be paid unto her by my said sonne and Executor within one month after my decease

Also my mind and will is that my said wife shall have one full third part of all my household and linen (the whole being divided into three parts) in liewe of all such household stuff and linen which she brought att the tyme of her intermarriage with me And for the delivery whereof I stand engaged by bond.
And the other two third parts of my said household stuffe and linnen I give and bequeath unto my said two daughters Thomazine and Mildred to be equally divided between them.

And if my said wife Anne accept not of one full third part of all my said household and linnen in liewe of all such goods as I stand engaged to deliver unto her by bond then my mind and will is that my said wife shall have and receive all such goods as I soe stand engaged to deliver unto her
And then my mind and will is that all the residue of my said household stuffe and linnens shall be equally divided amongst my said two daughters Thomazine and Mildred and my said sonne and Executor (that is to say) to each of them a third part.

Also I give and bequeath unto my brother in law William Carpenter the sum of twenty shillings a year for and during the term of his natural life to be paid unto him by my said sonne and Executor, the first payment to be made within twelve months next after my decease.

All the residue of my goods cattell And chattels whatsoever and wheresoever I give and bequeath unto my said sonne and Executor Robert Brett my debts legacies herein bequeathed and funeral charges beinge first paid and deducted.

In witness whereof to this my last will and testament in two sheets of paper conteyned to the first sheete thereof my hand have sett and to the second and last sheete my hand and seale the day and year first above written
John Brett by his mark
Sealed read published and declared to be the last Will and Testament of the said Jphn Brett the sixth day of March 1651 after the raceing [erasing?] in the Fourteenth Fifteenth sixteenth seventeenth and eighteenth lines of the first sheete of this will
in the presence of Valentine Jekin and John Verrier.

This Will was proved att London the two and twentieth day of June in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand sixteen hundred and fifty nine before the Judges for Probate of wills and granting Admons by the oath of Robert Brett the natural and lawfull sonne and sole Executor named in the said will to whom Admon of all and singular the goods ch'ells and debts of the said dec'd was committed he being first sworn by virtue of a Com'on truly to Ad'ster ye same.

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