1680 Alexander Bridges

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Sussex, England
Surname/tag: Bridges

Bridges Wills

Transcript of the Will of Alexander BRIDGES

(c. 1602 - 1680)

In the name of God Amen The Foure and Twentyeth day of December in the nine and Twentieth yeare of the Reigne of our Sovereign Lord Charles the Second by the Grace of God of England Scotland France & Ireland King Defender of the faith And in the yeare of out Lord God 1677

I Alexander Bridges of the Parish of Lindfield in the County of Sussex yeoman being weake in body but of perfect memory blessed be the Lord for the same do make and ordain this to be my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following.

Imprimis I give and bequeath my Soule unto God my Creator hoping for Salvation through the mercy of God & the merritts of Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer and my body to be buried in Lindfield church yard.

Item I give and bequeath unto the poore of the said parish of Lindfield the Sume of three pounds of good and lawfull English money to be payd and distributed according to the discrecion of mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Mary my loving wife the Bed Bedstedle Curtains and all belonging unto and as it is ( illegible phrase ) unto her when she shall desire or demand it the same.

Item I give and bequeath unto Ann Lintott my Eldest daughter the sume of Ten pounds of lawfull English money to be payd by mine Executor hereafter named within one yeare after my decease.

Item I give and bequeath unto Mary Osborne my daughter the sume of Ten pounds of lawfull English money to be payd by mine Executor within one yeare after my decease.

Item I give and bequeath unto John Lintott my grandchild the sume of Twenty shillings also I do forgive and release unto him the sd John Lintott the sume of Twenty pounds which he oweth me.

Item I give and bequeath unto Thomas Lintott my grandchild the sume of Twenty poundes of good and lawfull English money to be payd unto him when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named .

Item I give and bequeath unto Ann Lintott my grandchild the sume of Twenty poundes of good and lawfull English money to be payd unto her when she shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Jane Lintott my grandchild the sume of Twenty poundes of good and lawfull English money to be payd unto her when she shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named .

Item I give and bequeath unto Richard Lintott my grandchild the sume of Twenty poundes of good and lawfull English money to be payd unto him when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named .

Item I give and bequeath unto Mary Lintott my grandchild the sume of Twenty poundes of good and lawfull English money to be payd unto her when she shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Walsingham Lintott my grandchild the sume of Twenty poundes of good and lawfull English money to be payd unto him when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth Lintott my grandchild the sume of Twenty poundes of good and lawfull English money to be payd unto her when she shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named

Item I give and bequeath unto the foure youngest of my daughter Lintott’s children the Interest of their above sd Leggacies after the rate of twelve pence in the pounde which doth amount unto foure poundes by the yeare and this to be paid yearly unto my daughter Ann Lintott during the time of her widdowhood for the use of the sd foure children by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Alexander Osborne my grandchild the sume of Twenty poundes of good and lawfull English money to be payd unto him when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named. Memorandum my Will and meaning touching this leggacie above given unto the sd Alexander Osborne is after this maner wth this pviso and upon this condition following viz. that if John Osborne my son in law his heirs Executors or administrators shall or do at any time hereafter claim or demand anything or things portion or part of portion by virtue of any promise or other obligation made or pretended to be made by me unto him the said John Osborne at or before the time of his marraige with my daughter Mary his now wife then my Will and meaning is the said leggacies and bequests of twenty pounds given unto the above Mary & Alexander Osborne shall cease determine and be void and the sayd Leggacies to return to mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I forgive and release unto Thomas Brooker my Son in law of the parish of Westeram inthe county of Kent the sume of Ten pounds which he oweth unto me.

Item I give and bequeath unto Mary Brooker my grandchild the sume of twenty pounds of lawfull English money to be payd unto her when she shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Dorothy Brooker my grandchild the sume of twenty pounds of lawfull English money to be payd unto her when she shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Thomas Brooker my grandchild the sume of twenty pounds of good and lawfull English money to be payd unto him when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item my will and meaning touching those foure leggacies last above given unto Thomas Brooker my son in law unto Mary Dorothy and Thomas Brooker my grandchildren is after this maner wth this pviso and upon this condition viz. that if the sayd Thomas Brooker my son in law his heirs executors and administrators shall or doe claim or demand anything or things portion or part of portion by virtue of any promises or other obligation made or pretended to be made by me unto him the sayd Thomas Brooker at or before the time of his marriage to my daughter Philis his first wife then my Will and meaning is the sayd leggacies of Ten poundes which I have given unto him the sd Thomas Brooker my son in law and also the sayd leggacies of Twenty poundes apiece wch I have given unto the above sayd Mary, Dorothy & Thomas Brooker my grandchildren shall cease determine and be void and the sayd leggacies to return unto mine Executor hereafter named.

