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Will of Roger Efford - 1683

Handwritten copy, Modbury Local History Society archives, ref H.67

Provided by Nancy Savery

Proved 12 Jul 1684

Extracted from the Registry of the Archdeacon's Court of Totnes

In the Name of God Amen the fowerth day of November in the five & thirtieth Yeare of the reigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles the second by the Grace of God of England Scotland ffrance & Ireland King Defender of the faith etc Annoq[ue] D[omi]ni 1683 I Roger Efford of Modbury in the County of Devon Yeoman being sick of Body but of sound & P[er]fect Mind & Memory (thanks be unto Almighty God therefore) Doe make & ordaine this my last Will & Testam[en]t in manner & fforme followinge vizt. ffirst I recom[m]end my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God my maker hopeing through the Meritts of Jesus Christ my onely Savio[u]r & Redeemer to inherite eternall Salvac[i]on & my Body to a decent & Christian Buryall And as touchinge my temporall Estate I dispose thereof as followeth Impr[imi]s I give & bequeath unto Mary my Wife One hundred Pounds Alsoe I give & bequeath unto my said Wife Mary All my Houses Closes or Parcells of Land with th[e]appurten[an]ces & the Use of all my Houshold Good Utensills & Implem[en]ts of Houshold for & during the full Time & Terme of threeescore Yeares If my said Wife doe or shall soe long happen to Live Alsoe I give & bequeath unto my two Daughters Mary and Johane One hundred & fifty Pounds a peece And my Will & desire is that my said Wife & Daughters doe live together & that the Yearly p[ro]fitt of Money or Estate I shall leave amongst my said Wife & Daughters bee for & towards their respective Maintenance & livelihood untill my said Daughters or one of them bee Marryed Alsoe I give devise & bequeath unto my said Daughters Mary & Johane & their Heirs All my Messuages Lands Tenem[en]ts & Hereditam[en]ts with th[e]appurten[an]ces scutuate lying & being within the p[ar]ish of Modbury or elsewhere in the County of Devon togeather with the Deeds & writings - concerning the same imediately after the decease of my said Wife And my Will & meaning is & I doe soe declare that if either of my said Daughters shall happen to dye unmarryed or shall happen to be marryed & dye without Issue of her Body lawfully to be begotten Then all my said Messuasges Lands Tenem[en]ts & Hereditam[en]ts with th[e]Appurten[an]ces shall bee remaine & come unto such of my said Daughters as shall survive the other & to the Heirs & Assigns of my said Daughter (soe surviving) for ever Alsoe I give & bequeath unto my said two Daughters (after the decease of my said Wife) All my Goods & Chattels whatsoever to bee equally divided amongst them Alsoe I give unto my Sister Elizabeth Pettallack fforty Shillings All the residue of my Goods & Chattels whatsoever I give & bequeath unto my said Wife whome I herebt make constitute & ordain to bee my whole & sole Executrix of this my last Will & Testament And farther my Will & Meaning is That if there shall arise any difference betweene my said Wife & Daughters or any of them or any scruple or doubt touchinge this my last Will that such difference scruple or doubt shsall bee made upp by my Kinsman Christopher Efford & Henry Legassicke of Modbury & they or the survivo[u]r of them shall expound the meaninge of this my Will And Lastly my Will menainge & desire is that my said Daughters nor either of them doe not marry without the Consent or approbat[I]on of my said Kinsman Christopher Efford & Henry Legassicke or the Survivo[u]r of them first had And I desire the said Christopher Efford & Henry Legassicke to bee aiding & assisting to my said Wife & Children in the Managem[en]t of their affaires & in the p[er]formance of this my last Will & Testament In Witnesse whereof I the said Roger Efford have hereunto sett my Hand & Seale the Day & Yeare first above written -
                 Roger Efford

Signed Sealed Published & declared by the above named Roger Efford in p[re]sence of us
    John Swete
    Ambr[ose] Rhodes
    Hen[ry]Legassicke
The sign of Elias Reeby    +
The sign of James Phillips    [like the letter z or figure 2]

24th Julii 1684 Probatu[m] fuit hu[ius]mo[d]i Test[a]m[e]n[tum] apud Modbury coram D[omi]no Jacobo ffullwood Legu[le] Dioce[sis] Surr[ogato] ven[erabi]lis viri ffran[cisci] fullwood cl[er]ici Archi[diaco]ni Totton com[m]issa p[ro]cu[rare?] adm[inistratio]ne[m] Mari[a]e Efford rel[ic]t[a]e et Ex[ecutri]ci et c[etera] prius jurat[ur] et c[etera] salvo jure et c[etera]
Inv[entariu]m £480