1658 - Henry DOCWRA of Luton, Bedfordshire
Will was written on 21 September 1650
Will was proved on 18 February 1658
In the Name of God Amen I Henry Docwra of Luton in the County of Bedford Esquire beeing on the one and twentieth Day of September Anno Domini 1650 weake in body but in p[er]fect sense and memorye Consideringe the vncertainty of this life doe make and ordayne my last will and testament in manner & forme following (viz.) I ffirst of all & Cheifely I bequeath my Soule to god that gaue it & my body the earth from where it came in sure & Ceartaine hope of vniting & rising againe at the generall resurrection of the dead & I bequeath my goods and worldly estate in manner & forme following An account where of I shall first p[ro]mise after this manner
Inprimis my Estate in Wales amounts to principall & rents the principall eight hundred pounds and nine yeares Rent one Thousand Six hundred and forty poundes
Item in Bedfordshire at Tilbrooke in the hands of Sr. Beecham St. John Eight hundred pounds to be payd at a monthes warning or Sixty fower pounds pr. Annum ffrancis Taverner att Hexton & Thomas Docwra of Putteridge in Hertforshire both haue the writings in custody & those in Wales sealed att the George in Luton for my proper vse & benefitt.
Item Sr. Edward Savage Sr. George Wendham Payne Conisbey Esqe. for fiue hundred pounds with the Interest as will appeare by the writings in the hand & Custody of Thomas Docwra Esqe. or Mr. John Skynner Atturney living att Hitchin
Item my Nephew Thomas Docwra Esqe. of Putteridge received writings of ffiue hundred pounds of Trustrum Woodward Counsellour of the Temple all reserved for my vse
Item Lands extended of Ralph Suede Esqe. of Staffordshire for fower hundred pounds in the Custody of Thomas Docwra of Putteridge for my vse and benefitt. Now Therefore to the end that all Controversye about Concerning my Estate aboue mentioned may cease & that my will and pleasure concerning the disposing thereof may be knowne Know all men that I doe will and bequeath the said estate to Mary Docwra my lawfull loving and well beloved wife every part & p[ar]cell every sum & sums thereof that now is may or shall belonge vnto me my heirs Executors Administrators or Assignes provided that the said Mary my wellbeloved wife doe pay & satisfye all my reall & Justifiable debts due by bond bill or any other Confirmation by reall & true wittnesses
It[e]m I doe will also and bequeath the whole and entire Summe of one thousand pounds of laufull English money to be payd by Mary my aforesayd wellbeloved wife to Elisabeth Docwra my daughter the true & lawfull Issue begotten of _[the?] two bodyes at or vpon the day of marriage of the said Elisabeth or att & vpon the yeares of eighteen In case the sayd Elisabeth marrieth not before & in the meane tyme it is my will and pleasure that Mary my wife shall educate and bring vp the sayd Elisabeth my daughter in the feare of the Lord and at her owne proper cost and Charges without Deducting any of her portion for the same but that the said thousand pounds of lawfull money be compleately payd her as aboue by mee willed and bequeathed *
Item I will & bequeath vnto my wives freinds her mother brother and twoe sisters one hundred pounds of lawfull money to be payd vnto them in equall and severall portions vpon demand three months after my decease
Item I doe will & bequeath vnto William Puddifant at the George in Luton Inholder ten pounds and to Anne his wife Twenty pounds & to the sayd Anne her twoe daughters Anne & Elisabeth tenne pounds a peece to be payd vpon demand six months after my decease
It[e]m I doe will ordaine Constitute & make Mary my well beloved wife my lawfull executrix of this my will and Testament ffinally I doe make constitute and ordaine this my will and Testament to be Irrevocable.
Given vnder my hand and Seale the year and day aboue written.///. Henry Docwra.///. Sealed and delivered to vse of my Executrix above sayd In the presence of vs.///. John Rowley.///. Thomas Cooper.///. William Sibley.///.
This will was proved at London before the Judges for probate of wills and grantinge Administrations Lawfully authorised the eighteenth day of ffebruary in the yeare of our Lord god acording to the computation of the church of England one Thousand six hundred fiftie seaven By the oath of Mary Docwra the Relict and sole Executrix of the deceased To whome Administration of all the goods and Chattles of the said deceased was Comitted shee being first legally sworne truly to administer the same.///.
* [Note in the margin:]
Decimo die mensis Junij Anno domini 1690 __________ Eliz? Robeuts vidu? filie Naturnalist l[egi]tim? Henrici Docwra emper de Luton in Comitatii Bedfordi? Anid defuncti habentis xrad Administrandum bena jura et Quedita dicti defuncti juxta Tenorein et eftectiam Testi ipsius defuncti x Quandam Mariam Docwra Viduam Relictamet et viriam Execut. inbisjus modi Testamente nominat Eme odo etiam demortuanij indisposita et neujele ___ administratad? bene x viger? Commisaiarii jurat.
PRO, catalogue reference: PCC Prob/11/275, will of Henry Docwra of Luton, Bedfordshire, (proved) 18 February 1658 (dated 20 September 1650)
Transcription by Odd Ottesen, Kristiansand, Norway, 27 August 2003. (The Latin part of the text is somewhat uncertain.)
