Will of Nicholas Stoddard Kt of Mottingham, Kent

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Eltham, Kent, England

The Will of Sir Nicholas Stoddard, Knight, was written on 17 February 1626/7, amended on 29 February 1635/6, and proved on 9 June 1636.^[1]

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the register copy. Capital F is rendered as F rather than ff. Abbreviations are expanded in [square brackets]. Paragraph breaks (where added) and bold text for names are my own for ease of reading.

People named in the Will

• Nicholas Stoddard of Mot[t]ingham (testator)
• Mary Stoddard (eldest daughter)
• Judeth Stoddard (daughter)
• Abigaill Stoddard (daughter?)
• Penelope Stoddard (youngest daughter)
• William Stoddard (son and heir, executor)
• Robert Ducke of Lew[i]sham Esquire (husband of Ann Stoddard)
• Anne Stoddard (wife of Robert Ducke)
• wife not named
• Witnesses: Gyles Webley. Ben Gallandello, Richard Leyton

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In the name of God Amen I S^[ir]
Nicholas Stoddard of Motingham in the parish of Eltham in the Countie
of Kent Doe make this my last will and Testament But first, and before
I bequeath anie of my worldly goods I Doe most heartily desire assistance of
Almighty God to assist mee with his holy spirit that I may dispose of all my worldly
goods according to his direction, and his good pleasure, And by the hope of
Gods assistance being of perfect memort I Doe bequeath my soule unto the hands
of Almightie God the father, and to Jesus Christ my onely Redeemer, and
Saviour, by whose bitter Death, and passion I trust onely to be saved, and to
lyve in heaven everlastingly amonge the companie of all the holie Sainte[s], And
for my Bodie I will that it be buried in Lewsham in the parrish Church. And
my will is that a stone shall be layd upon my wife, and myself with our
pictures of brasse with the inscription what wee were, and whome wee
were, what yeare we Dyed, and of what age. And I bequeath to the poore of
the said Parrish soe many shillings as I Dye of yeares of age, And I likewise
bequeath to the poore of Eltam Forty shillings in bread in Six penny loaves, and
them in bread, and this som[m]e to be Delivered in this sort Fower Sundayes that
is to say by equall porc[i]ons, But my meaning is not that they shall have it money
for the most of them wilbe Drunken, which God forbidd I should be anie

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occasion of. Item I bequeath unto Mary Stoddard ^^{my eldest daughter} twenty Fower Pounds a yeare
During her naturall life, Item I bequeath unto Judeth Stoddard twenty Fower
During her naturall life, and noe longer, And I bequeath to Abigaill
Stoddard Twenty Fower Pounds by the yeare During her life. Item I bequeath to
Penelope Stoddard my youngest daughter twenty Pounds a yeare untill her
com[m]inge unto the age of Twenty one yeares and within for Six monethe after
her marriage soe as she match with [a] gentleman, and with the privity of her
Brother William Stoddard, and the good liking of him, then the Annuitie
shall cease of Twenty Pounds by the yeare, and shee to have Fyve hundred
Pounds Day of Marriage as aforesaid, or as soone as moneyes may bee gotten by
my Executor out of my estate as I intend hereafter more at large to expresse
Item I bequeath to Robert Ducke of Lewsham Esquire. and to Anne Stoddard
his wife each of them a black gowne, or to her a gowne and to the said Robert
Ducke fower yarde of black Cloath price twenty shillings the yard, And
for that these sommes cannot be suddenly paid as the Case now standeth by
reason of certaine Debts which my Executor is to pay for the which I have
made great assurance, My will, and mind is the severall Annuityes w[hi]^ch
I have bequeathed to my fower Daughters be collected and received out of my
Rents in Suffolk where there is the yearely revenue of Two Thousand & Eightie pound or
thereabout, out of which my wife hath Sixscore pound[es] a yeare; As by her joynture
made before marriage Doth appeare with the considerac[i]on of porc[i]on which I had w[i]^th
her, the which was a hundred pounds a yeare for Six yeares, which Sixscore pounds a
yeare all the Lande there was bound for the payment thereof. But if it shall happen
that my wife shall Disturbe my Executor, Then I will ^^not that my Executor shalbee
anie further charged with my daughters Annuities or legacyes thus by my will
bequeathed unto them, but they shall rest upon their mother, for if it should by some
tricke in the Lawe that the whole revenue should appertaine but to my wife, the w[hi]^ch
was noe part of my meaninge, then lett her take her Daughters with her, and shee
to pay the Annuityes with the Legacyes, and my Executor to be noe way charged with
them, And for that I would be Loath Duringe my understanding lasteth in this world,
that they should be unprovyded of a resting place During the contentious debate, which
God forbidd there should be anie, my will is that my fower Daughters shall make
their choice of which the two blew howsen they will have which are in Mottingham
which house they shall hold and keepe for their Dwelling there, and Duringe their
Single lyves and otherwise not, for my meaninge is not that they shall have it otherwise
then Duringe their Single lyves, and to Dwell in and inhabite neither shall they lett
or sell any part of them but to be onely for theire stay during their lyves being single;
or^^and un married, if anie of the three eldest should chance to marrie, which I would
not wish them to doe, then the other two to have the house, if two should marry then
they which are single to have it to themselves during their lyves, keeping them
Single other wise not. Item I doe ordaine; and make, and appointe my Sonne
and Heire William Stoddard my Sole Executor, And I give unto him all
my Lande[s] in Kent Shropshire, and Suffolke, or elsewhere in any of the King
of great Brittainies Dominions whereunto I have any interest, and all my
goods, chattells, Debts or Dutyes oweing unto me, or of right doth appertaine
unto mee upon Condic[i]on to performe my Legacyes and bequest aforesaid,
Nothing herein written or specified shall interrupt my Sonne and Executo^r,
of his peaceable, and quiett enioynge all my Lande[s] and goode[s] neither shall
this my will tye, or incumber his estate further then the good[es] shall amount
unto which cometh to his hand[es] whome I have made my Sole Executor, and

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then I doubt not, our Lord to friends, but God will blesse him with his holie
Spirit, And I doubt not but the God of all trueth will blesse them all, and send
them his grace, and mee in the world to come life everlastinge. And my Expresse
will is; that if during his life I have oppressed any, that my Sonne by all meanes
shall make restitution to one penny, Lord have mercy upon me, Lord have mercie
upon me, Lord have mercy upon mee, written with myne owne hand this
Seaventeenth of February, one thousand six hundred twenty sixe. By me Nicholas
Stoddard, These lynes lynes herein raced out was by my selfe, and by my direcc[i]ons
done this Nine, and twentith day of February one thousand Six hundred Thirtie
Fyve, By me Nicholas Stoddard, Gyles Webley. Ben Gallandello, Richard Leyton ././.

Probate in Latin: Administration granted to Penelope Stoddard, daughter of the deceased, on 9 June 1636, as William Stoddard the son and Executor named in the Will renounced administration.

Sources

1. ↑ PROB 11/171/326 Description: Will of Sir Nicholas Stoddard of Eltham, Kent Date: 09 June 1636 Held by: The National Archives, Kew