First I will and bequeath unto my Son Stephen Court the full Sume of Foure hundred pounds of
lawful English money to be paid to him by my Executor when he shall attaine and come to the age of one & twenty yeares
but if my sd [said] Son Stephen shall happen to dye before he shall attaine to
the sd. age of one & twenty yeares then my minde & will is that that the said Foure hundred pounds
be pd. [paid] to my two daughters Anne & Joane equally to be divided betweene them or to the Survivor of them
provided that Ann my now Wife shall not be left now wth [with] child
But if she shall now be wth child of a man child and that he shall happen to Survive my sd. Son
Stephen then my will & meaninge is that the sd. Child she now goeth wthall shall have the sd. Foure
hundred pounds but if she shall not be wth child & that my sd. Son Stephen shall departe this life
before he shall attaine to the age of one & twenty yeares then the same to be to my two daughters
Ann & Joane and the Survivor of them & theire heires for ever
Item I will & bequeath unto my two daughters Ann & Joane Court to be paid to them when they
shall severally attaine to the age of twenty & one yeares or att their severall dayes of Marriage wch
[which] shall first happen the full sume of two hundred & fiftie pounds apeece of lawfull English money
but if either of them shall happen to die before they shall severally attaine to the sd. age of one
& twenty yeares or severall dayes of marriage then my mind is the full Sume of Five hundred pounds
be to the use of the Survivor of them & her heires for ever
But if they shall both happen to die wthout heries lawfully to be begotten of their owne bodys then my minde is that the sd. Five hundred pounds be to the Children of my Brother Robert Court equally to be divided betweene them & to their heires for ever
Item my desire & will is that my said Brother Robert be Overseer of this my last Will
& that the said Legacys be raysed [raised] from my stocke crop houshold goods Bonds & moveables to be disposed to
the uses aforesaid
and whatsoever stocke houshold goods & moveables shall remaine after my said
Legacyes raysed from them as aforesd. I give unto Ann my now wife to bringe up my sd. Children
and to pay my debts & discharge my Funerall Expences who I make sole Executrix of this my last will & Testament
Witnes my hande & seale the day & yeare above written 1660. Stephen Court
Witnesses hereunto: Henry Twyman - Robert Balldwin - John Smithson
Probatum fuit: 13O Octobris 1660 to Anna Court vidua (widow).
Notes:
Stephen Court, (of this Will), s. of Stephen Court, was christened at St. Mary, Reculver on 6th
September 1622, one of 9 children, a number of whom did not survive.
Stephen Court (of this Will) married Ann Coffingford on 25th February 1638 at St. Bartholomew, Waltham.
Two children only have been found of this marriage at present – both christened at Reculver:
12 Jan 1648 Tamzen; 17 Jun 1649 Ann. Daughter Joane and son Stephen have not been found – presumably born in the Commonwealth?
Stephen Court’s Brother, Robert Court (as mentioned in this Will) was christened 6th January 1613 at St. Martin, Herne, s. of Stephen.
From the parish register of St. Bartholomew, Waltham: “Widdow Ann Court was buried the 8th day of August 1662”.
So she went back home to be buried.
Transcribed by Shelagh Mason, April 2020
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of Stephen Court