Will of Martin James

of London, Ex Kent

And first and principally I will and bequeath my wretched and sinfull Soule to the mercy and goodnes of Allmighty God and to his Sonne Jesus Christe my sweete Saviour and Redeemer and to the Holye Ghoste three pardons and one God most humbly beseechinge the Most Holye and blessed Trynitie to have mercy on my sinfull soule and to pardon and forgive me all my sins and offences for that I maye after this imitable lyfe arise with the electe and have the life and fruition of the Godheade by the glorious Deathe and Passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christe.

And I will my Body to be buried in secrete manner in the Chappell on the South side of the Parishe Church of Eastinge in the Countie of Kente which I had lately from GOODMAN YATES of Eastinge aforesaid and my obsequies to be done at Smarden in the said Countie.

Item I doe give to the poore people of Smarden aforesaid the sume of fortie shillings.
And towards the repayringe of the Church of Eastinge twentie shillings.
And twentye shillings more to twentie of the poorest householders of the said Parishe of Eastinge to be distributed within sixe dayes after my buriall there by Mr. Doctor W ALSALL and GOODMAN YATES.

And I doe give unto the said Mr. W ALSALL a blacke gowne soe as he be and preche at Smarden at my obsequies.
And to the said GOODMAN YATES a blacke gowne yf he be likewise there for theire paynes.
Item I doe give to the poore people dwellinge in St. Thomas Streete twentye shillings to be distributed by the advyse and direction of Mr. CLERKE my neighboure there with the advise of my Sonne.

Item I doe give to my Daughter DORCAS Wife to my Sonne JAMES the Lease to my house in St. Jones Streete with all the furniture in the same not hereafter disposed of by this my Will.
Item I doe give her my Wifes ringe with a diamond in the same and my Wifes best jewell which shee was want to weare aboute her necke.

Item I doe give to my Sonne HENRY JAMES all my plate an Inventorye whereof remayneth in my studye in the beginninge of my longe Daylie Booke of Charges excepting onlie what I shall otherwise dispose by this my Will.
Item I doe give to my said Sonne all my ymplements householdstuffe and plate at or in my house at Smarden.
Alsoe I doe give unto him my greate iron chest at London and all my bookes evidence and writings which remayne in my studye at London.
Item I doe give unto him all my corne at Smarden with all my geldings not hereafter by this my Will given and bequeathed.

Item I doe give and bequeath unto my Godsonne and Grandchilde MARTIN JAMES my great ringe of golde with my Armes engraven in it and my chayne of golde but I will that his Father shall have the custodie of them duringe his life and then to be delivered to the said MARTIN JAMES yf he be then livinge.

Item I give unto ELIZABETH my Sonnes eldest Daughter the sume of six hundred poundes to be paid unto her at her age of eighteene yeres or at the Daye of her Marriage which shall first happen soe as she doe marrie with the consente of her Father and Mother.
And if the said sume of six hundred poundes be not paid to her within sixe monethes after her Marriage or eighteene yeares of age which shall first happen then by these presentes I give to her and her Heires forever my Mannor of Burie Courte and all the Marshland which I bought of my Sonne ROBERT which cost me six hundred poundes.
And if the said ELIZABETH happen to decease before her Marriage or eighteene yeres of age then I will the said Legacie to FRANCIS with like benifitte as aforesaid and to his third Daughter yf shee dy before the tyme above recited.

Item I give to MARTIN SHEPPARD my Godsonne an anngell and to WALTER ROBERTES my Godsonne an angell.
Item I allso give to the Right Honorable and my very good Lorde the Lorde Keeper for his greate favor allwayes showed unto me and for the favor which I hope my Sonne shall receive of him in all his juste and lawfull causes (and especially for the Lady Cheyneys Suyte against me for her dower) my greatest standinge bowie with a cover gylte beinge faier burnsshede.

