Will of Thomasina Weare late of Cullompton
Proved 17 October 1629
© Crown Copyright
National Archives Catalogue Reference PROB 11/156/314 Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Ridley Quire Numbers: 60 – 113
Transcribed by Art Ames
In the name of God Amen the seaventh daie of June in the second yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God kinge of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith etc Anno Dm. one thousand sixe hundred twentie six I Thomasine Weare of Collompton in the countie of Devon being (God bee thanked) in good and perfect health and in perfect memory doe make and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following
First I commend and bequeath my soule to Allmightie God that made it trusting by a timely faith through the only meritts of Jesus Christ to bee saved in the great daye of the Lord and my body I ordayne and appoint to bee buried in the church of Collompton aforesaid in the north aisle thereof near unto the place where my sister Johan Weare was buried
Item I give and bequeath to the poore of Halberton twentie pounds to bee paid and distributed in manner and forme following that is to saie five pounds thereof to be distributed among the poore and needy persons of the said pish at the discretion of my executor hereafter named within one month after my decease and the other fifteene pounds by twentie shillings yearly during fifteene yeares after my death to bee distributed yearely in the church of Halberton aforesaid at or neare the place where John Weare my father was buried upon the sabbath daie next before Christmas Daie and immediately after evening prayer of the said daie among fortie poore and needie people of the same pish by six pence apiece and not otherwise
And I doe bequeath and appoint my brother John Weare my brother Thomas Weare my cosin John Weare sonne of my brother John Weare my cosin Nicholas Weare sonne of my brother Nicholas Weare deceased my cosin Nicholas Weare of Horidge my cosin [ ] my cosin Nicholas Turner of Waymill and John Palmer of Halberton or any two or more of them together with the churchwardens of the same parish or any one of them for the tyme beinge to be distributed of the said yearely sum of twenty shillings to such poore and needy people of the said parish as shall be then dwellinge within the said Parish and have been there resident & dwelling by the space of seaven yeares or about before the tyme of such distribution
And my will is that if any of the persons before named to bee distributors thereof shall happen to die then the heires or executors of such person or persons soe dying shall be then resident and dwellinge within the same parish together with the survivor or survivors of the persons aforenamed and the churchwarden or churchwardens aforesaid or any two or more of them shall be distributors of the said yearely summe of twenty shillings in manner and form aforesaid
Item I give and bequeath to the poore of Collompton aforesaid twentie pounds to bee paid and distributed in manner and forme following that is to saie five pounds thereof to bee distributed within one month after my decease by my executors hereafter named and by John Cole gent John Hill tanner Humfrey Cockram gent and George Cockram gent or any two of them among the poore of the said parish at the discretion of them or any two of them and the other fifteene pounds by twenty shillings yearely during fifteene years after my death to bee distributed yearly at or near the dwelling house wherein I now dwell situate in Collompton aforesaid upon the Sabbath next before Christmas Daie and immediately after evening prayer of the same daie among fortie poore and needy people of the said parish by sixpence apiece and not otherwise
And I doe request and appoint Mr Abraham Peter Mr Thomas Atkins Mr John Cole John Hill tanner Edmund Furse and William Sumpter all of Collompton aforesaid or any two or more of them together with the churchwardens of the said parish or one of them for the tyme being to bee distributors of the said yearely summe of twenty shillings to such poore and needy people of the said parish as shall be then dwellinge within the said parish and have beene there resident and dwelling by the space of seaven yeares or about before the tyme of such distribution
And my will is that if any of the persons before named to bee distributors thereof shall happen to die then the heires or executors of such person or persons soe dying which shall be then resident and dwelling within the said parish together with the survivor or survivors of the persons aforesaid and the churchwarden or churchwardens aforesaid or any two or more of them shall be distributors of the said yearely summe of twenty shillings in manner and forme aforesaid
