Will of Elizabeth Rivers nee Barne

Date: 12 Jan 1619 [unknown]
Location: Kent, England

In the name of God amen the twelveth day of January in the yere of oure Lord God one thowsand sixe hundred and eighteene I Elizabeth Rivers widowe commonlie called the Ladie Rivers the elder beyng in good healthe and of perfect memorie Lawde and praise be unto Almightie god, do make and ordayne this for my last will and testament and doe hereby expresselie revoke and disanull all other former Testaments and willes bequests and legaceys in them or any of them contayned and allso all and every other deedes and writinges heretofore in truste made for performance of any will or Testament whatsoever And my will and meaning is that this my last will and Testament with all legaceys and bequests and my Executor hereafter named shall abide firme and stable without any alteration whatsoever
First I bequeathe my soule into the hands and Tuition of Almightie god my Creator and Redemer in whose free mercy my whole trust and confidence is that as by the precious Death of his deere sonne Jesus Christe my Lord and only Savyoure whoe hathe redemed me and all mankynde so at my Departure out of this transitorye life he will receyve me into his everlasting kyngdome there to be partaker of suche ioyes [joys] as neyther bye hath seene now […] nor harte of man can conceave neither are the afflictions of this transitorie life worthie of
Item I will my sowle Departed my bodie to be buried at the discretion of my Executor hereafter named in some convenient place
Item I give unto the poorest and eldest people of the parishe of Haddlowe [Hadlow] in the countie of Kent six pounds to be Distributed amongest them by the handes of Thomas Barten of the sayed parishe within one month next after my decease And I will and bequeathe to the poore widowes and eldest poore people of the parishe of Westram [Westerham] in the countie of Kent five pounds to be Distributed amongest them by the hand of Mr Dale minister there Thomas Toler and Richard Dawling gent all beyng of the parishe aforesayed And the sayde legacey to be payed unto them one monthe after my decease And I further will and bequeath unto the poore people of Penshurst in the sayed countie fower poundes to be Distributed by the Churchwardens and Overseers for the poore for the tyme beyng within one monthe after my decease
And I do give and bequeathe fyve poundes of lawfull English money towards the buylding of a porche of stone to Asherst church to be payed when the parishioners shall goe abowte the newe building of yt:
Item I give and bequeath to my welbeloved sonne Henry Rivers a hundred and fiftie poundes of lawfull money of England to be paied unto hym within one yere after my decease And further I give to my sayed sonne Henry Rivers two deepe standing silver bolls [bowls] one guilt salte with a cover and one dozen of silver spoones
And I further give and bequeath unto my loving Daughter Alice Ladie Carewe the widowe of Sr Mathewe Carewe “the elder knighte one bason and ewer of silver parcell guilte which she hathe allreadie remayning in her handes and custodie And allso whereas Sr Mathewe Carewe her late husband together with his sonne Sr Mathewe Carewe stand bound to my sonne Henry Rivers aforesaid for payment of one hundred poundes to my use I do hereby will and give the sayd Bond with the money therein conteyned to my sayed daughter to her onlie benefitt and use And I further give unto her one hundred poundes to be payed unto her within one yere after my decease hoping she will by reason of this my bequest deale the better with my goddaughter Elizabeth Carewe the eldest daughter of Sr Mathewe Carewe knight
Item I give and bequeath unto my welbeloved daughter Dorcas wife of Sr Henry James knight my best gowne kirtle and petticoate one potion pott of silver with a cover and one silver porringer
Item I give and bequeathe unto Potter Rivers my grandchilde the sonne of John Rivers all those parcells Inventoried and left at Chafford in his grandfathers possession after the decease of my very loving sonne Sr George Rivers knight which I Desire may remayne to the sayed house which Inventorie is hereunto annexed and my meaning is my saied sonne Sr George Rivers shall have the use and possession of them during his life
Item I give and bequeathe unto George Rivers second sonne of my loving sonne Sr George Rivers the somme of twentie poundes to be paied to hym by myne executor within sixe monthes after my decease And I likewise give to William Rivers the third sonne of my saied sonne Sr George Rivers the somme of fiftie poundes to be paied to hym likewise within sixe monthes after my decease
And I further will and bequeathe to Elizabeth Rivers Dorothie Rivers Mary Rivers and Judith Rivers the daughters of my grandchilde John Rivers of wellstreete Esquire the somme of two hundred pounds that is to saie to every one of them fiftie pounds of lawfull money of England to be paied to them by my Executor at the daye of theire marriages or at theire severall ages of eighteene yeres which first shall happen And further my will and mynde is that yf any of them do departe this worlde before payment to them be made that then theire parte shall goe they soe dying to the survivor or survivors of them living at the tyme or ages aforesayed And further I give unto the saied Elizabeth Rivers eldest daughter of the saied John Rivers Esquire two standing silver potts weighing fower score and tenne ounces And my meaning is that my daughter Rivers wife of the sayed John Rivers shall have the use and possession of the sayed pottes untill the marriage of her sayed daughter and then to be delivered into the handes of the sayd Elizabeth Rivers
And further I give and bequeath to George Rivers and Nizell Rivers the youngest sonne of the sayed John Rivers the full somme of one hundred poundes of lawfull money of England to be payed to them at theire full ages of one and twentie yeres by my Executor And my meaning is that yf either of them die before they accomplishe the sayed yeres That then the parte of hym soe dying shall goe and remayne to the survivor
And I also give and bequeath to my neece Alice Davis daughter of Sr Henry Davis twenty poundes of lawfull English money to be payed unto her uppon the daye of her marriage or within a moneth after yf yt be demanded
Item I will give and bequeath unto my welbeloved sonne Sr George Rivers knighte one gould rynge as having better remembred hym with myne owne hand in an other kynde
And to my daughter in lawe his Ladie one gould rynge
To my daughter the Ladie Carewe one gould rynge
To my daughter the Ladie James one gould rynge
To my loving neiphue Sr Edward Halle knight and Baronett one gould rynge
To my neece his Ladie one gould rynge
To Sr John Steede knighte one gould rynge And to my neece his Ladye one gould rynge
To my neece the Ladie Carewe one gould rynge
To my neiphue John Rivers Esquire one gould rynge And to my very loving daughter his wife one gould ryng
To my neece Rowe widowe one gould rynge
To John Evelin Esquire one gould ryng And to my good neece his wife one gould rynge
To Mris Eland of Coleman Streete in London one gould rynge
To Mris Tonge wife of James Tonge the elder of Tunstall one gould rynge
And my will and mynde is that those several rynges which I give and bequeath to men shalbe of the valewe of fiftie shillinges a ryng And those for women of thirtie shillings a rynge
And I will all the saied rynges to be made and delivered by my executor according to my bequests within five weekes after my decease
And I will and bequeath to my sister in lawe Mrs Denham fortie shillinges
And to Mr Thomas Everard vicar of Borden three poundes
And I give to Robert W…? servant to Sr Edward Halles forty shillinges
And I give to John Boone my servant yf he serve me at my decease fortie shillinges
And I give to Sara Everard my mayde servant fortie shillinges and halfe my wearing lynnen
And further I will that theise legaceys shalbe payed by my Executor within sixe monthes next after my decease
Item I give to the poore prisoners in the Marshallsey in Sowthwarke fortie shillings
To the poore prisoners in the hoale in Woodstreete compter fortie shillinges
To the poore prisoners lying in the hoale in ye compter in the poultrie fortie shillinges
And lastlie my desire is my soule departed my bodie to be buryed in some convenient place without vayne shewe of Blacks or other extraordinarie funerall expences And I desire my frends children and […] to be contented and pleased with this my last will and Testament
The residue of all my goodes chattells and money (my debts legaceys and funerall expences dischardged and paide I give and bequeath to my very loving sonne Edward Rivers whom I make constitute and ordayne my sole and onlie Executor of this my laste Will and testament whoe best knoweth and is acquaynted with my Estate hoping he wilbe good uncle to his neiphues and neeces yet beyng of tender yeres and a long tyme ere ever theire legaceys are to be payd
And I do hartelie desire my good sonne Sr Edward Halles knighte and Baronet and my loving sonne Sr George Rivers knighte to be overseers of this my last will and testament And I do give to eache of them a peece of plate of twentie markes price to be payd by my Executor within sixe monethes after my decease
And my desire and will is that in the church of Haddlowe where my moste kynde and loving husband Sr John Rivers lieth a monument be placed with a remembrance of us and oure children resembling the monument made for my father and mother in Sainct Bartholmewes church neere the Exchange in London
And in witnesse that this is my last will and testament I have in the presence of the persons whose names are hereunto subscribed declared and published this and none other to be and stand for my saied last will and testament this eight daye of Marche one thowsand sixe hundred and eighteene - Elizabeth Ryvers -
Sealed subscribed published and declared in the presence of us the daye and yere last mentioned to be the last will of the sayd Ladie Rivers  : Geo: Rivers  : Richard Harte  : John Burbage  :

