Will of Mark Dixwell of Folkestone 1644

Date: 1642 to 1644
Location: Folkestone, Kent, England
Surname/tag: Dixwell

Contents 1 Introductory Notes 2 Transcription Conventions 3 Persons Mentioned 4 Will 5 Footnotes

Introductory Notes

The will of Mark Dixwell of Folkestone, Kent, England was written 7 November 1642, with codicil on 23 November 1643 (after the death of his uncle Sir Basil Dixwell), and proved in the Archdeaconry Court of Canterbury on 7 November 1644.^[1]

The will is original, written in English on two sides of a page. The paper/parchment is in good condition and the text is clear and easy to read, with the exception of a few places where text has been overwritten, in some cases apparently at a later date (perhaps at the same time as the codicil was added, about a year after the will was written). Immediately below the will is the probate statement.

Transcription Conventions

The conventions used in this transcription are:

• spelling, punctuation, line breaks and capitalisation are recorded as in the document, with the following exceptions to aid readability:
  • capital I is silently modernised to I or J as appropriate (eg "Joan", rather than "Ioan")
  • ff at the start of a word is silently modernised to F (eg "First", rather than "ffirst")
  • additional paragraph breaks may be included to increase readability of large amounts of text
• superscript letters are silently lowered, except where these relate to money (eg ^{li s d}), dates (eg ^th) or titles (eg M^rs)
• abbreviations/breviographs are expanded with the additional letter(s) in square brackets, except symbols for money (li s d) and the ampersand (&)
• the letter thorn is recorded as "th" in square brackets (eg "[th]e", rather than "ye")
• short series of missing/illegible letters are recorded with a period for each letter thought to be missing/illegible in square brackets; longer gaps are described with an editorial note
• editorial notes are italicised and in square brackets
• names and relationships are highlighted in bold
• footnotes are used to clarify archaic terms, difficult text and discrepancies
• u/v and i/j are recorded as they appear; even where modern usage would dictate one over the other (eg "haue", rather than "have" if the third letter is clearly a "u"; "vnto", rather than "unto" if the first letter is clearly a "v")
• where a series of letters consisting of minims contains an "i", the tittle is placed over the logical place where the "i" would occur, irrespective of where it appears, since it was often a scribal convenience to place it only over the terminal minim (eg "saving" rather than "savnig")
• the virgule, signifying a pause (comma, semi-colon, colon or full-stop), is recorded using a forward slash /, but only when such intent is obvious (the virgule is often indistinguishable from various check marks and otiose flourishes that are of no significance)

Persons Mentioned

The will mentions the persons below. Modern/alternative spellings for names have been included where appropriate, to help ensure this page is listed in relevant web searches.

• Marke Dixwell of Folkestone: Mark Dixwell of Folkestone, testator
• my noble unkle S[i]r Basill Dixwell deceased: Sir Basil Dixwell, uncle, died between writing of will and codicil
• 'my eldest sonne Basill Dixwell: Basil Dixwell, eldest son
• my second sonne Herdson: Herdson Dixwell, second son
• S^r Thomas Payton Barronett: Sir Thomas Peyton, organised expedition to Ireland in which testator invested
• my Brother John Dixwell: John Dixwell, brother
• my eldest daughter Elizabeth Dixwell: Elizabeth Dixwell, eldest daughter
• John Beane of Ealham yeoman: John Bean of Elham, yeoman and occupier of land owned by testator
• my second daughter Bennett Dixwell: Bennett Dixwell, second daughter
• my Brother M^r William Reade: William Reade, brother-in-law
• my Childe my beloued wide nowe goeth w[i]thall / my sonn william: Unborn child, named in codicil as William Dixwell
• M^r Cleasebies of Cleasbie in Yorkesheire: [Leonard] Cleasby, person who formerly held brother John Dixwell's land
• my mother and sister Reade: Mother-in-law and sister-in-law
• my said wife Elizabeth: Elizabeth Dixwell, wife and executor

