Will of Richard Warham - September 16,
1623
[Probated Jan. 3, 1624/5 by John Wareham] In the name of God, amen. I, Richard Wareham of Crewkerne, in the countie
of Somerset, gent, being not well of body, but yet of perfect minde and
memory, thanks be to God, doe make my last will and testament in maner and
forme followinge. Imprimis I bequeath my soule to God that gave it, and my
body to the earth from whence it came.
I give to Agnes, my wife, all the corne that this yere growne upon my
ground in Crewkerne feildes; and my will is that Agnes, my wife, shall have
the use and occupacion of all suche beddinge as nowe remaineth in the two
chambers over the hall and buttery as allso the use of any pewter, brasse
and other necessarie implementes of howsehold as she shall have occasion to
use during her widowhood; and then my will is that shee shall leave them to
my executor.
My will is that if the twoe partes of my copyehold which my wife must
enjoye after me by custome doe not amount in value unto sixteen pounds per
annum, then so much of Mr. Pimans lease as being added there unto will
raise yt to that somme shall remaine for the performance of the same.
I give unto Magdalen Gibbs, my daughter, six shillings eight pence, and
to each of her children as much.
I give unto Joan Cossins, my daughter, and to each of her children six
shillings eight pence a peece.
I give to Marie Jeanes, the somme of ffive pounds, to be paide a yere
after her marriage, provided that shee marie not without the consent of her
aunt and my sonne, John Wareham.
I give to the poore of Crewkerne, twentie shillings, to be distributed
at the discretion of mine executor.
Whereas I stand and am ed possessed of and in divers leases, within the
mannor of Crewkerne of certaine lands there of and from somme of the lords
of the same mannor for and during the termes of three thousand yeares as in
and by the same leases more att lardge yt maye appeare I doe will and devise
the same unto John Wareham, my sonne, and after him to any one or more of
his children that hee shall thinke fittest to bestowe it upon, and my will
is that if the said John Wareham, my sonne, shall marrye, then it shall bee
lawefull for him to assure fortye pounds per annum unto his wife, during her
life out of the said leases, allways provided and my will is that if the
said John Wareham, my sonne, shall to dye unmarried, or beign married shall
dye without issure, then my will is that my leases of three thousand yeares
before mencioned after such estate as hee shall graunt to his wife for terme
of her life shallbe expired, shall comme and remaine unto Magdalen Gibbs and
Joane Cossins, my daughters, to be equally devided between them by fower
indifferent arbitrators whereof two shall be chosen by the one daughter, two
by the other, but yf the said Magdalen Gibbs or Joan Cossins shall happen to
dye before the said John Wareham, my soone, then my will is, that after the
childrens decease of John Wareham, my sonne, and after such estate as he
shall graunt unto his wife for terme of her life shall be expired, that my
leases of three thousand yeares before mentioned shall come and remaine to
any of the sons or daughters that the said Magdalen Gibbs and Joane have or
may hereafter have, at the discretion of the ffathers of the said children
to bee disposed by them after the former partition is made to any one of
their owne children begotten by my daughter and to none other.
My will is that whereas for diffect of issue in John Wareham, my son,
I have devised the halfendeale of my leases of three thousand yeres in
Crewkerne to Magdalen Gibbs, my daughter, and to her children after her,
my will is that neither shee nor any of her children shall enjoy yt, but
on condicion that shee suffer Joan, my daughter, and her issue to enjoy
the halfendeale of my house in Crewkerne unlesse shee compound with her
sister and give her valuable consideraction for it to the makeing of which
composicion I doe give them lawefull power in any case my will is that the
_______ of the said composicion shall remaine to her and her children and
to none other.
My will is that all the choldren o Magdalen Gibbs that she hath or may
have shall dye childeless then the legasie bequeathed to her, after the
decease of George Gibbs, her husband, shall remaine to Joane Cossins and
her children and yf all the children that joane Cossins either hath or
shall have dye childelesse, the legasie bequeathed to her and them after
the deacease of her and her husband shall remayne to Magdalen Gibbs and her
children and if both their children die childeles, then after their and
their husbands decease yt shall remaine to ye poore of Crewkerne towne.
Not withstanding all former legacies devised, willed, given and
bequeathed, I give my executor full power and authoritie to sell all my
former leases in Crekerne aforesaid for and towards the setling of his
children in some other place and otherwise. The residue of all my goods,
leases, chattells and debts not before given nor bequeathed my debts and
legacies discharged I doe give and bequeath unto John Wareham, my son,
whom I doe make my full whole and sole executor of this my last will and
testament.
/s/ Richard Wareham
Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of us
William Gaylord, the mark of me, Mary C________es.
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