Will of Stephen Hatcher

of Staple, Kent

Also I will and devise unto Lawrence Hatcher my eldest Son for and during the time and Terme of his naturall Life all that my Barne called Bockland Barne together with all the eleven peices or parcells of Land Arable and Pasture thereunto belonging containing by Estimacon threescore and eleaven Acres more or less with the Appurten[an]ces situat lying and being in the parish of Staple aforesaid in the said County of Kent, and now or late in the Tenure or Occupacon of the said Lawrence Hatcher or of his Assigns, parcell whereof I heretofore purchased of Robert Brilondon and Anne his late wife, he my said Son Lawrence and his Assigns comitting no manner of Wast on the premises, but keeping the buildings thereof in good repaire

And from and after the decease of my said Son Lawrence Hatcher, then I do give and devise the aforesaid Messuage Lands and premisses with the Appurtences unto my two Grandchildren Stephen Hatcher and Henry Hatcher, Sons of my said Son Lawrence Hatcher and their Assigns for and during the Terme of their naturall Lives, without Impeachment if Wast, and from and after their decease I do give and devise the same to the Issue of their Bodyes, and to the Heires of such Issue forever
And for want of such Issue to my Grandchildren William Hatcher and Lawrence Hatcher their Brothers and their Heires and Assigns forever

Nevertheless my Will and meaninge is that in case my said Son Lawrence Hatcher shall depart this Life before Jane his now wife that then my said grandchildren or such of them as shall be possessed of the aforesaid Messuage and Lands shall pay unto her the said Jane so long as she shall remaine a widow the Yearly Sume of five pounds of lawfull money of England by four equall quarterly payments (Vizt.) the Feast dayes of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the Feast of St. Michaell the Archangell and the Birth of our Lord Christ, the First of the said Feasts which shall first and next happen after the decease of my said Son Lawrence

And if the said Annuity or yearly Sume, or any part thereof shall happen to be behind and unpaid, that then and so often it shall and may be lawfull to and for the said Jane and her Assignes to enter upon the aforesaid Messuage Lands and prmisses or any part thereof and the distress and distresses then and there had and found to take, lead, drive and carry away, and the same to detaine and keep untill the said Annuity and all Arreares thereof with the Charges of taking such Distresses shall be well and truely satisfied and paid (any thing before in this my Will to the contrary notwithstanding)

Also I do give and devise unto my Son Thomas Hatcher and his heires forever, all that my messuage or Tenement, Barne, Stable, Place, Orchard and Lands Arable and Pasture to the same belonging, containing in the whole by Estimacon five and twenty Acres more or less, with the Appurtences situate, lying and being in the parish of Woodnesborow al[ia]s Winsborow in the said County of Kent now in his own Occupacon, but lately in (the) Occupacon of Nathan(iel) Elgar, and also all that my Messuage or Tenement, Barne, Stable, Orchard and Land theeunto belonging containing by Estimacon three Acres more or less situat, lying and being in the parish of Woodnesborow als Winsborow aforesaid and now or late in Occupacon of William Hodgman or of his Assigns, which I lately purchased in the name of my said Son Thomas of John Taylor To have and to hold the said two last menconed Messuages Lands and prmisses with the Appurtences unto my said Son Thomas Hatcher his Heires and Assigns forever

Also I do give and devise unto my said son Thomas Hatcher and his Assignes for and during the Terme of his n[atu]rall Life All those my two peices or Parcells of Lands lying and being in the parish of Stourmouth in the said County of Kent, now in (the) Occupacon of Stephen Culmer or of his Assigns containing together by Estimacon five Acres and an halfe more or less which with the peice of Pasture hereafter menconed to containe Six Acres and an halfe I lately purchased of Barbara Kitchen widow together with the free use of a convenient Way, to and from the same as is hereafter expressed,

And from and after the decease of my said Son Thomas Hatcher, Then I do give and devise the said two peices before menconed to containe by Estimacon five Acres and a halfe unto my grandson Edward Hatcher, Son of my said Son Thomas and to his Heires and Assignes forever

Also I do give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Harrison, widow, one guinea to be paid unto her by my Executors hereafter named within three months next after my decease
Also I do give and bequeath unto my three Grandchildren Thomas Nowell, Peter Nowell and Catherine Nowell and to my daughter in Law Sarah the wife of my said Son Thomas Hatcher and to my said Grandson Edward Hatcher the sume of twenty shillings apeice of like money to be paid unto them by my Executors hereafter named within three months next after my decease