Will

In the name of God amen I Marke Dixwell of the Towne of
Folkestone in the countie of Kent Gentleman, beinge of
good and perfecte health praysed be God doe make and ordayne
my last will and Testament in mannor and forme followinge
first I bequath my Soule vnto allmight God my maker and creator
hopeinge to be saued in ^and througe [th]e merties of Christe Jesus my
onely Sauior and redeemer and by his mirrites to haue pardon
of all my Sinns, and my bodie to be privately buried where it
falls or at the discreation of ^by my Executors hereafter named ^{in Barham
Churche close by my noble unkle S[i]r Basill Dixwell deceased[2]}

First I giue vnto my eldest sonne Basill Dixwell all my houses
lands and tenements that I had by conuayance from my Good
uncle S^r Basill Dixwell to him and ^his heires for ever

It[e]m [I] giue vnto my second sonne Herdson my adventure of
two hundred pounds vpon the propositions for Ireland to
be brought againe into Subiection, w[hi]ch subscripp ^{underwritinge}
is by S^r Thomas Payton Barronett and in his name; the moyetie
of w[hi]ch adventure my Brother John Dixwell (for and in
considerac[i]on of one 10^li a yeare annewetie in the north) is to
haue to him and his assignes for tearme of his life, All my said
right and all the lands benefitts and p[ro]fites w[hi]ch maye soe iustly
accrue vnto me by vertue of the said Subscription I giue
accordinge to an acte of Parliament made in that behalfe I
giue and be queath vnto my said sonne Herdson and his
heries for ever.

It[e]m I giue vnto my eldest daughter Elizabeth Dixwell
my lease morgage of 30^li a yeare for the payment of
400li out of all the lands of John Beane of Ealham yeoman
to her and her heires for ever

It[e]m I giue vnto my second daughter Bennett Dixwell my
annewetie of twentie pounds a yeare, for the payment of
400^li out of all the lands of my Brother M^r William Reade in
Romnay Marshe to her and her heires for ever.

It[e]m I giue vnto my Childe my beloued wide nowe goeth w[i]thall
be it male or femalle the annewetie w[hi]ch I had of my Brother
John Dixwell of 10^li a yeare w[hi]ch annewetie is issueinge out
of lands late M^r Cleasebies of Cleasbie in Yorkesheire to he or
her and its heires for ever

It[e]m I giue vnto my vncle S^r Basill Dixwell as token of my
thankefullnes for all his Fatherly fauours tenn pounds to buy
him a ringe

[page 2]

It[e]m I giue vnto my Brother Reade my best Sworde

It[e]m I giue vnto my brother John Dixwell my mother
and sister Reade 40^s a peece to buy them Rings

It[e]m I giue vnto my welbeloued wife all the rest of my goods
playte and housholde stuffe in payinge stocke & householde stuffe
stocke and moueables what soever payinge vnto my Childe she
goeth w[i]th=all one hundred ^pounds w[i]thin two yeares after my decease
and I doe make my said wife Elizabeth my executor of
this my last will and Testament

It[e]m my will and desire is that if any of my said childeren
die before they come to yeares of discreation, that then
their whole meanes nowe bequeathed shall wholly accrue and be
to my sonne Herdson and his heires for ever

In witnes whereof I haue herevnto subscribed my name
dated the seventh day of November Annoqz d[omi]ni 1642

By me Marke Dixwell

[Codicil]

1643 November 23^th I desire that and will is that
this well shall onely extend to the goods I had before
my vncles S^r Basills death. And for the goods &
lands I had by him then I would haue it disposed
of as by deede I did to my Brother John: vpon
reall considerac[i]on, wherein my sonn william is all
soe p[ro]vided for. 1643 Marke Dixwell

Footnotes

1. ↑ Archdeaconry Court of Canterbury, "Original wills A-W, 1643-1644", original will of Mark Dixwell, gentleman, of Folkestone, proved 7 November 1644; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 28 November 2022) DGS no. 4990112, image 480 of 832 (can be viewed at Family History Centres and Affiliate Libraries); original ref. PRC/16/242 D/2, Canterbury Probate Records. Transcript.
2. ↑ the phrases "in Barham Churche close by my noble unkle S[i]r Basill Dixwell deceased" have been added at a later date (clearly after the death of the testator's uncle and benefactor), with the original part-phrase "at the discreation of" being struck out