In the Name of God Amen the eighth day of April in the Thirtieth year of the Reigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles the Second by the Grace of God now King of England & Anno Dom[ini] 1678 I Nicholas Walby of Watton in the county of Hertford Butcher being in good health of body and perfect mind & memory thanks be to God for the same do make & ordaine this my last will & testam[en]t in manner following First I com[m]end my soul into the hands of Allmighty God hopeing by the merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour to be made partaker of live everlasting And my body I committ unto the earth to be decently buried at the discretion & charges of my Executrix hereafter named And as touching my worldly goods I would have them thus bestowed First I give devise and bequeath unto my Eldest son Thomas Walby and his heires All those my foure acres of arable land be they more or les with their app[ur]ten[an]ces lying in the parish of Bengeo in the County of Hertford aforesaid whereof two acres are in a com[m]on feild there called Waterford feild and the other two acres in a feild called Barden To have and to hold the said foure acres with their app[ur]ten[an]ces unto him the said Thomas Walby his heires and assignes for ever Item I give & devise unto my son Ralph Walby his heires and assigns All that my close or Pightell com[m]only called Pickets Pightell in the parish of Bennington in the said County of Hertford and now in the tenure of Thomas Juice gent or his assignes with the app[ur]ten[an]ces unto the said Ralph Walby and his heires unto the only use benefit & behoof of him the said Ralph Walby his heires and assignes for ever Item I give and bequeath unto my loveing wife Elizabeth Walby All those my thre tenem[en]ts situate & being in Watton aforesaid whereof the one is called or known by the names of Lowins house and is now in the tenure of Prudence Nash One other is the house wherein I now live And the third tenem[en]t is therunto adjoyning & now in the tenure of Thomas Fallowfeild with all the barnes stables out houses and gardens orchards & app[ur]ten[an]ces whatsoever unto the said thre tenem[en]ts belonging And allso two acres of arable land be they more or les with the app[ur]ten[an]ces lying in Lamsden in the parish of Aston in the said county of Hertford To have and to hold the said thre tenem[en]ts and two acres of land and all other the premises with their app[ur]ten[an]ces unto the said Elizabeth Walby & her assignes for and dureing the terme of her natural life And from and after the decease of the said Elizabeth I do give devise and bequeath the said tenem[en]t called Lowins house with the app[ur]ten[an]ces unto my daughter Mary Punter her heirs & assignes To have and to hold the said tenem[en]t called Lowins house with the app[ur]ten[an]ces unto the said Mary Punter her heires and assignes for ever And the said other two tenem[en]ts in Watton aforesaid and the said two acres of arable land in Lamsden & all other the said premises with the app[ur]ten[an]ces thereto belonging I do give and bequeath after my said wives decease unto my son George Walby and his heires To have and to hold the said two teneme[en]ts in Watton & two acres of land in Lamsden & all other the said premises with their app[ur]ten[an]ces unto the said George Walby his heires and assigns To the use and behoof of him the said George Walby his heires and assignes for ever Yet upon this condicion following that is to say That he the said George Walby his heires or assignes do well and truely pay or cause to be paid unto my Son Thomas Walby aforesaid his executor or admin[istrat]or the full sume of ten pounds of lawfull English money within two yeares after my decease at or in the parish church porch of Watton aforesaid And also that he the said George Walby & his heires do from time to time & at all times hereafter quietly permit & suffer my daughter Mary Punter aforesaid and her heires & assignes to have and enjoy at her and their own will & pleasure free liberty of ingress & regress unto & for the well being in the yard belonging to the tenem[en]t where I now live for the drawing takeing & carrying away of water for her & their own use: the said Mary Punter & her heires paying therefore yearely & every yeare at the feast of St Michael or within seaven days after unto the said George Walby his heires or assigns at the said well One shilling of lawfull English money toward the repaire of buckets & ropes It[em] I do further give & bequeath unto the said Mary Punter my daughter that my Butchers stall or shambles situate in the market place within the town of Hertford in the county of Hertford now in the possession of one George Walby of Aston in the said County with the app[ur]ten[an]ces To have and to hold the said Butchers stall or shambles with the app[ur]ten[an]ces to the said Mary Punter her heires & assignes to the only use and behoof of her the said Mary Punter her heires & assignes for ever It[em] I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Crane the sume of forty pounds of lawfull English money to be paid unto her the said Elizabeth Crane her exec[uto]rs or admin[istrato]rs within one year next after my decease Finally all the rest of my moneys moveable goods and chattels whatsoever & wheresoever they be after my just debts funeral charges are first deducted and payed I do give and bequeath unto my said loveing wife Elizabeth Walby and I do make the said Elizabeth Walby sole executrix of this my last Will and testam[en]t In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seale dated the day & year first above written
Signed sealed & published in the presence of
The mark of James X Coles
John Mole
John Sykes clerk
the mark of Mary X Godhead
The mark of Nicolas X Walby testator
Inventory attached [not transcribed] dated 19 Jun 1678
