Will of Edward Kempe

of Maidstone, Kent

Item I give to the poore people of Maidstone aforesaid, that is to say, to the old aged lame and impotent p�sons [persons] and such as have most need thereof for the tyme being the some of ten pounds of lawfull money of England to be distributed amongest them by myne Executors here under named with the advise and consent of the Overseers and Churchwardens of Maidstone aforesaid for that tyme also being within one moneth next after my decease

Item I will and bequeath to the poore people of the p�ish [parish] of Borton Aluph [Boughton Aluph] in the said County of Kent for that tyme being the some of forty shillings to be distributed amongst them by myne Executors hereunder named at their discrecon

Item I give and bequeath unto Mr. Robert Dane Mynister of Maidstone afresaid for his paynes to be taken in preaching a Sermon at my Funerall the some of Twenty shillings

Item I give and bequeath unto Edward Kempe sonne of William Kempe sonne of John Kempe my eldest brother the some of one hundred and fiftie pounds of good and lawfull money of England to be paid unto him at or on the Day of his age of Twenty one yeares or within one moneth next after his day of mariage or said age of one and twenty yeares wch [which] shall first happen

And my will and meaning is that my Executors shall yearely untill the said Edward shall have so received that legacy, pay unto him the said Edward for and towards his better maynetenances and augmentation of his said porcon [portion] after the rate of twentie pence the pound and for every Lessen tyme after the same rate

Item I Give and Bequeath unto the two daughters of the said Willm Kempe and Sisters to the said Edward Kempe and to every of them the some of Thirtie poundes, to be payd unto them att their severall ages of Eighteen yeares or dayes of mariages as shall first happen And my will and meaning is that my Executors shall yearely untill the said two daughters shall have received their said severall legacies pay unto every of them towards thaugmentation [the augmentation] of their said porcons [portions] after the rate of twentie pence for every pound, and after the rate for every lesser tyme, untill the said legacies (according to this my will) shalbe unto them severally payd

Item I will and bequeath unto Mary Tryndall now the wife of John Chapman of Malling, Grocer, the some of Twenty pounds to be paid wthin [within] one yeare after my decease
And I further bequeath unto Martha Joarle and Mercie Tyndall, Sisters of the said Mary Chapman unto every of them Tenn pounds as to be paid unto them in the dayes of their severall mariages or severall ages of eighteene yeares wch shall first happen

Item I give and bequeath unto Margery the wife of Stephen Horne thelder and Daughter of my Sister Mercy Dodd, the some of Fifty pounds of good and lawfull money of England To be paid unto her within one whole yeare next after my decease

Item I give and bqueath unto Elizabeth the wife of Willm Horne and daughter of my said Sister Mercy Dodd, the some of Forty pounds of good and lawfull money of England to be paid unto her within one yeare next after my decease

Item I give and bequeath unto Mary Phillips my maid servant Sixteene pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her within one yeare next after my decease And I do also give and bequeath unto the said Mary my servant one bedsted and flockbed with a mattress whereon shee useth to lye, one bolster, Coverlett & blanket and two payer of hempen sheetes To be delivered her within one moneth next after my decease

Item I give and bequeath unto John Gardyner sonne of Richard Gardyner of Maidstone aforesaid, Surgeon, and unto Jane Gardyner daughter of the said Richard Gardyner (vizt) to either of them the some of Fifty shillings of good and lawfull money of England to be paid unto them within one whole yeare next after my decease

Item I give and bequeath unto Mary the wife of Robert Clarke of Estwell [Eastwell] in the said County the some of Twenty shillings of lawfull money of England To be paid unto her within one whole yeare next after my decease

Item I give and devise unto Mary the wife of Will. Watts of Borton Aluph [Boughton Aluph] afforesaid in the said County one Annuitye or yeerlie rent of three pounds of lawfull money of England To be yssueing & going forth of and owt of all that my Messuage howse lands and Tenements in Borton Aluph [Boughton Aluph] aforesaid, Wye and Kennington in the County aforesaid now in the occupacon of Edward Kempe sonne of Willm. Kempe my Cosyn To have and to hould the said Annuitye or yearly rent of three pounds unto the said Mary and to her assignes from and after my decease and the death of her now husband, for and during the naturall life of the said Mary at the Feasts of Thannunciacon [The Annunciation] of the blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michaell the Archangell by equall porcons
And that yf it shall happen the said yerely rent or any pte [part] thereof to be unpaid by the space of Twenty dayes next after any of the said Feasts, That then and so after it shalbe lawfull for the said Mary and her assignes into all and Singuler the Messuages, howses, landes and Tenements aforesaid to enter & distraine for the same rent

