And now as touching the bequeathing and disposing of all such transitorie goods as Almighty God of his great goodness hath blessed me
withall, first I give and bequeathe unto the poore people that in respect of neede shall come to my
buriall hoping to be relieved Twentie shillings.
Item I give unto that learned preacher that shall preach at my funerall for his paynes therin taken Tenn shillings.
Item I give and bequeath unto Joane my beloved wief to use at her pleasure as her owne all such goods and houshold stuff
whatsoever as Margaret Darknoll her mother had of Mr William Darknoll his goods her late husband, and was brought
up from Penshurst to Sutton.
Item I give unto her all such quicke Cattell about my house, as hogges hennes duckes and geese as are myne at my death.
Item I give unto Anne Cunstable my loving daughter my ring with the deathes head and two of my silver spoons.
Item I give and bequeath to Alice Constable my daughter’s daughter, whom I now upon some occasion call Alice Shiers Twentie
poundes in money To be payd unto her at her lawfull age of One and Twentie years or day of her mariage or at the first of them that shall
to her happen.
And if she fayle or dye before either of the sayd tymes: Then I will the sayd Twentie poundes to be devided amongst her
brethren and Sisters then lyving portion and portion like, and to be devided among them at the like tymes aforesaid.
And I give unto the sayd Alice a bason and my Ewer that was Alice her Auntes: Item my bossed bible, my great brasse
pott with yron legg, my little Cupboard with foulding leaves now in my Chamber: Item two sylver spoones, my sylver tunne. Item one
fetherbede with bolster, two pillows two blanketts, one covering, and two payre of sheetes at the discretion of her grandmother.
And my will is that the mony shalbe presently emploied to her use and mayntenance at the discretion of her father and my Executors (from
the day of my death). But I will that she let her Grandmother use the rest of her legacies (yf her grandmother will) during her
widdowhood but no longer.
Item I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth Chapman my late mayd servaunt Twentie shillings.
Item to Tabitha Withers Tenne shillings.
To Joane Sacher Twentie shillings.
To Elizabeth Burton Twentie shillings and an Ewe in respect they are and have been my faythfull servaunts.
Item I give unto every one of my daughters children that are lyving at my death Tenne shillings a peece and one to be an others heyre
if any dye in non age (Alice excepted).
Item I give and bequeath unto Frauncis Shiers my loving sonne all my bookes that are my own, and in this my will not bequeathed to any other with all such goodes as he hath of myne at Cambridg or elsewhere and my best gowne and my best cloake. Item two sylver spoones. Item one dozen of Dyaper Napkins and a Dyaper Table-cloth to the same. Item twenty and two yardes of darnix (note: dornicks) now hanging up in my parlor at Willmington after the death of his Mother, but still there to remayne. Item one silver and gilt salt with a cover which my wief shall use during her widdowhood.
Item I give and bequeath unto Thomas Shiers my sonne (yf he be lyving at my death) One hundred pound that he oweth without bonde, and one hundred pound that he oweth me upon bonde, which two hundreth pound I lent him, yf he (I say) be living at my death or ells not.
Item my will and mynde is, that wheras Azarias Shiers my sonne oweth me two hundreth pounds, the one hundreth pound he oweth me upon bonde, and the other hundreth pound he hath of myne without any bonde or bill: Now (I say) my mynde is that fiftie pound of that hundreth pound which he hath of myne without any bonde or bill I freely give him as a childes portion, but upon condition that he pay the other fiftie pound of the said hundred and the hundred pound that he hath of myne upon bonde within six months after my death unto my sonne Frauncis Shiers, unto whom I give and freelie bequeath it with all bondes or penatlie of bonde or bondes concerning the same upon condition that fortie pound therof absolutely discharge my debts.
Now for my sonne George Shiers I give and bequeath unto him Three pounds as his childes portion: and yf he use his Mother well and truly pay her three poundes by the yere according to his bonde that she fynde no fault: then I will after her death he shall have the covering of Arras that was once Mr William Darknolls, or otherwise I will my wief use it at her discretion: And I give him withall (yf he will accept of it) two sylver spoones and a ring of Tenne shillinges, and God blesse him and his.
Item my will and mynde is that those implements about my house as my pidgeon loade my settle in the kytchin, my ladders with all waynescotts payntings and glasse in windowes with my maulting fatt and my great standing bed shall remayne to and with the house with ever.
