Will of Randall Shenton, gent of Alkington, Shropshire 1641

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Shentons of Barwell

The Will of Randall Shenton, gent of Alkington, Shropshire was written on 3 November 1640 and proved on 26 June 1641 at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury in London.^[1]

Transcription conventions used in this text:

• Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
• Where present, ff has been rendered as F, and the old letter Thorn has been rendered as th.
• Abbreviations and breviographs, and assumed words, have been expanded in [square brackets].
• Additions and margin notes, where they occur, have been added where indicated in the text.
• Crossings through, where they occur, have been included Struck out.
• Illegible words or parts of words are marked [...]
• The image quality was good, and the handwriting mostly legible.

Persons mentioned: Immediate family

• Randall Shenton the elder of Alkington, testator
• Josuah Richardson gent of Broughton, Shropshire, brother in law
  • Sara Richardson sister, wife of Josuah
• William Shenton gent of Muncke Coppenhall, Cheshire, brother
  • Randall Shenton nephew, son of William
• Francis Shenton brother
• Jane Poole daughter
  • Robert Poole son in law
  • Thomas, Sara and Edward Poole their children, testators grandchildren
• Randall Shenton eldest son, under 25 in 1640
• Robert Shenton son
• Samuell Shenton son, under 21 in 1640
• John Shenton son, under 21 in 1640
• Josua Shenton son, under 21 in 1640
• Sara Shenton daughter, under 21 in 1640
• Grace Shenton daughter, under 21 in 1640
• Alice Shenton daughter, under 21 in 1640
• Robert Shenton father, deceased
• Phillip Perry grandson
• Sara Shenton wife, executrix

Relationship not given

• Sir Randall Manwareing grantor of land in Cheshire to testator
• Randall Smith grantee of land in Wrenbury from testator
• Thomas Richardson grantee of land in Wrenbury from testator
• Arthur Starke esquire, deceased, grantor of land in Wrenbury to testator
• Robert Williamson
• William Phillips deceased
  • Mary, Margaret, Daniel Phillips his children
• Thomas Webb mortgagor
• John Richardson of Tilstock, deceased
  • John Richardson his son
• Witnesses: Josuah Richardson, Mary Richardson, Thomes Hopkin, Peter Hopkin, John Beard

Will of his father Robert Shenton, gent of Alkington, Shropshire 1631

---

In the name of God Amen
I Randall Shenton the elder of Alkinton in the Countie of Salop
gent the unprofitable servant of god being somewhat weakned in my
bodie by infirmities yet in good health and of perfect memory considering
w[i]th myself the certainly of death and being willing before I am toomuch
ovrtaken w[i]th weaknes to make publish and declare my last will and Testament
doe willingly and w[i]th a free heart render and give againe into the hands of
my lord god and Creator my spirit w[hi]ch he of his fatherly goodnes gave unto
me when he first fashioned me in my mothers wombe makeing me a liveing and
a reasonable creature; nothing doubting but that for his infinite mercies sett
forth in the pretious bloud of his dearly beloved sonne Jesus Christ our only
Saviour and Redeemer he will receave my soule in to his glory and place
it in the Company of his heavenly angells and blesed Saint[es] And as
concerning my body even with a good will and free heart I give yt over
com[m]ending it to the earth whereof it came to be buried at the discrec[i]on of
my executrix hereafter named nothing doubting but according to the [article]
of my faith at the great daye of the generall resurrecion when we shall
appeare before the iudgment seate of Christ I shall receave the same
againe by the mighty power of god wherewith he is able to subdue all
thing[es] unto himself not a corruptible mortall weake and vile body as it
is now but an uncorruptible imortall stronge and perfect body in all points
like unto the glorious body of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And
first I will that all such debts and duties as I owe of right or of
conscience to any person or persons be well and truly payed by my brothers
and trustie frend[es] Josuah Richardson of Broughton in the County of Salopp
gent and William Shenton of Muncke Coppenhall in the County of Chester
gent unto whome I have for that purpose (and to the intent to raise porc[i]ons
for my younger Children) by my deed indented bearing date the tenth day
of december Anno D[omi]ni one thousand six hundred thirtie foure given grannted
assigned and sett over certaine closes and parcells of land lyeing in Baddely in
the County of Chester w[hi]ch I hould by the grannt of Sir Randall Manwareing
and his sonne for the terme of the n[atu]rall lyves of my self and of Francis
Shenton my brother and Sara my sister now wife of the said Josua Richardson
And whereas I have likewise by one other deed indented bearing the same
date given grannted assigned and sett over unto Randall Smith and Thom[a]s
Richardson certaine closes and parcels of land lyeing on Wrenbury in the County
of Chester which I hould by the grannt of Arthur Starke Esquire deceas[ed]
for the terme of the naturall lyves of Randall Shenton sonne of the said
William Shenton and of Jane my daughter now the wife of Robert Poole
To the intent that they the said Randall Smith and Thom[a]s Richardson
should pay unto Robert Williamson six pounds thirteene shilling[es] and eight
pence; and to Mary Margaret and Daniel Phillips Children of William
Phillips deceased fyve pounds a peece, which severall som[m]es I have already
paied and receaved acquittances for the same And further to the intent
that they should dispose of the rent[es] yssues and proffit[es] of the said
premisses w[i]th the appurtenanc[es] to such p[er]son and persons and in such sort mann[er]
and forme as by my last will and Testament I should direct limit & appoint
my will and meaneing is that the same assuranc[es] shall stand and be
effectuall according to the true intent and meaneing sett downe in the same
writeings And as concerning my wife with whome I coupled myself in the

