I James Hume Vicar of Bradwell in the County of Bucks finding the Infirmitys of Age growing upon me and being willing to settle my Worldly Affairs before I die do make this my last Will and Testament My better luck and immortal part I gladly resign into the hands of my mercifull Creator with whom or I pray his poor unworthy Servant may find Acceptance through the Merits of my blessed Saviour Jesus Christ My Body I desire may be buried in as private and unexpensive a manner as may be And my Debts (which are presence of very inconsiderable) being first paid I dispose of the rest of my Worldly Goods as follows I give and bequeath to my good Friend Doctor John Hay Minister of St Stevens Coleman Street in London my Watch and a parcell sealed up and directed for him To his Son Mr. George Hay of St Johns College Oxford I give Five pounds and my little Bleans Greek Testament To the Executors of this my Will hereinafter named I give her a Ring each and Ten pounds to be by them applied to the Relief of such Poor distressed Familys as they shall jointly agree upon To every or Shilling Loaf to be given at my Funeral and Quart strong Ale out of my Cellar and remit all their Arrears for dues To the Churchwardens of Bradwell aforesaid that shall be at the time of my decease and their Successors on Office for ever I give and bequeath all the rest of my Goods and Chattles that I shall stand possessed of or have a Right at the time of my death whether Money Household Goods Grain Cattle Implements of Husbandry or other Effect whatsoever to be disposed of as follows and no otherwise (The following is as written) vizt. when my Goods are converted into the Money so raised shall be consigned into the whole of what I the hands of Mr Ralph Holt of Loughton and having some stocks in the four per Cent S: Sea hereby bequeath and devise to the said Church Wardens and Annuities I desire that these three dystingt Sums be Untied into One and put into One of the Parish of Bradwell shall be laid out upon the Purchase aforesaid Funds not to be touched till the Purchase Money is required to be paid) but a Piece of Land and secured in the best and safest manner possibly by my Trustees hereafter named in Communication with the Said Churchwardens and by the Advice of some Eminent Lawyer as soon as may be after my decease for a perpetual Fund of Charity for the Poor of the said Parish of Bradwell and the annual Income or Produce thereof to be disposed of for ever in a manner following that is to say, some poor Children of the Parish (not exceeding six or seven) nominated by the Minister to be put to School and taught to read and carefully instructed in the Church Catechism Every Sacrament day One Shilling or piece to be given to such of the Poor Inhabitants as take Alms of the Parish and did receive the Sacrament that day having presented themselves the Week before to the Parish Minister to be by him exam and concerning their fitness to partake of that Holy Ordinance and instructed in the nature of the Duty; for this Method I hope may be the Blessing of God make it a benefit to their Souls as well as their Bodies No doubt And of those who followed Christ out of meer Cupposity or upon so poor and mean the Remainder of the Money shall annually on Christmas day Principle as getting a Morsell of Bread were yet not last converted by him after Evening Prayer be distribute in the Church Porch by the Minister and Churchwardens in such proportions as they shall think fit to poor industrious Housekeepers and Widowes who take no Alms of the Parish regard being always had in the Distribution to those who are most innocent in their Lives and most observant of the Publick Duties of Religion And these the Charity thoroughly settled and put in a regular Course And that this Charity may be well secured and effectually applyd to the good purposes I intend it I do hereby nominate and appoint The Reverend Mr Lewes Sedgwick Minister of Stoney Stratford Mr John Coles Rector of Great Linford and Mr David James Rector of Woughton or whoever shall be Ministers of the said Parishes at the time of my decease and their Successors for ever and my worthy Friend Mr Ri Holt of Loughton to be Trustees for the Charity and give them all the Power that Trustees in such a Case can legally have or exercise for the Management Improvement and due Application of it And desire that for the sake of the Poor and of him whose indigent Members they are they will have a watchfull Eye over it and give themselves the trouble to repair yearly to the Vicarage House of Bradwell on the First Tuesday in May or some other convenient day to audit the Accounts of Receipts and Disbursements of the proceeding year to examine into the proficiency of the Poor Scholars and In Conjunction with the Minister and the Church Wardens of Bradwell to order do and transact every thing that they shall think proper for answering the Ends above written And I ordain Ten shillings to be allow’d for their Entertainment that day I also desire my said Reverend Brethren Mr David James and Mr John Coles and my worthy friend Mr R. Holt of Loughton to be the Executors of this my last Will and Testament and to get the Assistance of some honest and knowing Farmers to sell off my Stock and Goods to the best Advantage. John Welmin senior and John Hillyers Farmers in Bradwell will not, I hope grudge their pains, if desired to serve God the Parish and the Poor on so important an Occasion And I have reason to think they are Persons who will not load their Consciences with the heavy guilt of robbing the Poor by Embeziling or suffering Others to Embezil any part of that which is given to the Poor but faithfully discharge the Trust that shall be committed to them:
