Will of William Shepheard - 1615

Provided by Nancy Savery

In the name of God Amen. I, William Shepheard of Modbury in the county of Devon Clothyer, weake of body, but perfect in memory (god be blessed), do make & ordaine this my last will & Testament, in manner & forme following. First, I render my soule into the hands of god, through Jesus Christ, my only hope, & commit my body to the earth, to be disposed of in honest buriall, at the discretion of mine executors. Item I give & bequeath to the stock for the poor within the Borough of Modbury, & for the only use of the sayd poore, twenty shillings. Item I give to the two children of William Hobbes, Samuel & Margery to ech twenty shillings: Item I give to the two children of Anthony Whitinge, Thomas & Mildred, to ech twenty shillings: Item I give to my godchildren twelve pence apiece. Item I give to Samuel Hieron the son of Samuel Hieron, Vicar of Modbury, six shillings and eightpence. Item I give to all my brothers their children, to ech, two shillings sixpence. Item I give to Simon Shepheard my apprentice, (if he shall serve out his years with my executors) twenty shillings. Item I give to Gilbert Pearse my manservant twelvepence; and to Jane Miller my mayd-servant two shillings and sixpence. Item I give to Hugh Platten two shillings and sixpence. Item I give to my brother Phillip Shepheard twenty shillings. Item I give to my two brethren Christopher Shepheard and Peter Shepheard to ech ten shillings. Item I give to my daughter Temperance Shepheard twenty pounds, to be payd to her use and for her best behoofe, within six months after my decease: Item I give unto the said Temperance, ten pounds more, to be paid at her day of marriage, in case she do not marry without the advice and consent, of Mary my wife, Samuel Hieron Vicar of Modbury, my brother in law John Lapthorne, or any two of them. Item I give to Mary Shepheard my daughter thirteen pound, six shillings and eightpence, to be payd to her only use and for her best behoofe within one year after my decease. Item I give to my two other daughters Mildred Shepheard and Elizabeth Shepheard to ech thirty pounds, to be payd to their only use and for their best behoofe within two years after my decease: Item my will is that these my daughters, Mary, Mildred, and Elizabeth, shall be married at the only charges of my executors, until the sayd charges be fully payd and discharged. Item my will is that in case any of my sayd daughters, Temperance, Mary, Mildred and Elizabeth, should happen to dy, before the time in which their several Charges be due unto them, the same shall remain to the only use and benefit of the other sisters, to be divided among them by equal portions. Item I give unto William Shepheard my son, all the land which I have within the Borough of Modbury, to him and his heires for ever. Item my will is that Mary my wife have and enjoy the one moyty and halfendeale, of all the said land during her natural life (four words lost in the fold) all manner of

Ref. Modbury Local History Society archives:
FG55 is held as a typescript and is incomplete.