In the name of God Amen I Mary Phesaunt of West Langton in the County of Leicester Widdow doe make and ordaine this to be my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following revoaking and hereby annulling all former wills by me made whatsoever First I doe com[m]end my Suole into the hands of God who gave it and my body I com[m]itt to the dryt? desireing that it may be buried in the Chancell of Langton Church whereunto I parish in such decent sorte as shall seeme meet to my Executors herein hereafter named my temporall Estate I dispose of as followes I give and bequeath all my Lands Tenem[en]ts and hereditam[en]ts in West Langton East Langton or else where w[hi]ch I purchased of any person or persons whatsoever togeather with all my plate Jewells and Household stuffe (except one pearle necklace) unto my Grandsonne Stavely Staunton and the Heyres of his body lawfully to be begotten And for want of Such issue to my Grandson Francis Staunton and the heyres of his body lawfully to be begotten and for want of such issue to my Granddaughter Elizabeth Staunton and the heyres of her body lawfully to be begotten and for want of such issue then to my daughter Constance Overton and the heyres of her body lawfully begotten or to be begotten and failing such issue to my Couz[e]n George Stavely sonne of Thomas Stavely Esq[ui]r[e] deceased and his heyres for ever And I doe give and bequeath all my other personall Estate goods Chattels creditts Bonds ready money togeather with all the rents issues and profitts ariseing from all my lands Tenem[en]ts and hereditam[en]ts before mentioned unto my Ex[ecut]ors for the paym[en]t of my debts legacyes and expences in the first place and the remainder and Overplus thereof for the use and benefitt of my grandsonne Stavely Staunton or whosever shall have the said Lands according to the disposierd? afores[ai]d Nevertheless although I have bequeathed my reall and personall Estate as afores[ai]d yet my Will is and I doe hereby declare that it is w[i]th under and subject to these provisoes and limitac[i]ons following (vizt) Whereas my Sonne Staveley Staunton Esq[ui]r[e] dec[eas]ed did (in and by his last Will) give unto his sonne the said Francis Staunton and his heyres all Staysden Farme that was rented by Pearles with the rents and profits thereof from the time of his death Now that my Sonne Stavely Staunton's Will may be the more Surely? performed in that particular if my said Grandsonne Stavely Staunton doe not or shall not upon reasonable request after he shall have attained the age of one and twenty yeares confirme and assume the said Staysden Farme unto the said Francis and his heyres with all mance? and discharge of all the profitts thereof received to and for the use of the said Francis Staunton Then I doe give and devise unto the said Francis Staunton all that ancient Cottage or Tenem[en]t homestead and three Closes thereunto adjoyning togeather with three yard lands with the appurten[an]ces purchased by my of William Hubbard and all those foure Messuages or Tenem[en]ts two yard Lands and a quarterne? of one other yard Land two setts of comon grasse ad and old cottage comon with the appurten[an]ces purchased by my of Richard Hubbard and all that Capitall Messuage Homestead and two yard lands with the appurten[an]ces purchased by me of William Wright all in West Langton afores[ai]d To have and to hold the same unto the said Francis Staunton and his heyres untill my said grandsonne Stavely Staunton shall have assured and confirmed the said Staysden Farme unto the said Francis Staunton and his heyres with all meance? and discharge of all the profitts thereof received to and for the use of the said Francis according to the true intent and meaning of his Fathers said last Will Alsoe I give and bequeath out of the yearely rents and profitts of those two parcells of old Inclosure containing by estimac[i]on five acres be the same more or lesse adjoyning to the Hopp yard and purchased by me of Henry and Richard Strelly the Summe of three pounds yearly for ever To my ? Lewis of Foxton and Thomas Watts the elder of Turlangton and to two other such honest and sufficient men in the parish of Langton or dwelling thereabouts as my Exeuctors shall nominate and appoint to the use intent and purpose from time to time to teach poore children in West Langton and East Langton afores[ai]d to read and by them books and putt them out Apprentices And in case any of the four Overseeers dye or remove or quitt his or theire ? Then I will that the Survivors or the major part of them choose another or others in his or theire roome to execute the said Trust as is hereby appointed and not otherwise Alsoe I give my pearle necklace to my granddaughter Elizabeth Staunton Alsoe I give a legacye of tenn pound to Anthony Hutching and to each other of my hired Servant w[hi]ch shall dwell with me at the time of my death the Sume of fourty shillings apeece Alsoe I doe give to the poore of West Langton and East Langton five pounds to be divided amongst them as my Executors shall think meet Alsoe my Will is that Executors sett up a Monum[en]t in the Chacnell of Langton Church afores[ai]d for my Father Arthur Stavely Esq[uir]e deceased and for my selfe and children and that the charge thereof exceed not one hundred or six score pounds and doe make and appoint my loveing Friends William Palmer of Wanlipp in the County of Leicester Esqu[uir]e and William Massey of Harborough in the County of Leic[este]r afores[ai]d gent[leman] Executors of this my last Will and alsoe guardians of my grandchildren Stavely Staunton Francis Staunton and Elizabeth Staunton until they attaine to theire respective ages of one and twenty yeares and I doe give to each of my said Executors tenn pounds to buy them mourning And Further my Will is that Mr John Jennings shall be employed to manage lett and sett all the Lands and Tenements that shall come to my said grandchildren and that he shall yearely give account of the profitts and Revenues thereof unto my said Executors or the Survivor of them and that the said rents and profitts from time to time be applyed and imployed for the uses aforesaid And my Will is that the said John Jennings shall have the allowance of fourty pounds yearely for his care paines and travelling about the premises And my Further Will is that my Executors shall be accountable to my here for all my goods Chattels personall Estate rents and profitts w[hi]ch they shall receive and shall be answerable to him for the same onely they shall deduct the debts and legacyes afores[ai]d w[hi]ch they shall have disbursed and reserve to themselves all necessary and reasonable charges damages and expences w[hi]ch they or either of them shall have expended & sustained in or about the execut[i]on of this my last Will In Wittnesse whereof I have to this my last Will and Testam[en]t sett my hand and seale this fourteenth day of August in the fourth yeare of the Raigne of our Soveraigne Lord King James the second over England &c Annoq Do[mi]ni one Thousand Six hundred eighty eight Mary Phesaunt. Signed sealed and declared to be the last Will and Testam[en]t of Mary Phesaunt in the presence of John Mardewell Sen[ior] Mary Mardewell Jos. Tater? Joseph West
[Probate in Latin: proved at London 13 Feb 1688/9 by William Massey]
