In the name of God Amen I Samuell Whitchurch of Froome Sellwood in the County of Somersett Mercer being in health of body and of sound and perfect mind and memory praised bee God but considering the frailty and uncertainty of this life and the certainty of death doe therefore make and ordaine this my last will and testament in manner and forme following hereby revokeing all former and other wills by mee made that is to say first and principally I commend my soule into the hands of Almighty God my Creator Stedfastly beleeveing and firmly hopeing that by and through the merritts intercession death and passion of my blessed Saviour and redeemer Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgivenesse of all my sins and to inherit eternall life and my body I commit to the earth to bee decently buried in Christian burial according to the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named and as for that temporall estate wherewith it hath pleased my good God to blesse mee in this world I give devise bequeath and dispose thereof as followeth Impris I give and bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife Alice Whitchurch one Annuity or yearly summe of forty pounds of currant English mony to bee paid unto her or her assignes by my Executor hereinafter named by equall quarterly payments to commence immediately from and after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my said wife all and every my houses holdstuffe and implements of household in my now dwell-house or elsewhere to bee delivered unto her immediately after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah Whitchurch the summe of two hundred pounds of currant English mony to bee paid unto her when shee shall accomplish or attaine unto her full age of one and twenty years or att her day of Marriage which shall first happen Item my will and meaning is and I doe hereby declare that my Executor hereinafter named shall pay unto my said daughter Sarah from and after my decease the summe of tenne pounds yearly by equall halfe yearly payments for her maintenance until shee shall attaine and come unto her said age of one and twenty years or bee married as aforesaid Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Hannah Whitchurch the like summe of two hundred pounds of like currant mony to bee paid unto her when shee shall accomplish or attaine unto her full age of one and twenty years or att her day of Marriage which shall first happen Item my will and mind is and I doe hereby declare that my Executor hereinafter named shall pay unto my said daughter Hannah from and after my decease the like summe of tenn pounds yearly by equall halfe yearly payments for her maintenance until shee shall attaine and come into her said age of one and twenty years or bee marryed as aforesaid and in case my said daughters Sarah and Hannah or either of them shall happen to dye before her or their said Legacie or Legacies shall become due and payable as aforesaid then my will and mind is that the Legacy or Legacies of her or them so dying shall be and remaine unto my Estate(?) Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne in law James Smith and to his wife my daughter tenn shillings a peece to buy them rings Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne in law James Bennett and unto his wife my daughter tenn shillings a peece to buy them rings Item I give devise and bequeath unto my three Grandchildren Samuell Sarah and Joane Smith sonn and daughters of my said sonne in lawe James Smith the summe of fifty pounds to bee equally devided and paid unto them respectively att their respective ages of one and twenty years or att their respective daies of marriage which shall first happen and in case any or either of my said grandchildren shall happen to dye before his her or their said Legacie or Legacies shall become due and payable as aforesaid then my will and mind is that the legacie or legacies of him her or them soe dying shall be and remaine unto the survivors and survivor of them share and share like equally to be divided and in case all my said grandchildren shall happen to dye before their said Legacies shall become due and payable then my Executor shall wholly have the same Legacies Item I give devise and bequeath unto my two Grandchildren Elizabeth and Mary Bennett daughters of my said sonn in Law James Bennett the like summe of fifty pounds to bee equally divided betweene them and paid unto them respectively att their respective ages of one and twenty yeares or daies of Marriage which shall first happen and in case either of my said Grandchildren Elizabeth or Mary Bennett shall happen to dye before her said Legacie shall become due and payable aforesaid then my will is that the legacie of her soe dying shall bee and remaine unto the survivor of them payable as aforesaid and in case that both my said Grandchildren Elizabeth and Mary Bennett shall happen to dye before their said Legacies shall come due and payable as aforesaid then my will is that the said Legacies soe given to them shall bee and remaine allsoe wholly unto my Executor Item I give unto my Loveing brother Leonard Whitchurch a gold ring Item I give unto my Maid servant Frances Gibbons the summe of forty shillings Item I give unto the poore of the parish of Froome Sellwood aforesaid the summe of five pounds to bee disposed of att the discretion of my Executor Item lastly all and singular my Lands Tenements Goods Chattells and Estate whatsoever as well realles personall freeholds or otherwise not herein or hereby before by mee given and disposed of I doe hereby give will devise and bequeath unto my sonne Jonathan Whitchurch whome I make ordaine and appoint full whole and Sole Executor of this my last will and testament and I doe hereby nominate and desire my loving brothers Edward and James Whitchurch my Cousin William Whitchurch Jun and George Hooper Sen to bee Overseers of this my last will and testament and I give unto each and every of them a ring as a token of my love to them desireing them to bee aiding and assisting unto my said Executor in the Execution of this my will hopeing they will find not trouble therein and that all my children and legatees will be contented herewith In witness whereof I have unto this my last will and testament sett my hand and seale this first day of February in the six and thirtieth yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles the second by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King defender of the faith (Latin) one thousand six hundred eighty three Sam: Whitchurch Signed sealed published and declared to bee the last will of the said Samuell Whitchurch in the presence of John Dusfield(?) Henry Leversidgie FS Thatcher
Probatum (in Latin) 4 Dec 1684 Jonathan Whitchurch son the Executor named in the will.
Reference: Transcribed from a digital copy of a handwritten transcription – England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858
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