Arthuri Staveley

In the Name of God Amen

this thirtieth day of September Anno Dom 1696 and in the eighth year of the reign of our sovereign Lord William the third by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King defender of the Faith. I Arthur Staveley citizen and Draper of London being in good healthy of body and of sound and perfect mind and memory (praised be God for the same) but considering the uncertainty of this life do make and ordain this my Testament containing therein my last will in manner and form following that is to say - First I comend my soule unto the hands of Almighty God my heavenly Father hoping to obtain remission of my sins and life everlasting in by and through the merits death and mediation of his son Jesus Christ my only saviour and redeemer and by no other waies and means whatsoever and my body I commit to Earth whereof it was formed believing the resurrection of it at the last day to be privately and decently buried in such manner and place as to my executors shall seem meet and convenient and as for such worldly goods and estate as it has pleased God to bestow upon me I give and dispose of thereof in manner following that is to say. Impris I do give and bequeath unto my loving wife Barbara the sum of two thousand pounds of lawfull money of England. Item I doe give unto my said loving wife all my household goods and furniture in my now dwelling house without Bishopsgate London and also all my plate jewells rings linnen and wearing apparell. Item I do give and bequeath unto my loving son Babington Staveley the sum of Fifteen hundred pounds of lawfull money of England. Item I give and bequeath unto my said son Babington all that messauage on tenement situate at North Hall in the County of Hertford with all my right title and interest therein to hold the said premises to the use and behoof of my said son Babington his executors administrators and assigns during the remainder of my lease or term of years to come therein.

Item I give unto my executors thereafter named the sume of two hundred pounds of lawfull money of England upon trust that my said exectuors or the survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivors shall as soon after my decease as conveniently may be dispose of the said two hundred pounds at interest or some other way of improvement as to him her and them shall seem most meet and convenient to the intent and purpose that the interest and profit thereof from time to time as received shall be paid to my loving daughter Elizabeth Chaules wife of Charles Chaules to and for her sole and separate use and benefit during the term of her natural life and so as her husband shall no ways be intitled unto or have or receive the same and her acquittance from time to time to be a discharge and from and after the decease of my said daughter then my will is that the said two hundred pounds shall be paid to my grandaughter Elizabeth Chaules daughter to the said charles Chaules if she be then living but if it shall happen my gran daughter Elizabeth shall due before her said mother then my will is that the said legacy shall be equally divided amongst all my grand children which shall be living at the deceased of my said daughter Elizabeth Chaules share and share alike and my will is that my executors shall not be chargeable with or accountable for the said money or any part thereof in case the same shall be casually lost in letting out. Item I give unto my son in law Charles Chaules all shuch sum and sums of money as he shall owe and be indebted to me at the time of my decease. Item I give and bequeath unto my loving daughter Mary Cox the wife of John Cox the sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money of England. Item I give and bequeath unto my loving daughter Barbara Cripps the wife of Nicholas Cripps the sum of one hundred pounds of lawfull money of England. Item I give and bequeath unto my loving daughter Judith Avis the wife of John Avis the sum of one hundred pounds of lawfull money of England. Item I give and bequeath unto my loving daughter Katharine Price the wife of Charles Price the sum of one hundred pounds of lawfull money of England. Item I give unto my daughter Ann Riddle the sum of ten pounds to buy her a piece of plate. Item I give to my daughter Hannah Barnett the sum of ten pounds to buy her a piece of plate. Item I give to Arthur Cox my Godson the sum of ten pounds to buy him a piece of plate. Item I give to Nicholas Crips my godson the sum of ten pounds to buy him a piece of plate. Item I give to Arthur Avis son of John Avis the sum of ten pounds to buy him a piece of plate. item I give to all the rest of my grandchildren that shall be living at the time of my decease the sum of Five pounds a piece to buy them plate. Item I give and bequeath unto the poor of the parish of Cossington in the County of Leicester where I was borne the sum of Five pounds of lawfull money of England to be disposed of at the discretion of the Minister of the said parish for the time being. All the rest residue and remainder of all and singular my goods chattels debts ready money and all ohter my estate whatsoever and wheresoever that sahll remain after my debts paid Funeral charges Legacies and Gifts discharged I do give unto my said loving wife Barbara and my said loving son Babington Staveley to be equally divided between them to their own use and behoof forever and I doe make and ordaine and appoint my said loving wife Barbara and my said loving sonn Babington Staveley to be executors of this my last will and testament not doubting but that they will execute and perform the same in all things according to my pure intent will and meaning herein contained and I desire my said four sons in law John Cox, Nicholas Cripps, John Avis and Charles Price to be overseers of this my last will desiring them to be assisting to my said executors in the due execution thereof. In Witnesse whereof I the said Arthur Staveley the testator have to this my last will and testament contained in three sheets and this part of a sheet of paper set my hand to each sheet and my seal to the whole renouncing revoking disannulling and making void all former wills and testaments by and before make the day and year first above written. Arthur Staveley. Sealed subscribed published and delared by the said Arthur Staveley as his last will and testament in the presence of us who have hereunto set our names in his presence. Wm. Throssell at the Angel and Crown in Threadneedle Street, Robert Stamper Sr, Robert Bishop his Servt.

