Inpris [Imprimis] I Give and bequeath unto my Daughter Margaret Ady Widow and to her Executors, Administrators and Assigns All That my Small Leasehold Messuage or Tenement with the Appurt[enance]s Scituate and being in the parish of St. Margaretts aforesaid near the Sign of the Bear at or near a Bank that commonly called St. Margaretts Bank and now in the Tenure of Occupation of John Brookes or of his Undertenant or Undertenants
Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Appleby Wife of William Appleby of Minster in the Isle of Sheppey in the County of Kent Mariner and to her Executors Administrators and Assigns All That One other small Leasehold Messuage or Tenement with the Garden and Appurt's thereunto belonging now in the Tenure or Occupation of Thomas Clay or of his Undertenant or Undertenants and adjoining to the said Messuage or Tenement first mentioned
Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Ann Pieball Wife of James Pieball of Deptford in the said County of Kent Shipwright and to her Executors Administrators and Assigns All That my One other small Leasehold Messuage or Tenement with the Appurt's now in the Tenure or Occupation of Thomas Hughes or of his Undertenant or Undertenants Scituate and being near the Messuages or Tenements hereinbefore mentioned
Item I Give and Bequeath unto my daughter Katherine Letley Spinster and to her Executors All That my One other Small Leasehold Messuage or Tenement with the Appurt's now in the Tenure or Occupation of Edward Billingsley or of his Undertenant or Undertenants and is adjoining to the Messuage or Tenement last mentioned
Item I Will that the Yard, Backside, Washouse, House of Office, Ways and Passages to the said Leasehold Messuages or Tenements belonging shall be all used in ......uion between the Parties to whom the same Several Messuages or Tenements are herein before given and shall be repaired at their equal Costs and Charges
Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Son Thomas Letley and to his Executors Administrators and Assigns All That part of my now dwelling house (called or known by the Name or Sign of the Bear and Ragged Staff which is now in the Tenure or Occupation of John Doul a Schoolmaster Together with the Use of the Washouse and the Furnaces or Coppers there to wash and Brew in And the Use of the House of Office in the Yard thereunto belonging And free Liberty of a way and passage through the said Yard And also One Third Part (the whole into Three equal parts to be divided) of and in all my Garden to my said Dwelling House belonging or appertaining
Item All that other part of my said Dwelling House which is now in my own Occupation together with the Seallars, Shedds, Washouse, Pithouses, Edifices, Buildings and Yards thereunto belonging and Two Third Parts (the whole into Three equal parts to be divided) Of and in all my said Garden with the Appurt's unto my said Dwelling House belonging together also with the House of Office Standing and being in the said Garden I Give and Bequeath unto my Wife Mary Letley and her Assigns for and during the Term of her natural Life
Subject Nevertheless to the Condition or Provisoe hereinafter mentioned
And from and immediately after the Decease of my said Wife Mary I Give and Bequeath the same to my Two Daughters Martha
Letley and Mary Letley and to their Executors Administrators and Assigns equally to be divided between them
All which said Messuage or Tenement with the Appurt's as well that part which is in the Occupation of the said John Doul as that part which is in my own occupation I hold together by and under a Lease from the Brethren of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital which Lease I Will shall be returned according to the usual and customary times of rewriting such Leases And that all such Lease and Leases thereof in whose name soever the same shall be entitled shall be Upon Trust according to the Several Bequests herein before mentioned and according to the true Intent and Design of This my Will
Item I Give and Bequeath unto my said Wife Mary the free Use of all and every my Household goods and
Furniture be the same or consisting of Plates, Brass, Pewter, Linnen, Woolen, Beds, Bedding, or any other
Nature or thing whatsoever for and during the Term of her natural Life Subject to the provisoes or
Condition hereinafter mentioned
And from and after the decease of my said Wife I Give and Bequeath all and every my Household Goods and Furniture unto and between
All my said Children to be divided between them Share and Share alike
Item All the rest and residue of my Personal Estate be the same or consisting of ready money, Rings, Plate, Wearing Apparrel, Debts due to me on Bond, Book or otherwise or of any other Nature or Kind whatsoever I Give and bequeath the same unto my said Wife Mary Subject to the said Provisoe or Condition hereinafter mentioned But I Will that She my said Wife shall out thereof pay my Debts, Funeral Expences, Probate of my Will and Charges Incident to the Execution thereof
And my Will and Meaning further is that my said Daughters Margaret Ady, Elizabeth Appleby, Anne Pieball, and Katherine Letley respectively and their several and respective Executors, Administrators and Assigns shall equally between them Share and Share alike Pay the Rent reserved and payable to the Brethren of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital for the Several Messuages or Tenements and Premises by my bequests before given to them my said Daughters respectively as aforesaid
