Will of John Pigott

of Chiddingstone, Kent

Item I give unto the poore of the parrish of Chiddingstone aforesaid Tenne shillings to be payd unto them by my Executor within one moneth next after my decease
Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Bennett now the wife of Henry Brookes the somme of Thirtie Pounds to bee paid unto her by my Executor within one yeare next after my decease
Item I give and bequeath unto Anne my Daughter Fifteene Pounds to bee paid unto her by my Executor within one yeare next after my decease
Item I will and bequeath unto Thomas my sonne the some of Fifteene Pounds to bee paid unto him by my Executor within one yeare next after my decease

Item I will and bequeath unto Henry my sonne the some of Twentie Pounds to bee paid unto him by my Executor when he shall accomplishe the full age of one and twenty yeares
Item I will and bequeath unto Susan my Daughter Twentie Pounds to bee paid unto her by my Executors at the age of one & Twenty yeares
Item I will & bequeath unto Ellen Darkar? Five Pounds to bee paid unto her by my Executor within one moneth next after my Decease

Item I give and bequeath unto my three youngest children Thomas, Henry and Susan all the goods specified in a wrytinge now in the hands of Nicholas Pigott one of my Overseers, And likewise give unto them the said Thomas, Henry and Susan equally to bee devided amongst them all such goods as I give by wryting appointed unto Pentecost my sonne late deceased And I give unto them the said Thomas, Henry and Susan and to every one of them a Chest

And all the rest of my goods and Chattles unbequeathed my Debts and legacyes being paid, and my funerall expences discharged,
I give & bequeath unto John Pigott my sonne whome I make sole Executor of this my last will

And my will and meaninge is that if any of my children before menconed unto whom I have formrly given Legacyes shall happen to dye before such tyme as the severall legacies given them or shall hereafter by this my will give them by this my will shall growe due payable unto them not having any Child or children of their owne lyvinge, Then the legacye or legacyes porcon or porcons of them or any or either of them soe dying shalbe paid unto my other children then survivinge p[ar]te and pte (a)like att such tyme & tymes as the same ought to be paid unto them if they any or either of them had lyved

Item I give & devise unto my said sonne John and his heires forever All that my moyety [moiety] or one halfe of the Messuage or Tenement buildings lands & prmisses lying in Chyddingstone aforesaid and all the twoe acres of meadowe land lying in Cranstead Meade unto my said sonne John paying out of my said messuage and lands unto my said daughter Anne Twentie Pounds within three yeares next after my decease, over and above the Fifteene Pounds by mee before demysed unto her and intended should bee raysed and paid out of my personall estate

And alsoe my will and meaninge is that my said sonne John should pay out of my said messuage and Lands soe as aforesaid unto him devised the some of Fortie Pounds unto Henry my sonne within sixe yeares next after my decease over and above the Twenty Pounds by mee before demysed
And my further will and meaninge is that my said sonne John should pay out of my said messuage & lands soe as aforesaid by me unto him Demysed the some of Forty Pounds unto Susan my youngest Daughter att her age of one & twenty yeares over and above the Twenty Pounds by mee before Demysed unto her

And my will and mind is that my said sonne John should paie out of the said messuage and lands unto my said daughter Suzan Three Pounds and Tenn shillings yearely and everie yeare by halfe yearely payments for and untill shee shall attaine her full age of one & twenty yeares in leiwe [lieu] of the forbearance of her said Legacyes of Threescore Pounds on every Feast daie of Thannunciacon of the Virgin Mary and St. Michaell Tharchangell [The Archangel] the first payment thereof to begin and to bee made on that Feast of the said twoe Feasts which shall first happen next after my decease
And for default of payment thereof it shall from tyme to tyme as the same shall growe due and payable bee lawfull for the said Suzan and her assignes to enter upon the said Lands and there distreyne for the arrearages of the said rent

Item I will and devise unto my sonne Thomas and his heires for ever All that my messuage or Tenement and Lands lying in the Parrish of East Malling in the said County of Kent my said Sonne Thomas paying out of my said messuage and Lands thirty shillings a yeare unto my said daughter Bennett the wife of Henry Brookes for and during the terme of her naturall life on everie Feast daie of the Nativity of our blessed Lord and Savyour, Thannnunciacon of the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist, and St. Michaell Tharchangell in everie yeare during the terme aforesaid by even & equall porcons the first payment thereof to begin and to bee made on that feast daie of the said fower feast dayes which shall first happen next after my decease
And for default of payment thereof it shall from tyme to tyme as the same shall growe due and payable bee lawfull for the said Bennett and her assignes to enter upon the said Lands and there destrayne for the arrerages of the said Rent

