Will of Thomas Pettit thelder of Walden, Essex 1610

Date: 1610 [unknown]
Location: Saffron Walden, Essex, England
Surnames/tags: Pettit Cornell Kinge

This is a transcription of the original will of Thomas Pettit thelder of Walden. It was written on the 21 April 1610 on 6 sheets of paper all signed at the bottom by the testator.

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

• Thomas Pettit thelder of little walden in the parish of walden in the county of Essex yoman testator
• Thomas Pettit my sonne
• margaret my wyfe
• Henry Pettit my sonne
• George Mosey no relationship stated received some old clothes
• william Pettit my grandchild
• henry Pettit my grandchild
• john Pettyt my grandchild
• william cornell my grandchild
• Thomas Cornell my Sonne in lawe joint executor of will
• John Perrys and Thomas Kinge my sonnes in lawe joint executors of will
• mary cornell wife of the said Thomas becomes executrix jointly with executors if her husband dies before probate of will is granted
• Charles Plowdunt? witness to will
• Robte Ewen witness to will
• John Cole witness to will

In the name of god Amen the one and twentith day of Aprill in the yeare of our lord god 1610 And in
the yeares of the reigne of o[ur] most gracious sov[er]eigne lord James by the grace of god kinge of England
Scotlamd France and Ireland defender of the fayth That is to say of England France and Ireland the
eight And of Scotland the three and fortieth I Thomas Pettit thelder of little walden in the
parish of walden in the county of Essex yoman being p[er]fect in mynd and remembrance thanks be given to almighty
god herefore do make and ordeigne this .... testament conteyning therein my last will in mann[er] and form forme following
that ys to say fyrste and principally I give and commend my soule unto the mercifull hands of almighty god trusting and
assuredly believing to bee saved by and through the prevous meritts of his sonne Christ Jesus And my body to
the earth from whence yt came to bee buried at the discretion of myne executors herein hereafter nominated or
otherwise ordeigned

Item I give and bequeath to the poore people of little walden aforesaid thirteene shillings
and foure pence of lawfull Inglish mony to be distributed amongst them by myne Executors w[i]thin one
moneth next after my decease

I give and bequeath to Thomas Pettit my sonne his heyers and assignes
for ever two parcells of free land lying in wickdunshall in little walden aforesaid

Item I give and bequeath to the
said Thomas Pettyt my sonne One other peece of arable land conteyninh by estmac[i]on one Acre and
one roode lying in Worthfield in little walden and abutting as by a certen deed indented appearing w[i]th
& late purchased of Fardinand Parrys Assignes To havee and to houlde the said peece of arrable
land last abovementioned to the said Thomas Pettit my sonne his heyers and assignes for ever
upon condic[i]on following notw[i]thstanding That is to say That the said Thomas Pettit my
sonne his heyers executors and assignesdoe well and truly pay or cause to be paid to margaret my wyfe or
her assignes at or in my nowe dwelling house in little walden aforesaid forty shillings of lawfull Inglish

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mony yearly during the natrall lyfe of the said margaret my wyfe at fower usual feasts or termes
in the yeare that ys to say At the feaste of St Michael tharchangell the birth of our lord god
thanu[cia]c[i]on of the virgin mary and St John Baptist by eaven and equall porc[i]ons the first payment
thereof to begin and bee made at the first feaste of the feasts aforesaid w[hi]ch shall come after my decease
And from there to have continuance as aforesaid Provided alwaies and yt is my true intent and
meaning That the said Thomas Pettit my sonne his heyers executors and assignes shall make default
in payment of the sayd yeerly some approved of Forty Shillings a yeare or of or in any part or parcell
thereof contrary to my true intent and meaning herein Then I will that the aforesaid guift and bequest
to him made of the peec of Arrable ^land last abovementioned conteyning One Acre and a rood as is aforesaid
shall cease and bee meerly voide to all intents and purposes and then I will and devise the same peece of
Arrable land to the said margaret my wife her heyers and assignes for ever and thinge herein conyteyned to
the contrary in any wyse notw[i]thstanding

Item I give and bequeath unto Henry Pettit my sonne one peece
of free land with thappurtenanances conteyning by estimaton three roos whither more or lesse lying in wothfield And
also one other peece of arrable land conteyning by estimac[i]on halfe and Acre whether more or lesse lying in Burnewood
field and abutting upon marchall wade To have and to hould the said two peeces of free land last above
mentioned conteyning by estimac[i]on fyve roods to the sayd henry Pettit my sonnehis heyers and
Assignes for ever upon condic[i]on] following notw[i]thstanding That is to say That hee the said henry Pettit
his heyers executors or assignes doe well and truly pay or cause to bee paied to the abovementioned margaret my
wyfe or her assignes at or in my said house wherein I now dwell scituate in little walden abovesaid Forty

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Shillings of lawfull Inglish mony yearly during the naturall lyfe of the said margaret at fower usuall feastes
or termes in the yeare that ys to say at the feaste of St michaell tharchangel the birth of our lord god
thannuc[i]ac[i]on of the virgin mary and St John Baptist by eaven and equall porc[i]ons the first payment
thereof to begin and bee made at the first feaste of the feaste aforesaid ^{which shall come after my decease} And from themce to have continuance as
aforesaid Provided alwaies and yt is my Intent and meaning That yf the sayd henry Pettit my sonne
his heyres executors and Assignes shall make default in payment of the said yearely some of forty shillings a yeere
or as or in any part or parcell thereof contrary to my true intent and meaning therein then I will the aforesaid
guift and bequest of the sayd fyve roods of land last above mentioned shall cease and bee meerly voyde to all intents and
purposes And then I will and bequeath the same fyve roods of land w[i]th their appurtenances to the said margaret
my wyfe her heyres and assignes any thing herein conteyned to the contrary notw[i]thstanding

