Imprimis I doe give and bequeath unto John Fry my eldest sonne my howse Tenement and all the Lands now in the occupacon of Samwell Waghorne lying and being in the parish of Speldhurst in the County of Kent withall and singuler the apuretanncs [appurtenances] thereunto belonging to have and to hold the said Tenement and lands unto him the said John Fry and to his heires forever
upon condicon that my said sonne John Fry shall pay unto Margarett Fry my wife the
somme of fowre pounds yearly by Twenty shillings a quarter for and during the terme of her naturall life
And for want of payment of the said fower pounds in manner and forme before lymitted It shall and may be lawful for my said Wife
Margarett Frye or her assignes upon the said Tenement and lands to enter and distreyne [distrain] and the distresse and distresses to
impound detayne and keepe untill she shalbe fully satisfied and Paid the said quarterly payment of Twenty
shillings and the arrearage and Charges in law for procuring the same
Item I give and bequeath unto William Fry my sonne all my lands lying in Ashurst and Speldhurst with the house or Tenement and buildings belonging thereunto in the County of Kent now in the occupacon of John Trout with all and singuler the appurtenanncs thereunto belonging to have and to hold the said Lands and Tenement with the appurtenannces to him the said William Fry and to his heirs forever
But my will and meaning is that my said sonne William Frye shall pay unto Margarett my wife out of the said Lands for and dureing her
naturall life the some of forty shillings by tenne shillings every quarter of a yeare successively
And for want of the said payment thereof it shall and may be lawful for the said Margarett my Wife
or her assignes upon the said lands to enter & distreyne and the distresse and distresses
thereof had and taken to impound detayne and keepe untill she shalbe fully satisfied and Paid the
said Tenne shillings a quarter and the arrearages thereof (if any) and all Charges for Procuring thereof
Item my will and meaning is that my said sonne William Frye shall alsoe pay unto Mercy Frye my daughter the somme of forty shillings a yeare from and after my decease untill the said Mercy Fry my daughter shall attayne the age of one and Twenty yeares out of my said lands soe given and bequeathed unto him the said William Fry as aforesaid
And for want of payment of the said Tenne shillings every quarter of a yeare successively as it shall growe due, it shall and may be lawful for the said Mercy Frye or her assignes upon the said lands to enter & distreyne and the distresse and distresses so had and taken to impound detayne and keepe untill she the said Mercy Fry shalbe fully satisfied and Paid the said payment of Tenne shillings a quarter and the arrearages thereof
Item my will and meaning is that my said sone William Frye shall pay out of the said lands unto the
said Mercy Frye my daughter when shee shall accomplishe her age of one and twenty yeares the somme of forty pounds of good money
And if it shall happen the said somme of forty pounds to be behind and unpaid at her said age of one and Twenty yeares That then it shall and
may be lawfull for the said Mercy or her assignes upon the said lands and premises to enter &
distraine and the said distresse or distresses there had and taken to impound detayne and keep
untill she shalbe fully satisfied the said somme of forty pounds and the charges of the law for procureing the same
Item I give and bequeath unto Thomas Frye my sonne all my houses and lands lying in Mayfield in the County of Sussex being in my owne occupacon To have & to hold the said houses and lands and appurtenannces to him the said Thomas Fry and to his heries for ever
And my will and meaneing is that my said sonne Thomas Fry shall out of the said lands and houses soe given and bequeathed unto him as aforesaid shall pay unto Margarett my wife yearly and every year dureing her naturall life the somme of fower Pounds of lawfull money of England by twentie shillings every quarter of a yeare successively dureing her said Terme of life as aforesaid
But if it shall happen the said fower pounds a yeare to be behind and unpaid by twenty shillings every quarter of a yeare as is before lymitted and appointed That then it shall and may be lawfull for the said Margarett my wife to enter upon the said lands houses and premisses and to distraine and the said distresse or distresses there had and taken to impound detayne and keep untill she shalbe fully satisfied & her said yearly somme of fower pounds so lymitted to be paid by twenty shillings every quarter of a yeare together with the arrearages and the charges in the lawe for procuring her said moneys
Item I give unto my daughter Joane Humphry the somme of tenne pounds of good money to be paid her by myne Executr wthin one
yeare after my decease
Item I give unto my daughter Susanna Bruckpoole the somme of Tenne pounds of good money to be paid her by myne Executr wthin
one yeare after my decease
Item I give unto Nicholas Martyn my sonne in law the somme of Tenne pounds of good money to be paid unto him within one yeare
after my decease by my executor
Item I give unto my sonne Edward Fry the somme of five pounds of good money to be paid unto him by myne executor within one
yeare after my decease
Item I give unto my daughter Mary Frye the somme of forty shillings a yeare to be paid her by myne executor from and after my
decease untill shee shall attayne the age of one and Twenty yeares
Item I give and bequeath more unto my said daughter Mary Frye the some of forty pounds of good money to be paid unto her at her said
age of one and Twenty yeares by myne executor
Item I give unto Margarett my loving wife soe much of my housholde stuffe of such sorte as shee her selfe shall please to choose as
shall be appraised by the Appraisers of my Inventory as shall amount to the somme of Tenne pounds
all the rest of my estate goods Chattells moveables bills bonds houshold stuffe debts and all things whatsoever not formerly given and bequeathed I doe give and bequeath unto my sonne Thomas Frye whome I do nominate ordayne and appointe sole executor of this my last will and testament
In Witnes whereof I have unto this my last will and Testament conteyned in three sheets of paper sett
my hand and seale the sixt day of October in the yeare of our Lord God one Thousand Sixe hundred Sixty and Six
Thomas Frye
Published and acknowledged to be the last will & Testament of the above named Thomas Fry in the presence of us
The marke of Mary Weston - John Dannton
Probatum: 23rd January 1666/7 To Thomas Fry (the son)
Notes:
* Huggetts Furnace Farm still exists.
Reference: amshh/AMS6661 - Deeds of Huggetts Furnace Farm, Mayfield: For a deed of John Fry of Huggetts Furnace Farm, 1681, see: CKS U908 T240,
for a survey of the farm, 1766, see: BL Maps C.7e.18(1) (copies at ESRO XA 15/5 and AMS 6497/2). East Sussex Record Office.
"Near the old timbered farmhouse is the mill with its iron wheel. Across the road is the 'hammer pond'
with fragments of its ancient sluices which in Tudor times provided the motive power for what was one
of the most important gun foundries in England." Our Village, published by The Rotherfield History Research Group in 1979.
Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 25th August 2020
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of Thomas Fry