This is now the last will and testament of me the sayd Raphe Shires Clarke made the day and yeare and reigne aforesaid concerning the disposing giving and devising of all that my messuage buildings landes and Tenements lyeng and being within the severall parishes of Willmington Sutton Atthone and Dartford within the Countie of Kent:
All which my sayd messuage and buildings landes and Tenements with their Appurtenances I give and bequeath unto Joane my wief: To have and to hould for and during her widdowhood, but not without ympeachment of wast, and excepting from her all Oakes Elmes and Asshes and other trees left for tymber, body bowgh, and twigg which shalbe standing and growinge in any part of my lands and shalbe twelve ynches about afoote above the stubb at my death: and withall, that she bestowe yearely necessarie reparations about my buildings Twentie shillings or upwards:
And afterwards I give and bequeath the aforesayd messuage buildings, mansion-house, maulting houses, pidgeon house, barnes, stables,
garners and landes unto my loving sonne Frauncis Shires and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten for ever
upon condition that he pay unto Anne Constable my daughter Tenne pounds after the death of Joane my wief, within one yeare next
following, and unto Alice Constable (whom I call Alice Shiers) Twentie shillings by the yeare from the time of her lawfull age of One
and Twentie or day of Mariage, unto the full ende of fower score years (if she lyve so long) quarterly and in equall portion
to be payd.
And for want of heirs of his body lawfully begotten, I give and bequeath all the aforesayd messuage buildings and landes unto Thomas
Constable my grandchilde, and sonne unto Thomas Constable my sonne in lawe and unto his heyres of his body lawfully begotten for
ever:
And for want of heirs of his body lawfully begotten I give and bequeath all the sayd messuage buildings and landes unto William
Constable the sonne of Thomas Constable my sonne in lawe and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten for ever:
And for want of such heirs of his body lawfully begotten I give and bequeath all the sayd messuage buildings and landes unto the next
heire male of Thomas Constable my sonne in lawe of his body lawfully begotten and to his heires for ever and so from heire-
male to heire-male unto the eldest heire-male of Thomas Constable my sonne in lawe and unto their heires for ever.
And my will is that Frauncis Shiers my sonne shall from my death have the custodie and keeping of all my evidence pertayning unto the sayd messuage and landes with all manner of papers and muniments and escripts concerning the same.
And my will and mynde is that wheras I have given to Joane my wief all my messuage buildings Tenements and landes as aforesayd, to have and to hould during her widdowhood: yet my mynde is, that yf the said Joane doe unfaythfullie conceale or detayne unto her self any of my goodes to the value of Twentie shillings, and duly proved, or doe any act or acts (excepting the making of such lease or leases of the sayd messuage Tenements and landes aforesayd as shalbe lymitted to have contynuance only during her widdowhood, to the disturbance or hurt of the sayd Frauncis my other Executor without his consent or assent or contrary to the intent and meaning in any thing of this my present will first had under his hande and seale in writing: Then I will that this my devise of my messuage buildings Tenements and landes to her bequeathed shall ceasse and be utterly voyde, as though it had never bene bequeathed unto her.
And the like course I will the said Frauncis Shieres shall observe on his part in the operation of this my will on the other syde.
The Residue of all my goods Chattells debts billes and bondes whatsoever after my debts be payd, my legacies performed faythfully and truly, and this my will thus sett downe here by lawe orderly proved and my funerall discharged according to my calling, I will to be equallie devided into two equall partes wherof one parte I give unto Joane my wief paying unto Anne Constable all such legacies as Margaret Darknoll her grandmother on her death-bed bequeathed her And the second part I give unto Frauncis Shiers my sonne
which sayd Frauncis Sheires and Joane my wief I make my sole Executors of this my last will and Testament.
And I make Mr Doctor Farrand and Thomas Constable my sonne in lawe my Overseers, giving unto ech of them for their paynes a ring
of ten shillinges price.
In witness of this truthe, I have subscribed my name to every leafe being seaven in number and put to my seale of the Crucifix in the
presence per me
Radum Shiers - William Howson - Martyn Watson - Jo: Bassingthwayte.
Probate granted 7 September 1609 to Francisci Shiers, son.
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of Raphe Shiers