Item I give & bequeath unto the aforesaid Edward Kempe sonne of William Kempe my Cosyn all and Singuler my said Messuages, howses, lands and tenements with their appurtenances in Borton Aluph [Boughton Aluph], Wye and Kennington aforesaid and soe menconed to be in the occupacon of the said Edward Kempe To have and to hold the said Messuage, howses, lands and tenements with there appurtenances unto the said Edward Kempe his Executors and assignes for the terme of Thirty yeeres if the said Mercy Dodd my Sister shall so long lyve, yielding and paying therefore yeerly unto the said Mercy her executors & administrators the some of Sixteene powndes of lawfull money of England at the Feasts of Saint Michaell the Archangell and the Annunciacon of our Lady Saynt Mary the Virgin by even & equall porcons
And that if the same rent or any pte thereof shall happen to be behind & unpayd by the Tyme of Ten dayes next after any the said Fesasts That then and so often it shalbe lawfull unto the said Mercy Dodd my Sister and her assignes in & upon the said Messuage and lands to enter & distraine for the same rent and every pte thereof

And after the death and decease of the said Mercy Dodd I will & devise all the said Messuages, howses, lands and tenements with their appurtenances and the Reversion and Reversions thereof unto the said Edward Kempe sonne of William Kempe my Kinsman To have and to hold the said Messuages, howses, lands and Tenements with their appurtenances unto the said Edward Kempe and to his heires and Assignes for ever

Under and Upon this Condition following (that is to say) that the said Edward Kempe his heires executors or administrators to well and truely Content and pay or Cause to be well & truely Contented and payd unto John Dod and Stephen Dod sonnes of the said Mercy Dod my Sister (my Executors hereafter named the some of one hundred and three score pounds of good and lawfull money of england towards the p�foremance of this my will) in the first eight yeares next happening after the death of my said Sister that is in every of the said eight yeares the some of Twenty pounds And the said payment to be made in or at the said manyson house in Borton [Boughton Aluph] aforesaid

And I do further will and devise that yf defaulte be made of or in the payment of the said some of one hundred and threescore pounds or of any pte thereof, Contrary to this my Present Testament and last will, Then I will and declare that the estate of the said Edward Kempe my Cosyn of and in the said Messuage, howses, landes and tenements with their appurtenances shall cease and determyn And that then and after the said Messuage, lands and tenements with their appurtenances shall go be and remayne unto the said John Dod and Stephen Dod and to their heyres and assignes for ever

Item I devyse and bequeath unto Edward Dod my said Sisters eldest sonne, the some of one hundred and fortie pounds of good money And unto Thomas Dod my said Sisters youngest sonne, the some of one hundred pounds of like money to be paid unto either of them within two yeers next following my decease
Item I further devyse unto my said Sister Dodd the some of Tenn poundes in ready money to be paid unto her within one yeare next after my decease

Item I likewise devise and bequeath that if Margery Horne now the youngest Daughter of Margery Horne (now the wife of John Horne the Elder of Wye) aforesaid shall live untill her age of Eighteene yeeres or day of her marriage, that then my said Executors herein named shall pay or cause to be paid unto the said Margery the daughter the some of one hundred and fiftie pounds of lawfull money within one moneth next after her said age of eighteene yeares or day of mariage wch of them shall first happen
And if it happen the said Margery the daughter to departe this life before such tyme as she shall have received the said legacye of one hundred and fiftie poundes, That then my further will as touching is That he said some of one hundred and fiftie pownds or the like some shall go and come in Divydent [dividend] amongst her Brothers and Sisters that shalbe in life on the tyme of her death equally porcons & porcon like to be had divided amongst them

