Item I give unto the poore people of the p[ar]ishe of Marden ten shillings of good Englishe monye to be distributed amongest them at the tyme of
my buriall or ells the next Sondaie followinge
Item I gyve unto Willm Swinton my daughters sonne the full some of Twenty shillings to be payde unto him at his full age of sixteene yeares
Item I give unto my daughter Margorie Swinton the full some of Fourtie shillings of good Englishe monie to be paied unto her wthin six
yeares next after my decease Allsoe I give unto my saide daughter two bushells of wheate to be delivered unto her wthin one quarter of a yeere
nexte after my decease
Item I give unto Willm Simmondes my godsonne the sonne of William Symmondes of Staplehurste the full some of three shillings fower pence
to be paide unto him wthin one yeere next after my decease
Item I give unto Susan Simondes the daughter of Edwarde Simmondes my Brother after the decease of the saide Edwarde if the saide Susan
shall then Continnue lame, the full some of sixteene shillings yeerelie during the tyme of her naturall liefe to be paide quarterlie unto her
by equall porcons issuinge and to be prov[id]ed owt of one p[ar]cell of my landes lying and beinge in Marden called Commonly by the name of Broomes
contaeyninge by estimacon sixe acres of Lands, but if the saide some be not accordinglie paide then it shall be lawfull for the saide Susan or
her assignes to enter and distrine [distrain] upon the said prmisses and the distresse or distresses there so taken and had to leade, drive and
Carrie awaie and to keepe unto her untill the saide some and arreags [arrearages] (if any be) be unto the said Susan or her assigns fully satisfyed
contended and paid
Item I give unto Margaret Furner my Servante two shillings to be paid unto her wthin one yere next after my decease
Item I give unto James Osmer my Sarvante twelve pence to be paid unto him wthin one quarter of a yere nexte after my decease
Item I give unto William Cooper my Brother one bushel of wheate to be delivred unto him wthin one quarter of a yere next after my decease
Item I give into Margaret my wiefe halfe my howsholde stuffe and all the Lynnyn except two paire of the best hempen sheets
Allso I give unto my said Wife three kyne [cows] of the myddle sorte and sixe ewes wth lambes and one mare woorthe fiftie three shillings four pence
Item I give unto my brother Edward Simmondes t[w]o bushells of wheate to be delivred unto him wthin one quarter of a yere next after my
decease
Item I give unto my goddaughter Dorothye Hodes? three shillings four pence to eb paide to her wthin one yere after my decease
Also I give unto my saide wife two swme? worthe sixteene shillings and halfe my Butter? and cheese halfe my Pultry, two flitches of Bacon, one of
the best and one of the second
Item I give unto my said wife three loads of batts or loggs and three loades of Fagotts delivered at home by th'executors yeerely in Convenyent
tyme during all the tyme of her Widowhoode
Item I give unto my saide wife eight Bushells of Wheate and eight Bushells of Oates yerely to be delivred unto her duringe the tyme and tearme of
fower yeeres next after my decease
Item I give unto my three daughters Margaret, Agnes and Joane Simmondes to either of them two ewes and two lambs
Also I give unto Agnes and Joane Simmondes to eyther of them a Chest
All the residue of (my) moveable goods and Chattles unbequeathed I doe give unto Edward Simmondes my Sonne whome I make sole executor of this my laste will and testament
This is the Laste will and testament of me William Simmonds made and declared the daye and yere abovesaid concerninge the disposicon of all my Landes and tennements
Item I give unto Margaret my Wife One newe tenement adjoyninge to my Messuage wth suche
howsinge thereunto belonginge wth libertie to laye in Corne and to threshe wth more roeinthe? if
neede bee to cleane her Corne; also one orchard, one hempe plot, wth all suche comodities belonginge
thereunto wth two meddowes one before the fate, and one joyninge to the orcharde accompted three
acres wch the saide Margaret and her assignes shall not plowe, and allso nyne acres of pasture lands
joyninge to the Orchard and one peece of Land called the new Orchard wth free libertie to goe to the Water for her and her assignes
Item I give more unto the saide Margaret my Wife sixe acres of land comonlie called the Brooks to
have and hold all the foresaid recited prmisses unto the saide Margaret and her assignes duringe the