The Inventorie mentioned in the will of the plate and houshold stuffe left in Chaffold Howse
Inprimis one bason and ewer of silver parcell guilt weighing one hundred and twoe ownces
Item in the Chamber over the little parlor one walnuttree bedstead a featherbed a bolster one crymsen taffata quilt a greene rugg fyve curtaynes of changeable taffata of crimson and gould yallowe one testerne of scarlet ymbroderie with yallowe sattyn and vallance to the same one highe chaire of scammell cloathe fringed with goulde and twoe stooles to the same twoe stripte windowe cloathes of silke and all the tapistrie which hange the saied chamber conteyning [blank] peeces
Allso in the olde wainescot chamber there one lardge bedstead of carved worke a feather bed striped with a bolster of the same a Tester of watched and changeable silke with a dubble vallence fyve curtaynes and a quilt all belonging to the same a highe tapistrie chaire and twoe lowe chaires of the same
Allso one litle chaire of scarlett embrodered with tawney satten one longe needleworke quishion with Armes one long greene quishion of cloathe embrodered with velvet together with all the tapistrie which hangs the sayed chamber conteyning [blank] peeces
Also in the greate chamber there one paire of brasse Andyrons in the chamber over the kitchen there one waynescott Bedstead carved with Adam and Eve a cannopie of stripte silke and one featherbed
Allso in the haule there at the upper end a longe table with a frame
Allso in the parlor there a Drawing table and one fourme of walnuttree likewise to be Drawne forth a lengthe and one courte cupboard
Allso in the kitchen there one greate brasse pott one greate cauldron with a copper bottom one greate Dripping panne twoe yron spitts a stone morter with a pestell
Item one long needleworke carpett with Armes sometymes my fathers Sr George Barnes six smale stooles covered
Item a presse standing in the gallerye
Item six ioyned stooles covered with greene cloathe

Probatum fuit testamentum suprascriptum apud London coram Magro Edmundo Pope …… legitime constituti quarto die mensis Junii Anno Domini 1619 Juramento Edwardi Rivers filii naturalis …