Will of Michaell Hunt Soapmaker of Bristol 1684

Date: 1684 to 1684
Location: Bristol, England
Surname/tag: Hunt Plomley

Summary

This is the last will and testament of Michaell Hunte (abt.1640-1684) a soapmaker of Bristol, England. It was written on the 21st April 1684. Michaelis died in about 1684 in Bristol. Their will passed probate on 12 June 1684.^[1]

Michaell wrote his will on the 21st April 1684, he was sick in body but of sound and perfect memory. He nominated his wife Judith Hunt to be his sole executor and named as overseers:

• my loving uncle Thomas Day (his wife’s mother’s brother)
• my loving brother in-law ffrancis Phillips (his wife’s half sister’s husband)
• my loving cousen Thomas Edwards (possibly Thomas Edwards (attorney-at-law) )
• my loving friend James Millard

At the time he wrote his will he possessed the following property:

• His house in St Thomas Street in Bristol for soe many years yet to come of my term thereine
• Three houses in the high street in Bristol, described as the lowermost, middle and uppermost houses.
• The Parsonage of Conglesbury in the county of Sommerset
• tenemants and lands in Churchill and Langford or either of them in the said county of Somerset
• a copyhold Tenement in Langford in the said county held of the Bishop of Bathe and Wells as of his mannor of Banwell for my life and after my death one John Croft hath his life therein during the lives I have thereupon
• Spring Plantation in Jamaica a plantation inherited 'by the death of his brother Joseph, including: houses farms negroes servants lands tenemants and hereditments

Bequests:

• He left his “loving wife” Judith Hunt “the house in St Thomas for soe many years yet to come of my terme thereine and shee shall live” and “the use only of my plate and houshold stuffe”
• He left his son Michael the house in St Thomas, after the death of Judith his wife, also the parsonage in Conglesbury as well as the property i. Langford in Somerset and the sum of £200
• His son Thomas received the copyhold Tenement in Langford and the sum of £100
• His three sons Samuel , John and Joseph, each received one of his three houses (lower, middle and upper) in the High Street, Bristol.
• His three daughters Mary, Sarah and Ann each received £400
• He left £20 to the poor of the Parish of St Thomas
• He left eighty pounds in his mothers name to preach two surmons a year in the Parish of Churchill in Somerset (which is still the case today) and any residue for the poor of that parish.
• The rest and residue (including Spring Plantation) to be shared equally between his wife and children.

Transcript of the Will

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks as per the original.
Bold text where bold or large text used
Superscripts lligatures and abbreviations have been expanded.
ff replaced by capital F
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Transcript by Sansum-45 13:16, 7 July 2023 (UTC)

In the name of God Amen /

I Michael hunt of the city of Bristol Soapmaker being sick in body but of /

sound and perfect memory thanks be given to Almighty God therefore Doe /

this one and twentieth day of April in the yeare of our Lord one thousand /

six hundred eighty and foure make and ordaine this my last Will and /

Testament in manner and forme following Imprimis I give and bequeath unto /

the poor of the parish of St Thomas in Bristol Twenty pounds to bee paid to /

the Feoffers of the Church Lands there for their use within six months after /

my death Item I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Judith mine house /

in St Thomas Street in Bristol for soe many years yet to come of my terme /

thereine and shee shall live and from and after her death I give the same house /

with th’appurtenances to my sonne Michael hunt for the remainder of my /

terme and interest therein which shall bee then to come Item I give devise and /

bequeath unto my sonne Samuel hunt all that my lowermost house of my /

three houses in high street in the City of Bristol now in the possession of /

Thomas ----- ----- with th’appurtenances as the same is now held and /

enjoyed by the said Thomas Tawyer? To hold to my said sonne Samuel /

and the heirs of his body lawfully to be begotten and for want of such issue /

to my sonne Thomas hunt and his heirs forever item I give my middlehouse of my /

said three houses in highstreet now in the possession of William --- --- --- /

th’appurtenances as the same is now --- enjoyed by the said William --- /

To my sonne John and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten and for want of /

such issue to my said sone Michael and his heirs forever item I give the /

uppermost of my said three houses in highstreet now in the possession of Mr /

Rogerson Woollendraper with the appurtenances as the same is now held by the /

said mr Rogerson to my sonne Joseph and the heirs of his body lawfully to bee /

begotten and for want of such issue to my said sonne Thomas and his heirs /

forever Item I give and bequeath unto my said eldest sonne Michael and his /

heirs All that my Parsonage of Conglesbury in the county of Sommerset /

during the lives I have thereupon Also I give unto him two hundred pounds in /

money and I have? to distend? to him my tenemants and lands in Churchill and /

Langford or either of them in the said county of Somerset Item whereas I have /

a copyhold Tenement in Langford in the said county held of the Bishop of /

Bathe and Wells as of his mannor of Banwell for my life and after my death one /

John Croft hath his life therein But in Trust to permit such person and /

persons to hold and enjoy the same by my will or otherwise direct Now I do /

hereby will direct and appoint That my said sonne Thomas hunt his heirs /

and administrators shall hold and enjoy the same coppyhold Tenements /

during the life of the said John croft to his own proper use And also I give /

to my said sonne Thomas One hundred pounds in money Item I give and /

bequeath unto my daughters Mary Sarah and Anne to each of them the /

umme of foure hundred pounds a peece And it is my will and I do hearby /

direct and appoint that the severall summes of money herein before by mee /

given to my said Children shall bee paid to my overseers hereinafter named /

for my said childrens use and to be paid by my said overseers to my said /

children severally at their respective days of marriage or age of one and /

twenty years which first happens and till that time I appoint the monnies to /

bee by my said overseers and the survivors and survivor of them put forth at /

interest in my said overseers names and soe much of the interets of each /

childs legacy to bee apprlied towards his her and their severall and respective /

