Person:Ralph Joslin (1)

The Will of Ralph Josselym of Roxwell, co. Essex, yeoman, dated 4 August 1626 and signed 3 Sep 1628:

To my wife Dorothy an annuity of £20 for life, in recompense of her dower rights in all my lands and tenements. Whereas I desire that my wife shall dwell and abide with my two sons Ralph Josselyn and Symon Josselyn in the house wherein I now dwell, she shall have convenient lodging there, with free ingress and egress of the said house or farm called Bollinghatch, with sufficient meat, drink, apparel, washing, and attendance, to be provided by my executors, and they shall pay to my said wife 25s. quarterly during her life, in recompense of both the said £20 and her dower. And if she shall leave my sons' house, then they shall pay her the said £20 a year and also give to her for her own use six pairs of the best sheets, two dozen napkins, three tablecloths, and four towels. To my brother Symon Josselyn, in recompense of his brotherly love toward me and his care of my children, an annuity of £25 for life and the use of the upper chamber over the parlor of my said house wherein he now lives, with the bedding in the same and all necessary implements of household. My executors shall allow him for life the use of one good gelding or nag with a saddle and furniture. Whereas I have given to my eldest son John his portion of lands and other estate amounting to £800, nevertheless my executors shall pay him £10 within ten years after the decease of my wife and my brother Symon, if he be living, and if he be dead, then the £10 shall be paid to his son Ralph Josselyn. To my son Thomas and my daughter Mary £5 apiece, to be paid within the said ten years. To my daughter Anna £10, to be paid within the said ten years. To my son Richard £200 for his portion and in recompense of £15 given him by the will of my brother Thomas Josselyn, deceased, to be paid within one year after the death of my wife and my brother Symon; and if they both die before me, then it shall be paid within four years after my decease. And if my executors make default of payment of the said £200, then I bequeath to my son Richard 20 acres of land called Highfield, in Roxwell, and my said farm called Bollinghatch, to him and his heirs for ever, with a foot-, horse-, and cartway, for himself, servants, etc., through a field called the field before the gate, parcel of said farm, to be directly leading next the hedge against Nyne acres, parcel of the lands called Foulchers, from the King's highway into said Highfield. To my son Joseph £160 for his portion and in recompense of £15 given him by the will of my brother Thomas Josselyn, deceased, to be paid within two years after the death of my wife and my brother Symon; of ir they both die before me, then within five years after my decease. And if my executors make default of payment of the said £160, then I bequeath to my son Joseph and to his heirs for ever all those parcels of wood and land called Woodfeilds, Spicers Crofts, and Bollinghatch Grove, with a part of Mottshott next to the lane leading to Funbridge end, and to be divided at the path leading from Woodfeild to Fowchers, all of which said closes before devised to my son Joseph are parcels of my said farm. To my son Nathaniell £100 for his portion and in recompense of £15 given him by the will of my brother Thomas Josselyn deceased, to be paid within three years after the decease of my wife and my brother Symon; and if they both die before me, then to be paid within six years after my decease. My executors shall allow my daughter Elizabeth sufficient meat, drink, and apparel, and all other things necessary for her maintenance of life; and if she shall survive them, they shall provide for her maintenance during her life. To the poor of Roxwell 20s. The rest of my goods unbeueathed and all my said farms, lands, etc., called Bollinghatch, with all the houses, edifices, buildings, yards, gardens, orchards, etc., belonging thereto, and all closes, pastures, and wood growing belonging thereto, and all the ways, waters, etc., lying in Newland, Roxwell and Writtle, or elsewhere in the said County of Essex, to my sons Ralph Josselyn and Symon Josselyn and the heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten. If my son Symon die without issue, reversion of his portion to my son Nathaniell and his heirs for ever; and if my son Ralph die without issue, reversion of his portion to my son John and his heirs for ever. If my sons Ralph and Symon do not pay the said sums to my sons Richard and Joseph, then this devise to my sons Ralph and Symon of the said several closes to my said sons Richard and Joseph provisionally formerly devised shall cease, and the said closes shall remain to Richard and Joseph according to my former devise.

Executors: my sons Ralph Josselyn and Symon Josselyn. Overseer: muy son Mathaniell Josselyn.

Witnesses: Ma: Bridges, William Rochell his mark, William Smith, and Cha: Smyth.

Proved 4 May 1632 by Ralph Joslin and Simon Joslin, sons of the deceased. (P.C.C., Audley, 57.)

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} French, Elizabeth. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register: Genealogical Research In England
   vol. 71, July 1917, page 250.
2. ↑ Josselyn, Jostlin, Joycelyn
3. ↑ Lack of a record of the date of Ralph's second marriage make it impossible to know which children should be attributed to which wife. However, the birth of a daughter Dorothy in 1596 would indicate the marriage occurred prior to that date.