Item I give and bequeath to the poore of Tyverton five pounds to bee distributed within one month after my decease by my executors hereafter named or any two sufficient honest men of the said towne whom he shall appoint togeather with the churchwardens there for the tyme being or by any two or more of them at their discretion amonge the poore and needy people of the said parish
Item I give and bequeath unto my brother John Weare for a remembrance of my love fortie shillings and I doe also forgive and acquite him of a debt of fortie pounds and all other debts which he oweth unto mee by penaltie or without penaltie at this present tyme of making this my Will
Item I give and bequeath unto my cosin John Weare sonne of my brother John Weare twenty shillings to bee bestowed in a gold ringe to weare in remembrance of mee and the reason wherefore I have given no greater or other legacy unto him is this my Will is because I have heretofore given and paid unto him the summe of one hundred and fiftie pounds upon his late marriage with the daughter of Mr Thomas Darke whereof he is fully satisfied
Item I give and bequeath unto my godsonne John Weare the sonne of my said cosin John Weare the summe of twentie pounds to bee paid within five years next after my decease if he shall be then livinge
Item I give and bequeath unto my cosin Nicholas Weare sonne of my brother Nicholas Weare deceased the summe of one hundred and fiftie pounds whereof I doe will and appoint that one bond or specialtie of his which I have whereby he doth owe me one hundred pounds principall money shall be delimited and yielded upp unto him immediately after my decease in full satisfaction of one hundred pounds parcell of the said debts and the other debt I doe appoint shall be paid unto him within two yeares after my decease and the reason wherefore I have given noe greater or other legacie unto him in this my Will is because I have heretofore given and paid unto him the summe of two hundred pounds at and upon his purchasing of a tenement in Broadhembury called Pittenhayes or Pitney whereof he is truly satisfied
Item I give and bequeath unto my cosin Elizabeth Weare daughter of my brother Nicholas Weare and nowe wife of William Chilcott fortie shillings for a remembrance of my love and the reason wherefore I have given noe greater or other legacy unto her in this my Will is because I have heretofore given and paid unto her the summe of two hundred pounds at and upon her said marriage with the said Mr Chilcott whereof she is truly satisfied
Item I give and bequeath unto my sister [ ] Thomas the wife of Roger Thomas of Thorverton fortie pounds to bee paid within two years after my decease if she shall be then livinge and also one halfe dozen of my best silver spoones and my best suit of apparell throughout witch I shall be owner of at the tyme of my death and the said spoones and apparell to bee delivered unto her within one month after my decease
Item I give to my cosin Nicholas Thomas sonne of the said Roger Thomas five pounds to bee likewise paid within two yeares after my death
Item I give unto god daughter Christian Thomas daughter of the foresaid Nicholas Thomas tenn pounds and I give ten pounds more to bee equally divided amonge all the other children of the said Nicholas Thomas which shall be livinge at the tyme of my death and the said several summes of ten pounds to be paid within two yeares after my decease
Item I doe will and demise forever fouer pounds to remaine lye and bee detayned in the hands of my executor hereafter name or the benefitt and behoofe of my sister Alice Thatcher the no wife of John Thatcher of Thorverton upon trust and confidence unto the end and purpose that my said executor duringe the joynt lives of the said John Thatcher and Alice his wife so satisfie and paie yearely unto the said Alice the use and interest of the said monie at the rate of eight pounds for a hundred pounds for her reliefe and maintenance and if the said Alice shall happen to overlive her said husband then my said executor or his assigns shall within one quarter of a yeare after the death of the said John Thatcher her husband satisfie deliver over and pay the said fouer pounds unto the said Alice to her own use and benefitt
And if it happen the said Alis to die in the lifetyme of the said John Thatcher her husband then my will and meaninge is that the said fouer four pounds shall within one halfe yeare after the death of the said Alice be satisfied and paid by my said executor unto my cosin John Thatcher the younger sonne of the said John Thatcher and Alice if he bee then livinge as a legacie thereof given unto him by mee but if the said John Thatcher the younger shall happen to die in the lifetyme of the said Alice and his father and the said Alice to die before her said husband then my will and meaning is that the said Alice Thatcher after the death of the said John Thatcher her sonne soe dying shall at or before her death if she die before her husband have full power to give and bestowe the said monie or anie part thereof to whom or in what manner she please and my said executor after the death of the said Alice shall paie the same accordingly to such her gift or bequest
