In the Name of God Amen I Joseph PURCHAS [PURCHASE] of Dorchester baker being sick in body but thanks be to god of perfect memory do ordain constitute and make this my last will and testament in manner and form following First: I give and bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God my maker and redeemer hoping to be saved by the merits of Christ Jesus my alone saviour and redeemer and my body to be buried in Christian burial at the discretion of my well beloved wife and executrix Item: I give and bequeath unto the poor children of the hospital in Dorchester aforesaid twenty shillings to be bestowed in bread for them and given to them by my executrix Item: I give unto the poor Alms Women of the Alms House next Friary Gate in Dorchester aforesaid ten shillings worth of bread to be distributed amongst them by my executrix Item: I give unto the poor of Trinity Parish in Dorchester aforesaid ten shillings to be distributed amongst them by the Overseers for the poor of the same parish Item: I give to my well beloved wife Elizabeth PURCHAS [PURCHASE] my dwelling house, out houses, backsides and gardens with the appurtenances which now are in the tenure and possession for her to enjoy to her own use and behoof until such time as my son Nicholas PURCHAS shall attain unto the age of twenty and four years
And: if it happen that any or either of my said daughters shall happen to die before their said twenty pounds be paid as aforesaid and shall not be married before their deaths then my Will is that the twenty pounds belonging to my daughter so dying shall be equally divided betwixt those other two or any daughters that shall then be living and in case two of them shall die being unmarried as aforesaid then my will is that my surviving daughter shall enjoy the whole threescore pounds or as much thereof as shall be behind and unpaid by the said Nicholas my son
Item: I give and bequeath unto Nicholas PURCHAS [PURCHASE] my said son forty pounds to be paid him by my said executrix within one month after he shall be twenty and four years of age, Item: I give and bequeath unto my said friend in trust George MUNDEN and Nicholas STONE two hundred and four score pounds of lawful English money to be paid unto them or either of them or their assigns by my said wife and executrix within one year next after my decease for the uses hereafter expressed That is to say for portions for my other seven children vizt for my daughter Elizabeth PURCHAS forty pounds; for my son Joseph PURCHAS forty pounds; for my daughter Joane PURCHAS forty pounds; for my son Andrew PURCHAS forty pounds; for my daughter Margaret PURCHAS [forty] pounds; for my son Aquilla PURCHAS forty pounds; and for my son John PURCHAS forty pounds; Provided and always excepted that if my said wife and executrix Elizabeth PURCHAS shall seal sign and deliver or rightly and truly tender by her to be sealed and delivered seven writings obligatory goods in, goods in land, unto my said friends in trust to the uses of all and every my said seven before recited children in fourscore pounds a piece of good and lawful English money to pay unto each of my said children their forty pounds when each of them shall be one and twenty years of age or in case my said wife and executrix shall happen to marry before all and every the said several portions of forty pounds a piece be paid unto my said last seven recited children as aforesaid Then my said wife and executrix shall also be bounden in the said seven before recited bonds or writings obligation to pay unto George MUNDEN and Nicholas STONE my said friends in trust or one of them or their assigns all and every such sum and sums of money of the said seven last before recited children portions as shall behind and unpaid unto any or either of my said children within one month next after her marriage, All which moneys shall remain in the hands of my said friends in trust for only the use and behoof of my said before recited children Provided and always excepted that if my wife shall give or cause to given within three weeks after her marriage or before sufficient bonds or writings obligatory good in law with a security as my said friends in trust shall well like to think of each of my said children whose money or portions of forty pounds a piece be not then paid which bonds my friends in trust shall see sealed and delivered and shall be delivered unto them or one of them to the use and uses of my said children truly to pay them their portions at their ages of one and twenty years as is before mentioned, That then my Will is that the money shall remain in my said wife and executrix hands until my said children do attain unto the age of one and twenty years Any: thing or things in this Will to the contrary notwithstanding , The rest of my goods moveable and unmovable my debts and funeral being paid I do give unto my well beloved wife Elizabeth PURCHAS [PURCHASE] whom i do make the sole executrix of this my last Will and Testament And I do make my said friends in trust George MUNDEN and Nicholas STONE my Overseers And I do revoke all other and former wills of mine and I do ordain this to be my last will and testament Witness my hand and seal hereunto the seventh day of August 1638 Joseph PURCHAS [PURCHASE] Sealed and Signed in the presence of John COKE{R} Ralph MANNELL Memorandum: Whereas Joseph PURCHAS [PURCHASE] of Dorchester in the County of Dorset Baker have by my last Will and Testament by me made and sealed dated before these presents tied and bound my son Nicholas PURCHAS [PURCHASE] on giving him my house and land in Dorchester aforesaid with appurtenances to some end conditions That is to say on loss of my said house and land with the appurtenances to take from his mother and my wife Elizabeth PURCHAS [PURCHASE] all such mault as she does make during her widowhood as more at large is in my Last Will is therein expected yet my will is and I the said Joseph PURCHAS [PURCHASE] do by this my Codicill (which I will to be annexed unto my Last Will) will and appoint that my said son Nicholas shall not be forced to take nor give security to take any more mault from his said mother Elizabeth my said wife than his stock shall in his trading reach unto and than he shall be able to offer and sell by his brewers trade anything in my said will to the contrary notwithstanding Witness my hand and seal to this my Codicil the sixteenth day of September one thousand six hundred thiry eight Joseph PURCHAS Sealed and signed in the presence of John COKE[R] and Ralph MANELL PROBATE: [approximate transcription only from Latin] Probate of this Testament [Will] with Codicil was proved at London before Henry Marten Doctor of Law of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury the 30th day in the month of November one thousand six hundred and thirty eight to Elizabeth PURCHAS [PURCHASE] the Relict and executrix named in the Testament to whom administration is granted etc Genealogical Notes:- (1) Joseph PURCHASE & Elizabeth HASELBER [HASELBURY] were married at HT on 09-Nov 1618 - See their marriage for list of children (2) Nicholas PURCHASE was their eldest son and baptised at Holy Trinity on bap HT 13th Feb 1618/19 so was 20 when his father died. |