Will of John Coke

of Smarden, Kent

Item I bequeith unto the hygh aulter there for my tythes and oblacons forgotten vid
Item I give and beqeuth unto the Rode lyght iiid
Item I wyll to be bestowed in the day of my burying xxs At my moneth day xxvis viiid And at my yere mynde xiis iiiid

Item I give and bequethe to every of my chyldren xxs in redye money and xxs worthe of stuffe to be payd to theyme by the hands of myn executrix or overseers And that as they come to the age of xxi yeres And yf it fortune any of theyme to dy before the said age of xxi yeres Then I wyll the one to be the other heyers

Item I will unto Wylliam Coke my brothers sonne xiis viiid to be payd to hym at the age of xx yeres
Item I give and bequethe to any of my brother Rychards daughters iiiis iiid apeece to be payed to theyme at the age of xxiii ? yeres

Item I gyve and bequete to John Rycarde my god sonne xiid And to Johane pinnde? my god daughter xiid And to every other of my god chyldren iiiid apeece

Item I gyve and bequethe to the layinge of the stone bought by Symon Coke with xxl happen condyeycon that it be layed within xii monthes next after my decease
Item I gyve and bequeth to the mendyng or newe makying of the bell that is broken in the steple of Smarden iiis iiiid Upon condyeycon that the p�ishe mende or make hym within xii monthes next after my decease

Item I wyll that my wyffe shall have libtie [liberty] and powre to sell my worke house and the myll house that standeth where Thomas Wyste dwelleth And at the best pce [price] that shee may

The Resydue of all my moveable goods my detts and bequethes payed I gyve and bequethe unto Wyllmyn Coke my wiffe whom I ordeyne and make myn executrix to mynystre my goods to the honor of god

This is the last wyll of me the foreside John Coke made the day and yere abovesaide And in the xxxiith yere of the Reigne of our Souvreigne Lorde kynge Henry the viiith

First I wyll that Wylimyn Coke my wiff shall take the Issues and profeyts of all my lands and tents. [tenements] duryng the terme of her naturall luff Upon Condyeycon that shee [take] her selfe wydowe
And yf shee fortune to marrye after my decease Then I wyll she shall gyve all my hole lands ans tents. duryng the space of viii? yeres then next ensuyng Upon condyeyon that she pay the v markes yerely upon Saynt Stephens day in the Churche of Smarden that yf the said John Coke my sonne to paye for certyne lands that I have purchasyd by Symon Coke wyll And then the foresayd xii yeres complete and ended I wyll that the foresaide Wylmyne shall have but onely v marks sterling yerely out of all my lands and tents. And that to be payed to her at the iiii usual feastes of the yere That is to day every quarter xvis viiid dureing all the tyme of her lyffe

Then the resydue of the p�sents of all my lands and tenements I wyll that my overseer shall reycve and take the p�feyts [profits] for my chyldren And delyver it to theyme as they come to the age hereafter lymyted

Also I wyll that for defaults of payments to the said Wylmyn accordinge to this my wyll That it shalbe lawfull for her And her assignes to dystreyne in all my foresaide lands and tents. And the dystresse so there takyn lawfully from the use to carrye bere lede or dryve awaye And the same lawfully to holde untyll the foresaide markes and every parte thereof so beyng behynde forthwyth all costs and damages by that occasyon had and susteyned be unto the Wylmyn Coke and her assignes truley contentyd and payed

Item I will to William Coke my Sonne after the decease or maryage of hys saide mother he beyng of the age of xxi yeres my house with the close wherein Lawurence wanoff? and Rycharde Luby dwelleth wyth ii fruite garens ii herb gardens and xi perch of lande therein appertanyng lyinge next to the saide house callyd herdefelde olde towne square langcrofte and churche wayfelde with the churche waye therewyth Richard Cokes lands as my father gave it me to be had to the saide Wyllyam and to hys heyres for ever

Item I wyll to Stephen Coke my sonne after the decease or marryage of hys saide Mother he beyng of the age of xith yeres The house and the gardens and all the lands thereunto apperteynyng beyng nowe in the occupyng of Thomas Smythe and ii peeces of lande called newlande lying in the pryshe of Pluckley and beyng in the occupyn of Thomas Barfotte forthwith the churche waye and his brothers ptyes as the said Thomas Smythe nowe hath to be had to the said Stephen and hys heyres for ever

Item I will to Nycholas Coke my sonne my house and lands called Coops where henry hammonde dwelleth with ii parcels of whetefelde A felde callyd Calyer with ii othr peces of lande and wdd callyd Colens with thappurtencances lying and beyng in the prysshe of Beatysden [Bethersden] when he cometh of the age of xxith yeres to be had to the saide Nycholas and to hys heyres for ever

Item I wyll to Sammuele Coke my sonne when he cometh to the age of xxi yeres the house and land where John Baker dwelleth wythe [a] peece of ande with there appetennye [appurtenances] together lyng there whereof one peece of x acres the other callyd v acres Rogers crofte lytle henfolde and hamondes wode to be had to the saide Sammuele Coke and to hys heyres for ever

And yf it fortune all my chyldren to dye wythout heyres of ther bodye lawfully begoten And before the saide age of xxi yeres Then I wyll which by yere of the forsaide lands and tene month shall cominge to Wyllyam Coke my brothers son in fee symple And yf it fortune the said Wyllyam to decease without heyres of his bodye lawfully begotten Then I wyll the foresaide xl shall remayne to the mayle heyres of my brother Rycharde for ever

Item I wyll after the foresaide decease of my chyldren (if case so happen)to every of my Sisters and to their chyldren now beyng Alyve xis xiiid A peece yerely in fee simple

All the Resydue of my lands and tents. not willed I wyll it to be solde to the best prce [price] to any Indweller within the prysshe of Smarden asnd yf any other foryn [foreign] make any offers for any parte thereof I wyll that he shall not be hard in that case The said sale to be made by the p�son churchwardens and others honest men of the saide pryshe

And the one halfe of the money thereof to be bestowed upon hygh wayes by the advyse of the saide sellers wythin the prysshe of Smarden And the other halfe of the money to be gyven at the churche dore to xxi poore househaulders within the saide prysshe uppon the daye of Saynt James nexte within ii yeres after suche sale made

Item I wyll that Thomas Pyx of Pluckley be Overseer of this my last wyll And so for soe that this my wyll be fulfyllyd and proved befre the ordenary or else I wyll the saide Overseer to take uppon hym the placyng thereof And he to have xxs for his labor

And yf the said Thomas Pyx refuse it then I wyll Samuele Chubbe parsen of Smarden to take the said overseer uppon hym provyded alwayes that the foresaide Wylmyn Coke clayme not her Joynture made to her at the tyme of her maryage for yf she soe doe I wyll that she shall lose? all other pfeyts [profits] of my lands gyven to her by this my wyll

This wytnesseth
James Nemenday Thomas Lake and John Woulton

Probatum fuit: xxvii die Aprilis Ann dom.: 1541

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