Yeovil's Virtual Museum

1728 Will of John Clarke

of Yeovil

 

In the Name of God Amen I John Clarke of Yeovill in the County of Somersett being in good health of body and of sound and perfect mind and memory doe make and ordaine this my last Will and testament in manner and forme following (that is to say) First and principally I commend my Soule into the hands of Almighty God hopeing through the meritorious death and passion of my Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my Sinns and to inherite Everlasting life And my body I committ to the Earth to be decently buried in a Christian like manner att the discretion of my Executrix herein after named And as touching the disposition of all such temporall Estates as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof as followeth Imprimis I give unto the Minister of the parish Church of Yeovill Twenty shillings a yeare forever to preach a Sermon once in every yeare in the parish Church of Yeovill upon Good Friday in the forenoon And I alsoe give one hundred six penny Loaves of Good Bread forever to the poore of the Towne of Yeovill preferring old persons in the distributing of it And my Executrix to make Choice of what persons to receive it and after her decease the disposing of it I leave to my family that shall Survive And if it happen that none of my family shall be liveing then my will is that the aforesaid one hundred six penny Loaves shall be given by the Minister and Churchwardens upon the aforesaid day of Good Friday at the Church porch of Yeovill And my Will is that the aforesaid Twenty Shillings a yeare to pay the Minister and Fifty Shillings a yeare to pay for the Bread be paid out of the rents and profitts of my Close of land called New Ashley in Yeovill heretofore Mr George Cary's and late Mr Samuel Goodforde but now in the possession of John Clarke Item I give unto my Executrix hereinafter named the overplus of the said Rents and profitts of the said Close of land called New Ashley and to whome she please to give it after her decease forever Item I give unto my Executrix my Close of land called Andrews Close lying neare Lyde house and to her disposeing for ever Item I give unto Dorothy my wife all my lands and Leaseholds that I am now possesed of in Sutton Mountague alias Sutton Crowthorne dureing her naturall life Item I alsoe give unto Dorothy my Wife all my lands and Leasehold Estates in possession and revertion that I have in Yeovill and in Ma[r]sh and in Preston Bermondsey for her naturall life after my decease and in particular my dwelling house wherein I now live with the Gardens Orchard and all outhouses thereunto belonging And my will is that she shall have the use of the plate lynnen and all other household goods that is now in the house dureing her naturall life makeing no wast[e] nor wilfull abuse upon it Item I give unto my Sonn in law George Prowse and to Eleanor Prowse my daughter after mine and my wives decease all my Estate of land and long lease lying within the parish of Sutton Mountague alias Sutton Crowthorn in the County of Somersett and to the issue of the Body of my daughter Eleanor Prowse forever (be it male or Female) if she have any son I give it to the Eldest but if no Son I give to the Eldest daughter And for want of such issue my Will is that it shall returne unto the right heires of John Clarke Item I give unto my Son in law George Prowse and to my daughter Eleanor Prowse my two Closes of land called Twelve Acres As alsoe my Close of meadow called Merchants Mead and my five Yards of land lying in Green Moore in the Tything of Marsh Item I give unto George Prowse and to Eleanor my daughter my little meadow called Compton Mill and also my Close called New Close now planted to an Orchard And alsoe my two Acres of arrable land lying in Middlefield All which last mentioned lands I give to them and their issue if any be but if no issue to returne to the right heires of John Clarke Item I give unto my daughter Dorothy Bull after mine and my wives decease all the lands and leaseholds nottin before mentioned nor given that I have in the parish of Yeovill and Preston Bermondsey in possession and revertion to she and her heires forever Item I give unto my Grandaughter Ann Bull fifty pounds to be paid to her Five years after my decease Item I give unto my Nephews George Clarke John Clarke and Alexander Clarke Tenn pounds to each of them to be paid to them as they become Twenty one yeares old Item I give unto my daughter Bull Tenn pounds to buy her mourning All which legacies to be paid by my Executrix hereinafter mentionede And I also give unto my daughter Dorothy Bull after mine and my wives decease my great Silver Tankard and to my daughter Prowse my Silver Coffee Pott and to my Grandaughter Ann Bull my largest Silver Salver As for all the rest of my Plate I give to my daughter Bull and my daughter Prowse to be equally divided betweene them and also my Lynnen to be equally divided betweene them And as for all the rest of my household goods I give unto my daughter Bull she paying her sister Prowse Fifty Pounds out of it And my Will is that if either of my daughters should dye before my Wife their mother then my Grandaughter Ann Bull shall have halfe of the goods before mentioned that the person deceased should have had if lived As to all the rest and residue of my goods and Chattells personall and other Executory Estate ready money Cattle Stock upon ground and other goods whatsoever nott herein or hereby otherwise before disposed of or given I give unto my said loveing Wife Dorothy Clarke whome I make constitute and ordaine whole and sole Executrix of this my last Will and testament desireing her to prove and performe the same according to the true intent and meaning hereof And I do hereby utterly disallow revoke annull all and every other former Wills and Testaments legacies bequests and Executors by me in anywise before this time named willed and bequeathed ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last Will and Testament Item I also give unto my Sonn in law George Prowse and Eleanor my daughter Tenn Pounds to each of them to buy them Mourning In witness whereof I have to this my last Will and Testament sett my hand and seale this Twenty second day of January in the yeare of our Lord God according to the Computation of the Church of England One Thousand Seaven hundred and twenty Eight

John Clarke

Signed sealed published and declared in the presence of

Henry Webb     John Peanes     John Ring

 

Proved at London April 1730

 

 

Transcribed by Bob Osborn