Will of Dr Robert Plott, of Sutton Manor, Borden parish 1696

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: plot

The will and testament of Robert Plot, of Sutton Manor, Doctor of Law, in the Parish of Borden was made on 9 Sep 1694. A codicil was added on 26 March 1696
Robert, aged 55 years, was to die within five weeks on 30 Apr 1696. He was buried in the parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Borden, Kent on 5 May.
He was survived by his wife of 6 years, Rebecca Sherwood, widow of Henry Burman, and his remaining two living children: Robert Plot and Ralph Sherwood Plott.
His daughter, Rebecca, who was baptized 22 Aug 1694, died between the making of Robert's will in Sep 1694 and the making of the codicil in March 1696.

The will was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 9 Jun 1696.

The will is preserved in The National Archives (UK)^[1]. This is a transcription of the Register office copy

Transcription conventions used in this text:
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
The text was originally in one block of text. Paragraph breaks have been inserted at change of bequest, and bold text for names have been added for ease of reading.
Where present, ff has been rendered as F, and the old letter Thorn has been rendered as th.
Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets].
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.
The image quality was good, and the handwriting very legible, the image on Ancestry.com is more legible than the National Archives copy.

Persons in the order in which they are mentioned

• Robert Plott, of Borden, doctor of laws (Testator)
• Rebecca (Sherwood) Plott (wife)
• Robert Plot (son)
• Rebecca Plot (daughter, deceased before Mar 1695/96)
• Rebecca Taylor (niece, wife of Thomas Taylor)
• Thomas Taylor (son of Thomas and Rebecca Taylor)
• Rebecca Taylor (sister of Thomas Taylor)
• Anne Taylor (sister of Thomas Taylor)
• John Burman (step-son, son of Rebecca Sherwood)
• Ralph and Mrs Mary Sherwood (parents-in-law)
• Arthur Charlett (Dr of Divinity Master of University College, Oxford)
• John Hoo (Middle Temple London)
• unborn child (subsequently identified as Ralph Sherwood Plott, son)

Transcription:

In the name of God Amen
I Robert Plott of Borden in the County of Kent Dr. of Lawes
being sound in mind and perfect memory praised be God Doe make
this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following
Impr[mi]is I give and surrender my soule into the hands of Almighty God that gave
it surely trusting that through the meritts of its blessed Redeemer the Lord
Jesus Christ it shall be saved. And my body to be buryed in the parish church
of Borden as neare my Seate there as conveniently it may.

Item I give to
the poor of the said parish the summe of forty shillings to be distributed
among them according to the discretion of my Executor or his Guardian
hereafter to be named

Item I give and bequeath unto my intirely beloved
Wife Rebecca besides the joynture already settled upon her all the rings
Jewells Necklace of pearle braceletts and other ornaments of her body she
shall be possest of at the time of my death together with the use of all my
bedding lynnen hangings pictures plate pewter brasse tables chaires brewing
vessells and all other household stuffe whatsoever that shall be found
in my house at Borden aforesaid at the time of my death for and during
the terme of her naturall life.

Item I give to my said deare wife Rebecca
in liew of six hundred pounds menc[i]oned to be laid out in augmentation of
of her joynture the summe of thirty pounds per Annum rent charge to be paid
her yearly out of my lease on the parsonage of Borden in the County of
Kent during the terme of her naturall life according to the purpose of a
certaine writing made for that purpose signed and sealed by my selfe
And as for the remainder of the product of the rest of my reall and personal
estate over and above my wifes joynture and other bequests to her made
my will is that it shall be divided and expended in the education of my
children during their minority according to the discretion of my said Wife
Rebecca Whom I doe hereby constitute and appoint to be their sole Guardian
But when they or other of them shall arrive at the age of one and twenty
yeares or shall marry before that age with consent of their Mother Then
my will is that two thirds of the said product over and above my wifes
Joynture shall accrew and be paid to my sonne Robert and the other third
parte to my daughter Rebecca. And after the decease of my said deare Wife ...
I give and bequeath to my said sonne Robert all that my
Mannor of Sutton alias Sutton barne Mannor in the parish of Borden
aforesaid with all the Quitrents Barnes Stables and other outhouses
thereunto belonging together with all that my woodand commonly called
Fridwood in the said Parish of Borden and County of Kent to him and
his Heirs forever

Item I give and bequeath to my said sonne Robert
after the death of my said Wife Rebecca All those three paires or
parcells of Marsh (?) Lands in the parish of Iwade and County of Kent
commonly called the Ferry Hooks joyning and abutting to the Kings Ferry
on passage into the Isle of Sheppey to him and his heires forever

Item I give and bequeath to my said sonne Robert after the death
also of his Mother All that my farme consisting of a house and land
barne stable of and now in the tenure and occupation of Francis Mannington
in the said parish of Iwade to him and his heires forever