[Page 2]
[Feare] of god and have lived with her in the blessed estate of hono[urable]
wedlocke, by whome alsoe I have now by the blessing of god fyve sonnes
and foure daughters vizt Randall Robert Samuell John Josua Jane Sara
Grace and Alice, And albeit I doubt not but that god after my departure
according unto his promisse wilbe unto her a husband yea a father and defender
and will not suffer her to lacke yf she trust feare and serve him diligently
yet for asmuch as god hath blessed me with worldly substance and she in
myne owne flesh I therefore give and bequeath unto her for terme of her
n[atu]rall life, yf she remaine soe long unmarried the occupac[i]on of all the tables
formes stooles Chaires Cupbords presses bedsted[es] yron grates brewing vessels
and wainscote together with all the implements of husbandry w[hi]ch are in and
about the house wherein I now dwell in Alkinton aforesaid even as I p[re]sently
occupie the same w[hi]ch said house and lands are already sufficiently setled upon
her for ioyncture, nevertheles yt is my will and meaneing: and I doe hereby
desire my said wife that yf my sonne Randall shall carry & himself obediently
towards her and marrie w[i]th her consent That then shee suffer him from the
tyme of his marriage to have the use and occupac[i]on of the one half of the said
ymplements of houshould and husbandrie And further I doe hereby give
and bequeath unto my said wife (after my debts and legacies are payed and
such porc[i]ons raysed for my children as herein after is expressed the remainder
of all my personall estate Provied that my leases shalbe taken as noe part
of my personall estate but shall goe unto my heire after my debt[es] and
legacies paied and such porc[i]ons raysed as aforesaid And yf it shall
fortune my said wife to marry againe and take an husband Then my will
and full minde is that my said implements of houshould and husbandry shall
remaine descend and come im[m]ediately to the said Randall my sonne or if he dye
to my next heire And that they shee shalbe accomptable to the said Josuah
Richardson and William Shenton for such part of my personall estate as shall
come into her hands for and toward[es] the use of my children and shall then
content herself only with her ioynture; Let this suffice for my wives porc[i]on
whome I doubt not but god will take into his protection and soe provide
for her in the tyme of her short pilgrimage that shee shall want noe good
thing And I heartily desire her that shee be diligent in trayning upp
our said Children in the feare of god Moreover as touching my children
albeit I am fully perswaded that god according to his promis wilbe a father
unto them; and if they live in his feare he will not see them lacke, yet since the
lawe of god and nature require that I should have a reasonable care of them
Therefore I give unto my eldest sonne Randall and to the heires of his body
lawfully begotten all my house and lands wherein I now live and all the sayd
implements of houshould and husbandry after the death of my wife And alsoe
my greatest brasse pott with all my freehould and coppiehould lands & leases
Whatsoever except that coppiehould land which I hertofore purchased of John
Richardson after my debt[es] and legacies are paied and porc[i]ons raysed for my
younger Children And whereas Robert Shenton my father by his last will and
Testament did give and bequeath unto me the som[m]e of tenn pounds and by the same
will inioyned me to paye yearly to the poore of the Township of Alkinton
and Tilstocke dureing the lives of my self and the said Randall my sonne the
interest of the same vizt sixteen shilling[es] a yeare w[hi]ch I have hetherto duly
payed; And for the continuance of the payment thereof dureing the life of my
said sonne Randall and the better to inable him thereunto I doe hereby give
and bequeath unto him the benefit and proffit of the wood peec[es] morgaged
unto me by Thomas Webb and the moneys w[hi]ch shall accrue upon redempc[i]on

