Will of John Fordred

of Elmsted, Kent

Also I give unto the poore of Elmsted Twentie shillings of which I will that the widow of Josias Pelham shall have sixe shillings eight pence
Also I give unto Elizabeth my wife and unto Samuell my sonne all my houshold stuffe, as pewter, brasse, bed, beding, chests with the rest, equally to be divided between them
Also I give unto my said wife the best cow that I have

Also I do give unto my sonne Peter the tenn pounds of money which he oweth me, and Twentie pounds more of lawfull English money to be payed unto him wthin one twelve monthes after my decease
Also I do give unto John Fordred my godsonne five pounds of like money to be payed within one twelve moneth after my decease
Also I give to each of the rest of my Godsonnes Twelve pence apeece

All the rest of my goods & chattles unbequeathed I give unto Augustine my sonne, whom I make myne Executor & appoint him to pay these my legacies

And as concerninge the disposeinge, & bequeathing of my houses and lands scituate, lyinge, & being in the parish of Elmsted aforesaid in the County of Kent

I give unto Thomas my sonne that my house & barne & all the lands which I purchased of Edmund Cloke and to his heires for ever,
And the yearely profits of the two acres of Lease land, which I hold in lease of Mr. Hards

Also I give unto Samuell my sonne & to his heires for ever All those my lands called the South Dane and Wylopp, containing in the whole by estimation Twentie acres of land

Also as concerninge the disposeinge of those Twentie three acres of land which I last purchased lyinge at Stilling in the parish of Elmsted beforesaid, I give nine acres thereof which boundeth upon my sonne Augustine his land there towards the south, I give them I say to my said sonne Augustine and to his heires for ever,
Upon condition that he my said sonne Augustine pay unto my sonne Thomas within two yeares after my decease Twentie pounds of lawfull English money
And the other Fourteene acres, residue of the foresaid Twentie three acres I give seaven thereof unto Thomas my sonne & to his heires for ever,
And the other seaven to Samuell my sonne, & to his heires for ever,
& that Samuell shall have that part which lyeth next to his brother Augustines part, And Thomas that which lyeth next Morrie? the parsonage land
Provided alwayes & my will is that the one of them & their heires allow over unto the other a sufficient way to the said lands for all their necessarie uses

Also I give unto Augustine my sonne the house that I now dwell in & the barne, & all the other houses thereunto belonginge, And all the rest of my lands not before bequeathed I give them I say to him the said Augustine my sonne dureinge his naturall life, keepinge them sufficiently repaired, & neither stripping nor wasting;
And after his decease I give the said houses & lands which last of all I gave to my sonne Augustine dureing his life, unto my sonne Samuell & to his heire male lawfully begotten of his body for ever, Keepeinge them also sufficiently repaired & neither strippinge nor wastinge

And if my said sonne Samuell die wthout any such heire male; then I give the said houses & lands which before I have given to my sonne Augustine during his life, to Thomas my sonne, & to his heires male lawfully begotten of his body for ever
And if my said sonne Thomas die having then noe such heire male, then I give the said houses & lands which before I have given to my sonne Augustine dureinge his life, to my sonne Peter & to his heieres for ever
My onely meaneing of this entailment is this, That they shall continue in the name of the Fordreds, so longe as my foresaid two sonnes Samuell & Thomas & their heire males shall live, & my sonne Peter shall live one succeedinge another & enjoyinge them one after another in such case & in such sort as before I have willed & not otherwise

Provided alwayes & my will is (any thing before given notwthstandinge) That Elizabeth my wife shall have one chamber which she shall best like of in my foresaid dwellinge house which I have given to my sonne Augustine duringe his life, to dwell in for her use dureinge her naturall life if she do not marry.

