William Ratledge 1731

Proved 25 September 1731

In the Name of God Amenn I William Ratledge of Heathen cote in ye Parish of Paulers Pury in the County of Northampton Brickmaker being sick and weak in body but of Sound and disposing mind & memory praised be God for the same And being willing to Settle & dispose of that temporall estate which it hath pleased God to give me do in order hereunto make this my last will & testament in manner & forme following
First & principally I bequeath my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator hoping to be saved through the merits & mediation of the blessed Saviour & redeemer Jesus Christ And my body I commit to the earth to be decently interred at the Discretion of my executors herinafter named And as to that temporall estate which it hath pleased God to give me I dispose of the same as herinafter mentioned Item I give to my daughter Margaret Ratledge the chest of drawers in the parlour the bed bedstead & beding in ye Chamber over the parlour called Margaretts bed & one great brewing kettle Item I give to my daughter Hannah Ratledge one other bed bedstead & beding in the chamber over the parlour one Large chest one Iron Grate to burn coals in, a kettle called the middle kettle & one Screen in the fire house Item I give to my daughter Dinah my best bed & bedstead with beding & Curtains as it now stands in the parlour & a little Cupboard in the parlour Item I give to my daughter Mary Ratledge the press in the parlour a table & looking glass in the parlour one belmettle pottage pot, one Round table in the fire house & one fender & Large pair of Links to hang a pottage pot on Item I give to my son William Ratledge my black wastcoate & breeches made of Callimanco the Clock in the house bacon Rack Gun, Jack, Spit, dresser & Shelves in the fire house the Bed & Bedstead in the Chamber over the fire house called Williams bed Item I give all my outward wearing apparell as Coats wastcoats breeches stockings shoes & boots& one shirt to my son John Ratledge and I also give to my said son John Ratledge one Shilling And all the Rest residue & remainder of my goods Stock of Cattle implements & utensils of husbandry debts due to me chattels & moveables whatsoever After my debts legacies & funeral charges paid I give to my said daughters & son (vizt) Margarett, Hannah, Dinah, Mary & William Ratlledge to be justly and equally divided betweene them five share & share alike And I do make my said daughter Mary Ratledge & my said son William Ratledge Joynt executors of this my last will & testament And I do hereby do Revoke & make void all former will by me heretofore made In Witness whereof I have to this my last Will & testament set my hand & Seale this twentieth day of March in the second year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland King defender of the faith etc Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred twenty & eight.

Signed Sealed published & declared by the testator to be his last will & testament in the presence of us who attested the same in the presence of the testator

the marke of William Ratledge W W Ratl

Edward West [an EW of Paulerspury was brickmaker in 1689 - VCH 5, p269].
Richard Newman
William Webb

Inventory exhibited 25 September 1731
[VCH 5, p269 suggests that Ratledge's kiln was in use in the 1770s by Richard Foxley who manufactured bricks for many Grafton estate buildings].

Atrue and pearfect Inventory of all goods & Chattel of William Ratledge of Heathencutt in the Parish of Paulerspury in the County of Northampton Brickmaker deceased taken and Apprised the tow and Twenty day of September in the Year of our Lord 1731 by John Cooke and Thomas Laughton as Followeth

Imprimis His Wareing Apparel and Money in his purse	2	0	0
Item One feather bead and tow other beads one Ruge and one bolster and one Curting and other beeding and one beedsteed	2	7	0
Item One Clock and Case	1	10	0
Item One Warming pan and one dusson of Chears five putter dishes and sum other putter and A brase Chafing dishe one brase kook	1	0	2
Item One poreg poot and tow Kettels and the pootn hanners [pot hangers] and fier Shoules tounges and Frying pan and Gridirn Gake [grate?]and Spit and blowes	0	15	0
Item towe tables one Chest of drawes and towe Gine stooles and one tubeone Civer and all other Lumber	1	18	6
Item 1750 paving Brick 3650 Hard Brick 400 ½ of Splent Brick and 400 ½ of Reed\Squares and A 100 and fore score whitbrick and 320 hipe tile and 300 squares 3100 of fire Brick and fore hundred of Brick and five quarters of Lime	15	8	1
Item The iorn Crow and spread shoules and Shleg whilbarrow Scuttles forkes and rakes and all other Lumber	0	16	9
Item The Cart and waggen stuf and all the fier Wood and the flekes and three hurdles	2	18	0
Item a wagen one Cart and A barel and all things belonging to it	6	10	0
Item the wheat and barley and the peese and the timber of the hovel and the hay and one plow and A Grinston and foreteen Loods of Muck and ashes	6	0	0
Item The five horses and there Geereas and furnetuere	6	2	6
Item One Saddle and pillian and pillian Clorth and one pannel fore Logers and all other Lumber	1	2	0
Summa total	47	18	0
John Cooke Thomas Laughton