Greenstreet Will 1719

Will of John Greenstreet

of Wingham, Kent


Source: Consistory Court of Canterbury, Canterbury Cathedral Archives PRC 31/189 G/2
Submitted by Margaret Glenn
In the Name of God Amen the seventeenth day of January Anno dini 1718 and in the fifth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George by the grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc.
I John Greenstreet of the parish of Wingham in the County of Kent Yeoman being in good health of Body and of sound and perfect mind and Memory (God be praised thereof) But Considering the certainty of Death and the uncertainty of the time thereof Doe make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say)
First and principally I commend my Soul to God that gave it And my Body I committ to the Earth to be decently Interred at the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named And as for my Worldly Estate I Give Devise and Dispose of the same in the following manner

Imprimis I Give and Devise unto my Son Joseph Greenstreet and to his heirs All that my Messuage or Tenement with the Barns Stable Outhouses Yards Orchards Closes Gardens and Severall peices or parcells of Land thereunto belonging containing together by Estimacon Twenty Six Acres more or less Scituate lyeing and being in the Severall parishes of Wingham aforesaid, Staple and Goodnestone-next-Wingham or in Some one or all in the said County of Kent and now in the Occupacon of me the said John Greenstreet To have and to hold the said Messuage Lands Hereditaments and pr[e]misses with the Appurtenances unto the said Joseph Greenstreet his heirs and assigns To the only use and behoofe of the said Joseph Greenstreet his heirs and assigns for ever
But Subject Nevertheless to the payment of the annuity and Severall Sumes of money hereinafter menconed

Item I Give and Devise unto Elizabeth my beloved wife for and during the Term of her naturall life One Annuity or Yearly rent Charge of Ten pounds per Annum of lawfull money of Great Britain to be Issueing and going out of All that my aforesaid Messuage Lands Hereditaments and prmisses And to be paid unto my Said wife or her Assigns at the four most usual Feasts or Terms of payment in the year (that is to say) At the Feasts of birth of our Lord Christ; the Annunciacon of the blessed Virgin Mary; the Nativity of St. John the Baptist; and St. Michael tharchangell [The Archangel] by even and equall porcons quarterly to be paid The first payment to be made on the first of those Feasts which shall happen next after my decease

And my Will and mind is that if the said Annuity or Yearly Rent Charge of Ten pounds per Annum or any part thereof shall happen to be behind and unpaid by the space of one and Twenty days next after any of the said Feasts or days of payment on which the same is hereinbefore appointed to be paid That then & from thenceforth and so often It shall and may be lawfull to and for the said Elizabeth my wife or her Assigns into the said Messuage Lands Hereditaments and prmisses to enter and Distraine and the Distress and Distresses there found to take lead drive carry away detain keep Impound possess and enjoy untill the said Annuity and all arrears thereof Together with all the Costs and Charges in takeing and keeping such Distress be fully Satisfied and paid

Item I Give and bequeath unto my Grandson John Greenstreet Son of my Son Thomas Greenstreet the Sume of one hundred pounds of lawfull money of Great Britain to be paid unto him at his age of one and Twenty years
Item I Give unto my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Greenstreet Daughter of my said Son Thomas Greenstreet the Sume of Fifty pounds of like lawfull money to be paid unto her at her Age of one and Twenty Years
But if either of my said Grandchildren shall happen to dye before they shall attaine to the Age of one and Twenty Years Then my Will and mind is that the Legacy of him or her so dyeing shall goe to and be divided among the Surviving Children of my Said Son Thomas Greenstreet as they shall Severally Attaine to their respective Ages of one and Twenty Years

And my Will and mind further is that as well the said Annuity as also the said Legacys and Sumes hereinbefore bequeathed shall be paid out of the aforesaid Messuages Lands Hereditaments and prmisses by my said Son Joseph Greenstreet in manner aforesaid Any thing hereinbefore contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding

And likewise my Will and mind is that my said wife shall within three Months after my decease Release unto my said Sons All such Right and Title of Dower which she may Claime of in and to any of My Messuages Lands Tenements and Hereditaments And all such Right as she may have or Claime in and to the Same by any Marriage Settlement And if she shall refuse to Seal and Execute such Release Then the payment of the Annuity hereinbefore devised to her shall Cease and Determine

Item I further Give and Devise unto my said Son Joseph Greenstreet and to his heirs All that my Messuage or Tenement with the Garden backside Lands and Appurtenances thereunto belonging Scituate lyeing and being in Wingham aforesaid and now in the Occupation of John Hamond or his Assigns To have and to hold the said last menconed Messuage Land Hereditaments and prmisses with the Appurtenances unto the said Joseph Greenstreet his heirs and Assigns To the only use and behoofe of the said Joseph Greenstreet his heirs and Assigns for ever

Item I Give and Devise unto my Said Son Thomas Greenstreet and to his heirs All that my Messuage or Tenement with the Garden backside Lands and Appurtenances thereunto belonging containing by Estimacon Six Acres more or less Scituate lyeing and being in the parish of Kennington in the said County of Kent And now in the Occupacon of ____ Pettit or his Assigns To have and to hold the Said last menconed Messuage Lands Hereditaments and prmisses with the Appurtenances in Kennington aforesaid unto the Said Thomas Greenstreet his heirs and Assigns To the only use and behoofe of the said Thomas Greenstreet his heirs and Assigns for ever

Item I Give and bequeath unto my Said wife My Best Bed with the Furniture to the said bed belonging and three pair of Sheets
Item all the Rest residue and Remainder of my Goods Chattells household stuffe Cattle and Personall Estate whatsoever I Give and bequeath unto my said Son Joseph Greenstreet he paying my Just Debts, Legacys, Funerall Expences and Probate of this my Will

And I doe hereby make nominate and appoint my Said Son Joseph Greenstreet Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament

In Witness whereof to this my last Will and Testament contained in three sheets of paper I have to each of the said sheets sett my hand and to the Top of the first and bottom of the last put my Seal Dated the Day and Year first above written
John Greenstreet

Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the said John Greenstreet the Testator to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who as Witnesses hereunto have also subscribed our names in the presence of the said Testator
John Tadhunter; Mary Denne; Vinct. Denne

Probatum fuit: [Latin] 21st November 1719

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 27th April 2021


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Will of John Greenstreet
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