In the Name of God Amen
I Peter George of Wittersham in the Isle of Oxney in the County of Kent Inholder ...............
perfect minde and menorie praised be God therefore, and knowing.................... most men but the time where & how and when
altogether uncertaine one for the avoidinge of ......... and suits in lawe, which
maie fortune to ..... and grow? betweene my ..... and others Touching my Estate after my decease (which God grante never ...)
doe therefore make and ordaine this my present last will and testament in manner and forme following
And first & principally I commend my soule into the handes of Allmightie God hopeing and stedfastlie
beleeving that by and through the pretious death and bloodshed of Jesus Christ my onlie Saviour and
redeemer to receive the full and free pardon of all my Sins And my body I committ to the earth from
whence it came to receive a decent and christian buriall at the discretion of my executor hereafter named
in the churchyard of Wittersham aforesaid
And as touching that small tallent of temporall estate and blessings which the Lord hath made me a
Steward of in this world, I give and dispose thereof as followeth
Item I give and bequeath unto the poore of the parish of Wittersham the some of ten shillings to be distributed amongst them at the discretion of my executrix on the daie of my Funerall
Item I give and bequeath unto Thomas George sonne of my late brother Thomas George deceased the some of one shilling to be paide by my executrix hereafter named on the daie of marriage of Elizabeth my now Wife to a second husband or on the daie of her Funerall, which shall first or next happen
Item I give unto Gyles George one other of the sons of the said Thomas George to be paid unto him
within one yeare ensueinge my decease by my executrix
Item I give and bequeath unto Nicholas George my brother a legacie of tenn shillings to be likewise
paid unto him within one yeare ensueing my decease by my executrix
Item I give and bequeath unto Jeremy Cooper Sonne of Thomas Cooper my brother in lawe a legacie of
five shillings to be paide unto him in like manner within one yeare ensueinge my decease by my executrix
Item I give unto Thomas Cooper the some of one shilling to be likewise paid unto him within one
moneth ensueing my decease by my executrix
Item I give and bequeath unto my loveing brother Richard George a Legacie of five shillings to buy him
a paire of gloves with, and to be delivered to him within one moneth ensueing my decease by my executrix
Item I give and bequeath unto my cozen Richard George his sonne a legacie of two shillings to buy him
a paire of gloves with; and in like manner to be delivered to him within one moneth ensueing my decease by my executrix
Item I give and bequeath unto John Benden and Hester Jorden his sister, children of my late Sister
Benden deceased, two shillings a piece to everie of them respectively to buy them gloves wth [with] and to
be delivered to them within one moneth ensureing my decease by my executrix
Item I give and bequeath unto my assured freind Edward Bradstone a legacie of tenn shillings to buy
him a payer of gloves with and in like manner to be delivered to him by my executrix within one moneth ensueing my decease
Item I give and bequeath unto John George sonne of Giles George my late brother deceased the sume
of twelve pence as a legacie to be paid unto him within one moneth after my decease by my executrix
Item I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth George my loveinge wife All those my two messuages and tenements together with all the buildinges belonging to them with all and singuler the Appurtenannces Scituate ieing and being in Wittershame aforesaid, for the terme of her naturall life One of which messuages or tenements adioneth [adjoineth] to the Churchyard of Wittersham aforesaid nowe or late in the occupacon of one James Cheesman or his assignes, And the other messuage or tenement adioyneth neere unto the same, and nowe in the occupacon of one John Gilbert or his assignes,
and from and after the decease of Elizabeth my wife I will the said messuage or tenement wherein the
said James Cheesman inhabites with all and singuler the appurtennces [appurtenances] to the sale [same!]