And further my will & meaning is, that my said Executors shall yearly (from and after my death) until the said Margery the daughter shall accomplysh her said age of Eighteene yeares, or the day of her said mariage, pay or Cause to be paid unto the said Margery towards her better maytenance and the augmentacon of her porcon after te rate of Twentie per centum of every pound of the said One hundred and fiftie pounds by every yeare and after that rate for every lesser tyme thereof

Item I devise unto Ralfe Ward and Edward Ward my Godsonnes, the sonnes of Edward Ward now of Maidstone aforesaid, Barber, to eyther of them the some of Fytie pounds of good money To be paid unto them at their severall ages of Eighteene yeares

Item I give and bequeath unto John Horne the Younger sonne of the said John Horne of Wye and to the heires of the said John Horne the Younger for ever all that my Herdton [Hereditament?] of and in one Cottage wth a Hempe plott and a garden thereunto belonging wth thapptenncs [the appurtenances] in Borton Alouph [Boughton Aluph] aforesaid heretofore given and devised to me and my heires after the decease of the said Mary Watts, by Roger Kempe my Brother

Item I do also give and bequeath unto the said John Horne the Younger (sonne of the said John Horne of Wye) my English Bible, to be delivered unto him within Twentie dayes next happening after my decease

Item I further will and bequeath unto the said Margery Horne the Younger my best & principall Bedsted & bedding thereof as it now standeth (that is to say) One bedd of Downe, one other little fetherbedd now & usually lyning (!) under the same one boulster of feathers and fyve curteynes of Crimson silke and the valance used as a pte of the furniture of the said Bedd

And also I give and bequeath unto the said Margery Horne the Younger one great Chest of Carved Waynescott [Wainscot] and all the p�cells [parcels] of plate, lynnen and other my goods now being and put in the same Chest with myne owne hands, and the locke and key thereof All wch last bequeathed p�cells of plate, bedd, bedding, goods and chest my will and meaning is shall be delivered by my said Executors unto the said Margery Horne the Younger ymediately after my decease yf shee shalbe then living But if shee shall not bee then lyving then I will and my mindis that the same last named or menconed goods, plate and premisses shalbe and come in divided and be equally parted amongst her said Brothers and Sisters that shall also be then lyving part and porcon alike

Item I give and bequeath unto William Kempe sonne of my said Cosen William Kempe the some of five pounds of good money to be paid unto him wthin one yeare next after my decease

Item I further will and bequeath unto the said John Dodd and Stephen Dodd my Cosyns all that the Revrcon [Reversion] and Remaynder of and in all those lands Comonly Called Maworke, conteyning by estimacon twelve acres (and wch Garbrielle Swane Gent. holdeth for the terme of his life) and all other my lands and Tenements in Maidstone aforesaid To be had, holden and inoyed unto the said John Dodd and Stephen Dodd & their heires equally to be devided betweene them

wch said John Dodd and Stephen Dodd I do nominate, ordayne and appoint to be my Sole Executors of this my present Testament and last will, unto wch said John Dodd & Stephen Dodd I further devise and bequeath (after my debts & other expences legacies and funerall chardges fully payd and discharged according to this my will), all the rest and residue of my plate, money, lands, goods, chattells & debts whatsoever equally to be devided betweene them

In Witnes whereof I the said Edward Kempe the Testator have heruento sett my hand and seale the day & yeare first above written 1618 and have published the same as my last Will and Testament in the p�sence [presence] of
Willm. Dabbes Edward Ward and James Sarys
Edward Kempe

Probatum fuit: Sexto Decembris 1619

Notes: Edward Kempe is another of the Wye Kempe�s.
He was buried at All Saints, Maidstone on 19th February 1619, �Batcheller�.
See also his Edward Kempe�s Brothers� Wills:
PRC 17/45/68b Will of John Kempe of Kennington, dated 23rd October 1582 and Proved 18th November 1582.
PRC 32/39/239 Will of Roger Kempe, Yeoman of Boughton Aluph dated 4th February 1602(3), who was buried there 1st March 1603 and whose Will was Proved 12th March 1602(3).

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 22nd May 2019. All rights waived for personal use � BUT please quote source and reference.

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