And my Will further is That my said Son Thomas Letley and his Executors, Administrators and Assignes shall pay towards the Rent reserved and payable to the said Brethren of the said Hospital for my now dwelling House with the Appurt's, the Yearly Sume of Five Shillings of lawful Money and shall maintain and keep that part of my said house hereby given to him in good and sufficient repair and also shall pay One Fourth part of the Charge of Maintaining and keeping in repair the Washouse belonging to the said Dwelling House and the Furnaces or Coppers therein together with the House of Office in my Yard and the Fences and Inclosures to the said Yard belonging
And if my said Son Thomas Letley his Executors, Administrators and Assignes shall refuse or neglect to pay the said Yearly Sum of Five Shillings towards the said Rent and to pay One Fourth part of the Charge of Maintaining and keeping of the said Washouse, Furnaces, House of Office and Fences in repair as aforesaid Then I Will That he and his Executors, Administrators and Assignes shall from the time of such refusal or neglect forfeit that part of my said Dwelling House and Premises which I have hereby before given to him And in such case Immediately after such refusal or Neglect I Give and Bequeath the same with the Appurt's unto my said Wife Mary for her Life Subject to the Provisoe or Condition hereinafter mentioned And after her Decease unto my aforesaid Two Daughters Martha Letley and Mary Letley and to their Executors, Administrators and Assignes equally to be divided between them
Provided always Nevertheless and my Will is That my said Wife Mary shall accept of what I have herein
and hereby given to her in lieu and Satisfaction of the Sume of One Hundred Pounds
which I on my Marriage with her became bound to pay to Sampson Bourn Gent for the Use of my said
Wife in Case she should Survive me and of all other Bond and Bonds by me entered into for the payment
of any Sume or Sumes of Money for the Use of my said Wife and of all Claims and Demands whatsoever
which She my said Wife shall or may have of in or to my personal Estate upon any Pretence or Account? whatsoever
And I Will That the said Bond for One Hundred Pounds and all other Bond and Bonds by me entered
into as aforesaid shall be by her within Three Months next after my decease deliver up and Cancelling in
the Presence of the Persons who are Witnesses to this Will or Such of them as shall happen to be then living
And if my said Wife will not accept of what I have herein before given to her in lieu and
Satisfaction of the said Sume of One Hundred Pounds and shall refuse or neglect to Cancell the said bond but insist on payment thereof
Then and in such case I Give and Bequeath all my ready Money, Plate, Household Goods and all my
personal Estate (Except my houses and Leasehold Messuages and Premises) unto and between all ________ to be
equally divided between them share and share alike within Six Months next after my Decease (my Debts,
Legacies and Funeral Expences, Probate of my Will and Exhibiting an Inventary being first out of the rest paid and Satisfied)
And in such Case I Will that my said Wife shall not have the said part of my said Dwelling House and
Premisses aforesaid with the Appurt's which I have herein before given to my said Wife for her Life
But that my said Two Daughters Martha and Mary shall have the same immediately after my decease to
whom (in such case) I Give and Bequeath the same and to their Executors, Administrators and Assignes
equally between them accordingly Any thing in this my Will contained to the Contrary thereof in any wise thereof Notwithstanding
And I do hereby request desire and Enjoyne all my said Children to be Kind, Assisting, Dutiful and Obedient to my said Wife And I likewise desire and enjoyn my said Wife That she will be kind and loving to all my said Children and be assisting to them .... [Top of Page 10 has the first line obliterated by heavy writing on the other side of the page.] .... and earnestly desire her to maintain and keep my Two Youngest daughters Martha and Mary until they are fit to go to Service and carefully to Educate, Instruct and teach them Such Things as may be for their Welfare
And I do hereby Ordain Nominate and appoint my said Wife Mary Letley full and Sole Executrix of This my Will during the term of her natural Life And after her decease I do Ordain Nominate and Appoint my said Two daughters [Martha and Mary] and Thomas to be Executors of This my Will
And Lastly I do hereby revoke disanull and make void all former Wills and Testam[en]ts by me at any time heretofore made of published And I do declare these Presents to be and contain my only Last Will and Testament
In Witness I the said Henry Letley the Testator to this my said Will contained in
Three Sheets of Paper have to each Sheet thereof sett my Hand and to the first and last Sheets thereof
have Sett my Hand and Seal the Fifteenth Day of June In the Sixth 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. Anno dini 1720
Henry Letley
Signed and Sealed and by the said Henry Letley the Testator published and declared to be his Last Will
and Testament in the Presence of us who have Subscribed Our Names as Witnesses hereunto in the presence of him the said Testator
John Jorron, Joseph Sowerby, Fra: Warner
Probatum fuit: 24th September 1721.
Note: The marriage of James Pible and Ann Lasley 23rd February 1719 at St. Nicholas, Deptford, Kent. A James Pybell was christened to a James Pybell on 21st March 1735 at Deptford.
Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 16th May 2021
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of Henry Letley