1644 - Susan DOCWRA of Fulbourn, Cambs.

Will was written on 6 October 1641
Will was proved on 12 Dec 1644

In the name of God Amen The sixt day of October An[n]o domini 1641 and in the yeare of the reigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of god King of England Scotland ffrannce & Ireland Defender of the faith etc. the xvijth. I Susan Docwra of ffulborne in the County of Cambridge widdow being at this present stricken in yeares & of a sickly body, yet of a sounde & p[er]fect minde & memory the lord be praised doe by these presente make & declare this my last will and testam[en]t in manner and forme following that is to saye

Inpr[imi]s I com[m]it & concend my soule into the hands of god my loving father in Jesus Chr[ist] verily beleaving to have the full and free pardon & remission of all my sinnes & to be made p[ar]taker of life everlasting, thorough the only death & merrith of my alone lord & Saviour Jesus Christ, and my bodily to be decently buried in such mann[er] & fashion and my Executor hereafter named shall in his discrec[i]on see fit & convenient,

And for the blessings of this life w[hi]ch god in his mercie hath given me I giue & bequeath them in manner & forme following viz.

ffirst I giue and bequeath to my grandchild James Docwra theldest sonne of my eldest sonne James Docwra the sum[m]e of C li [pounds] of lawfull money of England to be payed vnto him w[i]thin six moneths after my decease

Item I giue wnto the said James Docwra my grandchild a purse w[i]th a gould seale therein w[hi]ch sorne[?] times the B[aron?] Hamptons Lord Primate of Ireland, and one red taffatie bearing cloth vne paire of Sheets of three-bredths, the finest paire two payre of fine Holland pillowbeeres and one dozen of fine flaxen napkins.

Item I giwe and bequeath vnto my Grandchilde Thom[a]s Docwra the second sonne of my said sonne James the sum[m]e of one hundred pounds of lawfull money of England to be paied vnto my said grandchilde Thomas Docwra w[it]hin twelue moneths after my decease

Item I give vnto my said Grandchilde Thomas Docwray one paire of sheets of three bredths the coursest paire two paire of pillowbeers of the finest sort one dozen of Napkins of the coursest sort and one dozen of flaxen napkins,

And my will is that yf either of my said of my said granchildren shall depart this life before their or either of their said porc[i]ons shall grow due to payed & deli[ve]red to them or either of them by this my will, That then the porc[i]on or porc[i]ons of the deceased shalbe payed and delivered to the survivor of my said grandchildren, And in case both my said grandchildren shall depart this life before they and either of them shall haue receaved and had their porc[i]ons as aforesaid, That then all the said legacies and porc[i]ons before given to my said grandchildren by this my will shall remaine & be to the p[ro]per vse of their ffather my sonne James Docwra his executors and adm[ini]strators,

Item I giue and bequeath to Thomas Docwra my second sonne ten pounds of lawfull money of England to be payed vnto him w[it]hin six moneths after my decease he demanding the same at or in the now dwelling house of my said sonne James Dockwra in ffulborne aforesaid

Item I giue & bequeath vnto my grandchilde Edward Docwra the only sonne of my said sonne Thom[a]s Docwra the sum[m]e of three hundred pounds of lawfull money of England And I will the said sum[m]e of CCC li shalbe payed w[i]thin six moneths after my decease Provided allwayes and my will is that in case I shall at any tyme or tymes hereafter dureing my n[atu]rall life pay to my said grandchilde Edward Docwra any p[ar]te of the said CCC li bequeathed to him as aforesaid That then soe much of the said CCC li as I shall soe pay to my said grandchilde Edward Docwra as aforesaid I hereby fully declare that my minde is that it shalbe fully deducted and abated out of the said CCC li any thing before in this my will conteyned to the contrary thereof in any wise notw[i]thstanding

Item I giue vnto my said grandchilde Edward Docwra one fetherbed ticke one bolster and two pillows

Item I giue and bequeath vnto ffrances Docwra Daughter of My said sonne James Docwra one fine holland sheete of three bredths and one paire of pillowbeers

All the lynnen w[hi]ch I have before bequeathed in this my will is now in the Custody of my daughter Anne and is now in my little Chamber.