And also I will that my said sonne Augustine dureinge his naturall life & afterward they to whome the foresaid house & lands which I have given to my said sonne Augustine duringe his life, shall apperteyne by virtue of this my will, that he for his tyme, & they for theires, shall of his & their owne proper costs & charges find my said wife (if she doe not marry) in the foresaid house sufficient fire & quietly suffer her at all times to have accesse, egresse & regresee to & from the said fire & chamber duringe her naturall life for her necessarie use if she do not marry
And also of his & their like costs & charges keep one cow for her both winter & summer in as good sort & manner as he & they shall keep his & their owne kine for theire owne use, all the terme & tyme of her naturall life

Also I will that my sonne Augustine shall give & pay unto my said wife five pounds more of currant English money yearly duringe her naturall life
& that Thomas my sonne likewise shall give her Twentie shillings yearely dureinge her naturall life,
And that Samuell likewise shall give her Twentie shillings yearely dureing her naturall life
out of their land which I have given them, Which they shall pay unto her yearely at ye two usuall feastes in the yeare, that is the feast of St. Michaell & the Annunciation of Mary by even and equall portions, the first of the said payments to beginne at ye first of the said feastes, which shall first happen and come after my decease

Furthermore (any thinge before given notthstandinge) I give unto my daughter Martha Fortie shillings of lawfull English money yearely to be paid her yearely dureinge her naturall life by him that shall happen to enjoy the houses & lands, which I have given unto my sonne Augustine dureinge his life, to be payed at such feasts in the yeare, & in such manner, as I have appointed by this my will the foresaid money yearely to be payed unto my wife, each of them (That is to say my wife, & my daughter) so to be paid their portions in money dureinge their naturall lives

Provided ever, & my will is, that if my sonne Augustine for his part, & Thomas & Samuell, & Peter for their parts, accordinge to the true meaninge of this my will, do not performe such things Unto my wife, & pay such legacies unto those as by this my will I have willed unto them & given them, & that in such manner & Upon such condition, & at such tymes, & for so longe continuance, as here in this my will is expressed, that then it shall be lawfull for them & every one of them, & theire Assignes that shall happen to be Unpayed, & not have the aforesaid giftes performed & payed unto them in such manner as is before expressed, to enter upon his & their lands (which I have given them) in whom the fault of non payment shall be & distraine, & for the distresse & distresses so taken to beare, lead, drive, carry away, to impound & to keep irrepledgable untill such tyme as they & everie of them be fully satisfied & payed accordinge to the true meaninge if this my will, with all the cost & charges through that occasion by them sustained

And lastly my will is that if Elsabeth my wife sue for any Dower, That then she shall not have such things as by this my last Will I have willed her, neither shall she have any benefitt by this my will

This is the last will of me the aforesaid John Fordred which I have caused thus to be written, Whereunto also I have sett my hand & seale
John Fordred X by his marke
Sealed and delivered in the presence of us
James Shawe, John Dunking.

The first day of February in the yeare of our Lord God (English stile) One thousand sixe hundred Fiftie and fower There issued forth Letters of Administration to John Fordred the Grandchild and next of kinn, and Legatarie in the will of the above named John Fordred deceased To Administer the Goods Chattells and debts of the said deceased, According to the tenor and effect of his said Will,
For that Augsutine Fordred the sole Executor of the said decease & dyed before he tooke upon him the execution of the said Will
Hee the said John Fordred being first legally sworne faythfully to Administer the same.

Notes:
John Fordred was buried at St. James the Great, Elmsted, Kent on 8th August 1623.
10th February 1568 Marriage of John Fordred and Elizabeth Pysynge at St. Mary the Virgin, Stowting, Kent.
Their known children: John 27 Nov 1569; Peter 28 Jan 1570/71; Austin 18 Jan 1572/73; Samuel 6 Apr 1578; Jane 11 Sep 1580; Elizabeth 25 Mar 1582; Agnes late 1583; Marie 5 May 1588.
Son John Fordred married Sarah Cloke 19th June 1598 at Elmsted.

Original Will transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh Mason 29th March 2022. Edits from PCC Will by Maureen Rawson.

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