Item I give
and bequeath to my daughter Rebecca also after the death of her
Mother All that my Lease of the Tythes of the Rectory of Iwade in
the County of Kent to her her Executors Administrators and Assignes
And in cast the said Lease shall require renewall after my decease and
appoint my loving father in law Mr Ralph Sherwood Citizen and
Grocer of London and John Hoo of the Middle Temple London Esq
my Executors In Trust for this purpose only to renew the said Lease from
time to time as often as shall be requisite for the uses here specified in this
my Will And if it soe please God that my said sonne Robert dye
without issue Then I give and bequeath unto my said Daughter Rebecca
also All that my Manor of Sutton al[ia]s Sutton Barne Mannor and my
Woodland called Fridwood in the Parish of Borden and my house and land
in the tenure and occupat[i]on of Francis Mannington together with my
Marsh land called the Ferry Hooks in the parish of Iwade to her and her
heires forever. And if it shall soe happen that my said daughter shal dye
without issue Then I also give and bequeath to my siad sonne Robert the
said Lease of the tythes of the said Rectory of Iwade to him his Executors
Administrators and Assignes The lease to be renewed also for his use
during his nonage(?) by my Executors in trust for that purpose as is above
specified. And if it shall soe happen that both my sone Robert and daughter
Rebecca shall dye without issue Then my will is that my dear wife
Rebecca if she shall still be living shall have and enjoy all my estate whether
reall or personall she not permitting any wilfull waste and keeping all
Edifices and fences in good order and repair during the terme of her naturall
life. My said Executors in trust still renewing the said Lease for their use
and purpose hereafter to be menc[i]oned. And after the death of my said wife
Rebecca I then give and bequeath all my reall estate both in Borden and
Iwade unto my deare Niece Rebecca the wife of Thomas Taylor of the
City of Canterbury Dr. of Lawes for her seperate and sole use during the
terme of her naturall life. And after her decease I give and bequeath all
my said reall estate unto my Godson Thomas Taylor sonne of the said
Dr Thomas Taylor and my neice Rebecca to him and his heires forever
he the said Thomas paying out of it to his two sisters Rebecca and Anne
the sum[m]e of two hundred pounds equally to be divided to each of them
a jewell to wear in memory of me And as for my lease of the Tythes of
the Rectory of Iwade I give and bequeath it after the death of my wife
and children if both dye without issue to the Chancellor Masters and
Scholars of the University of Oxford for the maintenanceof a Professor
of naturall history in the said University to be conveyed to them by my
said Executor in Trust and sealed by the said Chancellor Masters and
Scholars for that use in the best and securest manner that they can by
Councell learned in the Law provided always that the said Professor be
stiled and called Plotts Professor of Natural History as hath usually been
allowed to the founders of other professorshipps The first professor if
capable and willing to accept of it to be my sonne in law Mr John
Burman And after him as often as the said professorshipp shall become
void to be filled againe by the plurality of the Votes of the Vice Chancellor
of the said University Colledge the principall of Magdalen Hall and
of the two Proctors all for the time being within one month after it shall
become void

Item I give and bequeath unto the said Mr John Burman
the curtaines vallences and bases of silker imbroiderey now upon the bedd
in the Chamber over the Parlour at Sutton Barne together with the
imbroidered table cloth belonging to them and a ring of twenty shillings
value to wear in memory of me

Item I give and bequeath to my brother
and sister How my nephew and neice Taylor and cozen Susanna
Dorrington each a ring of twenty shillings value And all the rest of my
goods and chattells whatsoever and wheresoever not herein before
bequeathed my debts and funerall expenses first being paid I give unto
my sonne Robert Plott Whom I doe hereby constitute and appoint
my sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament willing and
requiring my intirely beloved wife to be very carefull in the Guardianshipp of
him and of my pretty daughter And desiring my much honoured father
and Mother in law Mr Ralph and Mrs Mary Sherwood Arthur Charlett
Dr of Divinity Master of University Colledge in Oxford and John Hoo
of the Middle Temple London Esq. to be aiding and assisting in their
advice &c to my deare wife in the education of my children and in defence
of her and their property As a pledge whereof I desire they would
each accept of the sum[m]e of tenne pounds to buy them mourning and a ring of
twenty shillings each to wear in memory of me In confirmation of which
this my last Will and Testament renouncing all oter Wills heretofore
by me made I have hereunto sett my hand and seale this nineth day of
September Anno Domini one thousand six hundred ninety foure. Rob: Plott
Signed sealed publisht and declared to be the last Will and Testament of
the above named Dr Robert Plott in the presence of Jos. Hindmarsh
Rich[ar]d Sare William Clerdew

Memorandum
That whereas I
Robert Plot of Borden Dr of Lawes have given and bequeathed in my
written Will now in the cabinet at London the Tythes of the Parsonage of
Iwade in the County of Kent to my daughter Rebecca And in case she dye
without issue to my sonne Robert Now since it hath please Almighty God
to take my said Daughter to himselfe without issue and that my deare wife
now goeth bigg of another child My will is That the said Tythes shall not
goe to my sonne Robert but to the child wherewith my now wife is bigg
whether sonne or daughter under the same condit[i]ons and remainders as
they should have done had my said daughter Rebecca lived to enjoy them
Alsoe my will further is That my deare wife notwithstanding the bequest
and restraintlaid in my aforesaid written Will shall have liberty to sell
one hundred pounds worth of timber in the upper parte of Fridwoods and
another hundred pounds worth of underwood in the same woods towards
defraying the charge of my funerall expenses and payment of other debts
In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal this twenty
sixth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred ninety
and six and in the eighth yeare of his Majesties reigne desiring that this
paper may be added as a Codicill to my said last Will. Rob: Plot. Declared
signed and selaed in the presence of Willi[am] Barrones John Beach Jane Cooper.

Transcribed by Neil Stewart on 24 Oct 2022.

Research Notes

The name Hoo may be a phonetic variant of How. Robert was related to Rev. Gervais How, rector of Battersea parish, through his wife's sister, Mary Sherwood who married the Rev. in 1677.

Sources

1. ↑ Prerogative Court of Canterbury and related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers [database with images online at The National Archives] ref PROB 11/432
   Citing Register: Bond Quire Numbers: 87-130, Will of Doctor Robert Plott, Doctor of Law of Borden, Kent dated 9 Sep 1694 and codicil dated 26 March 1696
   reference PROB 11/432/55, proved on 9 Jun 1696, copy also in Ancestry (accessed 24 Oct 2022)