a transcription:
In the name of God Amen the nyne and Twentith daie of December Anno Domini 1596 and in the Nine and Thirtith yeare of the Reigne of our Soveraigne Ladye Elizabeth by the grace of god Quene of Englande France and Irelande Defender of the faith etc I Richard weaver of Hayfed in the Parrishe of Lingfeild in the Countie of Surrey yoman sike in Bodye, but of perfecte mynde and memorie, praise be therefore geven to Almightie god, Consideringe with my self the uncerten Fate of this life, howe Suer I am to dye, and yett of the tyme and manner of my dyenge altogether uncerten, as experience dailie showeth, And beinge willinge to leave suche things in order as yt hath pleased god of his goodnes to lende me in this transytorie life Doe make and ordeyne my Last will and Testamente in manner and forme followinge viz First and princypally, I commende my Soule into the hands of almightie god assuredly trusting to be saved onelie by the death, and precyous bloud sheadinge of my Lorde and Savyour Jhesus Christe and by noe other meanes / And I will my bodie to be decentlie buryed in the Parrishe Churche of Lingfeild so neere the place where my other wiefe was buryed as convenientlie maie be att the discrecon of my overseers hereafter named / Item I give and bequeathe to Martha my Lovinge wiefe Two hundred poundes, To be paide unto her within sixe monethes nexte after my death And I doe further geve unto her all suche household stuffe as I hadd in marriage with her, and also Seaventene poundes in money more which she hath in her owne handes; and I geve unto her her dwellinge for one yeare next after my deathe in my house wherein I dwell, togeather with sufficient meate drinke and washinge duringe that tyme, So that she remaine soe longe sole and unmarried and use my Children well to the good lyknge of my saide Overseers / Item I geve and bequeath to my daughter Joane Foure hundred poundes, To be paide unto her att her age of One and twentye yeares or day of her marriage / first happenynge / And I geve more unto my saide daughter one Chest of Lynnen nowe standinge in my saide house whereof she hath a Locke and key, and two silver spones / Item I geve and bequeath unto my daughter Awdrey Foure hundred poundes to be paide unto her att her age of One and twentie yeares or day of her marriage firste happenynge / And I geve unto her one Chest of Lynnen whereof she hath the key, Provided alwaies That yf either of my saide daughters shall happen to dye before their saide ages or marriages, That then I geve the porcon of such of them as soe shall dye equally betwene the Survyvour of them and my Executour hereafter named / And yf in the meane tyme both my saide daughters shall happen to dye / Then I geve both theire porcons to my saide Executour / Item I will that the Legacye of Foure hundred poundes before bequeathed to my saide daughter Joane shalbe putt out to her use and surreytie taken for payment thereof accordinge to the true meanynge of this my Last will and Testament to the good likinge of my Overseers / And I will the porcon of the saide Awdrey shall remaine in the handes of George Dane grocer and Alexander Holloway my Brother in Lawe, and they to imploye the same for her most proffytt soe neere as they can; And I grante unto them the Gardyanship tuicon and bringinge upp of my saide daughter, and they to have allowance for her maintenance out of her saide porcon / Provyded alwaies and my meanynge is That the saide George and Alexander uppon receipte into their handes of the saide porcon of the saide Awdrey shall geve good surytie wyntlie or severallie for payment thereof accordinge to this my last will and Testament / Item I geve to the Child or children wherewith my saide wife nowe goeth Two hundred pounds, To be paide to the saide childe or children att his her or their ages of One and twentie yeares or severall marriages first happenynge / And I will that my saide wiefe shall have the saide Two hundred Poundes, and therewith to mainteyne and bringe upp the saide childe or children / and to make them such further proffitt thereby as she possiblie can / And I will, that yf the same childe or children before the saide age or marriage shall dye, That then I wil the saide Two hundred Poundes to be paide to my saide Executour / Provided alwaies and yt is my will That the saide Two hundred poundes shall remaine in the handes of the saide George Dayne and Alexander Holloway untill my saide wiefe shalbe delivered of a sonne / That then I geve unto hym and to the heires of his Bodye lawfully to be begotten forever / the revercon after the death of my saide wiefe of all those Houses and Landes whereof I have made my saide wiefe a Joynture / And for default of suche Yssue to Richarde Weaver my Sonne and his heires forever/ Item I geve and bequeath Fyve poundes to be distributed amoungest the poore att the discrecon of my saide Overseers Item I geve and bequeath to every one of my cosens Richard Dane, George Dane Emme Dane, and Anne