Whoole terme of her naturall life, if she the said Margaret shall keepe herseldfe unmarryed
Provided neverthelesse that if the saide Margaret shall dislike of the foresaid tenement or lands
before recited or shall marrie then I give unto the said Margaret my wife tenne
Po[u]ndes yerelie Aut of all my landes, tenements and hereditaments in Marden aforesaid, quarterlie to be paide to her or to her assignes
But if yt shall happen the yerely rent to be behinde in p[ar]te or in all after any of (the) termes aforesayd then yt shall be lawfull for
the sayde Margaret or assign to enter and distreine upon the said prmisses & the distresse or
distresses there so taken and had to leade, drive and Carrie awaie and to detaine untill the said some
and somes and the arrerages if any bee, be unto the said Margaret and her assignes fullie satisfied Contented and paide
Item I doe give and bequeathe unto Margaret my wife for the bringing up of my three daughters Margaret, Agnes and Joanne Symonds the full some of fourtie shillings of good and lawfull mony of England for the bringing up of eyther of them yerelye in the hole sixe ponds by the yere quarterlie to be paid by myne Executor untill evrie of my said three daughters shall accomplishe her full age of sixteene yeres and no longer
Item I doe will give and bequeath unto Edwarde Simmonds my Sonne three sevrall peeces of land Called Chaineherst and the two Croftes adjoyninge
thereunto nexte beneathe him lyinge and being in Marden abovesaide To have and to hold the said Chaineherst and the two Croftes, to him and to
his heires for ever
upon this Condiccon that the saide Edwarde Simmonds shall Att or in the Sowth portch of the pishe Churche of Marden aforesaid, paie or cause to be
paid unto his three Sisters Margaret Simmonds, Agnes Simmonds and Joanne Simmonds to eyther of them or theire assignes the full some of thirtie
Pownds of good and Lawfull mony of England at theire sevrall ages of twentie yeeres or wthin one quarter of a yere after theire sevrall ages of
twentie yeeres if yt be demanded
Provided neverthelesse that if the said Edwarde Simmonds shall not paye the saide sevrall somes of
thirtie powndes to evrie of my three daughters in manner & forme and at her sevrall tymes above
specified according to the true meaninge of this my Last will and testament, Then I doe give, Will and
bequeath the saide p[ar]cell of Lande called Chaineherst unto my two daughters Margaret Symonds and Agnes Symonds to have and to holde the saide
pcell of Land Called Chaineherst to them and theire heires for evr
And then I doe give will and bequeath the other two Crofts thereunto adjoyninge to Joanne Simmonds my daughter to have and to holde the saide two
crofts to her and her heires for ever wth a Waye at the Lower end of Chaineherst to leade, Carrye and drive into and owt of the saide two
Crofts into the hiewaie [highway] to her and to her heires for ever
Item my very meaninge is that Margaret my Wife shall not top or lop, nor sell any Wood or bowghes [boughs] from the trees growinge upon the pcell
of Lande before given unto her unlesse yt be for the maintenannce and fencinges of the grownde
Item I will that all the croftes before given to Margaret my Wife shall be voide if the saide Margaret shall make Chalenge or Clayme by her selfe
or her assignes unto any yerely payment or porton owt of my lands by reason of her Jointure of five pownds that was made unto her before the
state? of marriage
Item I will give and bequeath all my messuags, tenements and lands unto Edward Simmonds my Sonne to have and to holde the saide messuages, tenements & Lands unto him and his heirs in fee simple for evr
In Witnes whereof I the saide William Simmonds the testator have sett my hand and seale the daie and yere first above written theise beinge
present Wittnesses
John Furner; Edward Poly and of me Salmon Boxer, Clerk the Writer
William Simmonds testator
Probatum fuit: 14th April 1603
Notes:
William Simons was buried at St. Michael & All Angels, Marden 18th February 1602/03.
William Symon had married Margaret Cooper 27 Oct 1573 at Marden.
Children (all baptised at Marden): 27 Dec 1575 Margerie; 6 Jul 1578 William; 9 Apr 1581 Elizabeth; 25 Aug 1583 Edward; 15 Jan 1586/87 William;
28 Sep 1589 Margaret; 9 Oct 1592 Agnes; 18 May 1595 Joane.
3 Dec 1593 Robert Swenerton [Swinton] married daughter Margery Symon at Marden
Transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh A. Mason, 3rd May 2023
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of William Simmonds