[Page 3]
of the same in case it shalbe redeemed enioyning and requireing him to
see the interest of the said x^£. duly paied to the said poore according to my
fathers will Provided that yf the neglect or refuse to paye the same accordingly
the benefit and proffits of the said wood peeces and the moneys to be rec[eav]ed
uppon redempc[i]on thereof shall accrue goe and be unto my executor whoe I
hereby inioyne to performe the same Item I doe give and bequeath unto
Robert my sonne uppon condic[i]on that he forbeare to question my heire or executo[ur]
for the proffit[es] w[hi]ch I have receaved out of the lands w[hi]ch my father
purchased for him in Wood houses in the County of Salopp the som[m]e of thirty
pounds to be payed unto him when he shall attayne unto the age of one
and twenty yeares w[hi]ch I thinke to be a sufficient porc[i]on for him Item I
give and bequeath unto my daughter Jane the som[m]e of fyve shillings with whome
I have already given in marriage a sufficient porc[i]on; Now concerning the rest
of my children and the raysing of porc[i]ons for them I leave yt wholly to the
care and discrec[i]on of my loveing wife and my said two brothers Josuah Richardson
and William Shenton in whome I repose in equall trust; nevertheles for the
ease of my said wife my will is that they the said Josuah and William shall
take and receave the rent[es] yssues and proffit[es] aswell of the lands before
menc[i]oned to be conveyed unto them in Baddely as of the lands in Wrenbury
conveyed unto the said Randall Smith and Thomas Richardson dureing the whole
termes in the said two leases conteyned and therewith first paye such debt[es]
as I owe and then out of the rent[es] yssues and proffit[es] of the sayd land[es]
rayse such porc[i]ons for my younger Children vizt Sara Grace Alice
Samuell John and Josua as to them and my said wife shall seeme meete &
expedient, wherein I desire an especiall care of Sarah whose porc[i]on I would
have to be first payed. Item yt is my will and desire that the said porc[i]ons to
be raised as aforesaid for the said Sara Grace Alice Samuell John and
Josuah be payed unto them either at their dayes of marriage soe soone
as they marry with their mothers consent or att their severall ages of one
and twenty yeares; And yf any of my said Children prove stubborne or
carry themselves disobediently toward their mother and refuse to be
ordered governed or ruled by her That then out of the porc[i]on of such
disobedient childe or children my said wife and brothers shall make such
abatement as to them shall seeme reasonable w[hi]ch part soe abated shalbe
given and distributed unto and amongst such of my children as shalbe [...]
obedient to my sayd wife And yt is my will and meaneing that yf any of my
said Children dye before he she or they have receaved their porc[i]on that
then soe much of his or their porc[i]on soe dyeing as shall happen to be unpaied
at the tyme of his or their death shalbe paied unto the rest surviveing
And I will that my wife shall have the custody of my children and the porc[i]ons
to be raysed for them yf she first finde such sufficient securetie to be soe
bound in the double value of their porc[i]ons unto the said Josuah Richardson and
William Shenton as they shall accept and [like] of for the payment of
their said porc[i]ons accordingly And yf she doe finde noe such sureties that
then shee to have for the keeping of every of them fyftie shilling[es] by yeare
And the said Josuah Richardson and William Shenton to have the custody
of their said porc[i]ons accompting for the proffit[es] and increase to be raysed therby
Item yt is my will and meaneing and desire that such charges and expences as
the said Josuah Richardson and Will[ia]m Shenton shalbe at or susteyne by reason
of their travall[es] or meeting hereabout shalbe from tyme to tyme payed and
allowed out of my personall estate; Provided allwayes and my full minde and
determinate pleasure is that yf my sonne Randall when he shall attaine unto the

