Babington Staveley
In the Name of God Amen
This fifth day of May Anno Dom one thousand and six hundred eighty and in the second yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord James the Second by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King defender of the faith I Babington Staveley of the parish of Northaw als Northall in the county of Hertford Citizen and Merchantaylor of London, being sick and weake in body but of a good and perfect mind and memory, praise be given to God Allmighty for the same doe make and declare this my last will and testament in manner and forme following that is to say. Imprimis I comend my soule into the hands of Allmighty God my creator and preserver hopeing and assuredly believeing through the death meritts and passion of Jesus Christ my Saviour to obtaine forgivenesse of all my sins and to inheritt everlasting life and my body I comitt to the Earth from whence it came to be decently buried in the parish church of Northaw als Northall aforesaid. And as touching that worldy or temporall Estate which God in his great mercy hath bestowed on me I give dispose and bequeath the same as followeth. And first I give and bequeath one hundred pounds of lawfull money of England to be laid out in the purchaseing of freehold lands of inheritance by the advise and assistance of my loveing brother William Stavely minister of the parish of Cossington in the County of Leicester in the names of and to the Minister and Churchwardens for the time being in the said parish of Cossington, and to their Successors the Minister and Churchwardens of this same parish for ever for the use of the poore of the said parish of Cossington uppon this turst and confidence that the said Minister and Churchwardens and their successors shall for ever give and distribute the rents ? or issueing out of and for such land as shall soe be purchased to and amonge such poore people of the said parish as they shall thinke fitt at two feasts every yeare viz the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and ? the Archangell or soe soone after each feast day as the rents can be accrewed. But my will and mind is that if the said rents shall be at any time or times given or employed to any other use or uses than as before is mentioned then the same shall for ever after remaine and be to the use of the poore in the Hospitall comonly called the ?house in Newarke withe Towne of Leicester or by what other name or names the said Hospitall is called, and I desire my said brother and my Executors to take care that the aforesaid Trusts be expressed and declared in the deed or deeds of purchase and that the land purchase be made as soons after my decease as they can and then the said one hundred pounds to be paid for the same lands by my executors and not before. Item I give and bequeath fifty pounds of like money to be laid out in the purchase of one or more freehold house or houses of inheritance or of some rent or annuity to be yearly for ever issueing out of some house or houses in London in the names of and to the Rector Churchwardens and overseers of the poore of the parish of St. Alban Woodstreet for the time being where I lately inhabited, and thence ? the Rectors Church Wardens and Overseers of the poore there for ever for the use of the poore of the said parish of St. Alban Woodstreet upon this trust and confidence that the said Rector Churchwardens and Overseers and theire successors shall give and distribute the rents and profitts thereby arising and growing to and amonge six poore people of the said parish equally at or neare the feast of the birth of our Lord God yearely for ever. But my will and mind is that if the said rents and profits of such house or houses or Annuity shall at any time or times be employed to any other use or uses then as before is mentioned and limitted for the same, then and in such case the same shall for ever after remaine and be to the Minister Churchwardens and Overseers of the poore of the parish of St. Giles Cripplegate London to be by them in like manner distributed within the freedom of London and I desire my two executors to take care that the aforesaid trusts be declared and expressed in the deed or deeds of purchase. And my will is that the same purchase be made as soone after my decease as the Rector Churchwardens and Overseers of the said parish of St. Alban Woodstreet can, and then the said Fifty pounds to be paid for the same purchase by my Executors and not before. Item I give and bequeath fifty pounds of like money to be laid out in the purchase of freehold land of inheritance in the names of and to the Minister Churchwardens and Feofees of the parish of Northaw als Northall*** aforesaid whence I now inhabit and to theire successors the Minister Churchwardens and Feofees for ever for the use of the poore of the said parish of Northaw als Northall, upon this trust and confidence that they and theire successors shall give and distribute, and the rents and profitts thereby ariseing and growing to amonge such poore people of the said parish as they shall thinks fitt, at the feast of the birth of our Lord God yearely for ever or soe soone after as the rents can be ?. But my will and mind is that if the said rents and profitts shall be at any time given or employed to any other use or uses then as before is mentioned then the same shall for ever after remaine and be to the use of the poore of the said parish of St. Alban Woodstreet, London, and I desire my executors to take care that the aforesaid trusts be declared and expressed in the deed or deeds of purchase and that the same purchase be made as soone after my decease as they can, and then the said fifty pounds to be paid for the same lands by my executors and not before. Item I give and bequeath more to the poore of the said parish of Northall tenn pounds to be distributed amonge them soon after my decease at the discretion of Sr. William Leman Barron and
