Will of Richard Potter

of Westerham, Kent

And that myne Executors geve to the pore people of Westram aforesaid at the Daye of my buriall Fortie shillinges
Also I will geve graunnte and bequathe to everie one of my daughters Dorothe, Lucie, Martha, Frisewithe, Susanne, Anne, Elisabethe, and Sara, the some of Fortie pound[es] of lawfull money of Englonde, towardes and for the prefermente of their marriadges to be paid to either of them at or in the Daie of the marriadge of ev[er]ie of them

And yf it shall happen that Thomas Potter my Eldeste Sune [son] doe Decease and Departe owte of this presente lief before the Firste marriage of my said Daughters or eny of them then I will that my said Daughters and everie of them that shall so happen to be Unmaried, as is aforesaid shall have Fourtie Poundes to be paid unto them and to everie of them at their age of xviij [18] yeares

Also I geve unto Alice my wief vj [6] keene and all the houshoulde stuffe Pewter and brasse, sheetes and other Lynnen, which she had of her owne at the Tyme that I married withe her and also my paire of householde sheetes of the newer sorte One of the newer Table Clothes A dosen of the newer houshoulde napkins and one of the newest Coverletes of Dornixe
Also I geve unto hir my little spaid mare which I boughte of Brewodde and the neweste side sadle and the bridle and all the Furniture To the same

Also I geve and bequeathe unto Will[ia]m Posiar my wiefs sonne and Johanne Posiar her Daughter to eche of them Fortie shillinges to be paid within Twoo yeares after my decease
Also I geve unto Will[ia]m Potter my brother xl s[40s] to be payde Immediatlie after my Decease
The residew of all my goodes and Cattle unbequeathed and not geven my debtes paid and my legacies perfourmed I Will wholie geve and bequeathe to Thomas Potter my Eldeste sonne whome I Ordeine and make myne Executor of this my Testamente and laste will.

This is the Laste will of me the saide Richarde Potter; made the daie and yeare above written for and Concerninge the disposic[i]on of all my tenements landes and hereditaments set lyinge and beinge in the Parishes of Westram / Brasted Stenbridge and Cudham in the Countie of Kente or ells wheare w[i]t[h]in the realme of Englond in mannor and Fourme Followinge

Firste I will and grannte to Will[ia]m my sonne one yerelie rente or annuitie of eighte poundes of lawfull money of Englonde goinge owte of all my landes and Tenementes afforesaid To have and to houlde the same yerelie Rente of viij li [£8] unto the said Will[ia]m my sonne Duringe the Terme of the naturall lief of the same Will[ia]m onlie
And to be paid yerelie after my Decease at the Feastes of St Michaell th’archangell and the annunc[i]ac[i]on of oure ladie the Virgin by even Porc[i]ons And yf it happen the said yerelie some of viij li or anie parte thereof to be behinde unpaid at either of the said Feastes of paymente in which it oughte to be paide as is abovesaid that then yt shalbe lawfull for the said Will[ia]m into all my landes and Tenementes and everie parte and p[ar]cell thereof to enter and then and there to Distreine and the Distresse so there taken and had to carie Drive and beare awaie and the same to Deteyne and w[i]t[h]houlde untill suche Tyme as the said yerelie Rente w[i]t[h] th’arrerages thereof yf any be be unto the said Will[ia]m Fullie satisfied and paid

And also I will geve and graunte to Samuell my sonne one Annuities or yerelie rente of eighte poundes of lawfull money of Inglonde oute of all my landes and Tenementes afforesaide To have and to houlde the same yerelie rentes of eighte poundes unto the said Samuell onlie
And to be paide yerelie unto the said Samuell my sonne Immediatelie after my decease at the Feastes of saincte Mighell the Archanngell and the Annunciac[i]on of oure Ladie the Virgin by even porc[i]ons And yf yt shall Fourtune the said yerelie rentes of viij poundes or eny parte therof to be behinde unpaide at either of the Feastes in which it oughte to be paied as is afforesaide that then yt shalbe lawfull for the said Samwell to distreine for the seid some of eighte poundes in mannor and Fourme as is saide before for Will[ia]m my sonne