[Page 4]
age of five and twenty yeares Or in case he dye my next heire) shall finde
sufficient securitie to the good likeing of my wife ; and the said Josuah Richardson
and William Shenton for the payment of such porc[i]ons to my younger Children
as in their discrec[i]ons shalbe thought fitt That then they the said Josuah Richardson
and William Shenton and the said Randall Smith and Thomas Richardson shall
uppon request convey and assure unto and uppon my said sonne Randall, or yf he
dye uppon my next heire ; the leases land[es] and premisses before to them menc[i]o[n]ed
to be conveyed assigned on sett over in suchwise as by Councell shalbe advised or
devised Item I doe hereby give and bequeath unto my Grandchilde Phillip Perry
six shilling[es] and eight pence ^ and to my Grandchildren '"Thomas"' and '"Sara Poole'"
^[in left margin]and to my grand childe Edward Poole six shilling[es] & eight pence
five shilling[es] a peece Item I give and bequeath unto John Richardson sonne of
John Richardson late of Tilstocke deceased the som[m]e of twenty pounds of lawfull
English money to be paied unto him by my executrix hereafter named w[i]thin
six moneth[es] next after the terme of yeares for w[hi]ch he is now bound apprentice
shalbe expired: But yf he dye before the said tyme of payment. Then
my will and meaneing is that the said som[m]e of twenty pounds shalbe paied
unto and devided amongst my said younge Children vizt Sara Grace
Alice Samuell John and Josuah or soe many of them as shall then be liveing
And as concerning the coppiehould land which I purchased from the said John
Richardson and have before excepted from my sonne Randall my desire is
that my said brother Josuah Richardson (to whome the said Coppiehould land is morgaged
for the som[m]e of Fyftie and fower pounds payable about Christmas next) or his heires
shall fortwith make sale thereof (in case I doe not sell it in my life tyme and first
pay himself the said Fyftie and foure pounds with all interest due and then pay the
residue of the money for w[hi]ch the same is sould to my executrix) in forme as aforesaid
or otherwise dispose of the same to the best advantage for and towards the
raysing of porc[i]ons for my said younger Children And I doe hereby nominate
and appoint Sara my loveing wife to be sole executrix of this my last will and
Testament, And I doe revoke all former wills legacies & bequest[es] by me in anie
wise heretofore made willed and bequeathed In wittnes whereof I the said Randall
Shenton have to this my last will and testament conteyning foure sheet[es] of paper sett
my hand and seale the third day of November Anno D[omi]ni 1640 And in the
sixteen th yeare of the raigne of our now Soveraigne Lord King Charles over
England &c Randalph Shenton Uppon the said third day of November Anno D[omi]ni
1640. the said Randall Shenton signed sealed published and declared this to be
his last will and Testament in the presence of us Josuah Richardson the marke
of Mary Richardson the marke of Thomes Hopkin the marke of Peter Hopkin
John Beard.

[Probate in Latin: Administration was granted to Sara Shenton the relict and executrix named in the will on 26 June 1641 in London, Prerogative Court of Canterbury.]

Sources

1. ↑ PROB 11/186/377 Description: Will of Randall Shenton, Gentleman of Alkington, Shropshire Date: 26 June 1641 Held by: The National Archives, Kew