maintainance as to my said overseers shall seeme? --- and the surplus of the /

interest thereof shall goe and be applied towards increasing their respective /

portions And I doe hereby give the guardianship tuition and governance of /

my said Children and of their estates respectively during their minority to /

my said wife and overseers desiring they may be educated in the feare of /

God and according to their degree and quality and when either of my sons /

Shall be capable of goeing Apprentices I desire my wife and overseers may /

place them in Apprentices to some convenient trade and to take money for /

doeing? there of one of their legacies or the income of their respective estates /

and I appoint my said wife and overseers to meete once a year at some time /

and place as they shall see fittest to auditt and adjust all accompts relating to /

my said children and their estates and I appoint fourty shillings yearly and /

not more to be spent at such meetings And I appoint audit bookes to be kept /

for the purpose aforsaid And I appoint the charges Of such meetings and the /

charges of keeping and --- the said Accompts amd of retrieving? My Gents? /

and interest money as also all other charges and expenses my said overseers /

shall be at in restitte? to this trust to be borne and paid out of the surplus /

of my estate not as yet herein devised Item I give to my said wife the use

only of my plate and houshold stuffe during her life and after her death to such /

of my children as shall be most dutifull to her and to whome shee shall thinke /

fitt to give the same and if shee make not disposition thereof among my children /

then I appoint the same after her death to bee equally divided among all my /

children then living And I appoint each of my children assoone as they are by /

law capable to give my executors? herein after named releases and discharges for /

all moneyes and other things whatsover that hath at any time been given or /

left for them by any person or persons whatsover or which have or shall /

come to my hands for their use or uses And if either of them shall refuse to give /

such releases and discharges Then I appoint him her or them --- refusing /

to have not benefit or advantage by this my will Item all the rest and residue /

of my goods chattells and personall estate whatsover and wheresoever /

my debts and legacies being paid and funerall expenses discharged I give and /

bequeath to my wife and children equally to devided amongst them share /

and share alike And whereas by the death of my brother Joseph hunt such? /

plantations houses farms negroes servants lands tenemants and hereditments /

in the Island of Jamaica are distributed? Or doe belong to me Now I doe hereby /

give devise and bequeath unto my overseers hereinafter named and to their /

heirs executors administrators and assignees forever all and sundry such /

muessages plantations farms houses negroes servants lands tenem(ts) and /

hereditaments in Jamaica aforsaid In Trust that they will equally divide /

the same amongst my wife and children share and share alike And for as much as /

it may prove expensive to recover the same I doe hereby appoint the charges /

in prosecuting and defending all Suites and other troubles and losses relating /

thereto to be borne and paid by my said wife and children equally between /

them Item I doe make and constitute my said loving wife sole Executor of /

this my said will but before shee be admitted to prove the same or intervene? /

with my estate I doe direct and appoint That shee enter into a statute or /

Corregulisance? To my Overseers of the penalty of Three Thousand pounds /

conditioned to performe this my will And I desire and constitute my loving /

uncle Mr Thomas Day my loving brother inlaw Mr ffrancis phillips my /

loving cousen Mr Thomas Edwards and my loving friend Mr James /

Millard To bee overseers of this my will desiring them to accept the trouble /

and trust by mee herein before reposed in them and for their paines to bee /

taken therein I give to each of them thirty shillings to buy them and their wives /

each a ring to --- as a token of my love to them for their respects and kindness /

in attempting this trust Item whereas my late mother Mrs Mary Plomley deceased /

did appoint eighty pounds to be laid out in lands and the incomb of part thereof /

to be applied for preaching two sermons yearly in the parosh church of /

Churchill and the residue of the incomb thereof for the benefit of poore people /

there as may appear more fully in an instrument in the nature of a Will /

which my said mother left behind her at her death Now it is my express /

will that my said mothers direction be punctually observed And that the /

said eighty pounds be laid out and --- by my said wife and overseers /

accordingly with as much speed as may bee and till some purchase can be /

had I appoint the said eighty pounds to be lett out at interest after the rate of /

five pounds pcent and the interest to be applied according to my said direction /

and intention In witness whereof I have hereto sett my hand and seal the /

day and year first above written Micha hunt Signed Sealed published /

and delivered by the within named Michaell hunt to bee his last will and /

testement in the presence of Thomas Day, henry [blank] , Roger /

Day , Cornelius Buttle Robert Clifford Sarah Jordan'/