Item I give to my said sister Alice Thatcher one halfe dozen of my second best silver spoones and my second best suite of apparell throughout which I shall be owner of att the tyme of my death to bee delivered unto her within one month after my decease
Item twenty pounds more I doe will and appointe to bee paid by my executors hereafter name unto the said Alice Thatcher within one halfe yeare after my decease which was a legacie given unto her by Johan Ware deceased my mother and doth remayne in my hands in trust for the said Alice
Item I give to my said cosin John Thatcher sonne of the said John Thatcher twentie pounds to bee paid within two yeares after my decease
Item I give unto my cosin Christian Littlejohn the wife of Hugh Littlejohn clerk ten pounds and to all the children of the said Hugh and xpian which shall be livinge at the tyme of my death twenty pounds to bee divided amonge them by even portions and the said thirtie pounds to bee paid within two yeares after my decease
Item I give to all the children of Henry Mill of Halberton which shall be living at the tyme of my death twelve pence apiece
Item I give to my cosin John Hellier sonne of John Hellier of Halberton deceased five pounds to bee paid within one yeare after my decease
Item I give unto George Palmer of Halberton fouer pence weekly to bee paid him by my executor hereafter named duringe the life of the said George Palmer
Item I give and bequeath unto Humfrie Palmer of Collompton carrier my kinsman fortie shillings and to my goddaughter Johan Palmer daughter of the said Humfrie twentie Shillings and to all the rest of the children of the said Humfrie which shall be livinge at the tyme of my death five shillings apiece all the said legacies soe given to the said Humfrey Palmer and his children to bee paid within one quarter of a yeare next after my death
Item I give unto Agnes Clarke the wife of John Clarke of Halberton fortie shillings
Item I give to all and every of my godchildren which have noe other legacie given to them in this my Will twelve pence apiece
Item I give unto my servant Elizabeth Clarke if she remaine in service with mee at the tyme of my death twenty pounds to be paid within one yeare after my death
Item I give unto my servant Margarett Land if she remaine in service with mee at the tyme of my death twentie pounds to bee likewise paid within one yeare after my death
Item I doe will and ordaine that twenty pounds shall be bestowed in and about my funerall which I desire maie be solemnized in good and decent manner
Item all the rest of my goods and chattells movable and unmovable debts penalties plate household stuffe and readie money not formerly given nor bequeathed in this my Will and also the chattell lease of my now dwelling house in Collompton aforesaid and all my right terme and interest in the said house I doe give devise and bequeath unto my brother Thomas Weare of Durham within the parish of Halberton aforesaid whom I doe also make and ordaine to bee my whole and sole executor of this my last Will and Testament and I do moreover charge my said executor as he will answeare it at the daie of judgment to performe and fulfill this my last Will and Testament in all thinges as neare as he can according to my good intent and meaninge herein expressed
And I doe ordain and appoint my well beloved cosin Mr Richard Turner of Horidge my brother John Weare of Halberton John Cole of Collompton gent and John Hill tanner of the same to be my overseers to assist my said executor in and about the performance of this my last Will and Testament and for theire paines in that behalfe I doe give to each of them fortie shillings apiece
In witness whereof I the said Thomasine Weare have hereunto sett my hand and seale the daie and yeare first above written
Memorandum upon the eighth daie of June in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred twenty five and in the second yeare of the raigne of our sovereign Lord King Charles of England etc the within named Thomasine Weare did acknowledge and declare this writinge to bee her last Will and Testament and thereunto did sett her signe and seale in the presence of us whose names are subscribed John Cole Humfrey Cockram Edmund Furse Alice Cockram
Memorandum upon the fourteenth daie of June in the aforesaid yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred twenty six this Will was again distinctly read unto the within named Thomasine Weare in the presence of Nicholas Turner gent and John Cole and the said Thomasine Weare did then again acknowledge and declare this writing to bee her last Will and Testament as aforesaid being contayned in these four leavesof paper Nicholas Turner John Cole
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