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Will of Sir Richard Reynell of Ford

Proved 18 April 1634

© Crown Copyright

PROB 11/165/344, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury

Transcribed by Kathleen Noye

In the name of Jehovah the Father ye sonne and the holy Ghost my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier one eternall God blessed for ever and praised for ever and ever Amen I Richard Reynell of fford in the Countie of Devon Esquire in health of body temperance of minde and assistance of heavenly grace considering wth myselfe the great love and manifold mercies of this divine Ma[jes]tie both in spiriuall and temporall graces and gifts towards me a most sinnefull sonne of Adam without any desert [worthiness] of myne but only out of his meere goodnes in, by, and through the meritts death and passion of my only Saviour Jesus Christ, whom by a lively faith and sure confidence I apprehend as my firme anchor-hold satisfying the eternall Justice of his ffather for all my sinnes originall and actuall whatsoever and calling to remembrance through the motion of his holy spirit the transitory vanity of this world w[i]th the bondage therein and that only Jerusalem above is everlastinge and in freedome peace and Joy w[i]th her Children, and that all flesh on earth must die or be changed though the tyme place and maner be vncertayne and vnknowne to any worldly Creature And therefore purposing by the ayd and comfort of his said holy spiritt, to take heed, watch, pray and p[re]pare myselfe against that tyme, and not to abuse the longe sufferance of God w[i]th the vnbeleeving men of the old world, whiles the arke was a preparing, nor w[i]th the foolish vergins in the gospell be vnprovided to meete the bridegrome, I doe now therefore make this my last will and testament for the full disposicon [disposition] of all the worldly blessing[es] which my gratious God hath out of his meere providence and goodnes most liberally bestowed vpon me, w[i]thout any worth of mine and beyond my expectacon, thereby to quiet and settle my soule and conscience, and to make my minde, will, and vnderstanding fitt, the more freely and intyrely [entirely] to entertayne spirituall meditations, doctrines, prayers and thankes giving w[i]th all charitable devotions which I most humbly beseech his goodnes to increase and continew more and more in me to his glory and my etternall happines And first I bequeath and comend my soule to Allmightie God who gave it, in repentance and assurance of full remission for all my sinnes, through the shedding of the precious blood of his sonne Jesus Christ my only Saviour My body I leave to a convenient place of buriall till the tyme of restauration come And I give twentie pound to the poore of the parish where I am buried And twenty pound more to the poore of this parishes of Wolborough and other adioyninge [adjoining] according to the discretion of my Executrix All my tenement in Saint Marychurch purchased of one Lorymer and my messuage and other lands in the parish of Ilsington I give and bequeath to my Nephew Richard Reynell Esqr the sonne of my brother S[i]r Thomas Reynell for fowerscore nineteene yeares All my mannors and p[ar]sonage of Wolborough and my Capitall messuage called fford, and all other my mannors lands tenem[en]tes and hereditament[es] w[i]th theire appurten[n]anc[es] w[i]thin the Countie of Devon (except my mannor of Braunton Abbott wherein my wife hath already an estate for terme of her life) I wholy give and bequeath vnto my deare and loving wife Lucey Reynell for terme of her life to the intent that she with the issues, profitt[es] and casualties thereof maie paie and satisfie to my welbeloved daughter Jane the som[m]e of an hundred pound yearely for her maintenance (if she clayme not the third part of those my lands by the comonlawe notw[i]thstanding this my will And to this further intent that my said wife maie the better and sooner pay and discharge all my debts legacies, funerall charges and other duties whatsoever which I straightly charge her according to her good conscience and my especiall confidence to see in convenient tyme satisfied and paid And after the decease of my said wife I will and bequeath all my said Mannors Rectory, lands, tenemt[es] and hereditament[es] together w[i]th the said Mannors of Braunton Abbott and the revercons [reversions] thereof vnto the heires males of my body vpon the body of the said Lucy begotten and to be begotten And for default of such issue I give and bequeath all the said Mannors Rectory lands tenements and hereditaments whatsoever vnto