Will of Thomas Rolfe

of Folkestone, Kent

I give and devise unto my Kinswoman Elizabeth the Wife of William Lott All that my Farm situate lying and being at a place called Foxhole in the Parish of Swingfield in the said County and all that my undivided Moiety of and in my Farm called Fidling in the Parishes of Folkestone and Hawkinge in the said County To hold the same unto the said Elizabeth Lott during the term of her natural Life
and immediately from and after her decease I give and devise unto her son John Lott Eaton and to his Heirs

Also I give and devise my farm at Arpinge in the Parish of Newington and Cheriton or one of them at now in the Occupation of Stephen Pilcher also my Woodland lying in the Parish of Paddlesworth and Lyminge or one of them Also my Lands in the Parish of Cheriton now in the Occupation of Thomas Andrews and Wilson Wiles Also my individual Moiety of a certain Farm called Bankhouse Farm in the said Parish of Cheriton now in the Occupation of Abigail Howell Widow also my individual Moiety of a Farm called Gardeners Farm in the said Parish of Cheriton and Newington now in the Occupation of the Widow Rigden and Thomas Nichalls Also my Houses and Premises situate and being at Oranbrooke Also my half Part or share of several Houses called the Blue Houses in the Town of Hythe Also my House I live in and the rest of my Houses which are all in the said Town of Folkstone Vizt my two Houses at Mill Hill in the occupation of [BLANK] Griggs and George Boxer Also my Houses and Premises in a certain yard called Nichalls’s Yard in Dover Lane and also my three several Houses on the Bayle and Mercery Lane in the Occupations of Richard Binfield Luke Harden and ___ Cromby all which Premisses are in the several Parishes and Towns of aforesaid in the said County of Kent
unto my Friend William Reynolds of Folkstone aforesaid Attorney at Law and to his Heirs and assigns whom I hereby appoint sole executor of this my Will

Also I give the said William Reynolds All my Monies and all other my Real and Personal Estate whatsoever and to his Heirs Executors administrators and assigns Subject nevertheless and charged and chargeable with the payment of all my just Debts Funeral Expenses the Charges of Proving this my Will and carrying the same unto Execution and the several Legacies following which I direct to be paid within one year next after my decease / that is to say /

I give unto the said John Lott Eaton the Sum of Five hundred Pounds
unto my Kinswoman Sarah the Wife of Thomas Brown of Canterbury (subject to such Monies as her Husband may owe me at the time of my decease the Sum of six hundred Pounds
To their Son Henry Sladden Browne five hundred Pounds to their three other Sons Thomas, James and John the Sum of one thousand Pounds to be equally divided between them and to their two Daughters the Sum of five hundred Pounds each

I give unto my Kinswoman Amy Hodgson May the Wife of Edward May of Sittingbourne the Sum of Five hundred Pounds being the same Sum I have agreed by my Bond to give to her Sister Catherine now the Wife of George Wood of Sittingbourne
but in Case the Husband of the said Any Hodgson May shall be alive at my decease then I direct my Executor to put out the said Sum of Five hundred Pounds and to pay the Interest Only thereof to the said Amy Hodgson May during the life of her said Husband but in case of his death then to pay the said Sum of Five hundred Pounds to the said Amy Hodgson May
but in case he shall out live her then I direct my said Executor to retain the said Principal Sum of Five hundred Pounds with the Interest to grow due until the youngest of the Children of the said Amy Hodgson May shall attain the age of twenty one years and when such Child shall attain such age then to pay and divide all the said Principal and Interest Monies equally between the Children of the said Amy Hodgson May and the Issue of any of the said Children that may be then dead but the Issue of any of such Children dying shall only be intitled to such Part and share as his her or their Father or Fathers or Mother or Mothers would have been entitled unto if living
and declare that the said Principal Sum of Five hundred Pounds and the Interest thereof shall be paid into the Proper hand of the said Amy Hodgson May and that her Receipt only during her Coverture shall be a sufficient discharge for the Interest thereof and that her Husband shall not have any Controul or Power whatsoever over the same

Also I give unto my Godson Thomas Rolfe Smith the Son of Mr Eubulus Smith if he shall attain the age of twenty one years the Principal Sum of Four hundred Pounds which I have on Mortgage of his said Fathers House in Folkestone his Father paying all Interest up to the time of my decease and retaining the Interest afterwards towards bringing his said Son up till he attains twenty one years of age

Also I give to Ann Kennett my Servant the Sum of Fifty Pounds
and if I give any other Legacies I shall specify the same in a Codicil or Codicils to be added to this my Will
hereby revoking all former and other Wills by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament

In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Rolfe the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained in this and the preceding Sheet of Paper set my Hand and Seal to wit my Hand to the preceding Sheet and my Hand and Seal to this last Sheet and my Seal at the top where the said Sheets are affixed together this twenty sixth Day of July one thousand seven hundred and ninety four, Thomas Rolfe (LS)

Signed sealed Published and declared by the said Thomas Rolfe as and for his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses the interlineation in the eleventh thirteenth and twenty third lines of the first sheet being first made,
Willm Marsh, Wm Faithfull Jos Marsh.

This Will was proved at London on the seventh day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five before the Right Worshipful Samuel Pearce Parson Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Honourable Sir William Wynne Knight Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oath of William Reynolds the sole Executor named in the said Will to whom administration of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the deceased was granted he having been first sworn duly to administer.

Notes:
Thomas was baptised 15 March 1719, Hawkinge and buried there 3 January 1795, Hawkinge.
His brother Nicholas was baptised 11 July 1725, Hawkinge and buried there 1 February 1784. (See his Will)
Elizabeth Marsh married William Lott 3 July 1757, Hythe.
More about the Lotts and especially John Lott Eaton’s change of name as a result of an inheritance in 1779 from an Elizabeth Rolfe, a maiden aunt of his mother:
The Luck of the Lotts

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