Will of Thomas Prowse late of Cullompton
Proved 10 June 1646
© Crown Copyright
National Archives Catalogue Reference PROB 11/196/329 Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Twisse Quire Numbers: 53 – 101
Transcribed by Art Ames
In the name of God Amen
The thirteenth of February in the eighteenth yeare of the reigne of our Sovergne Lord Charles by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland king Defender of the Faith Anno Dom 1642 I Thomas Prowse the elder of Colompton in the countie of Devon esquire being now resolved to use my best endeavours to [ ] those [ ] and [ ] who have now invaded this countie of Devon and doe endeavor as much as in them lie to alter the fundamental lawes of this kingdom of England and that [ ] this most [ ] to a Christian the Protestant religion now established in the said kingdom in which religion I am now resolved to live and die and callinge to minde the frailetie of this life and the certaintie of death and the uncertaine houre thereof being of perfect minde and memorie doe make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following
First I commend my soule into the hands of Almighty God hopeing and fully assuringe myself by and through the only merritts of Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour to bee made partaker of everlasting life and my bodie to the earth from whence it had its first being and to bee buried in the chancel of the church of Colompton in such a convenient way as a man of quality ought to bee
Item I give and bequeath to the poore sort of people of the towne and parishe of Colompton in the said countie of Devon five pounds to be paid to the wardens and overseers of the said parishe wthin one halfe yeare next after my decease to bee distributed amongst the said poore people
Item I give unto ye poore of the parishe of Dunkeswell five pounds to be paid to the church wardens and overseers of the said parish wthin one half yeare likewise of my death to bee distributed likewise amongst the said poorer people
And to the poore of the parish of Wilton in the parish of Wilton in the countie of Somersett the like summe of five pounds to bee paid and distributed in like manner as the other two former five pounds ought to be distributed
Item whereas I am possessed of an estate of the prebend and mannor of Wanstrowe als Westwanstrowe in the said county of Somersett lately purchased from James Mabb prebend of the said mannor for the terme of fourescore and nineteene yeares if the said Thomas Prowse Robert Prowse and Thomas Prowse sonnes of the said Thomas Prowse the elder shall happen soe long to live
And whereas also I now stand possessed of diverse other chattels leases lyinge in the severall parishes of Cotley and the said countie of Deavon Dalwood in the county of Dorsett, Taunton St James in the said countie of Somersett for diverse yeares yett to come and unexpired my will and mind is that all my debts wherever of right or in conscience unto any person bee truely paid unto them by my overseers in this my will to bee named either by the sale of the said chattels seales or otherwise as they in their discretions shall think fitt and expedient
And I doe hereby give full power and authoritie unto my said overseers in this my Will to bee made to be named to make sale of the said chattels leases (if they shall see cause) and if any otherplus shall remaine after my debts beinge truely and justly paid then my will and meaninge is and I doe hereby give and bequeath the overplus of all the land chattles leases unto my youngest son George Prowse when he shall accomplishe the whole age of twenty and one yeares my said overseers allowing him a sufficient maintenance towards his education and bringing upp out of the residue of the maine profitts before he shall accomplish the said age of one and twentie years
And if my said son George shall happen to die before he shall accomplish the full age of one and twentie yeares then my will and minde is that the overseers of the said chattles leases be equally divided betweene my two sonnes Roger and Thomas Prowse
And I give and bequeath unto my five daughters Grace Elizabeth Agnes Joane and Prudence Prowse to each of them twentie pounds a year to be paid by my heirs out of my lands in Taunton and Wilton in the said county of Somersett to bee paid to every of them when they shall accomplish the said age of one in twenty yeares but if either of my said daughters shall happen to die before they shall accomplish the said age of one and twenty years then the said twentie pounds of her share shall not happen to die shall [ ] and come unto my said heirs
And whereas I now stand possessed of one farme called Wolford Church in the parishe of Dunswell in the countie of Devon for ninety nine yeares to come and beginne after an estate for a small number of yeares yet therein to come and unexpired I doe hereby give and bequeath the said farme called Wolford Church unto John Prowse my eldest sonne for all the said ninety nine yeares
And whereas John Tanner in the said countie of Devon gave by his last Will and Testament in writing and unto my two eldest daughters Grace and Elizabeth Prowse five hundred pounds apiece to bee paid according to ye true intent and meaninge of the same Will my will and minde is I doe hereby likewise give the said five hundred pounds apiece unto my said two daughters Grace and Elizabeth Prowse to be raised and paid unto each of them by the sale of two messuages or tenements called or known by the name of The Bell situate lyinge and beinge in Taunton in the said county of Somersett lately purchased by me of Roger Prowse my father gent (lately deceased) certain closes called Highlands conteyning by estimation six acres one close called the two acres and one other close called Hills close and one other close called Shireforde all lyinge in the said parishe of Wilton in ye said countie of Somersett the mannor of Chilton Prowse in the parishe of Thorverton in ye said county of Deavon and two our tenements lying within ye said parishe of Colompton in ye said countie of Devon now in the terme or possession of Richard Land and Richard Prowse to be paid to each of my said daughters Grace and Elizabeth Prowse according to the said last Will and Testament of the said John Tanner either by the sale of the said lands and tenements last before mentioned or otherwise as my said overseas or the most part of them in this my Will to bee named shall think it anyway expedient or beneficial unto them I doe hereby give full power and authoritie for sale of all the said land messuages and tenements last before herein expressed
Provided also that if my heirs or any other friends shall pay or cause to bee paid unto my said two daughters Grace and Elizabeth the said five hundred pounds apiece soe bequeathed and given unto them by the said John Tanner deceased their grandfather then my said overseers shall have noe power or authoritie to make sale or otherwise to dispose of all or any part of the said lands messuages or tenements last expressed but that the same shall wholly accrue then come unto my said heire for his use and benefit
All the residue of my goods and chattels not before herein given now bequeathed I doe hereby give and bequeath unto Agnes Prowse my deare and loveinge wife whom I make my whole and sole executrix of this my last Will and Testament revoking and making void all other and former Wills by mee already made
And I doe expressly intreatt my special good friends and kinsmen Jasper Chaplen Richard Prowse, John Munfie John Cole Thomas Pulman, Robert Prowse and William Wormer gent to bee overseers of this my Will and I doe hereby give full power and authoritie to my said overseers to devise grant or otherwise to dispose of all or many part of the said lands messuages tenements or leases according to ye true intent and meaninge of this by said Will noe way doubting of their care and industrie in pursuing of their best endeavours to see this my Will to bee justly and truely performed according to my true intent and meaninge and for their care and paines herein I doe give and bequeath to each of my said overseers twentie shillings apiece to bee bestowed in gould rings and they to weare them for my sake as a testimonie of my true love towards them and if there should happen any ambiguitie or doubt to arise in this my Will concerning the meaninge thereof my will and meaninge is that my said overseers shall have the whole [ ] and indemnity and what they or the most of them shall agree upon I doe thereby allow and approve to bee the true intent and meaninge of this my said Will
In witness hereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale the day and yeare first above written Tho Prowse
Witnesses to the sealing and publishinge of this my Will Ri Vicary John Moulton
Probate in Latin