my welbeloved daughter Jane for terme of her life And after her decease the remaynder thereof to the heires of her body lawfully to be begotten And for default of such issue the remainder thereof to the heires males of the body of my brother S[i]r Thomas Reynell Knight lawfully begotten and for default of such issue, the remainder to the heires males of the body of my brother S[i]r George Reynell Knight lawfully begotten And for default of such issue to the right heires of me the said Richard Reynell forever, with this further liberty and power that it maie and shalbe lawfull for my said wife and daughter and either of them and after theire deceases for those to whome the remaynder shall come respectively to let and set any part or partes of my said mannors, tenemt[es] or hereditam[e]t[es] (being now in lease for life or lives, or for any number of yeares determinable vpon our life or more) to any person or persons for any number of yeares determinable vpon one two or three lives either in possession or reversion reserveing the old accustomed rents and services or more Also my intent and will is that the tithes and profitts of the p[ar]sonage of Wolborough w[hi]ch Mr Stokes the preacher holdeth now for terme of his life (the Kinges Maties rents and the ministers duties paid) shall after his decease be imployed by those to whom the reversion shall happen, towards the better mainten[n]ance of divyne service and preaching within the parish Church of Wolborough as they will answeare it before Allmightie God, Also my will is that my loving sister the lady Seckford shall have her gold salt left w[i]th me and fiftie pound in money recompence of all reckonings betweene vs Also I give to my sister Martyn ten pound and to my neece Awdrey Bradley twenty pound w[i]thin one yeare after her marriage if she marry with my wives likeing Also I give to my brother S[i]r Thomas Reynells Children vnmarried the som[m]e of fortie pound to be equally devided betweene them w[i]thin twoe yeares after my decease Also I bequeath to my brother S[i]r George Reynells Children the som[m]e of fortie pound to be equally devided betweene them w[i]thin three yeares after my decease Also I give to Nicholas Turbervyle ten pound To Thomas Waltham ten pound To George Troyce ten pound and to his wife ten pound and to each of my other servants at the tyme of my decease a yeares wages Also my will is that my wife shall have my house with th'appurten[n]anc[es] in the Close of the City of Exon [Exeter] for her life, and after the residue of the terme to come to my daughter Jane All the residue of my leases, goods and chattells whatsoever I alsoe give to my said loving wife whom I make my sole Executrix requesting her to give for a remembrance the som[m]e of twentie pound to such of my friends as to her discretion shall seeme meete [right, suitable] In witnes whereof I have to theis presents written w[i]th my owne hand subscribed my name and sett my seale the sixt day of Aprill in the yeares of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord James by the grace of God King of England ffrance and Ireland the sixteene and of Scotland the ffiftie one et [and] Anno domini One thousand sixe hundred eighteene p[er] me Ri: Reynolds
 

Probatum fuit Testamentum suprascriptum apud London Coram venerabili viro Domino Henrico Marten milite legum doctore Curie Prerogative Cantuariensis Magistro Custode sive Commissario l[egi]time constituto decimo octavo die mens[is] Aprilis Anno Domini Millesimo sexcentesimo tricesimo quarto Juramento Domine Luciae Reynell Relicte dicti defuncti et Executricio in huiusmodi Testamento nominat Cui Com[m]issa fuit Administratio omnium et singulorum bonorum iurium et Creditorum dicti defuncti De bene et fideliter Administrando eadem Ad sancta Dei Evangelia Coram Roberto Ball et Johanne Challis Cl[er]icis vigore Commissionis in ea parte al[ia]s emanat Jurat . / . Ex[aminat]~

Translation: The above-written will was proved in London before the venerable Sir Henry Marten knight, Doctor of Law, Master, Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, lawfully constituted, on the eighteenth day of the month of April in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred thirty-four, on oath of Dame Lucy Reynell, relict of the said deceased and executrix named in the same will, to whom was granted administration of all and singular the goods, rights and credits of the said deceased, well and faithfully to administer the same, sworn on the Holy Gospels before Robert Ball and John Challis, clerks [clergy?], by power of a commission issued previously. Examined.