Will of Nicholas Collen, yeoman of Chickney, Essex 1638

Date: 1638 to 1639
Location: Chickney, Essex, England
Surnames/tags: Collen Collin

Will of Nicholas Collen 1638 ^[1]

Transcription conventions:
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included struck out
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included struck out
Paragraph breaks at change of bequest, and bold text are my own for ease of reading.
Where present, the obsolete letter Thorn has been rendered as th, and ff has been rendered as F
Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets]
The image quality was good and the writing very legible.
Non standard spelling as per usual for this time period, which has been transcribed verbatim.

Persons mentioned

• Nicholas Collen the elder of Chickny in the County 'of Essex yeoman testator
• my son William Collen receives six cows and some silver plate when he reaches the age of 21
• my sonn Nicholas Collen principal legatee, receives £40 plus another eight score pounds (£160) when he reaches the age of 21
• my daughter Ann presumably married and has received her marriage portion, receives 20 shillings
• my daughter Susan presumably married and has received her marriage portion, receives 10 shillings
• my daughter Mary Collen unmarried and not yet 21 receives two hundred pounds on day of marriage or when 21
• my daughter Sarah Collen unmarried and not yet 21 receives two hundred pounds on day of marriage or when 21
• Jane my wife residual legatee
• John Corkett witness
• John Mezzant witness

In the name of God Amen the thertie daie of July in the year of o[ur] lord god one
thousand six hundred thertie and eight I Nicholas Collen the elder of Chickny in the County
of Essex yeoman Remembering the state this woorld to be but vaine and transitory and
alltogether unsertaine and the life of man to be but a vappor both for the daie and the hower
when it shall leave the bodie theirfore not trusting to the frailtie theirof I do in good memory
by gods most gratious favour and assistance constitute make and ordeigne this my last
will and Testement in manner and forme folowing

First and princepaly I bequeath
my soule into the hands of Allmightie god assuredly believing to inioy everlasting life by
the onely death and bludsheding of Jesus Christ

Item my bodie I commit unto the earth
from whence it came it to be buried in the churchyard of Chickney aforedaid at the dicretion
of my executrix hereafter named

Item I give and bequeath to the poore of the parrish
of Chickny aforesaid the full and whole somme of Ten shillings of good and lawfull money of
England to be distributed amongst them at the discretion of my executrix

Item I
give and bequeath to my son William Collen six kowes my sillver bowle and halfe a dozen
silver spoones all to be delivered to him when he shalbe of the full age of one and Twenty
years at my now dwelling howse situate in Chikney aforesaid caled Siblies

Item I
give and bequeath to my sonn Nicholas Collen the full and whole somme of Fortie pounds of
good and lawfull money of England to be paied to him when he shalbe of the full age of one

1. and Twentie years at Siblies aforesaid if he shall so longe live And furthermore I give
   

and bequeath to him my said sonn Nicholas the full and whole somme of eight scoar pounds of
good and lawfull money of England to be paied to him his lawfull atturney heires or Assignes
at Siblies aforesaid in manner and forme folowing that is if my said executrix shalbe Maried
to an other husban after my deses then the said eight Scoare pounds is to nbe paied on the daie of her
marriag at the place aforesaid but if shee shall not take another husband after my desese then the said
eight scoar pounds to be paied on the daie of her deses payment theirof to be made at Siblies aforesaid

Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Ann the full and whole somme of Twentie shillings of
good and lawfull money of England to be paied at Siblies aforesaid

Item Item I give and bequeath
to my daughter Susanthe full and whole somme of Tenn shillings of good and lawfull money of
England to be paied at Siblies aforesaid

Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Collen
the full and whole somme of Two hundred pounds of good and lawfull money of England to be paied
to her at Siblies aforesaid on the daie of her Mariag

Item I give and bequeath to my daughter
Sarah Collen the full and whole somme of Two hundred pounds of good and lawfull money of
England to be paied to her at Siblies aforesaid on the daie of her Mariag provided alwaies and
soe I doe devise that if any of my Two daughters Marie Collen or Sarah Collen shall happen
to departe out of this life before theire or either of them shalbe maried then the portion of her or
them soo desesing shalbe at my wives discretion to give and dispose amongst the rest of my
Children then living but if either of them shalbe maried in their mothers lives tyme and not first
taken the COunsell and advise of their hereafter named mother and obtainde her comfort and full
agreement theirunto then I do give and bequeath tov that daughter soe married the onely somme of
Fiftie pounds of good and lawfull money of England to be paied at the place aforesaid if it be
lawfully demanded and lawwefull discharge tendered in or at the house wheare my wife shall
then live and my gift of too hundred pounds aforedaid to be utterly void and of none effect to that
Daughter or daughters soo marr[y]ing

Item all the Rest of my goods cattell chattells Moneys
and dues to me by any Manor or Meanes to me belonging and not herein bequeathed I give
unto Jane my wife towards the bringing upp of my CHildren and Discharging of the
legassies in this my last will and Testament bequeathed and the bringing of my bodie decently
to the earth

Item I constitute and ordeigne my said wife my sole Executrix to this my
last will and Testament Revoking all other wills whatsoever by me formerly made.In
Witnes wheare of I have hereunto put my hand and seale the daie daie first above written
and have declared the same to be my last will and Testament these hereafter named being
witnesses
the signe and seall of Nicholas Collen

John Corkett
John Mezzant

---Sources---

1. ↑ Will reference Essex Record Office D/ABW 55/17