Also I do give and devise unto the poor of the parish of Woodnesborow als Winsborow the Sume of twenty shillings to be distributed amongst them by my Executors at their deiscretion, within one Month next after my decease
Also I do give and bequeath unto William Hatcher one of the Sons of my said Son Lawrence Hatcher the Sume of One hundred pounds of lawfull money of England
Also I do give and bequeath unto Katherine Hatcher Daughter of my said Son Lawrence Hatcher the Sume of two hundred pounds of like money
Also I do give and bequeath unto Stephen Hatcher one other of the Sons of my said Son Lawrence Hatcher the sume of One hundred pounds of like
Also I do give and bequeath unto Henry Hatcher and Lawrence Hatcher two other of the Sons of my said Son Lawrence Hatcher, and to each of them the sume of fifty pounds of lawfull money of England

And in Regard my personall Estate will not be sufficient to discharge my Debts and all my Legacies I do hereby direct that my Executors hereafter named do in the First place out of my personall Estate, discharge my Debts, as I have in this my Will bequeathed and after the payment of them then that they pay with the Remainder of my said Personall estate the Legacy of One hundred pounds before menconed to be by me bequeathed unto my said Grandson William Hatcher or so much towards the same as my said personall Estate will amount unto;
And in case the same shall amount to more than what will pay off my said Grandson William, then I direct that the same shall be further paid towards the discharging and paying of one hundred pounds in parte of thew two hundred pounds by me before bequeathed unto the said Katherine Hatcher and so in Priority as the same Legacies are nominated in this my Will

And what my said personall Estate shall come short of paying and discharging all my said last menconed Legacies, to the Intent the same shall be fully paid and discharged
I do hereby will and devise unto my said Son Thomas Hatcher and unto my Cozen Ralph Terry of Knowlton and their Heires All that my Messuage or Tenement Land and all other the Appurtences thereunto belonging in Staple aforesd. now or late in the Occupacon of Richard Bird or of his Assigns
And also all that my Messuage or Tenement with the Barne, stable, Buildings, Orchard, yard and seven peices or parcells of Land arable and Pasture containing in the whole by Estaimacon seven and twenty Acres and one Rod more or less with the Appurtences situate lying and being in the parish of Woodnesborow als Winsborow aforesaid at or neare a certaine place there called Sumerfield and now or late in the Tenure or Occupacon of William Taylor or of his Assigns And also all that my Messuage or Tenement, Barnes, Stables, Orchard and Lands thereunto belonging containing in the whole by Estimacon fourteen Acres more or less situat lying and being in the parish of Stourmouth in the said County of Kent and now or late in the Tenure of Occupacon of Stephen Culmer
And also all that my peice or parcell of pasture Land in Stourmouth aforesaid containing by Estimacon six Acres and an halfe more or less now in Occupacon of the said Stephen Culmer or his Assigns which said last mentioned peice of Land I lately purchased with other Lands before mentioned of Barbara Kitchen widow being the first peice of the said Lands leading to the other two peices of the same before menconed
To have and to hold the said Messuages Lands and prmisses unto the said Thomas Hatcher and Ralph Terry and their Assigns untill out of the Rents Issues and profits thereof the said severall Legacies before in this my Will bequeathed unto my said Grandchildren William Hatcher, Katherine Hatcher, Stephen Hatcher, Henry Hatcher and Lawrence Hatcher or so much thereof as my personall Estate shall fall short in paying as aforesaid shall be well and truely satisfied and paid

And I do hereby declare and my Will and meaning is that out of my said personall Estate or in failure of that out of my said last menconed Real Estate hereby for that purpose devised unto the said Thomas Hatcher and Ralph Terry as aforesaid, the first One hundred pounds raised thereout shall be paid unto my said Grandson William Hatcher as aforesaid in full of his Legacy before to him bequeathed, and that the second one hundred pounds raised thereout shall be paid unto my said Grandaughter Katherin Hatcher in part of the Legacy before to her bequeathed and that the third one hundred pounds raised thereout shall be paid unto my said Grandson Stephen Hatcher in full of the Legacy before to him bequeathed, and that the fourth one hundred pounds raised thereout shall be paid unto the said Katherine Hatcher in full of the Legacy before to her bequeathed, and that the next fifty pounds raised thereout shall be paid unto my said Grandson Henry Hatcher in full of the Legacy before to him bequeathed, and that the next fifty pounds raised thereout shall be paid unto my said Grandson Lawrence Hatcher in full of the Legacy before to him bequeathed

