Item I give unto the poore of Herne two semes of wheate to be distributed amongest them to every one a bodge so farre as it will amounte
Item I geve to everye one of my Godchildren a Lambe to be Delivered at the weaning tyme next after my decease
Item I geve unto Rose Revers a lambe
Item I gyve unto Clement Mershe a young Ewe sheepe to be Delivered wtin [within] one monethe next after my decease
Item I gyve unto Thomasyne Revers my wyves daughter one Ewe and a Lambe, to be delivered
at the weaninge tyme to be delivered at the weaning tyme next after my decease
Item I gyve unto Thomasyne my wife all my houses and Landes that I have wtin the p'ishe of Herne, for the space of seven yeares next after my decease, she kepinge my sayd houses in good rep[ar]acons, and my Landes well and sufficientlye enclosed, and fenced, payinge the Lordes Rente to the Lorde of Fee, And to make no strippe nor waste of any of theym, And to see my childe honestlye broughte upp in the feare of God
And yf my sayd wife keepe her selfe a wydowe I will she shall have all my sayde houses and Landes in manner and fourme aforesayde, yf she so continew duering her naturall life, and so longe as she continewethe so a wydowe, and also my Lease Lande of the Channtrye Lande of Reculver in like manner and fourme as is abovesayde
Provyded alwayes that yf yt shall channce my sayde wife to marrye wtin the seven yeares next after my decease, and so being marryed channce to departe this present Life, then I will that presently after her Departure, all my sayde houses and Landes shall Reamyne to Willyam Churche my Sonne unto whome I give all my sayde howses and Landes to him and to his heyers for ever
Also if it shall channce my wife to Departe this present life before my Sonne come to the age of twentye one yeares, Then I will that my sayde Sonne shalbe governed untill he come to the age of Twenty one yeares by Edward Stevens and Willyam Sea, my wyves Brother And also they to see my howses and Landes to be let oute to the beste advantage for my Sonne, and to be kept in good rep'acons, and no waste to be made upon the same
And also if my Wife enjoye the same howses and Landes by the space of the seven yeares wch I have given her the profittes of the same, and my sayde wife then being maryed That then I will the said Edwarde Stevens and Willyam Sea to have the doyinge and ordering of my saide howses and Landes from the ende of the same seven yeares, untill my Sonne come to the age abovesayde
And I will then that yf my sayde wife will gyve the same howses and Landes, that then she shall
have them before any other, geving as an other will gyve for the same Moreover if it fortune that my
sayde wife doe dye before the sayde seven yeares be oute, Then I will that my sayde Sonne Willyam
Churche shall have the profit of my sayde howses and Landes presently the Michelmas next after her decease
Furthermore I will that my Sonne Willyam Churche shall at the Age of eighteene yeares enter withe his mother in half the profit bothe of my howses and Landes
Item I will that yf my wife be wt [with] childe, with a manne childe or a woman childe, I will that it shall have the parte of my Lande in Southefilde
Item I will that yf my sonne Willyam Churche doe dye witheoute heyers of his bodye Lawfullye
begotten, That then I will my sayde howses and Landes unto my Godsonne George Churche, my
brother Jeames Churche his sonne, and to his heyers for ever
And I will that he shall paye wtin one yeare next after his enteringe into my sayde howses and Landes, to every of my brothers and Sisters
children the wch shalbe then alyve to everye of theym Fortye shillynges
And yf my Sisters have no children that then I will to everye of theym forty shillynges
Item furthermore I will that yf it happen that George Churche doe dye wtoute [without] heyers of
his Bodye Lawfullye begotten, that then I will to the poore folkes of the parishe of Herne thone [the
one] halfe of the profittes of my howses and Landes, and to the parishe Churche of Herne thother
halfe And I will that the Churchwardens of Herne shall have the putting fowrthe of my howses and
Landes to the uttermoste profyt bothe for the poore and also for the churche of Herne
And also I will that the poore folkes of Herne shall Receyve the farme of the one halfe at two
severall tymes of the yeare, that is to saye, at Christemas, and at Easter, then next followynge
And furthermore I will that yf the Churchewardens of Herne doe not see my howses fullye
Repayred, wynde tighte, and water Tighte, according to the purporte of this my laste will and
Testament, that then I will the next heyer of the same name, shall enter into my sayde howses and Landes to him and to his heyers
Furthermore, I will that yf my sayde howses and Landes be put forthe, then I will that my sayde wyves brother Clement Mershe shall have yt, tenne shyllinges under the pryce that that it is worthe, And that he shall occupye yt one yeare wtoute payinge anye farme for yt
Item I will unto the same Clement Mershe fortye shillynges to be payde by Thomasyne my wife, whome I make my faithefull Executor, twelve
monethes after my Decease
Item I will that George Churche my Godsonne aforesayde shall paye wtin one Yeare next after
his enteringe into my sayde howses and Landes to Johane Churche my goddaughter my Brother
Phillippe Churches daughter, fortye Shillynges
Item I will unto Willyam Churche my Sonne my beste Cheste in the p[ar]lor, and one
Christeninge Sheete next the beste, and a brasse pot next the beste, and all that was in the Lofte over
the hall, wholye as it was at the making of this my Laste will, the wch I wyll shall Remayne in my foresayde howse for the use of myne heirs
Also I will unto Willyam Churche my Sonne a Cowe and the Ewes at the age of sxyteene yeares,
And yf my Sonne doe dye wtoute heyers of his Body Lawfullye begotten, That then I will the
movables that I gyve unto him shall Remayne unto Thomasyne Rever my wyves daughter, and to
my three Systers, that is to saye, Johane the wife of Raymonde Hole, and Johane the wife of Roger Malen, and Margaret Churche.
Moreover I will that Thomasyne my wife shalbe bounde over to my Two Overseers Edward
Stevens and Willyam Sea my wyves brother, for the p’fourmannce of this my Laste will, and yf she
doe refuse so to doe, That then I wyll that my Overseers shall take so muche goodes as shall discharge my will prsentlye
Item I gyve unto Edward Stevens and Willyam Sea my two Overseers to every of them for their
paynes in this behalfe twentye Shillynges a peece to be payde unto theym at the placon [execution?] of this my Laste will and Testament, by
Thomasine my wife, whome I make my faythfull Executour.
These being Witnesses to this my Will Thomas Heele; Raymond Hoole; and Thomas Welles, with others
Probatum fuit: 12th September 1571
Notes:
John Achurche was buried at St. Martin, Herne on 17 Jul 1571.
John Church married Tomsen River [Rever] (as a widow) 11 Sep 1558 at Herne.
William Sea (Thomasin’s brother) married Alice Churche, Widow, 24 Jul 1568 at Herne.
Willyam Church, s. of John, was baptised at Herne on 16 Sep 1564.
Thomasin Churche, widow re-married on 3 Dec 1571 at Herne to Mr. Harry Oxenden
Transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh A. Mason, 5th February 2024
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of John Churche