Will of David Speed of Holt Denbighshire 1639

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Holt, Denbighshire, Wales
Surnames/tags: Speed Speede

This is a transcript of the will of David Speed of Holt, Denbighshire, Wales. The will was dated 19 March 1638/9.

Will

March 19th 1638
I David Speed of Holt in the Countie of Denbighe gent waighinge and considering with my selfe the transitorie and unstable condition of this p’sent life and beinge willinge and desirous to dispose of that estate where with the Lord in much goodnesse hath blessed mee in such manner and forme as I iudge to bee meete and convenient, that soe all suites and contentions after my decease for or concerninge the same may bee p’vented Doe constitute and make this my last will and Testament in manner and forme followeinge, my soule I Doe Comende into the hands of the Lord who first breathed it into this my mortall bodie expectinge salvation as his free gifte to bee bestowed uppon mee (unworthy sinner) in due kind relieinge uppon noe other for remission of

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sinnes but Jesus Christ the righteous in whom I have beleeved And uppon whom I doe depend as an all sufficient saviour, And as this fraile bodie I leave the same to bee interred att the discreason of my Executors heereafter named desireinge that same may bee comended to the Earth from whence it came in such a decent manner as is fitt the Temple of the holy ghost to bee disposed Of firmely exspectinge that the same though shortly to bee resolved to dust … againe bee united this soule of mine and made ptaker of that eternall glory which Christ the prince of our Salvation hath purchased for us And as for and concerninge all and singular my goods chattells Creditts and whole estate both psonall and reall my will and minde is and I doe heerby declare the same to bee, that they shalbee disposed of in manner and forme followeinge, First whereas I am possessed of

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of a Certaine Tennemente in Kinnerton heretofore the Lands of Mr Clegge deceased for a Certaine number of yeares unexpired and yett to come & of twentie pounds p annu’ payeable for the same by Charles Duckworthe Clearke and Thomas Cowley gentleman dureinge the time that they or either of them shall occupie the same my will and minde is and I doe hereby declare the same to bee that the Issues and pfitts of the same Tenemente as the same shall from time to time acrewe and growe; due and payeable shall bee equally distributed by my Executors amonge my three children Hester Speede, William Speede and Thomas Speede and in Case any of them happen to die dureinge the said tearme

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that the remainder of the said issues and proffitts of the said Tenemente shall discend and come to the survivors of them or any of them, And whereas alsoe I am possessed of the sume of Foure hundred and fifty pounds due to mee by bonde from John Bostocke Wrexham Esqr Griffith Roberts of Holt yeoman payeable wthin. twelve monethes after my decease for the saile of certaine lands in Hewlington by mee heeretofore to them bargained and soulde; my will and minde and hereby I doe declare the same to bee that oute of the said moneyes is paya[ble?] as is aforesaid my daughter Hester Speed[e] shall have and receave the sume of Three hundred pounds towards her p’fermente and advancemente in marriage And alsoe that my sonne Thomas Speede shall oute of the residue of the foresaid

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moneys receave and have the sume of one Hundred pounds to make his portion twoe hundred pounds haveinge heretofore receaved from mee the sume of one hundred pounds And as for the remainder and residue of the foresaid moneys which shall fall oute to bee due and payable by them the said John Bostocke and Griffin Roberts my will and minde is that the same shall bee paid to my sonne William Speede for the augmentation of his procon, and for his further advancemente and p’fermente, And as for the rest and residue of all and singular my goods chattells Creditts psonall and possessorie estate, Plate, Jewells, money and household stuffe my will and minde is that my debts and funerall expences beinge paid the full Moietie and one halfe thereof shall discende and come unto Elizabeth

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Speede my faithfull & loveinge wife in full lewe and satisfaction of all such claime and demande as she any waye can make by the [custome?] of the prince of yorke or otherwayes to my whole estate or any pte thereof And as for conc’inge the other halfe and Moitie of my said estate my will and minde is and hereby I doe declare the same to bee, that oute of the same the bequests and lagasies heereafter followeinge beinge paid that then the remainder and residue of the same shall bee equally devided and distributed betwixt my three foresaid Children (that is to saye) Hester Speede, William Speede and Thomas Speede, First I leave and bequeathe to my loving sonne in lawe John Ashton the sume of twentie pounds And whatmore it shall appeare that hee did disburse att the time of his marriage

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With my daughter his nowe wife, Alsoe I leave and bequeath to Griffith Roberts of Holt aforesaid the sume of Twentie pounds in discharge of my pmise to him made upon his renu’tiation of the Administration of my father Glegge psonall estate Alsoe I leave & bequeath unto Mr John Cl[…]hlie my brother in lawe the sume of Fortie pounds which hee deliv’ed unto my hands intendinge thereby the Advancemente of my Children as hee then said which said sume I have left to bee paid unto him to the end hee may bestowe the same amonge them as hee shall thinke fitt and soe cause; Alsoe I leave and bequeath to John Bostocke Esqr my true and faithfull frende the sume of Five pounds and my twoe bookes of Acts and Monuments, Alsoe I leave and bequeathe to my sonne in lawe John Ashton my watch

