First I will that all such debts as I Justly owe to any person or persons at the time of my death shall be truly and honestly paid and discharged and subject thereto I Give and Dispose of my whole Estate both Real and Personal
I Give and devise unto Jane Marchant daughter of my Mother Mary Marchant by her Husband Richard Marchant the said Jane Marchant now
or lately dwelling in the Parish of Chid[d]ingstone in the County of Kent to her and her assigns for and during the term of her natural
life I Give and devise as aforesaid one Annuity or Yearly Rent Charge of thirteen pounds a year
of good and lawful Money of Great Britain to be Issuing Payable and had received and taken
out of all and every of those my Freehold Messuages, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments wherein
I now dwell use and Occupy lying at Dunk Green in the Parish of Shipborne aforesaid the said
Annuity or Yearly Rent Charge to be paid to the said Jane Marchland yearly and every year during
the term of her natural life at fifty two payments in the year by even and equal portions free from and
without any deduction or abatement for Taxes or any other matter or Thing whatsoever
the first Payment or fifty second part or Portion of the said Annuity or Yearly Rent Charge being the
Sum of five shillings to begin and be made at the end of seven days after my decease and so to continue weekly and at the end of every
seventh day in the Year till the whole Annuity or sum of thirteen pounds in every year paid and discharged
And if the said Annuity or Yearly Rent Charge or any part thereof shall happen to be behind in Arrear or unpaid by the space of seven days next after any of the said days of payment whereon the same ought to be paid as aforesaid having thereto been previously demanded that then and so often it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Messuages, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments so Charged with the said Annuity or Yearly Rent Charge or any part thereof and there to distrain for the same And the distress and distresses then and there found to take, drive, lead and carry away and the same to detain and keep or sell and dispose of as by Law distresses for Rent may now be sold until she shall be fully paid and satisfied so much of the said Annuity or Yearly Rent Charge shall be so in Arrear and unpaid and for which such distresses shall be taken and all her Cost and Charges in and about the recovery thereof
and subject to the said Annuity or Yearly Rent Charge hereby Charged thereon as aforesaid I give and devise all and every my said Messuages, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments and all other my Real Estate whatsoever and wheresoever not herein before disposed of unto Ruth Marchant of the Parish of Mayfield in the County of Sussex, Daughter of my Mother Mary by her Husband Richard Marchant aforesaid in fee simple I give the same to hold to the said Ruth Marchant and her Heirs and Assigns for ever
I will and desire that the sum of fifty pounds part of my Personal Estate continue and remain in the hands of Ruth Marchant aforesaid she giving her Bond to Jane Marchant aforesaid in the Penalty of any Sum she shall require not exceeding one hundred pounds to pay and secure to her the Interest of the said fifty pounds at the rate of five pounds for one hundred pounds by the year for and during the term of her natural life and to pay the said Interest at four quarterly payments in the year the first payment or sum of twelve shillings and six pence to begin and be made at the end of one quarter of a year after my decease and so to be continued quarterly and every quarter of a year during the whole term of the natural life of the said Jane Marchant
And at her death I Give and devise the said Principal sum of fifty pounds to all the lawfull(y) begotten Children of my Kinsman John Mills of the Parish of Hadlow in the County of Kent Farmer as shall be alive at the time of my death and to be equally divided among them Share and Share alike and to be paid them by the aforesaid Ruth Marchant within Six Months after the Death of Jane Marchant if they shall then have Attained the Age of twenty one years but such of them as have not attained the Age of twenty one years to be paid them respectively when they attain that Age
Also I Give and devise unto my Godson Michael Mills and Goddaughter Mary Mills son and
daughter of my Kinsman John Mills aforesaid A further sum of five pounds of lawful Money to
each of them more and in addition to their Proportionate part of the aforesaid fifty pounds
And I Give and devise unto my Kinsman John Mills aforesaid the Sum of One hundred pounds of like lawful Money
Also I Give and devise unto Mary Taylor my Female servant, daughter of Thomas and Mary Taylor
of the Parish of Hever in the County of Kent the Sum of one hundred pounds of like lawful Money
Also I Give and devise unto Mary Taylor Mother of my aforesaid Female servant the sum of ten pounds of like lawful Money
Also I Give and devise unto Elizabeth Taylor sister of my aforesaid Female servant the Sum of ten pounds of like lawful Money
Also I Give and devise unto Jane Taylor sister also of my aforesaid Female servant the Sum of ten pounds of like lawful Money
Also I Give and devise unto Sarah the daughter of Joseph Moon of the Parish of Rotherfield in the County of Sussex now or late the
Wife of William Whiting of the Parish of Pembury in the County of Kent the Sum of ten pounds of like lawful Money
Also I Give and devise unto Elizabeth the daughter of Duke and Ann Mills of the Parish of Lympsfield in the County of Surrey (the
said Elizabeth having been married but her Surname at this time not recollected) the Sum of ten pounds of like lawful Money
The nine last mentioned Legacies it is my Will that they be paid by my Executrix hereinafter named to
the several and respective Legacies at the end of twelve Months after my decease
All the Rest Residue and Remainder of my Estate, Household Furniture, Plate, Rings, Linen, Apparel, Stock alive and dead, ready Money, Book Debts, Bills, Bonds, Notes of hand, Mortgages and other securities for Money and all other my Estate and Effects of what nature or sort soever and wheresoever (not herein before disposed of) I Give and devise unto Ruth Marchant aforesaid
And I do hereby name Constitute and Appoint the said Ruth Marchant full and Sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking, disannulling and making void all former Wills by me formerly made and declare this to be my last Will and Testament
In Witness whereof I the said John Moon the Testator to this my last Will and Testament contained in three sheets of paper have set my
hand and seal to each sheet thereof this ninth day of November one thousand seven hundred and eighty six
John Moon
Signed sealed published and declared by the said John Moon the Testator as and for his last Will and
Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto Subscribed our names as Witnesses to the same in
the presence ad at the request of the said Testator and in the Presence of each other
William Jones; Samuel Pearson; Wm. Buss
This Will was Proved at London the twenty third day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven before the Right Worshipful Peter Calvert, Doctor of Laws, Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oath of Ruth Marchant, Spinster, the sole Executrix named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods and Chattels and Credits of the deceased having been first sworn by Commission duly to Administer
Transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh Mason 27th May 2021
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of John Moon