Item I give vnto my said Grandchild ffrances Docwra thirtie pounds of lawfull money of England, and my will is that the said xxx li shalbe imployed and put forth by my executor hereafter named for the prop[er] vse and sole benefit of my said grandchilde ffrances Docwra w[i]thin one moneth after my decease till she the said ffrances shalbe married or shall accomplish her full age of one and twenty yeares w[hi]ch of them shall first happen or come to passe,

Alsoe my will is that all other my lynnen not before in this my will bequeathed shall after the death of my said daughter Anne remaine to the vses of my said grandchildren James Thom[a]s and Edward Docwra to be equally devided amongst them

Item my will is that my executor hereafter named his executors and assignes shall yearly and every yeare after my decease will and truly pay or cause to be payed vnto my daughter Anne Docwra aforesaid for and dureing the whole terme and tyme of my said daughter Anns naturall life fortie shillings of lawfull money of England vpon foure vsuall feast dayes or termes in the yeare (videl[ice]t) vpon the feast dayes of the nativity of our lord god, Thannunciac[i]on of the blessed virgin Mary, The nativity of St. John the Baptist And St. Michael Tharchangell by equall and even porc[i]ons At or in the now dwelling house of the said James Docwra my sonne in ffulborne aforesaid, the first payment thereof to be paied at and vpon the first of the said feast dayes w[hich] shall first come next after my decease,

Item my will is that thaforesaid three hundred pounds before in this my will given to my aforesaid grandchild Edward Docwra or soe much thereof as shalbe repaied at my death shalbe vnpaied at or in the said now dwelling house of my said sonne James Docwra in ffulborne aforesaid

Item my will is that all the lynnen w[hi]ch I have before, in this my will given to any p[er]son or p[er]sons whatsoever shalbe delivered to every one of their owne hands either vpon the day of their severall marriages or vpon the day of the death of my said daughter Anne w[hi]ch of them shall first happen or come to passe.

Item I give vnto my said daughter Anne my Chamblet petticote

Item I give to Rachell ergar my servant all my ordinare wearing Clothes and two Eroe lambes (?)

Item I give vnto the poore people of ffulborne aforesaid five pounds of lawfull money of England to be paied w[it]hin three moneths next after my decease,

All the rest of my goods and chattles my debts and legacies being paied and funerall charges being defrayed I giue & bequeath vnto my said eldest sonne James Docwra,

And I make and ordaine my said eldest sonne James Docwra sole executor of this my will and testam[ent].

Item I giue & bequeath vnto the aforesaid Edward Docwra his heires and assignes forever All my lands tenem[en]ts and hereditements whatsoever situate lyeing and being in St. Mary Axe in London which Mr. John Podkin now holdeth by lease and All other my messuage lands and tenem[en]ts whatsoever which I have in the Realme of England Provided allwayes nevertheles and vpon the condic[i]on following viz. yf the said James Docwra my executor or his heires shall wh[i]tin the space of one moneth next after my decease giue good and sufficient securety by bond or otherwise to Thom[a]s Wilson Doctor of Divinity Parson of the p[ar]ish Church of St Vigors in ffulborne aforesaid, and to the said Edward Docwra their executors and administrators (the securetie to be approved of by the said Thom[a]s Wilson) that he the said James Dockwra his Heires executors administrators or assignes shall and will truly and faithfully par and p[er]forme all the legacies and guifts of money and goods before in this my will giuen and bequeathed to such p[er]son and persons and at such tyme and tymes as herein before is declared according to the true intent And meaneing of this my last will and Testament That then my said guift of all my said lands tenements and Hereditaments whatsoever shalbe vtterly void, and that then and from thensforth my full will and minde is that all my said lands tenem[en]ts and Hereditaments and every part thereof before in this my will menc[i]oned w[i]thall and singuler thappurten[a]nces shall remaine to the said James Docwra my eldest sonne his heires and assignes forever;

In witnes whereof to this my last will and Testament being written in two sheets, and in p[ar]te of a third sheete of pap[er] and fixed together w[i]th a shred of p[ar]chm[en]t I have put my hand & seale the day and yeare first aboue written;

The marke of Susan Docwra,

Sealed Subscribed and acknowledged in the presence of Tho[mas] Wilson and Henry Nightingale.

Probatum fuit Testamentum supscriptum apud London Coram dilecto subdito u[i]ro Roberto Wiseman Legu[m] D[o]c[t]ore Surr[oga]to dilecti Subditi u[i]ri Nathanielis Brent militis legum etiam Doctoris Curia nostra Pr?rogatiue Cantuarien[sis] mag[ist]re siue Custodis l[eg]iteme constituti duodecimo die Mensis decembris Anno D[omi]ni millesimo sexce[gesi]mo quadragesimo quarto Juramento Jacobi Docwra filij d[i]c[t]i defuncti et executoris in hu[jus]mo[d]i testamento nominati Cui com[m]issa fuit Administrac[i]o om[nium] et singulru[m] bonoru[m] iur[ium] et Creditoru[m] d[i]c[t]i defuncti de bene et fideliter Administando eadem Ad s[an]c[t]a dej Evangelia Jurat. Ex.

PRO, catalogue reference: PCC Prob/11/192, will of Susan Docwra, widow of Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire, (proved) 12 December 1644 (dated 6 October 1641).

Transcription by Odd Ottesen, Kristiansand, Norway, 25 October 2003.

Note: Susan was widow of Ralph Docwra of Fulbourn, whose Will is also in this section, as is the Will of her daughter Anne.