the wiefe of William Shillman Three poundes a peece / Item I geve and bequeathe to my lovinge brother Thomas Weaver Fyve poundes / Item I geve and bequeath to Richarde John and William the Sonnes of my saide Brother Thomas Weaver, To every of them Three poundes a peece, and to be paide to theire saide father for theire use And I will that their Fathers acquittance shalbe a sufficient discharge for the same Item I geve to Katheryne Jewell my goddaughter Fyve poundes, to be paide att her age of One and twentye yeares or marriage first happenynge, Item I geve to my servante William Jewell Fortie shillings, To be paide to hym att his age of One and twentye years or his marriage first happenynge / which two Legacies last menconed I will shalbe paide to the saide Alexander Hollowaye for the use of the saide Katheren and William, And I will that the Acquittance of the saide Alexander shalbe a sufficienct discharge for the same / And that uppon the Receipte thereof, the saide Alexander shall geve his Bonde for payment thereof accordinge to this my Last will and Testament, Item I geve and bequeath to every one of my servants Richarde Medhurst Dorothy Clemens and Walter Five shillings a peece; And I geve to my godchilde att Richarde Gyles and to my godchild att Nicholas Fosters to either of them three shillings foure pence Item I geve and bequeath unto my Sonne Richard Weaver the Leasses of my farme att Hayfed, withall my Landes Tenements rents and appurtenances whatsoever to the same belonginge / And all my rights tytle interest and terme of yeares which I have or maie have of in and to the same Togeather also with all other my goods Legacyes and funeralls first discharged and this my presente Testament in all things duely performed / And I doe make name and appointe my saide Sonne Richarde Weaver the sole and onelie Executour of this my Last will and Testamente / And I doe make and appointe Overseers of the same the said George Dayne Alexander Holloway and Thomas Weaver, Desyringe them as my trust is in them to be aydinge and assistinge to my saide Executour in the performance hereof / And I geve to every one of them for theire paynes herein to be taken Twentye shillings a peece and all suche Costes charges and expences as they or any of them shall disburse or laye oute for ane cause or matter whatsoever which shall any waie touche or concerne this my laste will and Testamente / Provydinge alwaies and yt is my will that my saide Brother Thomas Weaver shalbe assistante to my saide sonne duringe his mynoritie touchinge the accupyenge of Hayfed Farme, and he to have allowed hym for his paynes Fortie shillinge a yeare and meate drinke Lodginge and washinge soe he doe performe that charge / Item yt is my specyall intente and meanynge / And I will and appointe hereby / That the saide George Dayne and Allexander Holloway duringe the mynoritie of my saide Sonne Richard shall take upp gather and receave all the Debts rents profitts and Legacies comynge grwinge or to be receaved of or for any my Debts Landes Tenements or heredytaments / And I will and appointe that they and the Survyvor of them shall have aucthorytie duringe the Mynoritie of my said sonne to lett all and everie my Landes and Tenements / And to sell Tymber for the reparacon of any of my houses or buildings / And I will that they shall att the age of One and twentie yeares of my said sonne Richarde make unto hym a true and perfecte accompte of all suche Rents debts somes of money and goodes as shall have come to theire handes / And I will that my said Executour shall allowe of suche of my saide Legacies as they shall have paide, and all other causes touchinge the same beinge don accordinge to my plaine meanynge / And I will that they shall pay and redeliver the Remainder of my saide goodes debts rents and other things then remaynynge in theire or either or theire Custodies unto my saide Executour att his saide age of One and twentie yeares / And then I will, that my saide Executour shall geve unto them sufficient discharge for suche Causes as they or either of them shall have delt in touchinge the execucon of this my Last will and Testament / And I make and appointe the saide George Dayne and Alexander Holloway Gardyans over my saide sonne Richard Weaver duringe his mynorite / And I doe hereby geve and grauntt unto the saide gardyans full power and aucthorytie in all Causes and Busynesses whatsoever which shall anie waie touche or concerne the execucon of this my Testament and Last will / In witness whereof I have hereunto putt my seale the daye and yeares abovesaide / Memorandum that theis wordes were interlyned in the fifte sheete before thenseallinge hereof. viz / And for defalt of such yssue to Richard Weaver my Sonne and his heires forever / This is acknowledged to be the Last will and Testament of the saide Richarde Weaver / And by hym signed and sealed in the presence of us Roberte Lighe, and Thomas Ceant his marke, the marke of Richarde Weaver
[proved 27 April 1597]