And my Will and meaning is that my said severall last menconed Legacies shall be paid by my Executors hereafter named out of my personall Estate or as far (as) the same will amount unto as aforesaid within six months next after my decease, and that my said Trustees do pay the Remainder of the same in such priority as is before mentioned within three months next after any of the said Legacies shall become into their Hands, and from and after the payment and discharge of all the said last mentioned Legacies together with all such Reasonable Charges and Expences as my said Trustees shall have bin [been] at in Recovering the Rents and looking after the said Estate shall be well and truely satisfied and paid

I do hereby give and devise unto my said two Grandchildren Stephen Hatcher and Henry Hatcher and their Assigns All that my said Messuage, Lands and prmisses before menconed to be in Occupacon of Richard Bird To hold the same unto them the said Stephen Hatcher and Henry Hatcher and their Assigns for and during the Terme of their natural Lives, without Impeachment of Wast, and from and after their decease to the Issue of their Bodyes and the Heires of such Issue forever And for want of such issue to my said Grandchildren William Hatcher and Lawrence Hatcher their Brothers and their Heires and Assignes forever

And also (after payment of the said Legacies as aforesaid) I do give and devise unto my said Grandson Lawrence Hatcher the Younger and his heires forever all that my said Messuage or Tenement, Barnes, Stables, Orchards and Lands thereunto belonging containing in the whole by Estimacon fourteen Acres more or less before menconed to be by me purchased of the said Stephen Culmer

Also I do give and devise unto my said Grandson Lawrence Hatcher the Younger and (to) his heires forever, all that my said peice or parcell of Pasture Land before menconed to conteine by Estimacon six Acres and an halfe more or less in Stourmouth aforesaid, he my said Grandson Lawrence and his Heires at all times forever hereafter permitting my aforesaid Son Thomas Hatcher and Grandson Edward Hatcher, their Heires and Assigns to have a convenient way large enough for Cartes and Carriages thro' the said six Acres and an halfe of Land to come, go, carry and drive to and from the other Lands before menconed to be hereby devised unto my said Son Thomas and Grandson Edward, they my said Son Thomas and Grandson and their Heires doing no wilfull or unnecessary Damage

And I do hereby nominate and appoint my said Sons Lawrence Hatcher and Thomas Hatcher joynt Executors of this my last Will and Testament and for their Care and paines therein I do give and bequeath unto them the sume of five pounds apeice

And also (after payment of my said Legacies as aforesaid) I do hereby give and devise unto my said Grandson William Hatcher all that my Messuage or Tenement and seven peices or parcells of Land before menconed to containe by Estimacon seven and twenty Acres and one Rodd, and in Occupacon of William Taylor or of his Assigns To hold the same unto the said William Hatcher and his heires forever,

And I hereby bequeath unto the said Ralph Terry a gold Ring of twenty shillings Value in Remembrace of me
In Witness whereof to this my last Will and Testament in Nyne Sheets of paper contained to ever Sheet thereof my hand and seal I have set and put dated the Day and Year first aforesaid
Ste : Hatcher

Sealed Signed published and declared by the said Stephen Hatcher the Testator to be his last Will and Testament this fifteenth day of November Ano Dini 1706 after the obliteration in the twelfth Line of the first sheet and with all the words (Barne called Bockland Barne together with all those) set over the same in the prsence of us who in his prsence and at his request have subscribed our names as Witnesses
Richd Harvey; John Willes and John Paramor

Probatum fuit: 2nd January 1707/08

Notes:
Stephen Hatcher senior was buried 27 Nov 1707 at St. James, Staple, Kent.
Elizabeth wife of Steven Hatcher was buried 13 Sep 1664 at Staple.
Steven Hatcher married Elizabeth 'Tirry' [Terry] 5 Jan 1657/58 at Staple.
Their children (all baptised at Staple): 25 Nov 1658 Lawrence; 26 Jan 1659/60 Elizabeth; 11 Apr 1661 Thomas; 10 Nov 1663 Mary;
Stephen Hatcher had two more children by his second wife Mary Emtage, widow (married 2 May 1665, Canterbury)
Their daughter Catherine (bt. 4 Aug 1667) married Thomas Nowler, gentleman & bachelor of Sandwich in 1687.
Son Lawrence Hatcher, 25, Bachelor, Yeoman of West Cliffe (near Dover) married Jane Jull, 21, Spinster of Woodnesborough at St. Andrew, Canterbury on 13 May 1684.
Son Thomas Hatcher, 28, Bachelor, Yeoman of Ash (next Sandwich) married Elizabeth Nearne, 20, Spinster of Wingham on 10 Feb 1684/85 at St. Mary the virgin, Wingham, Kent.

Transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh A. Mason, 23rd September 2023

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