and on to the use or benefitt and behoof of John George my sonne and Anne George my daughter and to their heires for ever
And the other messuage or tenement wherefore the said John Gilbert inhabiteth with all and singuler the
appurtenncs (sic) I likewise will and bequeath unto my said Son John George and my said daughter
Anne George and to their heires for ever
But if it shall please God that John George my Sonne shall die
and departe this life without issue of his bodie lawfully begotten I will and bequeath the said messuages
or Tenements with all the appurtenncs (sic) to the sole and onelie use, benefitt and behoofe of my
daughter Anne George aforesaid
or if my said daughter Anne George shall die or departe this life
without issue of her bodie lawfully begotten, I doe in like manner will and bequeath the said messuages
or Tenements with all the appurtenncs (sic) to the sole and onelie use, benefitt and behoofe of my sonne John George aforesaid
I further give and bequeath unto my said daughter Anne George a Legacie of fiftie pounds of lawfull
money of England to be carefully paid her at her age of twentie and two yeares by my Executrix
Item I further give and bequeath the said John George my sonne the like legacie of fiftie poundes of
lawfull money of England to be carefully paid unto him in like manner at his age of twentie and one yeares by my Executrix
And my minde and will is that if either my said daughter Anne or my sonne John shall dye and departe this life before they shall attaine and accomplishe their aforesaid ages that then the Survivor to have ane enioy the benefitt of him or her so deceasing in all respects
The rest and residue of all my goods, cattells and chattells, my debts legacies and funerall expences first
discharged, I give and bqueath unto the said Elizabeth George my wife, whome I hereby make and
ordaine my sole Executrix of this my present last will and testament;
And I doe desire and intreate Richard Wells of Wittershame gent. William Tufton of Wittersham yeoman; Richard George my brother
& Richard George his sonne to be the overseers of this my present last will and testament
Moreover I will and require the overseers aforesaid or anie [any] one of them to looke over thro [through] my last will and testament, and to their power to bee that if at anie time my said wife Elizabeth shall take and marrie another husband, that then the said overseers shall have full power to aske and demande of him that shalbe the said Elizabeths next husband from him one hundred pounds which is my said Son Johns and my daughter Annes aforesaid portion or good and sufficient securities for the same But if upon demand there bee not good and sufficient securitie given to my said overseers, or anie one of them, then doe I give to my said overseers or anie one of them full power and forme for the use and in the behalfe of my Sonne John and my daughter Anne aforesaid to raise and lease out of all my goods Cattells and Chattells that are nowe or shalbe in the occupacon of Elizabeth my wife aforesaid
And then till my sonne John and my daughter Anne aforesaid shall come to their ages aforesaid, the full and just some of one hundred pounds which is their porcons as aforesaid And then till my sonne John and my daughter Anne aforesaid shall come to their ages aforesaid, they are to be found with sufficient annuement ? meate, drinke, apparrell, Lodgeing, washing and singinge Yeildinge and paieing for the same onlie and noe more than what the use comes to of that hundred poundes which is their porcons aforesaid
Likewise my will is, that if the overseers or anie one of them shall at anie time be constrained to make a journey for and concerninge the porcons of John and Anne aforesaid my sonne and daughter that then the said overseers shalbe allowed their convenient charges
All this being my present last will and testament contayning three sheets in number to everie of them my
hand have sett and to the last my Seale the third daie of Jannarie in the four and twentieth yeare
of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King defender
of the Faith &c. Anno dom 1648
Peter George
Read sealed and published as the last Will and testament of me the aforesaid Peter George in the presence of us
John Rucke? the mark of John G...?
Probatum fuit: 20th September 1649.
Notes:
Peter George married Elizabeth Collyer on 2nd March 1637 at St. Mary, Ebony in the Isle of Oxney. Peter
was 35, a bachelor and Yeoman of Wittersham. Elizabeth was the widow of Robert Collier.
Their children (all christened at Wittersham):
14 Jan 1643 Thomas (Bu: 16 Aug 1649); 3 May 1645 Anne; 5 Mar 1646 Elizabeth (Bu: 25 May 1648); 1 Jan 1646 John.
Peter Georg (no “e”) of this Will was christened 18th April 1602, s. of Thomas Georg, at St. John the
Baptist, Mersham, Kent. Father Thomas “Georg’s marriage is not currently found.
Father Thomas George seems to have moved about a bit – probably for work.
Thomas George’s children are christened as follows (but are these 2 generations?):
22 Sep 1594 Giles; and 5 Dec 1595 Nicholas - both at St. Mary the Virgin, Stone, Isle of Oxney;
18 Apr 1602 Peter at St. John the Baptist, Mersham; (Children missing here?)
30 Mar 1617 Richard; 7 Feb 1618 Mary; 23 Mar 1623 Ellin; 22 Feb 1628 Thomas - all at St. John the Baptist, Wittersham.
Peter George’s burial was on 19th March 1649 at Wittersham.
Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 12th January 2020. All rights waived for personal use – BUT please quote source and reference.
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of Peter George