the Minister and feofees of the said parish. Item I give and bequeath to the Corpation of Clergy Mens Sonnes the sume of one hundred pounds of lawfull money of England to be distributed and given to and amongst theire poore. Item I give and bequeath to Mr. Pike Minister of Northall aforesaid tenn pounds of like money. Item I give and bequeath to my late servant Henry Barrow tenn pounds of like money. Item I give and bequeath to my servant Martha Ketly tenn pounds of like money, and to my servant boy Francis Marshall tenn pounds to put him forth to be an apprentice. Item I give and bequeath to my servants John Markland and Elizabeth Burnbold five pounds a piece and to my late servant Jonathan Watson tenn pounds. Item I give and bequeath to my three nephews William Stavely sonne of my brother George Stavely dec'ed George Hungerford sonne of Walter Hungerford dec'ed, and Babington Sibbalds sonne of James Sibbalds clerke the sume of one hundred a piece of like money. Item I give and bequeath to my said brother William Stavely two hundred pounds of like money. Item I give and bequeath to my sister Katherine Ross widdow two hundred pounds of like money and to her sonne William Ross my nephew seaven hundred pounds of like money and all my bookes. Item I give and bequeath to my Couzen Thomas Woods two hundred and fifty pounds of like money and to my Niece Jane his wife one hundred pounds of like money. Item I give and bequeath to my brother Arthur Stavely the sume of one thousand pounds of like money, and all that my house with the appurtences in the parish of Northaw als northall aforesaid now in the occupation of the said Henry Barrow and lease whereby I hold the land of Christchurch Hospital in London at three pounds per ann ground rent which said lease and house I lately bought of its right. Item I give and bequeath to my said brother Arthur Stavely all these my three houses with their appurtences situate and being on the east side of London Bridge in the parish of St. Magnes the Martyr London now in the severall occupatoins of Robert Townes [blank] Case spinster and [blank] Knight theire severall assigne or assignes tenants or undertenants which I hold by lease of the Bridgehouse London at twenty pounds per ann ground rent, to have and to hold the said three last mentioned houses with their appurtences unto my said brother Arthur Stavely and his assignes for and dureing for longe of the terms which shall be to come at my decease in the said lease, as my said brother Arthur shall happen to live, and from and after his decease I give and bequeath the said three last mentioned houses with theire appurtences unto my nephew Babington Stavely sonne of my said Brother Arthur his executors adms. and assignes for and dureing all the residue of the time and terms which shall be at my said brothers decease to some and unexpired in and by the said lease. Item I give and bequeath to my nephew William Stavely the son of my brother Thomas Stavely dec'ed twenty pounds of like money. Item I give and bequeath to my loveing friend Edmund jones of Woodstreet London Tobacconist twenty pounds of like money. Item I give and bequeath to George Stavely my nephew sonne of my said brother Thomas Stavely dec'ed three hundred sixty pounds of like money and to Mary and ? Anne Stavely sisters of my said nephew George Stavely two hundred and sixty pounds a piece of like money. Item I give and bequeath to Christiana and Jane Stavely two other sisters of my said nephew George Stavely two hundred and sixty pounds a piece of like money to be paid unto them at theire severall ages of one and twenty years or days of marriage first happening. And in case both or either of them the said Christiana and Jane dye before such age or marriage then my will and mind is that the survivor or survivors of my said brother Thomas' five children shall have the legacie or legacies of both or either of them for deceasing equally. Item I give and bequeath to William Stavely aforesaid and to my nieces his sisters Elizabeth, Jane and Anne being the foure children of my said brother George dec'ed three hundred seaventy and five pounds a piece of like money. Item I give and bequeath to my sister Martha Hungerford five hundred pounds of like money, and two hundred pounds a piece to Walter and Mary to of the children of the said Martha Hungerford, and to George and William Hungerford two other of the children of the said Martha two hundred pounds a piece at theire respective ages of one and twenty years, and to Katherine the other child of the said Martha Hungerford two hundred pounds of like money at her age of one and twenty years or day of marriage first happening, and in case any of the said three children of the said Martha Hungerford happen to dye before such age or marriage, then my will and mind is that the legacy or legacies of him her or them soe dying shall be paid and divided to amongst the survivor or survivors of the said five children of the said Martha Hungerford equally. Item I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Hamond one of the children of my sister Elizabeth Hamond wife of Edward Hamond two hundred and fifty pounds of like money to be paid unto her at her age of one and twenty yeares or day of marriage first happening, and to Edward Hamond another child of my said sister Elizabeth two hundred and fifty pounds to be paid to him at the age of one and twenty yeares. And to William Hamond the other child of my said sister Elizabeth three hundred pounds to be paid to him at the age of one and twenty yeares. And in case any of the last mentioned three children happen to dye before such age or marrige then my will and mind is that the legacy or legacys of him her or them soe dyeing shall be paid and divided to and amongst the survivor or survivors of the said three last mentioned children equally. And I give and bequeath more to the said William Hamond fifty pounds
