Will of James Cooke

of Canterbury, Kent

I give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife Barbara for and during the Term of her natural Life the Interest of Four hundred pounds Capital Stock in the Old South Sea Annuitys and also the Interest of Eight hundred pounds capital Stock in the New South Sea Annuitys and from and immediately after the decease of my Wife I Give and Bequeath the Interest of one Moiety or half part of the said respective Sums of Four hundred pounds and Eight hundred pounds to my Niece Mary Rogers one of the daughters of my late Sister Mary Alston for and during the Term of her natural Life to her sole and separate Mary Rogers

I Give and Bequeath the Interest of the said Moiety or half part of the said Respective Sums of Four hundred pounds and Eight hundred pounds unto my Neice Ann Flexon the other daughter of my said late Sister Mary Alston for and during the term of her natural Life to her sole and separate Use and Benefit without the direction Controul or intermeddling of her present or any future husband and not to be liable or subject to their Debts Contracts Engagements of Forfeitures

Also I give and bequeath from and immediately after the decease of my said Wife the Interest of the other Moiety or half part of the said respective Sums of Four hundred pounds and Eight hundred pounds to my said Neice Ann Flexon for and during the Term of her natural Life to her sole and separate Use and Benefit without the direction Controul or intermeddling of her present or any future husband and not to be liable or subject to their Debts Contracts Engagements of Forfeitures

and after the decease of my Neice Ann Flexon I give and Bequeath the Interest of the said last mentioned Moiety or half part of the said respective Sums of Four hundred pounds and Elight hundred pounds to my said Neice Mary Rogers for and during the Term of her natural Life to her sole and separate Use and Benefit without the direction Controul or intermeddling of her present or any future husband and not to be liable or subject to their Debts Contracts Engagements of Forfeitures

And after the decease of my said Wife and Neices Mary Rogers and Ann Flexon and the decease of the longest liver of them I Give and Bequeath the said several Principal Sums of Four hundred pounds and Eight hundred pounds unto James Everist and Richard Everist and Mary their Sister (the Three Children by a former husband of my said Neice Ann Flexon) equally to be divided between them Share and Share alike but if any one or more of them the said James Everist and Richard Everist and Mary their Sister shall happen to dye in the Life Time of my said Wife or in the Life Time of my said Heirs Mary Rogers or in the Life Time of my said Neice Ann Flexon without leaving and Issue living at the Time of the decease of the Survivor of them my said Wife and Neices Mary Rogers and Ann Flexon Then I do hereby Give and bequeath the part and Share or parts and Shares of him her or them so dying without such Issues unto the Survivors of Survivor of them the said James Everist and Richard Everist and the said Mary their Sister equally to be divided between them Share and Share alike

Also I give and bequeath unto my said Neice Mary Rogers the Sum of One hundred pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid at the end of One year next after my decease if she shall so long live into her own proper hands or as she shall order and direct to and for her sole and separate Use and Benefit without the direction Controul or intermeddling of her present or any future husband and not to be liable or subject to their Debts Contracts Engagements of Forfeitures

and in case my said Neice Mary Rogers shall happen to dye in my Life Time or within one year next after my decease then I Give and Bequeath the said Sum of One hundred pounds unto my said Neice Ann Flexon if she shall be then living to be paid unto her own proper hands or as she shall order and direct to and for her sole and separate Use and Benefit without the direction Controul or intermeddling of her present or any future husband and not to be liable or subject to their Debts Contracts Engagements of Forfeitures and if my said Neice Ann Flexon shall be then dead then I Give and Bequeath the said Sum of One hundred pounds unto the Child or Children which shall be then living of my said Neice Ann Flexon

Also I Give and Bequeath unto my said Neice Ann Flexon the Sum of One hundred pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid at the end of One year next after my decease if she shall so long live into her own proper hands or as she shall order and direct to and for her sole and separate Use and Benefit without the direction Controul or intermeddling of her present or any future husband and not to be liable or subject to their Debts Contracts Engagements of Forfeitures and if my said Neice Ann Flexon shall happen to dye in my Life Time or within one year next after my decease then I Give and Bequeath the said Sum of One hundred pounds unto the Child or Children which shall be then living of my said Neice Ann Flexon and in case there be no such Child or Children then living then I Give an Bequeath the said last mentioned Sum of One hundred pounds unto my said Neice Mary Rogers if she shall be then living to be paid into her own proper hands or as she shall order and direct to and for her sole and separate Use and Benefit without the direction Controul or intermeddling of her present or any future husband and not to be liable or subject to their Debts Contracts Engagements of Forfeitures

