Thomas Isted Will 1597

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Hastings, Sussex, England

Will of Thomas Isted, gent of Hastings, Sussex

Written 1st February 1596/97 and proved 7th April

Transcribed from the digital copy held by the National Archives (accessed 1 June 2023)^[1]

Spelling, punctuation and line/page breaks as per the original document
ff changed to f
? indicates unknown or unclear word or name
[ ] used for expansion of abbreviations
People in the will in bold for ease of reading

people in the will
Richarde Isted - his son
Dorothie - his daughter, the wife of
Abraham Diconson - his son in law
Marye Isted - his daughter
Damarys Isted - his daughter
Redeemed Isted - his daughter
Anthony Jones -his servant
John Wenam - Friend, vendor of property and Overseer of his will
John Isted - his youngest son and executor of his will
Thomas Isted - his son
James Hobson - Overseer of the will
George Porter - Overseer of the will
Abraham Dic[k]son - Overseer of the will
Thomas Collyns - Overseer of the will
Richarde Lyffe - witness to will
Thomas Lake - witness to will
William Bishopp - witness to will
Melchior Reynolds - witness to will
Marye Nateley
Susan - his maid

In the name of God Amen the first daie of
February in the year of our Lorde and Savyour Jhesus Christ according to the
Computation of the Church of England /1596/ and in the Nyne and Thirttith yere
of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth by the grace of god Queen of Eng-
lande France and Irelande Defender of the faith /I Thomas Isted of Hastings
in the countie of Sussex gent being sick in Bodye, but of good and perfect memorie
praised be god Doe ordeyne and make this my last will and Testament in way beinge
for the disposing aswell of my goodes and Chattels, A[nd] also of my Landes Te-
nements and heredytaments whatsoever within the Realm of England in manner
and forme followinge /First I give and bequeath to the poor people of the Parrishe
of Brightlinge Twentye shillings To be paid ymeadyatlie after my decease /And
to the poore people of the Parrishe of of Seynt Clement in Hastings Twenty
Shillings to be paid in like manner /Item I give and bequeath unto Richarde
Isted my sonne One hundred pounds of lawful money of Englande Whiche
hundred pounds I will shalbe paide unto hym within One year next after
my decease /Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Dorothie the wife of
Abraham Diconson One hundred and Thirty poundes /And to my daughter Marye
Isted One hundred and Fifty poundes To be paide unto them and every of
them within One yeare and a halfe next after my decease /And I will and my
mynde that myne Overseers shall allow and pay unto my saide daughter
Marye for and towardes her maintenance during the tyme that her saide porcon shall
to her nonpaide after my decease, soe muche and such some and somes of money as they
or three of them shall thinke reasonable and convenient /And also my will and mynde
is the my Overseers shall with Twentie eight daies next after my decease
either pay orels make such a Promice unto my saide daughters Dorothye and
Marye and every of them for the payment of their saide severall porcons unto
every of them the tyme above lymitted for the payment thereof and shalbe
thought by them or three of them to be reasonable and sufficient /item I I give and
bequeath unto Damarys Isted my daughter One hundred and Fifty poundes
And unto Redeemed Isted my daughter One hundred and Fifty poundes, To
be paide unto them at their severall ages of Eighteen years or dates of Marriage
which shall first happen /And my will is that in the meane time after my de-
cease until my saide daughter Damarys shall come to her saide age of Eighteen
years or shalbe married, her saide porcine of One hundred and Fifty poundes
shalbe putt out or otherwyse ymployed by myne Overseers or three of them
or by their consent to and for such profitt use and commodytie as shall seeme
best to my Overseers or three of them to and for the better and most convenient
educacon of my saide daughter Damarys /and that all the profitt of the saide
porcon of my saide daughter Damarys that shall remain over and above the ne-
ccesary and convenient maintenance and educacon of my saide daughter Damyrys
shalbe employed and bestowed att the discrecon of my saide Overseers to Three
of them /And yf my saide daughters Damarys and Redeemed or any of them shall
happen to dye before they shall come to their severall ages of Eighteen yeares
or dates of marriage Then I will, that the porcon above bequeathed unto her or
them she dyinge shall remain and be unto the rest of my daughters Survyvinge
equally betwene them be devyded /And my will and mynde ^is that such of myne

