(Dunno the Latin sentence -- unusual start) ...The serious considerac[i]ons whereof hath caused me John Cockshute this fourteenth day of June 1649 to make this my last will and testament as followeth First I humbly returne my soule into the hands of my most gratious Creator stedfastly beleiveing I shall receive salvation through the only merritts of Jesus Christ my most mercifull Redeemer. I leave my body to the earth to be buried at the discretion of my executors and wish the same at Sandersted by my deere wife if conveniently it may be. And I give to the poore of the parish where I shalbe buried three pounds And in disposition of the worldly estate with which it hath pleased Almighty god to blesse me, I give to my loveing sister Judith Walkenden twenty Nobles a yeare dureing her life to be paid to her selfe for her owne vse And I give to every of her Children shee shall have liveing at my decease twenty pounds apeece to be disposed of for their education or binding as apprentices as my executors shall thinke fitt. And I give and bequeath vnto my Nephew Richard Langton in consideratcon and satisfaction of certaine mony and plate I have in my hands of his, as also out of the affection I bare [sic] towards him, two hundred pounds, to be paid him at his age of one and twenty yeares, and the whole or any part thereof to be disbursed sooner to binde him apprentice or other preferment as my executors shall thinke fitt And I pray them to looke vpon him as left to my care by his parents And what I shall disburse after the date hereof to binde the said Richard Langton apprentice my will and meaneing is shalbe deducted out of the said two hundred pounds And I give to Tho[mas] Fox (if he continue my servant at my death) five pounds. I desire authorize and appointe my executors or the Survivo[r] of them within three yeares or so soone as the same may conveniently be donne with the advice of my Overseers or either of them of hee or they be neere London or may conveniently be advised with to lay out and dispose my personall estate or such part thereof as my executors shalbe able to gett into their hands vpon Land And I will and desire that the proffitte[s] of my whole estate be imployed by my executors for the maintenance of my children, and for the raiseing of fifteene hundred pounds, which I herby give and appoint for a porc[i]on for my daughter to be paid her at the age of one and twenty yeares or day of marriage And in case shee marry before twenty one yeares of age without the consent of one of my executors or overseers Then I will and appoint such part of her portion be abated as one of my Executors and one of my Overseers shall thinke fitt or as both my Executors or as both my Overseers shall sett downe in writing vnder their respective hands and seales And in case the third part of my reall and personall estate shall not amount to fifteene hundred pounds at the time appointed for payment thereof Then I will my daughters porc[i]on shall not exceed one third part of my reall and personall estate at such time of payment of my daughters porc[i]on in case my sonne be then liveing or have any child. Item I give all the residue of my estate not hereafter disposed of to my sonne at his age of two and twenty yeares And I appoint such allowance for my childrens maintenance and education as my executors shall thinke convenient And if my daugheter dye before her attainement of one and twenty years or marriage Then I give her part to my sonne And if my sonn depart this life before one and twenty yeares of age or day of marriage Then I give one full third part of his part reall and personall estate the one halfe thereof to Richard Langton the other moitie to be devided betweene my sister Walkendens Children And the other two parts I give to my daughter the whole to be paid at the respective times appointed the said respective persons for other legacies or porc[i]ons And I will that Richard Langton and my sisters Children accept of such part and proporc[i]on for their respective shares of the said third parte as my executors shall sett downe in writing vnder their handes and in case of any of their refusall to accept thereof I appoint such share or proporc[i]on to my daughter And in case that both my children depart this life before either of their attainement of one and twenty yeares or marriage Then I give two hundred pounds apeece to each of my executors who shall have taken vpon them the trust herby limitted. And three hundred pounds to be bestowed in such charitable vse or vses as my executors shall thinke fitt. One hundred pounds thereof to be imployed at Sarret where I was borne and in case of such death of my children I give to the right hon[ora]ble Lady Banks two hundred pounds which I humbly desire her Ladishipp to accept as testimony of my acknowledgment of her honors worthy Lord and husband and her La[dyshi]pps favors towards me. And the residue of my estate reall and personall in case of such death of bothe my children I give to my Nephew Richard Langton and my sister Walkendens Children to be equally devided amongst them, to come to them at such time as their former Legacies, and in such dividente[s] as my executors shall make them, who I authorize to disburse for their education and preferment such part as they shall thinke fitt. And I make my approved freinds Henry Parker of Grayes Inn Esqr. and Mr Harman Atwood of Cliffords Inn my executors And I give each of then one hundred marks And my meaneing is And I desire the said Henry Parker shall give bond to one of my overseers before he the said Henry Parker doe take vpon him the execution of this my will that he will not take advantage by being named herein an Executor thereby to discharge any debt he doth or shall owe vnto me without due payment thereof, which I am assured he will most willingly performe. And if either of the persons named to be my executors shall happen to dye dureing the minoritie of my children or shall refuse to take vpon him the execution of this my will for three months after my decease Then I will and appoint my good freind Mr John Hanson to be my executor in the roome and place of him that shall soe first happen to dye or refuse And I give vnto him such Legacie and benefitts as I intended to my other executor And I make my most esteemed freind S[i]r William Drake knight and Baronnett and S[i]r Thomas Tempest knight Overseers of this my will And I pray each of them to accept of twenty pounds which I hereby give to buy each of them a ring in remembrance of me And I humbly beseech my Lady Bankes advice in the education of my daughter. And I desire my sonne may continue sonne [sic: some] time with Mr Hide out of the experience I have had of his abilitie and integritie and I herby give him tenn pounds. And soe I humbly comitt my Children to the Almighties blessing And my said freinds care. In wittnes whereof I have herevnto sett my hand and seale the day and yeare above said. John Cockshute. I give a ring of thirty pounds vallue to my worthy good Lady Harby S[i]r Jobs wife. I give further tenn pounds to my sister Walkenden to buy her mourneing. Published to my will in the presence of Ed[ward? mund?] Hoskins Hen[ry] Awbry Tho[mas] Fox [Looks like the standard Latin probate clause with the officers of the court granting probate on 22 November 1650 to Henry Parker armiger and Harman Atwood] With thanks to Judith Werner |