Also I Give and Bequeath unto the said James Everist and Richard Everist and the said Mary their Sister the sum of One hundred and Twenty pounds of lawful Moneney [as written] of Great Britain to be equally divided between them at the end of One year next after my decease but if any of them shall happen to dye before the end of one year next after my decease then I Give and Bequeath the part and Share or parts and Shares of him her or them so dying unto the Survivors or Survivor of them who shall be living at the end of One year nest after my decease

Also I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth Hayward Spinster (the daughter of my late Sister Mary Hayward deceased) the Sum of One hundred pounds of like lawful Money to be paid unto her within one year next after my decease in case she shall so long live but if she shall happen to dye before the said Sum of One hundred pounds shall become payable then I Give and Bequeath the Interest thereof unto my said Wife during the term of her natural Life and after the decease of my said Wife I Give and Bequeath the said Sum of One hundred pounds unto the said James Everist and Richard Everist and the said Mary their Sister or such of them the said James Everist and Richard Everist and the said Mary their Sister as shall be then living

Also I Give and Bequeath unto Francis Arter the [blob] of the Town and port of Dover the Sum of Twenty pounds of like lawful Money to be paid unto him within one year next after my decease
Also I Give and Bequeath unto my Cousin Mary Oar the elder Sister to Mr. James Legget the Sum of Five pounds of like lawful Money to be paid unto her within one year next after my decease if she so long live
Also I Give and Bequeath unto Thomas Smith of the City of Canterbury aforesaid Bookseller the Sum of Ten pounds of like lawful Money to be paid unto him within one year next after my decease if he so long live Also I Give and Bequeath unto such Maid Servant as shall live with me at the Time of my decease the Sum of Five pounds of like lawful Money
Also I Give and bequeath unto the poor of the Congregation of Baptists to which I belong the Sum of Five pounds of like lawful Money

Also I Give and Bequeath all the Rest and residue of my Personal Estate unto my said Wife also I do hereby nominate and appoint my said Wife Executrix of this my last Will and Testament

Also I Give and devise all that my Moiety or half part and all other my parts and Shares of and in all that Messuage or Tenement with the yard and appurts. [appurtenances] thereto belonging situate lying and being in the parish of Saint Andrew in the said City of Canterbury in a certain Lane there called Mercery Lane and now or late in the Tenure or ccupation of Richard Simmonds or his Assigns and also all other my real Estate whatsoever and wheresoever unto my said Wife her heirs and Assigns charged and chargeable nevertheless with the payment of my just Debts and the several Legacies hereinbefore given and bequeathed which are limited to be paid within one year or at the end of one year next after my decease

and I do hereby revoke and make void all former and other Wills and Testaments by me at any Time heretofore made and I do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament contained in four sheets of paper to the first sheet thereof my Hand and Seal this Eighteenth day of July One Thousand Seven hundred and Sixty five
James Cooke

Signed Sealed published and declared the above named James Cooke the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto in the presence [of him] and in the presence of each other subsribed our Names as Witnsses
Ed : Morgan Andred Lawen? John Jeken

This Will was proved at London on the Twenty second Day of January in the year of our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and sixty eight before the Right Worshipful George Hay Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oath of Barbara Cooke Widow the Relict of the deceased and Sole Executrix named in the said Will to whom Administration of all and Singular the Goods Chattles and Credits of the said deceased was granted she having been first sworn by Commission duly to Administer etc.

Notes:
James Cook, Widower of Canterbury, married Barbara Nutting of Ickham on 24th August 1749 at Ickham.
He may have first married Susanna Quested at Willesborough 8th May 1716, as James is listed �of Canterbury� � but I cannot find a burial of Susanna.
There appear to be no children of either marriage.
James is buried 29th December 1767 at St. Mildred, Canterbury.
His Wife Barbara dies and is also buried at St. Mildred on 29th January 1779 and also leaves a Will.
I cannot find either of the mentioned sister�s marriages in Kent.

Return to Kent Genealogy