Extract of the Will of John Willarde

of Leigh, Kent

I bequeath to the mending of the highway between lyghe & ?Stock green
Also I bequeath toward the repairs of the chapel of St Thomas in Lyghe Also walls of wood loft in the same church of Lyghe & to the investment of the church of Ligh Also an honest priest secular well disposed shall singe & read for the health of my soul
Also I bequeath towards the mending of the Southside of the church in the said Leigh.

Also I will that after my decease all my feoffes of all my lands that is to say John Bisshope, Willm Caper, Robert Bisshope & John Tybold shall suffer Johane my wife peacibly to enter of & in all my lands, tenements called.
And for the souls of my wifes Alice & Johane & for the soul of Johane Shevyning my parent souls & all Christen souls the space of a whole year & for his salary 10 marc. I beg 40s towards the mending of the South side of the church in the said Leigh.

Also I will my 4 daughters that is to say Sibella, Godliffe, Elizabeth & Agnes shall have to their marriages my tenement called Bryghtis with appurts in the parishes of Lyghe & Seale with 8 pieces of land called the Vyndis & a pond called the Mill pond & 2 pieces of land I late purchased of Olyver Dowle lying in Seale to be divided among the said 4 sisters in fee simple.
If any dye then her portion to the other 3 & if 2 of them fortune to dye then I will my daughter Sibella shall have that 2nd sister’s part with her own & if 3 dye then the 4th sister have the whole in fee simple.

Also I will after my decease Thomas Mordeyn shall have my land lying in the South Borough of Tonbridge payng therefore £20 unto my son John Willard.

Also my feoffes deliver a state in fee simple to John Willard my son of & in all my lands & tenements in the parish of Grensted [possibly Cransted which is an old borough of Somerden, near Bough Beech, recently lost] and a parcel of land called Hayfeld in parish of Tonbridge & in 3 parcels of land called Pettland in parish of Lygh & a parcel of land called Mustells meadow in parish of Tonbridge. Also a messuage & garden & a croft in the town of Tonbridge purchased of Richd Deede & a barn with a garden & a house adjunct thereto set in Tonbridge town’s ende sometime called Grubbis.
Also a piece of land called Brocks in Hellden late purchased of Jamys Shevyning & a messuage in the parish of Chedyngston late purchased of the said Willm Chevynyney, the said John paying unto Johane my wife yearly during her life 13/4.

Also I will after my decease the decease of Johane my wife my feoffes shall deliver unto Richard Willard my son a state in fee simple of & in my lands & tenements with appurts called lacys [indistinct] in the parish of Tonbridge & a piece of land called Holyngden meadow in the parish of Lyghe & a croft that was sometime John Wellis lying by Honwolds gate in Holyngden.
Also the lands called Walesse lands lying in the parish of Tonbridge & a tenement with appurts called Swannes & certain parcels of land late purchased of John Affane called Keppis in the parish of Tonbrige & a meadow & all my lands of & in the meadow land called Ramhirst in the parish of Lyghe. Also my land called Angnes with the appurts paying yearly unto Johane my wife 26/8 during the term of her life.

Also after the decease of Johane my wife my feoffes shall make to William Willard my son a state fee simple of & in all my lands & tenements called Pawlys with all the land & meadows pastures & services thereto belonging & of & in certain pieces of land & meadow late purchased of Thos Butlott & a meadow late purchased of Richd Gilwyn & a messuage with a garden & 9 pieces of land & 3 pieces of meadow called Claydens with a parcel of land called Rogers land & a parcel of land late purchased of Roger Lewkenor & 3 yards of meadow in Lymonds meadow late purchased of Richd Lewkenor.
Also William my son immediately after my decease shall have all my lands with the profitts called Sommers paying his mother yearly during her life 26/8 [with power to [re]‘strayne’ for lack of non payment].

I will my feoffes deliver in fee simple to Johane Ketill my daugher of & in a piece of land lying in Hadlow called Litell Barowes late purchased of John Affane.

Item: The said Johane have the house she dwellith in & 6 crofts belonging to Michaelmas 12 months after my decease rent free & 1 cow.
I will Johane my wife have a barne that I late built standing upon part of the ground that I late bought of Roger Lewknor & a piece of land called Boryngallis & 2 pieces of land & medow late purchased of Richard Affane & Henry Affane.

Said William my son shall have the whole tenement called Reamys during the life of his mother paying unto her as is before & after her the decease then I will the said tenement called Reamys shall be divided by even portions betwene the said Wm my son & Richard my son.
Olyver Dowle & his wife during their lives shall have my messuage or tenement with the garden called Brights in the which he is now dwelling paying therefore yearly 6/8 & after their decease, the said messuage or tenement to wholy remain onto Margaret my daughter & after her decease to her son Thomas Clifton.

The house I bought of Johane Chevynnyng called the Clarks house I will to the said Margret during her life, after my wifes decease & after her decease to John Clifton her son. If the said John or Thomas Clifton dye or they come to lawfull age, then the tenements called Brights & The Clarks House with their gardens shall wholy remaine to Wm Willard my sonne.

Residue of all my goods to Johane my wife & she to be my executrice & John Bisshop of Hadlowe to be an executor & he to have 20s for his labour besides all his costs;
And Wm Cazier to have 6/8, Robert Bisshop to have 3/4, John Tebold to have 3/4.

Witnesses: Richard Stodhort, vicar of Leigh; Roger Lewkenor, gent; Richard Lewkenor, gent; Raynold Rowe, gent; William A Children, yeoman.

Also I will my son William have my shop in Sevenoaks after my decease.

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