Will of Joseph Greenstreet

of Wingham, Kent

I Give and Devise All that Messuage or Tenement Garden and orchard with the Appurtenances thereunto belonging situate lying and being in the parish of Wingham foresaid and now in the Tenure or occupation of ____ Cocking Widow or her Assigns into my Niece Mary Greenstreet and to her Heirs and Assigns for ever

Also I Give and devise All that piece or parcel of Land containing by estimation Two acres and one Rood more or less with the Appurtenances thereunto belonging lying and being in the parish of Staple in the said County of Kent at or near a place there called Bockland Farm and now in my own occupation unto my Niece Ann Wood, Widow of James Wood late of the parish of Northbourn(e) in the said County of Yeoman deceased and to her Heirs and assigns for ever, She paying Ten pounds thereout to my said Niece Mary Greenstreet

Also I Give and Devise All that piece or parcel of Land lying and being in the said parish of Staple containing by Estimation one Acre and one Rood more or less with the appurtenances thereunto belonging and now in my own Occupation unto my Niece Martha Rose wife of Richard Rose of the parish of Tilmanstone in the said County of Kent Labourer and to her Heirs and Assigns for ever
Also I Give and Devise All that piece of Land containing by Estimation three Roods more or less with the Appurtenances thereunto belonging lying and being in the said parish of Staple and now in my own Occupation unto the said Martha Rose her Heirs and Assigns for ever

And as to and concerning All the Rest and Residue of my Messuages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Real Estate whatsoever and wheresoever (not hereinbefore devised) I Give and devise the same and every Part thereof unto my Nephew John Greenstreet of the parish of Waldershare in the said County of Kent, Yeoman and to his Heirs and Assigns for ever

charged and chargeable with and subject and liable to the Payment of one Annuity or clear yearly Rent charge of one pound and ten shillings of lawful Money of Great Britain which I do hereby give unto my said Niece Mary Greenstreet and her Assigns for and during the Term of her Natural Life if she shall so long continue unmarried
And I do direct the same to be paid by equal Quarterly Payments, the first payment thereof to begin and to be made on the first of the four most usual Feasts or days of Payment of Rent in the year which shall next happen after my decease

And also charged and chargeable with and subject and liable to the Payment of the following Legacies which I direct shall be raised and paid out of the same and shall not be paid or payable out of my Personal Estate (that is to say)
To Catherine Trice the wife of William Trice of the parish of Staple aforesaid Husbandman the sum of Forty Pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain
And to James Greenstreet and John Greenstreet, surviving Sons of my late Brother James Greenstreet, the sum of Ten pounds apiece of like lawful Money
The said several Legacies to be paid within Twelve Months next after my decease

And in case any one or more of the said Legatees shall happen to die before the said Legacies shall become payable as aforesaid Then I will that the Legacy or Legacies of him her or them so dying shall not lapse and sink into the Inheritance of the Residue of my said Real Estate but shall be deemed a vested Interest and shall go and be paid to the respective Executor or Administrator of him her or them so dying at such Time as he she or they would have been intitled to the same if living

Also I give and bequeath unto my said Niece Mary Greenstreet the Feather Bed on which I commonly lye in the little Room over the Cellar together with the Furniture of the said Bed
Also I Give and bequeath unto my said Niece Mary Greenstreet my oak Chest with the large Till in it standing in the Great Chamber over the Hall of my dwelling house and all the Linnen in the same Chest And also two Cases of Drawers in the best Chamber with all the Linen and Wearing apparel in the same and the Furniture of the said last mentioned Chamber

Also I Give and bequeath All the Linen in the large oak Chest standing by the Chimney in the little Chamber over the Hall and which is put up in four Parcels in manner following (that is to say)
The Parcel with a Paper on which is written the Name of Mary Greenstreet to my Niece Mary Greenstreet, the Parcel with the Name Jane Greenstreet to the said Catherine Trice, the Parcel with the Name Ann Greenstreet to the said Ann Wood and the Parcel with the Name Martha Greenstreet to the said Martha Rose

Also I do hereby forgive and release a debt of Fifty Pounds which was due to me from my said late Brother James Greenstreet and I direct my Executors to cansell any Security I may have for the same

And as to for and concerning All and singular the Rest and Residue of my Goods Chatteks Effects Debts due and owing unto me Money Securities for Money and all other my Personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever and of what kind or nature soever the same may be at the Time of my decease I Give and bequeath the same and every part thereof unto my said Nephew John Greenstreet and my said Niece Mary Greenstreet equally to be divided between them share and share alike and to their several and respective Executors Administrators and Assigns

And I will that if any of the Legatees of any of my Personal Estate shall die before they shall be intitled to receive their respective Legacies thereout that such Legacies shall not lapse and sink into the Residuum of my said Personal Estate but shall be deemed a vested Interest And shall go to the respective Executors or Administrators of him her or them so dying

And Lastly I do hereby make nominate and appoint my said Nephew John Greenstreet and my said Niece Mary Greenstreet Executors of this my last Will and Testament

In Witness whereof I have to this my last Will and Testament contained in two Sheets of Paper affixed together to the first Sheet thereof Set my Hand and to this Second and last Sheet thereof my Hand and Seal the Twentieth Day of August in the Thirteenth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith etc. And in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventy three
The mark of Joseph Greenstreet

Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the said Joseph Greenstreet the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses thereto in his Presence and at his request and in the Presence of each other [The words She Payign Ten Pounds thereout to my said Niece Mary Greenstreet being first interlined between the Ninth and tenth Lines of the first Sheet
Step: Sayer, John Ellenden, Edwd. Nairne
Exd. Wm. Cullen

In this Codicil annexed to my Will I Joseph Greenstreet in the Parish of Wingham in the County of Kent give unto my Niece Mary Greenstreet an Annuity or Rent charge of Eight Pounds Ten shillings a year over and above what I have given her in my Will during the Term of her natural Life to be paid Quarterly at the four usual Days of Payment, the first payment to be made the first Quarter Day after my decease
And I further direct that the said Annuity shall be paid out of my House and Lands lying in Twitham now in my own occupation

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and seal the Thirty first day of August in the year of our Lord 1773.
Joseph Greenstreet his mark
Signed Sealed and delivered by the said Testator as his and only Codicil annexed to his Will in the Presence of us who were Witnesses
Step: Sayer, Edwd. Sayer, Henry Neville

The before Registered Will and Codicil annexed of Joseph Greenstreet deceased were proved the Eleventh day of January 1774 before the Reverend William Gostling, Clerk, Surrogate to the Worshipfull Andrew Coltee Duracel, Doctor of Laws, Commissary General of the City and Diocese of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oaths of John Greenstreet and Mary Greenstreet the Executors named in the said Will, They being first Sworn well and truly to perform the same, etc.

Transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh Mason 22nd March 2022

Return to Kent Genealogy