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Contents & photos © copyright Kevin Quick |
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Jonathan Harris Prerogative Court of Canterbury will made: 18th May
1655 The original document is in the custody of the National Archives Transcript In the name of God Amen I Jonathan Harris of Laighton Bussard in the County of Bed[for]d Carpenter being in p[er]fect health and memorie thankes be given unto god doe ordaine and declare this p[re]sent writting to bee my last will and Testament in manner and forme followinge (that is to saye) First I bequeath my soule to god my maker assuredly through the meritts of Jesus Christ my Savio[u]r to obtaine everlasting life in his heavenly kingdome Item I bequeath my body to the earth from whence it came to bee decently buried in the p[ar]ishe Churchyearde of Laighton aforesaid by my Executrix hereafter named As for my p[er]sonall estate it hath pleased god to give mee I give and bequeath as followeth Imprimis I give & bequeath unto Mary my nowe wife the Cottage or tenem[en]t wherin I doe nowe inhabitt & dwell in the Church end of Laighton aforesaid for & dureing her naturall life and after her decease I doe give and bequeath my said Cottage or tenem[en]t unto Jonathan Harris my second sonn and his heires forever hee my said sonn Jonathan payeinge out of the said Cottage or Tenem[en]t the sume of Twentie pounds of lawfull money of England unto Richard Harris my youngest sonne when hee shall attaine to the age of one & twenty yeares Item my will is that in case my said wife shall dye and depart this life att or before my said sonn Jonathan shall attaine unto the age of one & twenty yeares then I doe make appoint and ernestly desier my beloved Kinsman Thomas Howe thyounger of Laighton aforesaid to bee gardion over my said sonn Jonathan untell hee attaine unto the age of one & Twenty yeares And likewise doe desier him my said kinsman to see this my will p[er]formed in all things as nere as hee can Item my will is that in case my said sonn Jonathan dyes w[i]thout yssue of his body lawfully begotten that then my said Cottage or Tenement before bequeathed shall come and bee unto my said sonn Richard Harris & his heire forever Item I give and bequeath unto my sonn James Harris the sume of Forty shillings of lawfull money to be paid him by my executrix hereafter named w[i]thin sixe monthes after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Twelve pence to be paid her p[re]sently after my decease Item all other my goods and Chattles unbequeathed I doe give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Mary whom I make my sole Executrix of this my last will & Testam[en]t desiering her that shee will bee carefull in the p[er]formance therof In witnes wherof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale this Eighteenth day of May in the yeare of our Lord god one Thousand sixe hundred Fifty and five .///. Memorand[um] that the word Twenty betweene the Twelve and Thirteenth lynes was interlyned before the sealeing & deliv[er]ie here of and then sealed & signed in the p[re]sence of .///. The m[ar]ke of Jonathan Harris. 1655 ///. sealed and signed in the p[re]sence of .///. Will[iam] Iremonger .///. Stephen Lyons .///.
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