Will of Edward Pridham, Clerk of Morchard Bishop

Proved 23 May 1688

© Crown Copyright

PROB 11/391/247 Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury

Transcribed by John Moore

In the name of God Amen I Edward Pridham of Morchard Bishopp in the County of Devon Clerke being sick of body but of sound and perfect memory thankes bee given to Almighty God and calling to mind the uncerteintie of this present life and the certeinty of death Doe make and ordaine this my last will and Testament in manner following First I resigne my spirit to God that gave it and I recommend my body to the earth from whence it was derived to bee interred in a decent Christian buriall in full Assurance and hopes of a blessed and glorious resurrection at the last day when both Soule and body shall bee reunited to a blissfull eternitie in and through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Item I give and bequeath foure pounds yearly for five yeares to bee bestowed yearly in Foure suits of Apparrell on foure poore Aged men of the said parish of Morchard Bishopp as are not releived for the time then present by the Churchwardens and ov[er]seers of the poore of the said parish of Morchard Bishop and those foure shutes of Apparrell soe bequeathed as aforesaid to bee had and provided for them on the Feast of All saints at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named or by her Orders or els by the Churchwardens and Overseers of the poore of the parish of Morchard Bishopp aforesaid And noe poore man to have the said shute of Apparrell soe bestowed as aforesaid more than once dureing the continuance of the said five yeares The said gift and bequest of the said suites of Apparrell to bee provided had distributed and given on the first Feast of All saints as aforesaid which shall bee next and immediately after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne Edward Pridham and the heires of his body forever All my Messuages Lands and Tenements rents reversions services and hereditaments with thappurtenances commonly called Bagborough and Keton or one of them lying in Sandford and Crediton or one of them now in the tenure or possession of Joane Pridham Widow or her assignes (shee claimeing the same dureing her widdowhood, hee the said Edward Pridham my said sonne or his heires or assignes paying for and in respect of the said premisses unto Anna Pridham my daughter the summe of Five hundred poundes of lawfull money of England within Two yeares next after the death of the said Joane Pridham Widow And in case the said Edward Pridham my said sonne shall die without issue of his body lawfully begotten, or if the said sum[m]e of Five hundred pounds shall not bee paid unto the said Anna Pridham my daughter by the time aforesaid, Then I give and devise the said messuages Lands tenem[en]ts rents reversions and hereditaments with the appurtenancces unto the said Anna Pridham my Daughter and the heires of her body And for want of such Issue I give and devise the same premisses unto John Pridham my Nephew forever and to the heires of his body lawfully begotten hee the said John Pridham and his heires paying thereout yearly forever five pounds to bee bestowed in foure shutes of apparrell on foure poore Aged men of the said parish of Morchard Bishopp as are not releived for the time then present by the said parish of morchad Bishopp to bee ordered and given tto such poore aged men of the said parish of Morchard Bishopp as the Churchwardens and Overseers of the poore of the said parish of Morchard Bishopp shall thinke fitt and fifty shillings yearly forever to two poore men of the parish of Newton St Cires in the said County of Devon to bee bestowed for them in Two shutes of Apparrell on such Two poore men as the Churchwardens and overseers of the poore of the parish of Newton St Cires aforesaid shall thinke fitt and convenient And whereas an estate or estates in remainder is limitted to mee and my said sonne of and in certeine messuages Lands and Tenements in or called Creedy scituate in the severall parishes of Newton St Cires afores[ai]d and Shopbrooke in the said County of Devon my will and meaning is that in case the said John Pridham my said nephew and sonne of my Brother Roger Pridham deceased shall die without heires male of his body whereby the said premisses in or called Creedy shall remaine discend or come unto the said Edward Pridham my said sonne according to a settlement thereof formerly made Then my will and meaning is that the said Edward Pridham my said sonne shall pay unto the said Anna Pridham my said daughter the summe of Three hundred pounds of lawfull mony of England over and beyond the said summe of Five hundred pounds before herein mentioned to bee paid unto her the said Anna Pridham my said Daughter within Seaven yeares next after the death of the said John Pridham without heire male of his body as aforesaid and for default of payment of the said Three hundred pounds in manner as aforesaid Then I give and bequeath the said premisses in or called Bagborough and Keton unto the s[ai]d Anne Pridham my Daughter and the heires of her body forever All the Residue of my goods and chattells rights and Creditts not hereby formerly given and bequeathed I give and bequeath unto Dorothy my wife and the said Edward Pridham my sonne and Anna Pridham my Daughter equally to bee divided betweene them And I hereby constitute ordaine and make the said Dorothy my wife whole and sole Executrix of this my last will and Testament requesting and chargeing her to see my said sonne and Daughter vertuously brought up in the best manner shee cann and I charge my said sonne and daughter to bee dutifull and obedient to their said mother and soe recommend them all to the direction protection and blessing of Almighty God provided nevertheless and it is my further will and intent that my said sonne Edward Pridham shall have to his owne use and behoofe All my Bookes and Manuscripts over and beyond a third part of the goods and chattells before hereby devised to him And my will and meaning further is that if in case my said sonne and daughter shall both of them happen to die without issue then I hereby give and devise unto Dorothy my said wife the said Messuages Lands and Tenements in or called Bagborough and Keton dureing her naturall life, any thing herein contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding In witnesse whereof I the said Edeward Pridham Clerke have hereunto sett my hand and seale and published and declared this to bee my last will and Testament being contained in Two sheets of paper revokeing all former Wills and Testaments by mee heretofore made or declared this seaven and Twentieth day of October in the Third yeare of the reigne of our Sovereigne Lord James the second King over England &c. Annoque Domini One Thousand six hundred eighty seaven Ed: Pridham. Signed Sealed and declared to be my last will and Testament in the presence of us Nicholas Laskey Andrew Billing William Norrish.

Probatum fuit hu[ius]mo[d]i Testam[entum] apud London coram ven[erabi]li et egregio viro Domino Richardo Paines Milite legu[m] Doctore Curiae Praerogativae Cantuariensis Mag[ist]ro Custode sive Commissario l[egi]time Constituto vicesimo tertio die mensis Maij Anno Domini Millesimo sexcentesimo octogesimo octavo Juramento Dorotheæ Pridham Relictæ et Executricis in d[ic]to test[ament]o nominat[æ] Cui Commissa fuit Administratio omnium et singulorum bonorum jurium et creditorum dicti def[unc]ti de bene et fidel[ite]r Administrando eadem ad Sancta[m] Dei Evangelia[m] (vigore Commissionis) Jurat[æ].