And further my Will and meaning touching upon the payment of those leggacies of Twenty poundes apiece above given unto the above sd Mary, Dorothy & Thomas Brooker jun. is after this maner following viz. that if he the sayd Thomas my son in law do secure or cause to be secured good & absolute security from some person or persons that with by Mortgage charge his or their lands for the payment of the sd leggacies to the sd three children when they and every of them do severally accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares as aforesayd then mine Executor hereafter named shall pay the sdthree leggacies for the use of the sdthree children within one yeare after my decease unto the sd Thomas Brooker my son in law and his accquittance shall be a discharge unto my sd Executor.

But if the sd Thomas Brooker do not provide such security as is above and mine Executor shall think sufficient to deliver the sd leggacies unto the sd three children and the interest that doth belong to each of them as they do severally accomplish the age of one and twenty then mine Executor shall (? ?) retain and keep the sayd Leggacies above given unto the sd three children without paying any Interest therefoure.

Item I give and bequeath unto Jane Bridges my grandchild the sume of twenty pounds of lawfull English money to be payd unto her when she shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Mary Bridges my grandchild the sume of twenty pounds of lawfull English money to be payd unto her when she shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Ann Bridges my grandchild the sume of twenty pounds of lawfull English money to be payd unto her when she shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Sarah Bridges my grandchild the sume of twenty pounds of lawfull English money to be payd unto her when she shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares by mine Executor hereafter named.

Item I give and bequeath unto Alexander Bridges my grandchild All that my Messuage lands and Tenements which I purchased of William Board Esqr lying and being in Cuckfield in the aforesayd County of Sussex called or known by the name of Hardings containing by estimacion eighteen Acres more or lessand now in the occupation of Richard Cox.

To have and to hold the sayd Messuage lands and Tenement and every part and parcell thereof to the sayd Alexander Bridges and his heires for ever Except and (? ?) out of this (one line lost in the fold of the parchment) shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares pay or cause to be payd the above two last Leggacies given unto the above sayd Ann and Sarah Bridges or to Executor hereafter named for the use of the sayd Ann and Sarah .

And if he shall refuse so to do then the sayd Ann and Sarah Bridges shall receive the rents of the sayd lands untill the sayd Twenty poundes apiece be fully satisfyed and payd as aforesayd unto the sd Ann and Sarah Bridges.

And also that mine Executor shall shall have and receive the Rents and Profits of the sayd lands untill the sd Alexander doth come of age.

Item All the rest of my Goods Cattell and Chattells my debts and leggacies being payd and my Funeral Expenses discharged I give and bequeath unto Alexander Bridges my son whom I do make and ordaine to be my whole sole and lawfull Executor of this my last Will and Testament And intreat my trusty and wellbeloved John Osborne of Cowden and Richard Bridges of Ardingly to be overseers of this my alst Will and Testament.

And I do hereby revoke and make voyd all other former Wills and Testaments whatsoever by me made .

In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Seale the day and yeare above written.

Sealed and allowed to be my last Will and Testament in the presence of The marke of Henry Berry Alexander Bridges Thomas Williams

Probate of this Will was made in Latin on 29th December 1680

NOTES:

1. Alexander Bridges does not seem to trust either of his sons in law who were still alive at his death. Walsingham Lintott senior had died in May 1677 some seven months before Alexander drafted this Will.

2. He names every one of his 17 grandchildren, who were alive at the time, the exception was Thomas the son of his son Alexander, who was born after Alexander wrote his Will.

3. He calls upon his well beloved friend John Osborne to be an overseer of his Will, was this man the Father of his son in law John Osborne ?

4. He leaves a legacy to his grandson Walsingham Lintott, therefore it must be assumed that a Walsingham junior was still alive in 1677, when Alexander Bridges drafted his Will, however Jim Chambers advises of a burial of Walsingham, son of Walsingham, on 15th August 1665 at Lindfield, this must indicate either the date is wrong in the register that Jim was looking at or that Walsingham had another son whose baptism has been lost (probably in the Cromwell period) and who died in 1665 and was replaced by the Walsingham born in 1673 and this is the more likely event.