And after the decease of the said Bennett my will and meaninge is that my said sonne Thomas shall pay out of the said Messuage & Lands soe as aforesaid by me Devised unto him within one yeare next after the decease of the said Bennett the some of Twenty Pounds unto John, Henrie & Elizabeth three of the Children of my said daughter Bennett or unto such of them as shalbee then lyving equally to bee devided amongst them

And my further will and mind is that my sonne John shall within one moneth next after my Decease enter into or give Sufficient security unto my kinsman Nicholas Pigott of Chiddingstone aforesaid Yeoman for my youngest sonne Henrie his Legacie or porcon of Threescore Pounds; And for my youngest Daughter Suzan her Legacie or porcon of Threescore Pounds

And my will is if my said sonne John doe not within the said moneth put in security as aforesaid but refuse or neglect soe to doe or shall renounce or refuse to take upon him the executorshipp and execution of this my will, That then upon not putting in security or renouncinge the executorshipp and execution of this my will I give the said moyety or one halfe of my said messuage or Tenement buildings Lands and premisses in Chiddingstone aforesaid, and all my said two acres of meadow Land lying in Cransteed meade aforesaid formerly menconed to bee given unto my said sonne John and his heires unto my kinsman Nicholas Pigott and his heires for ever
Hee the said Nicholas Pigott paying out of the said Messuage and Lands such legacyes & porcons as are formerly menconed and by me appointed to bee paid out thereof if my said sonne John had enjoyed the same at such tymes as they are formerly menconed to be paid by my said sonne John
And thereupon alsoe then my will and meaninge is and I doe hereby make my kinsman Nicholas Pigott Executor of this my will

And I make Overseers of this my will my kinsman Francis Pellen of Chiddingstone and Nicholas Pigott of Chiddingstone aforesaid Yeomen requiring and desireing them for to see this my last will and Testament carefully and faithfully fullfilled in every behalfe without respect of anie p[er]son or psons whatsoever and for their & either of their paynes therein I give unto them the somme of Six shillings & Eight pence a peece to bee paid unto them by my said Executor within one moneth next after my Decease as a small remembrance of my love unto them

And my will and meaninge is that if my said sonne John shall refuse to put in security as is afore menconed or renounce his Executorshipp and refuse to take upon him the Execution of this my will Then in both or either of theis Cases I onlie give unto my said (sonne) John Tenn pounds to bee paid unto him by my other menconed Executor Nicholas Pigott within three moneths next after my decease And thereupon anie former Legacie or Suite whatsoever by this my prsent will given unto my said sonne John shalbee void & or none effect to all intents and purposes whatsoever

Provided allwaies that if it shall happen att anie tyme heereafter any ambiguity question or doubt shall growe arise or bee amongst anie of my Children by reason of imperfeccons or defect of and in any the words Clauses and sentences conteyned in this my last will and Testament or my true intent & meaninge therein, That then the onelie exposition determinacon & Judgment thereof shalbe determined and Judged from tyme to tyme by the expositions & discretions of my said Overseers and not otherwise according to the different sense & meaning of this my will in every respect
And if anie of the Legatees before menconed shall refuse to stand to the Determinacon and Judgment of my said Overseers, then my will and meaning is that the legacies by me formerly given unto him her or them soe refusinge shalbee utterly void and of none effect

And I doe hereby revoke all former willes by mee made either by word or wrytinge
And unto this my last will and Testament conteyning Eight sheets of paper I the said John Pigott have hereunto sett my hand and seale the daie & yeare afore menconed,
the marke of John Pigott
Read, sealed, published & declared by the said John Pigott to bee his last will & testament the daie & yeare first wthin written in the prsence of
The marke of Clement Basden; William Overy

Probatum fuit: At London, 13th May 1639

Note: Penticost Piggot, s. of John, was buried at Chiddingstone on 23rd July 1637.

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 10th November 2022

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