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girdle and Dublett, And further I give and bequeath to Anne Ashton his wife my loveinge daughter the sume of Five pounds to buye […] of Plate Alsoe I give and bequeath to my daughter Hester Speede the standeinge bedd in the plor and all the furniture thereunto belongeinge or in any wise apptaininge Alsoe I leave unto Griffith Roberts aforesaid my Clarke Cloake and breeches and to my foresaid brother in lawe Mr Chratchley twentie shillings to buye him a ringe Alsoe I leave to my loveinge wife Elizabeth my seale ringe of goulde and my ringe sett with [..]rkies which my loveinge mother gave mee And I doe hereby further will and declare that before any of the Legasies heeretofore […]ted bee paid or satisfied (the Moyetie devised to my loveinge wife excepted) all such Debts as att the time of my decease I shall any waies owe

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and all the expences and charges which my Feoffees in truste for the setlinge of my estate and the Executors heereafter nominated shall any waies necessarily expend either in the defence or discharge of the said truste, or in Execution pursuance and maintenance of this my last will and Testamente shall bee first paid fully satisfied & discharged any thinge herein contained to the Contrarie in any wise not withstandinge And I doe hereby constitute nominate […] and appointe my loveinge wife Elizabeth Speede and John Ashton my foresaid sonne in lawe to bee Executors of this my last will and Testamente And to see the same Faithfully executed accordeinge to the truste in them reposed And I doe heerby earnestly pray and intreate my loveinge frende John Bostocke afore[…]

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to bee aydinge and asistinge to my fore mentioned Executors Juthe pformance & Execution of the same And all other and Former wills testam’s or devises I doe heereby renounce discharge avoide, And declare to bee null, And pronounce and publickly declare this to bee my true and last will./
Da: Speede
[…]

Codicil

Ap[ril] 6 1639
Be it known that where I David Sp[eed] of Holt in the Countie of Denbigh gen[t] have made last will and Testemente in writeing beareinge Date the 19 Day of Marche 1638, That now for [...] as I have Changed my minde touchinge certain things in the same last will conteyned And for & concerninge all all other things in the last will menconed (other than such as I shall hereby otherwise dispose of, I doe by this p'sent Codicill confirme & ratifie the said last will, And whereas by my said lasr will I did give and bequeath unto Griffith Roberts of Holte aforesaid yeoman the sume of Twentie pounds I doe hereby revoke and make voide the said bequest And my will and minde is, And I doe hereby declare the same to bee that the foremenconed twenty pounds shalbe disposed of in manner and forme followeing First I will that the sume of Five pounds shalbee given & bestowed by my Executors upon Anne Scotte my grandchild remaining with mee And that my Executors shall retaine and keepe in theire hand the sume of eighte pounds in Spetiall truste in them reposed that they shall give & bestowe the increase abd improvemte of the said

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eigh pounds annual upon Katherine Fletcher my daughter the wife of Peeter Fletcher for her more ample benifite and maintainance and in case she survive her husband then my minde is that my Executors shall pay deliver to the said Katheirne Fletcher the foresaid Eight pounds to bee disposed of as she shall please But in Case her husband survive her then my minde and will is that the said Eight pounds bee devided equally amonge such of Children (or put forth to theire use) as shall survive her and bee unp'ferred / And my will and minde is that oute of the other seaven poounds residue of the foresaid twentie pounds the sume of Twentie shillings be paid Nathaniell Wasse[?] the sonne of William Wasse[?] of Holte aforesaid Mercer, And as for the rest and residue of the said moneys my will and minde is that the same bee equally bestowed and devided

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amonge the sixe Children of David Speede my sonne now liveinge, And in case any of them die before hee or she shall receave the legatie heereby bequeathed unto them, that then his or her pte soe dieinge shall bee equally devided amonge those that doe survive, And my will is that this Codicill or schedule bee and bee adiudged and taken to bee pcell of my said last will and to bee of force by the Right of a Codicill or by any other right in the best manner that may bee, And I doe heereby heartily require mine Executors that they doe cause all things in this schedule or Codicill contained to bee faithfully pformed accordeinge to my true intente and meaneinge herein declared as if the same were expressed and sett downe in my last will and Testamente, And if it

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shall happen att any time hereafter any ambiguity doubt or question to growe or arise by reason of the impfection or defecte of or in any the wordes Clauses and sentences in my last will & testamente or this p'sente Codicill or any true intent of meaneinge thereof That then the further & better explanacon Interp'tation and construction of the said doubt and ambiguitie I will that my said Executors shall expounde explaine & interprete accordeinge to theire wisedomes & good discreacons In witness whereof to this p'sent Codicill I have sett my hand and seale the day & yeare above written In the p'sence of the faithfull witnesses hereunder named./ Da: Speede ./
William Wasse
William Heaywood
Jo: Sauthey ./

Sources

• Wales, Wills and Probate, 1513-1858 (Ancestry.com : accessed 10 Jun 2021); David Speed, will date: 19 Mar 1638, probate: Chester: Wills proved in the Welsh Ecclesiastical courts before 1858, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru: The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Wales. Ancestry Record 61635 #115943.