Item I give to my verye good friende Mr. DOCTOR CAROWE a ringe of golde of fowertie shillings with my Armes.
And to my Sonnes in Lawe Mr. THOMAS ROBERTES and Mr. ROBERT SHEPPARD and to theire wyves eache of them a blacke gowne.
And to my Sonne in Lawe Mr. ROBERTS twentie buttons of golde that I have used to wear on my jerkin.
And to my Daughter his Wife one portigerre and a peece of silver plate peell gylte.
And to my Sonne in Lawe Mr. ROBERT SHEPPARD one of my geldings such as he shall well like of soe as yt be not be my best amblinge geldinge.
And to my Daughter his Wife one portigerre to be provided for her by my Executrix and aliso a little pott with a cover all gylte which was her Grandemothers.

Item I give my very good Lady and Sister MANWOODE a ringe of golde of fowertie shillings price.
And to my Lady RIVERS my very good Ladie and Sister a like ringe of like valwe.
Item I give to Mr. STANDEN my friend one of the Clerks of the Pettybage a ringe of golde of thirtie shillings prayeinge him to give my Sonne his best advice to sue his lyvery and that he may have his helpe and furthrance therein.

Item I give to Mr. CLERKE a ringe of golde ofthirtie shillings pryce.
Item I give to RICHARD POWLE RICHARDE EDWARDES WILLIAM BAYLIE and FRANCIS SMITH and to every of them a blacke cloake soe they be at my buriall and to the rest of my servants blacke cloakes.
Item I give to tenn poore men and tenn poore women gownes of black fries or blacke coarse clothe as my Executors shall thinke meete.
Item I do give further such moreninge gownes and cloakes as my Executors hereunder named with the advice of my Overseers shall thinke meete.

Item I doe give to my Sister ALMER for the tearme of her life one Annuitie of fortie shillinges a yere to be paid her by my nexte Heire at the fower most usuall Feastes of the yere or within fowerteene dayes after every feast with a clause of distress to be by her taken for non-paymente thereof out of all my Landes and twentie shillings in hande imediately after my burial.
Item I doe give her my olde gown of clothe faced with velvet which I did weare upon Holly Dayes.

Item I doe give her Daughter DOROTHIE nowe married to a channdlor one figge a blacke gowne garded with velvet which I weare every day fuzzed with c....ye Item I doe give to ANTHONIE HALMER my Sisters Sonne tenne pounds which is in the Handes of Mr. LYNAORES Executor. I have a Bond for the same and yf he doe die before five and twentie yeres of age I doe give the same to his Brother RICHARD HALMER that is married without Temple Barre.

Item I doe give to RICHARD POWLE RICHARDE EDWARDES and WILLIAM BAYLIE my Clerkes in myne office all my Register Bookes which cost me thirtie poundes when I entered into my Office together allso with those which I have yearlie bought since. And I doe give them allso the Lease of the two Roomes wherein I keepe my Office and the yeares to come in the same payeinge the Rent dewe for them which bookes and Lease are to be equallie divided in five partes whereof RICHARD POWLE and RICHARDE EDWARDES to have fower partes and BAYLIE a fifth parte. And I require them to be aydinge and assistinge to my Sonne after my decease.

Item I doe give to FRANCIS SMITH fortie shillinges my greene c1oake and all my house in Smarden Streete wherein the tincker now dwelleth for tearme of his life he keepinge the same in good reparacons and payinge the Cheife Lordes Rente when it is dewe.
Item to everyone of my other household servants besides theire wages sixe shillinges eightpence apeece to be paied within two moneths next after my decease.

Item I doe give to GOODWIFE MAPSTONE my nyghtgowne of clothe.
Item I doe give to BIGGE my olde nyghtgowne of bassen and two paier of old hosen and some other old apparreill of myne as my Sonne shall think meete with a black frise gowne.

I give to my Daughter CHRISTIAN LUDGATER a black gowne and leave her wholly to my Sonnes releife for the rest being her naturall Brother charginge him to be good to her in as large manner as I was yerely to her and not to see her lacke.
Item I give to Mr. TOWSE my good friend my best velvet jackette last made with satten sleeves.

