1698 - Francis DOCWRA, tanner, of Bassingbourn, Cambs.
Will was written on 3 November 1697
Will was proved on 7 October 1698
According to the good Will and pleasure of God doe be it I ffrancis Docwra of Bassingborn in the County of Cambridge Tanner being weak in body Yet through mercy in perfect mind and memory doe make this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following
And first I give and commend my soul to God my Creator hopeing in the merrits and mercyes of Jesus Christ to have free pardon of all my sinns and my body to be buryed by the order of my Executors here after named
And as to my temporall Estate I dispose in manner and forme following
And first I give and bequeath to my eldest sonn Thomas Docwra the summe of tenn pounds of lawfull money to be paid within one yeare next after my decease
Item I give to my daughter Anne the wife of John Carr the summe of one shilling
Item I give to my two Grandchildren viz. John Carr and Peter Carr twenty pounds of lawfull money which money I leave in hands with my Executors to be disposed of at their discre[ti]on either to put them out to Trades or otherwise as they shall think best
Item I give to my daughter Sarah the wife of John Browne the summe of twenty pounds to be paid within one yeare next after my decease
Item I give and bequeath to Richard Docwra my sonn All that messuage or tenement of freehold where Elizabeth Sheffield now liveth with the Orchard thereunto adjoyning to him and his Heires forever at the time of his age of twenty four yeares and not before but to remaine in the possession of my Executors hands untill the said Richard Docwra my sonn shall attaine to the said age of twenty four yeares
Item I give to my sonn Richard Docwra the summe of tenn pounds of lawfull money to be paid by Executors at his said age of twenty four yeares
Item I give to my daughter Alice the wife of John Jolly the summe of five pounds of lawfull money to be paid within one yeare after my decease
Item I give to my said daughter Alice that house where she now liveth with all that ground that belongeth to it being coppyhold during her naturall life
And after her decease to ffrancis Jolly her sonn his Heires and Assignes forever And my will and meaning is that if the said ffrancis Jolly shall chance to dye before his mother then to goe to the next Heire of my daughter Alice forever being surrendred according to the use of this my last Will and Testament
Item I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Docwra the summe of threescore pounds of lawfull money that is tenn pounds to put her out and the other fifty pounds to be paid her at the age of one and twenty yeares and to pay to her the Interest at five pound p. Cent immediately after my decease and my will and meaning is that if great necessity requires either by sicknesse or lamenesse then it may and shall be safe to let her have part of her por[ti]on according to the discre[ti]on of my Executors
Item I give unto my sonn Abell Docwra All that my dwelling wherein I now dwell with all the appurtenances of ffreehold and alsoe three acres and tennfoot of ffree Land holden of the Mannor Whaddon to him and his Heires forever paying out of it the summe of twenty pounds to my daughter Sarah the wife of John Browne which shall be in full discharge of her Legacy above given
Item I give to my Sonn Abell Docwra all that parcell of ground with the houses upon it belonging holden by Coppy of Court Roll to the Rectory or Parsonage of Bassingborn to him and his Heires forever as doth or may appeare by a Surrender into the said Court Alsoe one Rood of Land belonging to the said Mannor
Item I also give to my Sonn Abell Docwra All that dwelling house wherein he now liveth with the appurtenances And alsoe fortynine acres of Coppy hold Land as doth more at large appeare by a Surrender before written to him and his Heires forever
Item all the rest of my goods and Chattells unbequeathed I give to my two Sonns Thomas Docwra and Abell Docwra whom I appoint and make the Executors of this my last Will and Testament subscribed by my hand and seale this third day of November on thousand six hundredninety Seaven and in the presence of Francis Docwra these witnesses Will. Amey Rob. Chamber Charles Louth his marke
Probatum fuit Testamentum apud London Septimo die mensis Octorbris Anno D[omi]ni mill[es]imo sexce[gesi]mo nonag[es]imo octavo coram venti viro Gulielmo King Legum Doctore Smr. Ven[erabil]is et egregij viri D[omi]ni Richardi Raines Militis Legumetiam Doctoris Curi? Pr?rogativ? Cantuariensis Magistri Custodis Sive Commisariy l[egi]time constituti Juramentis Thom? Docwra et Abelis Docwra filoni et Executone. in dicto Testamento nominat quibus commissa fuit administra[ti]o omni[um] et sirgulorum bonorum juri[um] et creditorun dicti def[unc]ti De bene et fideli[ter] administando eadem ad Sancta Dei Evangelia Jurat Ex.
PRO, catalogue reference: PCC Prob/11/447, will of Francis Docwra, tanner of Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, (proved) 7 October 1698 (dated 3 November 1697).
Transcription by Odd Ottesen, Kristiansand, Norway, 11 June 2003. (The Latin part of the text is on some points uncertain.)