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Overseers as shall receave any of the Porcons above bequeathed unto my saide
daughters Damarys and Redeemed shall paye the same unto my saide Children or
such of them whose porcon or porcons they shall receave att such times as they
are before limytted to be paide unto them /Item I will that all my household stuff
and plate shalbe equallye devyded amongst all my Children at the discrecon
of myne Overseers or three of them /Item I give unto Anthony Jones my servant
Three poundesTo be paide unto him within One monthe next after my decease
Item I give and grante to John Wenam of Ninfield in the said County of Sussex
gentleman and to his heirs, All those my Marshes called by the name of Claredge
or by whatsoever other name or names they be called or known w[ith] all and sin-
gular their appertuance which I latelie bought and purchased of him the saide
John Wenham lyynge and beinge in the parrishe of Hooe in the saide countie of Sussex
conveynynge by estymacon Twentye One acres To have and to hold the same
Marshes and every parcell of them with their appertuances unto the saide John
Wenam his heires and Assignes forever /Provyded always that the saide John
Wenam his heirs or Assignes doe and shall w[ith]in Twentie eight dates nexte
after my decease Make seale and deliver unto my Overseers or three of them such
lawful good and Sufficient assurance and securytie as my saide Overseers or
any three of them shall like and allowe of of for the true payment of Two hundred
Twenty five poundes and twelve pence of good and Lawfull money of Englande
for and in Consideration of the saide marshes in manner and form following, That is
to save, To my Executor att his full age of One and twenty years Threescore
and Fifteen pounds and twelve pence /And to my saide daughter Redeemed
One hundred and Fifty poundes residue of the saide some of Two hundred Twen-
tie five poundes twelve pence att her saide age of Eighteen years or at the daye
of her marriage or which of them shall first happen /Which saide some of One
hundred and Fifty poundes to her beinge paide by the saide John Wenam as
aforesaid shall in full paiemente and satisfaction of those One hundred and fiftye
poundes to her formerlie in this my will bequeathed /And likewyse that the
saide John Wenam his heires executors or administrators doe then also make and give
unto my Overseers or three of them such good and sufficient assurance as they or
any three of them shall like and allowe of for the payment of fifteen pounds
of good and lawful money of Englande yearly and every yeare unto my saide
Overseers until such time as the saide some of One hundred and fifty poundes
be fullye paide unto my saide daughter Redeemed in from aforesaid /which
yerelie some of Fifteene poun des I doe meane and intend to be imployed by discrecon
of my Overseers towards the educacon and maintenance of my saide daughter
Redeemed /And yf she shall fortune to decease before she shall attain to her saide
age of Eighteen years or be marryed /Then the saide some of of One hundred and
Fifty poundes to be equally devyded amongst my other daughters survyvynge as
is above declared, And my Will and meanynge is, that all such debts as I doe owe
to anie persone or [per]sones shalbe well and faithfullye paide (att such tymes as they
shall grow due and payable) by my Overseers /All the rest of my goodes and
Chattels moveable and ymoveable whatsoever not before given nor bequeathed my
debtes and Legacies paide and satisfied I give and bequeath unto John Isted my
youngest sonne whome I make my Sole Executor of this my Last will and Testament
And I will and give unto my saide sonne John Isted all my Landes tenements
and heredytamentes whatsoever w[i]thin the Realme of Englande not before hereby
given nor bequeathed /To have and to hold to hyn and to his heires forever /Pro-
video always and my very Will intent and meanynge is That yf yt shall here-
after appears unto my Overseers that such some or somes of money as are to me
lent of by me anie waies adventured shall not be well and truly repaid or returned

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By reason of any calamity hazarde or losse whereby a sufficient porcon for
the educacon and maintenance of my saide sonne John Isted my Executor shall not
aryse answerable to my meanynge and their discrecon /That then yt shalbe law-
full to and for my saide Overseers or three of them at their discrecon to abate dimi-
nysh and defaulte from the severall portions of my other children before by me bequeathed
soe muche as they shall thinke good and convenient to the augmenting of his porcon
and supply of such hazarde losse and Casualtye as is aforesaid /And whereas my
sonne Thomas Isted standeth indebted unto mr in dyvers somes of money for cattle
Corne rents and otherwyse to me due /Nowe by this my ? last will and Testament
I doe release and discharge him the saide Thomas my sonne of all and every the saide
some and somes of money and debts forever /Conditionally that he the saide Thomas
doe not att any time hereafter by any means directlie or indirectlie got about
endeavo[ur] or seeke to prejudice my saide Executor or Overseers to the hinderance
of the due Course of this ^my present last Will and Testament or of any gifts Legacy
bequest or matter therein contenyd /And I ordeyne and make Overseers of this my
Last will and testament my very lovinge friends John Wenam aforesaide gent
James Hobson gent George Porter gent Abraham Dic[k]son and Thomas Collyns
To which saide John Wenam and James Hobson I remitt the whole government and
educacon of my saide three younger children John Demarys and Redeemed /And to
them I give and remitt full and whole power and authorytie to receave order
ymploye directe and dispose aswell all the Nocke porcon debte creditte rentes and
inheritance which I leave unto my saide sone John my Executor /As also w[i]th
the resydue of my saide Overseers to accomplishe and performe this my presente
last will and Testament in all thinges accordinge to my true intent and meanynge
Untill my saide Executour shall attayne to his full age of Twentye and One yeares
They givinge and allowinge him sufficient maintenance to bringe hym upp in Lear-
nynge in the meane tyme In witness whereof I have hereunto Subscrybed my name
and sett my seale  ?Yoren the daye and yeare first abovewritten Thomas Isted
Sealed signed and delivered in the presence of Richarde Lyffe Maior Thomas
Lake William Bishopp Melchior Reynolds /I have bethought my self synce
the sealing hereof to bestow on Marye Nateley Fortie shillings and to Susan
my maide Twentye shillings w[hi]ch I will to be paide unto them w[i]thin a month
after my decease.

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Sources

1. ↑ The National Archives, Kew Records of the Prerogative court of Canterbury PROB 11/89/269 Will of Thomas Isted, Gentleman of Hastings, Sussex 07 April 1597Catalogue Entry