1650 - John DOCKREY, of London, Citizen & Armourer

Will was written on 14 October 1646
Will was proved on 29 July 1650

In the name of God Amen The ffowreteenth daie of October Anno domini 1646 And in the two and twentieth yeare of the raigne of our nowe Soveraigne Lord Kinge Charles of England &c I John Dockrey Cittizen and Armourer of London calling to my remembrance the vncertaine contic[i]on of mans life and how nothinge is soe certaine as deathe, and nothinge soe vncertaine as the hower thereof, doe therefore for the settlement of my estate for the good and benefitt of my childrene make and declare this my last will and testament in manner and forme following

That is to saie ffirst and principally and before all earthlie thinges I com[m]end my soule to Allmightie God my maker and Jesus Christ my Allsufficient Sauiour and redeemer by whoss most pretious death and bloodsheddinge I hope be freelie pardoned all my sinnes and after this mortall life ended to be made pertaker of the kingdom of heaven amongst the elect.

And my bodie I com[m]itt to the earth from where it came to be buried as neere to my late deceased wife as possiblie maie be

And as touchinge the disposeall of that temporall estate which God of his greate mercie and liberallitie hath blessed me withall in this life I doe give and bequeath the same as followeth

And first my will and desire is that my whole estate (after my debts paid if I shall fortune to owe anie at the time of my death) shalbe by my overseers in this my will named equally p[ar]ted and devided into two equall shares, and parted according to the auncient and landable custome of the honourable Cittie of London, One of which said shares and partes I doe fully and freelie give and bequeath vnto & amongst all my children, vizt William Dockrey, Peter Dockrey, John Dockrey, Elizabeth Dockrey and Anne Dockrey equallie to be devided parte and parte alike accordinge to the said Custome, which said share and parte my will and desire is shalbe be paid into the Chamber of London for the vse of my said children by my overseers hereafter named

And as concerning the other parte remayneing of my estate and solely belonginge to my selfe I doe give & dispose thereof as followeth

And first I doe give and bequeath vnto my kinswoman Marie Brickes nowe liveing with mee the sum[m]e of five poundes of lawfull money of England,

And vnto my verie loveinge freindes Peter Naylor gentleman John Wright Letherseller Richard Beauford, and Walter Melton Pewterers and ffrancis Hynde Marchantaylor Citizens of London to each and everie one of them the som[m]e of three poundes sixe shillins and eight pence a peece as a token of my love vnto them and everie one of them intreatinge them and everie one of them to doe for mee that freindlie and fatherly office of true love, that if God shalbe pleased to take mee out of the world, dureing my childrens minoritie that then they or some of them would be pleased to take them into their care, and governement, and soe dispose of them in there educac[i]on and breedinge as to them shall seeme most fittinge and as my estate will reach vnto, vnto whose good care I doe wholly leave them, and com[m]end them,

All the rest and residue of my goods, chattells, plate, money debts & p[er]sonall estate what soever vnbequeathed (after my funeralls, debts, legacies herin named, probate of this my will, and other charges Coincident therevnto being first paid, allowed and deducted[)] I hereby fully and whollie give and bequeath the same vnto my five children William, Peter, John, Elizabeth, and Anne Dockrey equally to be devided amongst them parte and share alike

And if it shall fortune anie of my said children to die and departe this life, before in lawe they shall come to a Capacitie to receive the same Then my will and minde is, and I doe hereby give and bequeath the parte and portion of him or her of them my said children, which soe shall happen to die, and departe this life vnto the Survivor or Survivors of them livinge parte and share alike equally to be devided,

And my will and desire is that my said loveinge freindes Peter Naylor, John Wright Richard Beuford[!] Walter Melton and ffrancis Hynde shall have and retaine in their or some of there handes all that remingeing parte of my estate, which out of my owne share I have by this my will given vnto my said children and shall my ley and advance the same the best they cann toe the better Livelyhand and educac[i]on of my children by the profitt thereof preserving still the principall whole and entire, and not otherwise

And I doe hereby make and ordaine my Sonne William Dockrey to be my sole executor

And I further name & appointe my aforesaid freindes Peter Naylor, John Wright, Richard Beauford, Walter Melton & ffrancis Hynde to be overseers of this my last will and testament

And my will is that they should have the tuition keeping and bringing vp of my said children, and executor, and the manageinge and performance of the affaire and busines of my estate to him the said William my executor, to come dureing his minoritie according to my minde above expressed,

And I doe hereby revoake, countermannd, and make voide all former wills and testaments, codicills and executors by mee heretofore made named and ordained, and doe will that none other shalbe of anie force or effect save this my last will and testament.

In witnes whereof I have herevnto put my hand and seale the daie and yeare first abovewritten John Dockrey Signed sealed delivered and published by the said John Dockrey the Testator this his last will & testament the daie and yeare abovewritten in the presence of vs Richard ffetherby The marke of John Roberts and William Hall Scr.

Vicesimo nono die Mensis Julij Anno D[omi]ni Millesimo sexcentesimo quinquagesimo hiuo Emanavit Commisso Petro Naylor Curatore Will[hel]mi Dockrey filij naturalis et legitimi Johannis Dockery nuper parochia Sancti Olavi in veteri Judismo London defuncti hentis demvinit et mortio suo tempore bona iura et credita in diversid diacess siue Jurisbus Ad administrandum bona iura et credita dicti defuncti purta tenerem et effectum testamentum ipsius defuncti durante minori estate, et ad apud et ipsum predicti Will[ia]m Dockrey filij et enant in l[egiti]mi testamente De bene et fideli[ter] adstrando eadem Ad sancta Dei evangelia Jurat. Ex.

PRO, catalogue reference: PCC Prob/11/212, will of John Dockrey, Armourer of London, (proved) 29 July 1650 (dated 14 October 1646).

Transcription by Odd Ottesen, Kristiansand, Norway, 25 September 2003. (The Latin part of the text is somewhat uncertain.)

Note: This is John, the father of William Dockwra, Merchant of London, the Inventor of the London Penny Post. William's Will is also in this section.