Also I will that yf either of my twoo sonnes, Will[ia]m or Samuell shall decease one before th’other then the Survivor shalbe Heire to the other of his said Anuitie of viij li

moreover I will and geve to Thomas Potter my Eldest sonne all my landes and Tenements, howses rentes reverc[i]ons services and hereditament[s] w[i]t[h] all and singuler their appurten[a]nces set lyinge and beinge in the parishes of Westram Stenbridge brasted, and Cudham or elles where w[i]t[h]in the Realme of Inglonde To have and to houlde the same to hym and to the eldest heire male of his bodie lawfullie begotten
And for lacke of suche yssue to remaine to Will[ia]m my sonne and to the eldest heire male of his bodie lawfullie begotten
And for lacke of suche Issue of the bodie of the said Will[ia]m to remaine to Samuell my sonne and to the eldeste heire male of his bodie lawfullie begotten And so from the eldest heire male to the next eldest heire male w[i]t[h]oute any Partic[i]on or Devis[i]on to be made amonges the heires males
And for Defaulte of suche heires males to remaine to Will[ia]m Potter my brother and to the eldest heire male of his bodie lawfully begotten in mannor and Fourme as is afforesaid
And for Defaulte of suche Issue male of the bodie of the said Will[ia]m Potter my brother to remaine to goo and to Discende in suche mannor Fourme and sorte as is lymited and Assigned by the last will of John Potter Father of the said Richarde Potter and accordinge to the true meaninge purporte and Intente of the same laste will of me the said John Potter and as in and by the said laste will maye and shalbe Contrued and understanded by suche Discreate parsons as shalbe learned in the lawes of this Realme

And yf there lacke any some or that there be any mannor of Darcke or obscure worde or wordes dowbte or Ambiguitie in any mannor of article or Clawse Comprised in this my presente Testamente and last will I will that it be refourmed Corrected and made open and playne by suche parsons beinge learned as shall please Thomas Potter my sole Executor no matter herein Channdged

Provided allweies that this speciall Entaile before lymitted, be not hereafter at eny tyme preiudiciall or hurtefull to eny woman for her Jointer the which shall happen hereafter to be made graunted and assigned oute of eny of the Forseid landes and Tenement[es] howses and hereditaments by my heires males or by eny of them which shalbe the wief or wieffes of the said heire male and males for terme of the lyves of the same wives, this my last will or any thinge therin Comprised to the Contrarie notwithstandinge

In witnes of this my Testamente and last will I the said Richard Potter have sealed the same and subscribed aswell my name in the ende hereof as to everie leaffe and pap[er] of the same the Daye and yeare First above writton By me Richard Potter
witnesses at th’ensealinge hereof
Thomas Chapman John Duickenall Rob[er]t Suerest John Lacke senior and others

Probatum erat Suprascriptum Testamentum coram mag[ist]ro Waltero Hadden legum doctore Curie prerogative Cant[uariensis] Comissa apud London Tertio Die mensis maij Anno mill[es]imo Quingentesimo lxiiijto Juramento Thome Potter executor[e] in h[uius]mo[d]i testamento no[m]i[n]at]o Cui comissa erat Administrac[i]o Omniu[m] bonoru[m] de p bene De bene &c Ac de pleno Inventar[io] &c Exibend[o] necnon de plano et vero Comp[utand]o inde redd[endo] ad sanct[i] Dei Evange[li] Jurat[o]

[The will was proved at London on the 3rd May 1564 by the oath of Thomas Potter the executor named in the will to whom administration was granted, he to exhibit a full inventory and a true account of his administration]

M[emoran]d[um] q[uo]d decimo sexto die mensis Maij Anno D[omi]ni 1584 Collac[i]o facta fuit inter testa[men]tu[m] suprascriptu[m] et ori[gina]le testamentum dicti def[uncti] in Reg[ist]ro tunc existen[t’], et id[e]m originale retraditu[m] fuit, Nisello Potter filio et heredi Thome Potter gen[erosi] executoris in eod[e]m testamento no[m]i[n]ati iuxta decretu[m] m[agist]ri Drury co[m]missarij et c[etera] tunc in presentia mei Anthonij Lawe notarij publici interpositu[m], Super receptione cuius quidem or[igina]lis et in testimoniu[m] eiusd[e]m Idem Nisellus in presentia Joh[ann]is Sulliard gen[erosi] nomen suu[m] subscripsit
Nysell Potter

[Memorandum that on the 16th of May 1584 a comparison was made between the above-written will and the original will of the said deceased, being then in the register, and the same original was handed over again to Nisell Potter, son and heir of Thomas Potter, gentleman, the executor named in the same will, according to the decree of Master Drury, commissary, etc, then introduced in the presence of me, Anthony Lawe, notary public. Upon the receipt of which same original [will] and in testimony of the same, the same Nisell in the presence of John Sulliard, gentleman, subscribed his name. Nysell Potter. ]

Notes:
kyne/kine - Cows: cattle, usually the milking cows in a herd
Feast of St Michael/Michaelmas - 29 September
Feast of the Annunciation/Lady Day - 25th March

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