Item I give to the poore inhabitants of Benenden a foresayde twentye shillings of lawfull money of England to bee payde by myne executrix within one month next after my decease if my sayd wife shall then be lyveing
Item I give more to my sayd wife one joyned bedstede standing in the chamber over the Kitchin and a fetherbed and boulster lying thereon and one payre of blanketts one pillowe and two payre of sheetes and one coverlett
Item I give to Joan my daughter two hundred pounds of lawfull money of England to bee payd unto her when as shee cometh to the age of one and twenty yeares by myn executrix thereon after named and my will and mynd is that mine executrix shall yeerly paye unto my said daughter Joan Fyveteene pounds of good money of England every yeare untill such tyme as my sayd Daughter Joan shall come to the age of one and twenty yeeres a foresayd
Item I give unto my said Daughter Joan my best joyned bedstedle my best featerbedd and boulster two pillowes my best coverlett two blanketts one payer of pillow coates and two payer of my finest and best shetes and six pewter platters and all which prells [presents?] of bedding and pewter I will shalbe Delivered unto my sayd Daughter Joan within one month next after my decease Item I give more unto my Daughter Joan my best joyned cheste
Item I give and bequeathe unto my daughter Mildred two hundred pounds of lawfull Money of England to bee payd unto her by myne executrix when shee the sayd Mildred shall come to the age of one and twenty yeeres and my will and mynd is that myne executrix hereinafter named shall yeerly and every yeare paye unto Mildred my said daughter Fyveteene pounds of good money of England so long as she myne executrix shall have my Daughter Mildreds portion in her hands
Item I give unto my Sonne Thomas Cooke one hundred and fiftie pounds of lawfull money of England to bee payd by myne Executrix when as hee shall come to the age of on and twenty yeeres and my will and mynd is that myne executrix shall sett my sayd sonne to scoole and att her charge shall leave and maintaine my sonne fynding unto hym meate drinke and clothinge in an honest and timely manner soe long as his sayd porcon shall remaine in her hands which if shee refuse to doe then my will is that shall yearely pay unto hym untill hee coem to the age of one and twenty yeares a foresayd twelve pounds of lawfull Money of England for the use and profitt of his said porcon of an hundred and fiftie pounds therein before bequeathed unto him
and if my daughters Jone or Mildred or my sonne Thomas or any of them doe exite this life before they shee or hee come to the age of one and twenty yeeres a foresayd and without heires of their body lawfully begotten then my will and mynd is that her his or their portion or portions to them herein formerly bequeathed shall be equally devyded Amongst soe many of my fower Children as shall bee then left and remayning alyve
And if myne Executor shall happen to marry before all my sayd childrens portions in this my will given shall bee payd unto them then my will and mynd is that hee unto whom shee shall soe marry shall enter into a Good and valuable bonde and two sufficient sureties within him unto my kinsman Andrew Ward and Thomas Ward both of Sandhurst for the true performance of this my last will which of my executrix and hee to whom shee shall marry shall refuse to doe Then my will and very mynd is that my sayd executrix shall within three months next after such marriage as a foresayd pay and deliver over unto the sayd Andrew and Thomas Ward or to one of them all such porcons and legacyes as are herein formerly given unto my a forenamed children and yet unpayed to them which the sayd Andew Ward and Thomas Ward I doe intreate and desire to take and receive unto their hands all such portions not payd as a foresayd and to imploye and use the land unto the best advantage and benefitt of my a foresayd children untill such tyme as they come to their severall ages of one and twenty yeeres a foresayd and then the charges deducted had and sustayned a bout the same I will and desire that they the sayd Andrew and Thomas Ward or one of them shall pay such porcons soe by them received from myne executrix as a foresayd unto such of my children as the same was given and bequeathed unto by this my last will and testament
Item I give unto my brother Richard Cooke all my wearing apparell and Tenn pounds of
lawfull money of England to bee payd by myne executor within one yeare next after my decease
Item I give unto John Onelly my servante tenne shillings
all the rest of my goods an chattells whatsoever my debtes and legacyes being payd and my Funerall Dutyes discharges of I give and bequeath unto Anne Cooke my Daughter whom I make and ordeyne the sole and only executrix of this my last will and Testament
And I doe intreate my two kinsman Andrew Ward and Thomas Ward to bee the Overseers thereof Desyring them to see the same performed accordinge to my intente and meaninge as my hope is they will And I give to either of them for their paynes taken herein tenne shillings a peece
This is the last will and Testament of mee the sayd Thomas Cooke mayde and declared the day and yeere a foresayd as concerning my house and lands in Benenden a foresayd
I give and bequeath the same house and lands unto my a forenamed Sonne Thomas Cooke and to his heires forever and my will and mynd is that my said executrix shall yerely receive all such rent as shall bee yeerely payd for the same untill my sayd sonne Thomas Cooke come to the age of one and twenty yeares and then to bee [ac]countable to him and pay him the same
?
present at the publishing and Declaring of this my last will and testament
The marke of the sayd Thomas Cooke
Richard Austen Vicar of Bennenden Thomas Ward Richard Cooke
Probatum fuit: 1st March 1624
Notes:
Thomas Cooke was christened 16 March 1569, s. of William Cooke, at Benenden.....
Siblings:
Richard Cooke 17 Sep 1566 (at Rolvenden) � he m. Margaret Rode 18 Jun 1591 at Benenden.
Richard is buried �poore� 18th Jan. 1629 at Benenden. I cannot find the death or re-marriage
of Margaret. No children found.
Walter Cooke 30 Jan 1572 at Benenden; bu. 2 Jan 1573 there.
The father, William Cooke, was buried at Benenden 16th December 1595.
Thomas Cooke m. Martha Lyncke 10th June 1600 at Benenden.
Known children (all c. Benenden):
Anne Cooke 11 July 1603
Thomas Cooke 25th May 1606 (bu: 5th August 1606)
Joan Cooke 26th July 1607
Mildred Cooke 9th April 1610
Thomas Cooke 8th July 1612
Wife Martha Cooke then dies and is buried 9th July 1612 at Benenden.
Thomas Cooke is buried 8th March 1624 at Benenden, Householder.
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