Will of Anne Carter of Watford, Widow, 1693

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Watford, Hertfordshire, England

This is a transcription of the registered will of Anne Carter held at the Hertfordshire County Record Office. She wrote her will on 3 May 1688 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. Her will was proved on 8 August 1693 at the Archdeaconry Court of St Albans, Hertfordshire, England.^[1]

Transcription conventions used in this text:

• Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
• Bold text for names have been added by me for ease of reading.
• Where present, ff has been rendered as F.
• Additions and margin notes, where they occur, have been added where indicated in the text.
• Crossings through, where they occur, have been included Struck out.
• Amendments added between the lines, when present, have been formated as ^superscript.
• The image quality was good. The handwriting was legible.

Persons mentioned:

• Anne Carter, the testator
• William White, infant, child of William White
• Anne White, infant, child of William White
• William White, late of Tuddington
• Judith White, William White's wife
• William Pepper, her tennant
• John Beck
• William Grouch, Late of London
  • His children, unnamed
• Richard Smith
  • His children, unnamed
• Widow Knight, tennant
• Thomas Hunt, tennant
• James Chile, tennant
• Thomas Millington, neighbor or tennant?
• Edward Smith of Tindon, her loveing kinsman, executor
• Francis Smith of Harlington, executor
• Francis Smith of Turnham Greene
• Mary Smith, daughter of Francis Smith of Turnham Greene
• Francis Smith of Hexton
• Thomas Smith of Eversden?
• William Whittaker, witness
• Hannah Whittaker, witness
• Jon Warburton, witness

[folio 56 recto]

In the name of God Amen I Anne Carter of Watford

in the County of Hertford widow being weake in Body but of Sound mind & memory

and knowing the uncertaniety of this life Doe therefore make this my last Will & Testament

in manner following that is to say First I give & devise unto William White & Anne White

two Infants the children of Wm. White late of Tudddington in the County of Bedford dec[eas]ed

by Judith his wife and to their heires for ever All that my Messu[a]ge or Tenem[en]^t w[i]^th the

wood house outhouses yards gardens backsides & all other app[ur]tenances to the same belong-

ing Scituate lying & being in the Towne of Watford aforesaid at the upper end of the said

Towne & now in the Occupation of me the said Anne Carter & of W^m Pepper my Tennant

and adjoyneing to the Tenem[en]^t now in the possession of Thomas Millington & John Beck

To hold to them the said William White and Anne White & their heires the whole in two

equall

[folio 56 verso]

Equall parts to be devided Upon Condition

that the said William White & Anne White their heires or assignes do well and

truely pay w[i]^thin One yeare after my decease the Sume of fower pounds to the

Children of William Crouch Late of London deceased w[hi]ch I suppose are now all of

them at Tatternall^[2] in the County of Bedford equally amongst them to be devided

or to Such of them as shalbe^[3] then liveing And upon further condition that the S[ai]d. Will[ia]m

White and Anne White their heires or assignes do well & truely ^also pay w[i]^thin two yeares

next after my decease the like Sume of fower pounds to the Children of Richard Smith

Late of Westning^[4] in the County of Bedford equally amongst them to be devided or to Such

of them as Shalbe^[5] then liveing And if the said W^m. White & Anne White shalbe^[6] under

the respective ages of one & twenty yeares at my decease My Will & desire is that my Ex.[cut]^ors

hereafter Shall let & Set the said Messuage w[i]^th the appurtenunces & take the Rents and

proffitts thereof & thereout to pay & discharge the said Sumes in the Whole amounting

to Eight pounds to the aforesaid Children of W^m Crouch & Richard Smith & if the rent

there of shall fall short of soe doing w[i]^thin the s[ai]d tyme My Will is that my Executors

doe make up the same & reimburse themselves out of the accrewing Rents & that they

receive the Rents & proffitts of the said Messuage untill the Said W^m White & Ann White

Shall attaine their respective Ages of one & twenty yeares & apply the said Rents and

proffitts after the said Legacies are paid towards the maintenauce & bringing up of the s[ai]^d W^m

White & Anne White & towards the necessary repaires of the s[ai]d Messuage And that they

give to the said Will[ia]m White at his respective age of one & twenty yeares & to the s[ai]^d Anne

White at her age of one & twenty yeares ajust accompt of their receipts & disbursm[e]^ts of the

S[ai]d Rents & proffitts of the S[ai]^d Messuage & appurten[a]nc[e]s Item I give and bequeath all that Messuage

or Tenem[en]t in the Towne of Watford aforesaid now in the poss[ess]ion of the Widdow Knight Scituate

over ag[ain]^st Water Lane in Watford aforesaid adjoyneing to the Messuage or Tenem[en]^t now in the

Occupacon of Thomas Hunt & James Chile together with the Garden backside & all other the appurtun[ance]s

to the said Messuage belonging As also the Orchard lying behind the said Messuage which

containes about a Rood of Land and is copyhold holden of the Mannor of Watford aforesaid

and w[hi]^ch I have surrend[e]red unto the hands of the Lord of the said Mannor at the last Court

holden for the said Mannor to such use or uses as are or should be declared in my last Will

As alsoe all that Messuage or Tenem[en]^t in Watford afores[ai]^d now in the possession of the said

Thomas Millington w[hi]^ch adjoynes to the said Messuage in my own possession together w[i]^th

the yard garden & all other app[ur]tenances to the Said Messuage belonging To my Loveing

Kinsman Edward Smith of Tindon in the County of Bedoford and to Francis Smith of

Harlington in the said County of Bedford & to their heires and assignes for Ever

The whole in Two equall parts betwixt them to be devided Upon condition that

they the S[ai]^d Edward Smith & Francis Smith & their heires or some of them doe well and

truely pay to Francis Smith of Turnham greene in Chiswicke parish five pounds

to Mary his Daughter Twenty Shillings To Francis Smith of Hexton Twenty shillings &

to Thomas Smith of Eversole^[7] Twenty Shillings to be paid to them w[i]^thin a twelve Month

next after my decease Item All my goods Chattells & household Stuff after my Debts

and Funerall charges are paid I give and bequeath to the said Edward Smith & Francis

Smith of Harlington equally betewixt them to be devided share & share alike & I make the said

Edward Smith & Francis Smith of Harlington Executors of this my last will & Testam[en]^t.

In Wittness whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand & Seale the third day of May 1688

in the fourth year of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lord King James the Second. Ann Carter

Signed Sealed published & declared in the P[res]ence of us w[i]^th the Words dec[eas]ed by Judith his wife ^[8]

the whole the said, W.^m Whittaker Hannah Whittaker Jon Warburton

Probate [Latin] the will was proved at St Albans on the Eighth day of the Month of August in the Year of Our Lord

1693 before the Reverend John Cole Arthur &c^a Sworn Edward Smith and Francis

Smith as executors &c^a to whom &c^a goods &c^a sworn

Sources

1. ↑ England, Archdeaconry of St Albans. Will and Testament of Anne Carter of Watford, Widow, Hertfordshire, 1693 10AR56. Digital copy can be accessed at FHCs Folio 56 recto Film 008076673 image 305
2. ↑ Totternall
3. ↑ shall be
4. ↑ Westoning?
5. ↑ Shall be
6. ↑ shall be
7. ↑ Eversden, Cambridgeshire?
8. ↑ The words "dec[eas]ed by Judith his wife" were inserted towards the start of the will before it was signed