Probate granted in London in 1698

 

In the Name of God Amen

I Barbara Staveley of the parish of St. Andrews, Holborne, London Widow being weake in body but of sound and disposing mind and memory (thanks be to God for the same) doe make my last will and testament in manner and form following. First and principally I command my soul into the hands of Almighty God my creator hopeing and trusting through the merrits and ? of my blessed savior and redeemer to obtain forgiveness of all my sinns and everlasting happiness in the world to come and my body I resigne to the earth to be buried in the parish church at Colledge Hill London in private and decent christian manner at the discretion of my executor herein after named and as to such worldly goods and estate as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me. I dispose thereof as followeth. Imprimis I give and bequeath to my daughter Barbara Cripps the summe of Two hundred pounds. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Judith as is all my linnen and wollen wearing apparrell having to her ? to give what she pleaseth thereof to my maid servant from whereas my son in law John Avis husband of my daughter Judith is justly indebted unto me the principall summe of one hundred pounds by or upon our bond or obligation I doe hereby give to and forgive and release to the said John Avis the said principall debt and all ? for the same and direct and require my executor to cancell the same bond and for or towards a provision for my said daughter Judith separate and exclusive of her said husband with which it is my will and mind he shall no wayes intermeddle nor hold any power or control over. I doe give and bequeath unto my son in law Nicholas Cripps the sume of Five hundred pounds upon the speciall trust and confidence in him reposed and herein after mentiond (that is to say) that the said Nicholas Cripps shall retaine in his hands the said Five hundred pounds so given to him upon turst as aforesaid in trust and for the sole and separate benefitt of my said daughter Judith forewhich he shall pay or ? to be said unto her own proper hands and not to the hands or direction of her husaband five per cent per annum by four equall quarterly payments the First payment to be made three months after my decease. And I doe hereby direct that my said daughter Judiths Receipt and Receipts in writing notwithstanding her Coverture shall be as good and valid for such interest money from time to time as if she was sole and unmarried at the giving thereof and I doe impower my said daughter Avis by her last will and testament or any writing by her siged in the presence of three or more creddible witnesses to give and dispose of the said Five hundred pounds after her decease unto and amongst such person or persons as she shall think fitt except her said husband that it shall and may be lawfull to and for my said son in law Nicholas Cripps to pay and distribute the said Five hundred pounds accordingly but in default of such will or writing then my will and mind is that the same Five hundred pounds and every par thtereof shall goe and be paid unto and amongst such child or children as my said daughter Judith shall have living at the time of her death in equall shares and proportions but in case she should have not such child or children then my will and mind is the same Five hundred pounds shall goe and be paid unto all my Grandchildren then living in equall proportions and it is my Further will and mind that for the better manifestation of the son I trust touching the said Five hundred pounds doe give for the benefitt of my said daughter Judith as aforesaid my said sonn in law Nicholas Cripps and I doe hereby require him within three months after my decease to give and deliver to my said daughter Judith an insturment in writing under his hand and seale executed in the presence of two or more creddile wittnesses hereby testifying and ? his haveing and retaineing the said summe of Five hundred pounds in his hands upon and subject to the turst thereof herein before expressed. But if at any time after my decease the said Nicholas Cripps shall think fit and be willing to discharge and divest himself of the said trust and sume of Five hundred pounds it shall and may be lawfull to and for him to put the same out at interest upon security subject unto the same trust. Thereof as are herein mentioned first giving my said daughter Judith three months notice of such his intentions any thing herein contained to the contrary thereof in any wise not withstanding And I doe further give unto my said daughter Avis Tenn pounds to buy her mourning. Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Catharine Price the summe of two hundred pounds. Item I give and bequeath a trunk of Linnen now in my son in Laws Cripps house unto and amongst my three daughters Barbara, Judith and Catharine equally to be divided between them share and share alike. Item I give and bequeath unto my grandson Babington Stavely one hundred pounds. Item I give and bequeath unto my Grandson Thomas Stavely the sume of Thirty pounds and to my Grandaughter Mary Stavely Thirty pounds. Item I give and bequeath to my grandson Nicholas Cripps twenty pounds and to my Grandson John Cripps five pounds and to my Grandson Thomas Cripps Five pounds and to my Grandson William Cripps five pounds and to my Grandaughter Barbara ? Fifty pounds and to my Grandaughter Catharine Cripps Five pounds. Item I give and bequeath unto my Grandson Arthur Avis ten pounds and to my Grandson Seth Avis Five pounds and to my Granddaughter Barbara Avis Five pounds. Item I give and bequeath unto my grandson Charles Price ten pounds and to my Grandson John Price Five pounds. Item I give unto my maid servant Elizabeth Damzell ten pounds. Item I give and bequeath to my said son in law Nicholas Cripps Five pounds to be by him given and distributed to the poor in such manner as he shall think fitt and lastly Revoking all former will and wills and testaments by me heretofore made either by word or writing notwithstanding any clause derogatory in the same I ordaine this to be my last will and testament and do constitute and appoint my said son in lase Nicholas Cripps sole Executor thereof not doubting of his faithfull discharging and executing such grantorship in witness whereof I the said Barbara Staveley the testatrix to this my present last will and testament have set my hand and seal the twenty ninth day of November Anno Dom 1720. And in the seventh year of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lord George by the Grace of God King of Great Brittaine France and Ireland defender of the faith. Barbara Staveley Signed sealed and published and declared by the said Barbara Staveley the testatrix for and as her last will and testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our hands as witnesses hereunto in her presence. Wm Butler, Abraham Moore.

Proved at London 1722