Haversham & Little Linford John Birde 1623

Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies DAWe: 28A 58 DAWf: 24 155

John Birde 1623

In the name of god Amen The xxvij^th daie of May in the yeare of our lorde god 1623: I John Birde of Haversham, minister of the worde of god, beinge some what weake in bodie, but in good and perfecte memory; I praise god thearefore doe make my laste will and testament in manner and forme as followeth; ffirste I bequeath my soule to god allmightie, whoe hath of his goodness created me, and beinge loste through sinne, hath of his mercie extended unto me in Jesus Christe his beloved sonne, redeemed and saved me; and my bodie to Christian burial, theare to rest till the same by his power, shall be saved againe to glory and life eternall, at the resurrection of the reighteous; and as touchinge my worldly goodes, which are but meane, I dispose of them as followeth; ffirst I give and bequeath to Charitie, my beloved wife one of the silver bowles which the ladie Lucie bestowed on me, which of them it shall please her to make choice of; Item I give and bequeath to my saide wife, twentie nobbles of lawfull englishe mony, to buye her a goldringe, and the same to be paide her within one yeare after my decease; provided that she deale faithfully and uprightly with my executor in the usage of my howse holde stuffe and Implements not sufferinge any of the same as farr as in her lyeth to be conveyed awaye or purloyned; also my will is that she shall have faithfully delivered her, all the utensils ymplements of howseholde etc as she brought hether with her; and that she shallbe by my executor and children well and kindly used and intreated; Item I give to my sonne Joseph all my bookes and myne apparel and twentie poundes of lawfull englishe mony, the same to be paide him within one yeare after my decease; Item I give and bequeath to my sonne Joseph xx^s more; and concerninge my sonne Theodore whearas Godfrey Kirkelande deceased, one of the sonnes of Elizabeth my first wife beinge about the age of fifteene yeares, did by a nuncupative will give unto my sonne Theodore all his goodes and died; and the administration of his saide goodes with the will annexed was committed to the saide Elizabeth my then wife; which saide Godfrey had a lease for certaine yeares to come after his death appointed unto him by his fathers will; nowe albeit after the saide lease so made I did bringe upp and maintaine at my owne charge from the age of three yeares or there about the saide Godfrey until the tyme of his death which was more worth then all the goodes which he lefte or was due unto him; yet nevertheless I doe heare by give and bequeath to my saide sonne Theodore twentie markes of lawfull englishe mony in line of full satisfaction and discharge of all the goodes chattels plate, sommes of mony debtes accounts rentes profittes duties and demandes, which he my saide sonne Theodore his executors administrators, or assignes may clayme or ought to have clayme challenge or demand by vertue or reasonne of the saide nuncupative will or administration aforesaide or of any other administration of the goodes and chattels of the saide Godfrey Kirklande; and also I doe give more unto my saide sonne Theodore an hundred markes of good and lawfull mony of Englande; both which summes to wit this hundred markes, and that of twentie markes before mentioned, my will is that they be paide unto him within one yeare after my decease; provided all waies and my will is, that if my saide sonne Theodore, his executors or administrators, or any other persone or persons by or through his or their occasion, meanes or procurement, shall sue, call to account, trouble or molest my executor heareafter named for or concerninge any goods chattels debtes sommes of mony plate profittes and demandes whatsoever late of the saide Godfrey or any wais due unto him the saide Godfrey; or any wais due unto him the saide Godfrey; and moreover also if my saide sonne Theodore shall not in six monethes next after my decease by his deede sufficient in lawe release unto my saide executor all actions duties and demandes, which he the saide my sonne Theodore his executors or administrators shall or may have clayme or demand by reasone or vertue of the saide will; and further with all if my saide sonne Theodore, or his executors administrators or some of them shall not procure my saide executor from Gabriell Clarke late of Potters Purie in the countie of Northamton: gent an acquittance or release sufficient in lawe for discharge of a bonde of fortie poundes in which I stande bounde with my saide sonne Theodore for payment of twentie pounds which he the saide Gabriell Clarke borrowed certaine yeares since, and should have longe since have beene discharged; that then my saide sonne Theodore his executors administrators or assignes shall not have or take any somme or sommes of mony by me given or appointed him by this my will or any other benefitt by this my will or by any other gifte or legacie thearein; Item I give and bequeath to my fower grandechilldren the sonnes of Mr Thomas Dutton my sonne in lawe to each of them vjs viijd Item I give and bequeath to Elizabeth the daughter of the saide Mr Thomas Dutton xx^s: Item I give and bequeath to the three children of my sonne John Birde to each of them vj^s viij^d: Item I give and bequeath to the daughter of my sonne Joseph Birde vj^s viij_d: Item I give and bequeath to the poore of Haversham xx^s: Item I give and bequeath all the rest of my goodes unbequeathed to my daughter Rachell Tilslye and her chilldren and my daughter Deborah Lane and her chilldren, which my will is shalbe equally devided into three partes, and beinge so devided, one third parte my daughter Tilsley shall have; an other thirde parte her fower chilldren shall have equally devided betweene them and the other third parte shallbe to my daughter Lane and her three chilldren; Item I make and ordaine my beloved sonne in lawe Mr Samuell Lane my sole executor to see this my laste will and testament executed and fulfilled written by me John Birde with my owne hande the 27^th daie of May anno dmi 1623: Witnesses heareof Anthony ffoster Willy: ibidem [i.e. ffoster]

Probate 2nd October 1623