to put him forth an apprentice. And it is my expresse will and mind and I doe hereby straitly charge my Executors that eight hundred pounds of like money shall be put forth and placed out as soone as possibly may be after my decease at interest in the name or names of one or more person or pesons in trust to be named and appointed my said sister Elizabeth Hamond and for her benefitt as herein after is mentioned more particularly and for that the said Edward Hamond her husband shall not, nor may be any waies concerned therein or have any power thereof And that from and after the putting forth and placeing out the said eight hundred pounds in Trust as aforesaid, my further will and mind is that my said sister Elizabeth shall have and receive the interest and profitt thereof ariseing and growing dureing the Terms of her naturall life to and for her own proper and peculiar use, maintenance and benefitt. And that the same nore any parte thereof shall be ? or had by or meddle with, or paid to the said Edward Hamond, and from and after the decease of my said sister Elizabeth, my mind and will is and I give and bequeath the said eight hundred pounds soe to be put forth at interest in Trust for her as aforesaid unto the said three children of my said sister Elizabeth equally and my will is that my said sister Elizabeth shall receive and have to and for her own peculariar use as aforesaid the interst and profitt ariseing and growing out of and by the legacies herein before by me given to her said three children untill theire several ages or marriage as aforesaid. Item I doe forgive and release to the said Edward Hamond the hustand of my said sister Elizabeth all such moneys as are due and owing to me from him uppon any note bill bond or otherwise and doe order my Executors to deliver up the same to him. Item I give and bequeath to my sister Mary Sibbalds wife of James Sibbalds aforenamed three hundred and fifty pounds and to six of theire children to witt Babington Sibbalds aforesaid Charles, Edward, William, and George Sibbalds one hundred and fifty pounds a piece of like money to be paid to them at theire respective ages of one and twenty years. And to Anne the other child of my said sister Mary one hundred and fifty pounds of like money at her like age of one and twenty yeares or day of marriage first happening and in case any of the said seaven children happen to dye before such age or marriage then my will and mind is that the legacy or legacies of him her or them soe dying shall be paid and divided to and amongst the survivor or survivors of the said seaven last mentioned children equally. And it is my will and mind that my said sister Mary shall receive the interest and profitt of the said sums of one thousand and fifty pounds soe by me given as aforesaid to her said seaven children untill theire respective ages or marriage as aforesaid. Item I forgive and release to my loveing friend Henry Blomer all such money as is due from him to me upon note under his hand and doe order my executors to deliver up the same note to him. And I doe give to the said Henry Blomer twenty pounds and to John Looper of London servant five pounds. Item I give and bequeath to each and every of my loveing firends and neighbours, to witt, the said Sr. William Leman, Mansell Leman, John Crawley, John Leman, Mr. Tedder, Mr. Moore, Mr Pitfeild, Mr Walter, Mr. Newnham, Mr. Sherwood, Mr. Prescott [blank] ? ? and his two sonnes, Mr. Robert Masters, Mr. Pyke Minister aforesaid, Mr. Penyston, Tanfeild Leman, Anthony Tedder and John Sands a gold ring of twenty shillings value. All the rest and residue of my estate both reall and personall not herein before by me bequeathed after my debts legacies and funerall charges shall be paid satisfied and discharged I give devise and bequeath unto my said brother Arthur Stavely and my said sister Martha Hungerford theire heyres Executors admins and assignes. And I doe hereby ordaine make and appoint my said brother Arthur Stavely and sister Martha Hungerford Executors of this my last will and Testament not doubting theire care and fidelity in the performance thereof attending to my will herein declared. And lastly I doe hereby revoke counter in and make null and void all former and other wills legacies and bequests by me at any time heretofore made given or bequeathed minding and intending that these presents only shall stand and be taken as and for my last will and testament in wittnesse whereof I the said Babington Stavely the testator to this my last will and testament contained in nine sheets of paper with this sheet have to each and every sheet sett my hand and seale the day and year first above written. Babington Staveley signed sealed delivered published and declared by the said Babington Staveley the testator as and for his last will and testament withe presence of us who subscribed our names with presences of this said testator, John Leman, Jeffrey Prescott, Henry Ranow, John Looker Ser.