Landetur Dominus Deus qui Me varÿs hujus Minidi malis obsessurr Ope suq salutifera hactenus incolumem servavit. Qui mihi male dixerint ant fecerint, his Ego Anino ignosco Fac tu itidem sancta Pater! Quibus antem Ipose ingenio fortasse fervidiore, ant zelo etiam inre bona minio offenderim eos rogatos vol out Sortis humana et Professionis Evangelica memores fratri penitenti ignoscant Si quid in hor Testamemto Formulis ant Apicibus …. Juris parum congruens reperiatur new home, id tamen ratunr fiam.ng else jubeo, Volumtas quippe Testatoris, Si modo de ea plane constiterit pro Jure else debet Invalidus corpore et senÿ ingruentis malis fractus cetra, ut reor, sanus, hec propria manu exaravi ipso die Christinatali 1733 O Servator Mundi, qui pro Nobis et Salute nostra non dedignatus es Uterum Virginis miserere Servi inutilis et indigni Ja Hume
Codicill
To omit nothing I can think of for the better securing this small Fund of Charity which God has enabled and inclined me to make in a place which wants so much I desire further that the Advice and Assistance of the Worthy Bishop of the Diocese be ask’d And I hoped his Lordship or not think much to inquire into the state of it from time to time at his Triennial Visitations The Chalice of Bradwell being an old, thin, battered and too small My Will is that out of the Money arising from the Sale of my Goods, it to be exchanged for a New One well fashioned and larger with the inscription under written. Having wainscoted, railed and new paved the Chancell I desire my Executors to finish it, by getting the Altar Piece painted after my design. All my Books I leave to Dr. Busbys Library at Willen and my Prints and Maps to my Successors. Jane Jefferies a Poor Old Widow being entitled by Law to a Maintenance from the Parish of Bradwell; If they shall allow her a Shilling a Week or upwards with her House Rent and usual Firing My Will is That for her more comfortable subsistence She be paid One shilling more weekly during her life out of what I have left to the Poor of Bradwell. This weekly Pension to commence from my Death upon the Parishes allowing her as before mentioned. I give her also the Feather Bed She lies upon and the Bedclothes belonging to it and such part of my Linnen as my Executors shall think proper I give her likewise a double Portion of the Let my Goods be yearly Christmas dividend that is to say if the Dividend is to best divided unto ten parts it carefully inventory’d and locet up immediately after my decease and shall be divided into eleven of which 1 she shall have two and the rest their respective shares as above. And the Wooded Box mark’d A and all that is in it be burnt by my Servant or one the Church Wardens without inspecting the Contents
Will having been written by Mr Hume himself the Intersessions were inserted by his Order by the hand of Hugh Albright
Ja: Hume
Ja: Hume
This I publish and declare to be my last Will and Testament revoking all Wills by me made before the date of this but confirming part of another made by me since Christmas last which my Infirmity would not permit me to finish. Ja: Hume Before these Witnesses Hugh Albright Wm Binyon
In the Name of God Amen I James Hume Vicar of Bradwell in the County of Bucks finding the Infirmities of Age growing upon me and be willing to Settle my Worldly Affairs before I die do make this my last Will and Testament My better and immortal Part I gladly resign into the hands of my mercifull Creator with whom I pray his poor unworthy Servant may find Acceptance thro’ the Merits of my blessed Saviour Jesus Christ. My Body I desire may be buried in as private and unexpensive a manner as may be consistent with common decency that there may be the more left to feed the hungry and cloath the naked. And my Debts (which at present a very inconsiderable) being first paid I dispose of the rest of my Worldly Goods as follows I give and bequeath unto my good Friend Dr John Hay Vicar of St Steven’s Coleman street London my Watch and to his Son Mr. George Hay of saint John’s College in Oxford Five pounds to buy him Books Kettlewell’s Works in 2. Vol. Fol. Bleams Greek Testament and my walking stick with the Ivory Head. To the Executors of this my Will hereinafter named I give a Ring each of the Fashion of the flat, letter’d one upon my finger with this Inscription I. H. Vic. BRAD. Ao 173. RESURGAM. I likewise give to them in Trust Ten pounds to be apply’d to the Relief of such poor distressed Family in Bradwell that is not assess’d to Church and Poor I Order a Shilling Loaf to be given at my Funeral and remit all their Arrears for Dues. The Chalice of Bradwell being old thin batter’d and too small My Will is that out of the Money arising from the Sale of my Goods it shall be exchang’d for a new One well fashioned and larger with the Inscription underwritten. Some generous Persons may perhaps bestow the gilding. To the Church Wardens of Bradwell aforesaid that shall be at the time of my decease and of their Succession in Office for ever I give and bequeath all the rest of my Goods and Chattells that I shall stand possess’d of or have a Right to at the time of my death whether Money Household Goods, Grain, Cattle, Implements of Husbandry, or other Effects whatsoever to be disposed of as follows and no otherwise viz. when my Goods are converted
Probate: 20 March 1735