Provided allwaies and my Will and Meaning is as touchinge all such Legacies as here before in this my Will devised unto my Sonne SHEPPARD and his Wife that if my Sonne SHEPPARD shall not be at Micholmas nexte comminge yealde upp unto my Sonne HENERY or to his Heires his Lease and all such Interest as he may clayme or pretend thereby of and in my Mannors of Northecote? Denton and Plouford in the County of Kente and of and in all other Lands Tenements and Hereditaments demised thereby and shall not then also quietly and leave and yealde upp the possession of all the same demised premises unto my said Sonne HENERY or to his Heires accordinge to such warninge as I have hereunto given unto him for the same by reason of a proviso to that effecte contained in the same Lease. Or yf my Sonne SHEPPARD shall either by any meanes disturbe my said Sonne HENERY or his Heires in any his or their preparacions or for buyldinge accordinge to my appoyntmente at the Mannor of Northecote? aforesaide or yf my Sonne SHEPPARD shall make any question or quarrell upon any poynte or covenente contained in the said Lease (which is yt seemeth by some speeches by him heretofore given out) he intendethe to do then my full will and intente ys that all the said Legacies and Bequeathes before by this my Will given to my Sonne SHEPPARD and his Wife or to either of them (such blackes for morneinge garments before bequeathed unto them to be used at my burial only excepted) shall be utterly voyde to all intents and purposes. And that all and every the same Legacies (excepte soe excepted) shall wholly goe and be to my said Sonne HENERY to his owne proper use anythinge in this my present Will before conteyned to the contrary in anywise not withstanding.

All the Rest of my goodes whatsoever plate money moveables or any other goodes whatsoever not herein bequeathed I doe give wholly and bequeath unto my Sonne HENERY JAMES whome I make myne only Executor of this my last Will and Testament.

And I doe requirer my good friends Mr. THOMAS FORMER and Mr. JOHN BARNES my Brother Esquires my good neighboures in St. James Streete to be my Overseers of this my Will.
And I doe give them for theire paynes besides ordynarye expenses yf any be the sume of five markes to buy them ringes of golde with.
And I doe by these presentes revoke all former Wills by me formerly made.

And as touchinge all my Landes Tenements and Hereditaments whatsoever God hath given me my mynde and will is that my Sonne HENERY JAMES shall have two partes thereof to him and to the Heires Males of his body begotten and for want of such Issue to be and remayne to him and to his Heires forever.
And for the third parte thereof I will the same shall discend to my said Sonne HENERY and his Heires forever accordinge to the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme

And further I will that my Daughter in Law DORCAS Wife to my Sonne shall enjoy after my decease such Landes Tenements and Hereditaments as ys appointed her accordinge to a paire of Indentures Bearinge Date the seaventh Day of December in the seaven and twentieth Yeare of the Raigne of Our Soveraigne Ladye Queene Elizabeth.(and I will that the same Indenture shall take his full effecte to all intents and purposes accordinge to the tenor of the same).

Item I doe also will and charge my said Sonne HENERY that he doe make unto ROBERT YATES of Eastinge in the said Countie of Kente a good and perfect Lease for one and twentie yeares or three Lives? at the election and choyse of him the said ROBERT of a little crofte over against HENERY GREENSTREETs howse there contayninge halfe an acre of grounde or thereabouts more or less and also one other little croft lyinge behind his the said ROBERTs Barne at ARNOLDES conteyning likewise halfe an acre of grounde more or lesse yeldinge and payinge for both the same Croftes of grounde five shillinges per annum

And also I will that my said sonne HENRY shall allso make unto HENERY GATS his wydowe a lease allso of Uplees? and all the lands thereunto belonginge for one and twentie yeres accordinge to a draft of the same lease allredy drawne and subscribed with myne owne hande, soe as shee the same GATES widowe doe enter into bonde in two hundred powndes for the keepinge of the Covenants of the same Indenture of lease and the reparacons therin specified as yt was agreed betweene her husband and me.

In Witnes wherof I have hereunto put my hande and seale the day and yere above written Martin James
Memorandon that this was published and declared by the abovenamed Martin James to be his last will and testamente in the presence of the parties whose names ben subscribed
Robert FARMER - Richard BARON - Thomas FARMER.

Probate 6 March 1592/3

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