Imprimis I give devise and bequeath unto my Grandchildren Edward and Frances French son and daughter of Francis French of Farnberry [Farnborough] in the said County of Kent the Sume of Twenty pounds apeice of lawfull money of Great Britain to be paid to them by my Executor hereinafter named within one year next after my decease
Item I give devise and bequeath unto my daughter in Law Mary French the wife of the said Francis French the Sume of Ten pounds of like lawfull money of Great Britain to be paid her by my Executor herein after named within one year after my decease into her own hands and to be disposed of by her as she shall think fitt without any direction of her husband and her Receipt shall be a sufficient discharge to my Executor herein after named
Item one box of Lynnen that stands in the Middle Chamber in my house in Dartford aforesaid All my wearing Apparrell that lyes in a Trunck in my Closett One Silver Cupp that lyes in the same Trunck my biggest Gold Ring that was my husband Adkinses one Feather bed boulster Pillowes and Bedclothes that was called my daughter Adkinses Bedd One Moiety or half part of all my Pewter and my biggest brass Kettle All which said Goods and Household Stuffe I give devise and bequeath unto my said daughter Mary French to be delivered to her by my Executor herein after named within one month after my decease
Item I give devise and bequeath unto my cousin Susannah Hawkins the sume of Twenty pounds of like lawfull money to be paid her out of the money due to me upon Bond from Richard and William Turner of Earith in the said County Yeoman by my Executor herein after named within three months after my decease And all the Interest due or shall be due upon the said bond to the seventh day of January next
Item one suite of Cloaths and a suit of head clothes all lying in a Coffer locked up in the Little Chamber in my said house half a dozen of Flaxen napkins Two pair of sheetes and Pillowbeers one Gold ring and one moiety or half part of all my Pewter that lyes in the Cossett [Closet] aforesaid I give devise and bequeath unto my said Cousin Susannah Hawkins to be delivered to her by my Executor herein after named within one month after my decease
Item I give devise and bequeath unto my cousin Elizabeth Hawkins five pounds of like lawfull money to be paid her within three months after my deceased and my Ridinghood that lies in the Closset and one Gold Ring of Twenty shillings Value to be delivered to her within one month after my decease
Item I give devise and bequeath unto my cousin William Adkins of Leason Heath [now Lessness Heath] in the parish of Earith in the said County Husbandman the sume of Five pounds of like lawfull money to be paid within three months after my decease by my Executor herein after named and half a dozen of Flaxen Napkins to be delivered to him the said William Adkins by my Executor hereafter named within one month after my decease
Item I give devise and bequeath unto Susannah Whitehead of Dartford aforesaid Widow the sume of
five pounds of like lawfull money to be paid her by my Executor hereinafter named within three months after my decease
Item I give unto her the said Susannah Whitehead one pair of Sheetes and a pair of Pillowbeers to be
delivered to her by my Executor hereinafter named within one month next after my decease
Item I give devise and bequeath unto Henry Whitehead Son of the said Susannah Whitehead the like Sum of Five pounds of like lawfull money to be paid by my Executor herein after named within one year of my decease And the receipt of him the said Henry Whitehead shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my Executor for the said Legacy notwithstanding his nonage
Item I give devise and bequeath unto Rebeccah Whitehead the daughter of her the said Susannah Whitehead the Sume of Forty shillings of like lawfull money and my striped Stuffe Gowne lyned with Stuffe and my Silke Scarfe to be paid and delivered to her by my Executor herein after named within one month after my decease and that her receipt shall be a sufficient discharge to my Executor for the said Legacy notwithstanding her nonage
Item I give devise and bequeath unto Henry Whitehead Anne Whitehead and Elizabeth Whitehead Children of the said Susannah Whitehead to each and every of them the Sume of Twenty shillings apeice of like lawfull money to be paid them by my Executor herein after named within three months after my decease And their respective receipts shall be good and sufficient discharges for the severall Legacys aforesaid notwithstanding their nonages
Item I give devise and bequeath unto my Cousin Thomas Hawkins the sume of Three pounds of like lawfull money of Great Britain to be paid him by my Executor hereinafter named within one month after my decease
Item to my Cousins Rebeccah Hawkinge and Hester Hawkinge I give to them and each of them the Sume of Twenty shillings apeice of like lawfull money of Great Britain to be paid to them by my Executor herein after named within three months after my decease And their receipts shall be good and sufficient discharges for the said severall Legacys unto my Executor notwithstanding their nonages
Item I give and bequeath unto Charles Elwood and Mary Elwood Children of Henry Elwood of Dartford in the said County Gentleman Ten shillings apeice to buy them Rings
Item all the rest and residue of my Personall Estate whatsoever and wheresoever not herein before given and bequeathed I give devise and bequeath unto my loving Nephew William Wooden of Dartford aforesaid whom I doe hereby make ordain and appoint sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament
And in case the Consistory Court for proving Wills shall refuse or deny to grant the Probate of this my last Will and Testament unto my said Nephew William Wooden by reason of his not attaining a sufficient age for that purpose Then and in such case I doe ordain nominate and appoint my loving friends Mr. John Lance of Dartford aforesaid Chyrurgeon [Surgeon] and Mr. William Sawell of Dartford aforesaid Miller Executors in Trust for my said Nephew William Wooden untill he shall attaine his full age for that purpose and for their paines and troubles therein I doe give unto them ten pounds apeice of like lawfull money and all their expences and trouble to be borne and paid out of my Estate
Provided alwayes and it is my true intent and meaning that in case my said Nephew William Wooden shall happen to dye and depart this life before he shall attaine his age of one and twenty years That then after all his Debts Funerall charges and Legacyes therein given be justly paid and discharged the one full moiety or half part thereof the whole to be divided into Two equall parts I give devise and bequeath unto my three Cousins Elizabeth Wooden Sarah Wooden and Mary the wife of John Painter to be equally divided to and amongst them share and share alike
And the other moiety or half part thereof I give devise and bequeath unto Thomas Hawkings Hester Hawkings Rebeccah Hawkings Elizabth Hawkings and Susannah Hawkings William Adkins Frances French and the said Susannah Whitehead Widow in such parts and proportions as they the said John Lance and William Sawell in their discretions shall think meete and just But I desire the said Thomas Hawkings Hester Hawkings Rebeccah Hawkings Elizabeth Hawkings and Susannah Hawkings may have the greater part by way of proportion
And I doe hereby revoke and make void all former Will and Wills Testament and Testaments by me made and ordaine this only to be my last Will and Testament
In Witness whereof I the said Frances George have hereunto sett my hand and Seale the second day of
December in the first year of the reigne of our Souveraign Lord George by the Grace of God of Great
Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith etc. Anno dini 1714.
The marke of Frances George
Signed Sealed published and declared by the said Frances George to be her last Will and Testament in
the presence of us And we as Witnesses to the same subscribed our names in the presence of the Testatrix
and at her request
Hen : Elwood Willm: Swift
Probatum fuit: 4th May 1715 to William Wooden.
Notes:
St Alfege, Greenwich 27 Feb 1690/1, Henry George of Batcombe, Somerset, widower marriner & Frances Atkins of Erith, Kent, widow
married by licence
Francis French & Mary Atkins were married 3 Oct 1710 at Hayes,Kent
Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 12th January 2020. All rights waived for personal use – BUT please quote source and reference.
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of Frances George