Item I give and
bequeath to the said Thomas Pettyt my sonne my best cloake my best coate my best doublet and my best hoes

Item I give and bequeath to the syad henry Pettit my sonne my panne or Furnish that is now hanged in the howse
wherein I now dwell my quarne w[i]th the stones> and other furniture unto yt with the Grindstone with the ....
and troffe unto yt my Table and frame - standing in my hall howse where I now dwell w[i]th the bench and
benchbourd there and the forme to the same used my Settle standing in my chamber my best spitt and my lampe
as it hangeth in the yarde

Item I give and bequeath unto the said henry Pettit my sonne All my leases and
all my right title interest and termes of yeares w[hi]ch I have yet to come of and in certein lands called the .........
And of and inceren land nowm or late in my occupac[i]on being parcell of the lands called Buckenhoe and of and in all
the lands of the now Bishop of Peterborough now or late in my occupac[i]on to hould to him the said henry his

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Executors and Assignes from and after my decease in as large and ample ..... and forme as myne executors may or
might hould the same

Item I give and bequeath to the said margaret my wyfe All my brasse pewter lynnen
woollen bedde beddinge and all other my implem[en]ts of howsehould stuffe (Other than those that bee formerly herein
given or bequeathed to my children And other than my ould coate oulde doublet and oulde hoes w[hi]ch ould coat doublett
and hoes I give to George Mosey

Item I give and Bequeath unto william Pettit my grandchild fifty three shillings
and fower pence

Item I give and bequeath unto henry Pettit my grandchild fifty three shillings and fower pence

Item I give and bequeath unto john Pettyt my grandchild fifty three shillings and fower pence

Item I give and bequeath unto william cornell my grandchild fifty three shillings and fower pence w[hi]ch severall somes of mony
I will shallbee paid unto ev[er]y of my sayd grandchildren at their sev[er]all ages of one and twenty yeares by
Thomas Cornell my Sonne in lawe one of myne executors hereafter nominated his executors or administra
tors And my will and meaning ys that yf any of my said grandchildren happen to dye before hee or they shall
accomplish his or their ages of one and Twenty yeares That then such some or somes of mony w[hi]ch by meenes of
this my will should have bene paid to him or them which soe happen to dye shallbee paide to the survivor or
survivors of them at such tymes as he or they w[hi]ch shall soe dye should have accomplished his or their
age or ages of on and Twenty yeares And also my will and meaning ys that my said Sonne in lawe
Thomas Cornell for the more sure payment of the said somes of many bequeathed unto the said william henry and
john Pettyt my grandchildren shall w[i]thin one month next after the probate of this my last will and testament
seale and deliv[ered] one Obligation unto the said William henry and John Pettyt my grandchildren or to some of

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of them wherein and whereby the sid Thomas Cornell my sonne in lawe shallbee bounden unto the said William
henry and john pettyt yf they shallbee then liv[i]ng And yf any of them shallbee then dead then to the survivor or
survivors of them in the some of Sixtene pounds of current mony of England w[hi]ch condicion for the true
payment of the said sev[er]all somes of mony unto the sayd william henry and john Pettitt yf they shalbee
then lyving And yf any of them shallbee then dead then to the survivor or survivors of them at such tyme and
tymes as they or any of them shall or should accomplish their said age of one and Twenty yeares the payment
of the said severall somes bequeathed unto the said william henry and john Pettit to bee made at or in the church
porch of the parish of walden abovesaid comonly called the south porch And further my will is that yf the said
Thomas cornell shall not or doe not deliver such an obligac[i]on as aforesaid to the said william henry and
john Pettyt yf they bee then living and yf any of them bee dead then to the survivor or survivors of them or
unto John Perrys and Thomas Kinge my sonnes in lawe or to one of them to those of the sayd william
henry and john Pettitt or such of them as shallbee then lyving That the said Thomas cornell shall not
receive have otr take any profit benefit or comodity of any guift or bequest given ot bequeathed unto him by mee
in or by this my last will or testament nor to entermedle as executor but shallbee thereof wholy excluded
and debarred

Item my will and meaning ys that yf the said Thomas cornell shall happen to dye before the probate
of this my last will and testament that then mary cornell wife of the said Thomas shallbee executrix w[i]th thothers
executors herein hereafter nominated and shall have the like benefit and advantage of any bequest or guift given
or bequeathed to the siad Thomas in or by this my last will to all intents or in any wise as the said Thomas might
or could have had yf hee had lyved And that the sayd maryshall pay all the said somes of mony to the said william

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henry and john Pettit and william cornell and the survivors of them when they or any of them shall or should accomplish
their age or ages of one and Twenty yeares

Item all the residue of my goods and chattels corne and graine as nowe
growing as in my house horses beast shepe and all other things unbequeathed my debts and funerall being paied and
discharged I give and bequeath to john Perry Thomas cornell and Thomas kinge my sonnes in lawe equally to bee
equally divided amongst them which said john Perry Thomas cornell and Thomas kinge I make and ordeigne
Execuutors of this my last will and testament in mann[er] and forme aforesaid And I utterly revoke and adnull all and
every other wills and testaments and Executors by mee at any tyme heretofore made and ordeigned In itness
whereof the sayd Thomas Pettit thelder have hereunto put my hand and seale these being witnesses

Signed Thomas Pettyt

Witnesses: Charles Plowdunt?
Robte Ewen
John Cole

Sources