Will of William Browning-42

Date: 23 Apr 1635 to 23 Apr 1635
Location: London, England
Surname/tag: Browning

Description

This is a transcript of the will of William Browning, written in London 23 Apr 1635. The will was probated in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and is preserved in the UK National Archives.^[1][2] William's burial was recorded 26 Apr 1635, three days after the writing of his will, in the register of St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, London.^[3] The register lists his age at death as 80.

The will lists numerous heirs (children and their spouses; grandchildren) and lands owned in several parts of Essex County, England.

Transcribed text of will

In the name of God Amen The three and twentieth day of April Anno Dm one thousand six hundred thirtie five And in the eleventh yeare of the rayne of our Soverayne Lord Charles by the grace of God king of England Scotland ffrance and Ireland defender of the faith [] I William Browning of London merchant being sicke of in bodie but of good and perfect mynd and memorie praysed be God for the same doe make and declare this my last Will and Testament And first and principally I comytt & comend my soule into the hands of Allmytie God that gave it me And my bodie to the Earth from from whence it came stedfastly believing to have free pardon and forgiveness of all my sinnes and to enjoy everlasting life in the kingdom of Heaven by the meritts and passion of Jesus Christ my onelie Savyour and Redeemer And as touching the ordering and disposing of all such goods chattells lands tenements and hereditaments whatsoever wherewith God hath blessed me in this (world) I dispose thereof as followeth That is to say ffirst I give and bequeath unto my sonne Jeremy Browning the some of twentie poundes of lawfull English money and my gowne Item I give and bequeath unto to my said sonne Jeremy Browning All that my messuage or ffarms called Little (Wike?) scituate in Burneham in the Countie of Essex now or late in the occupation of Daniell (Stary) or his assigns with all the Land and other appurtenances and the rents issued and yearlie profitts thereof and thereunto belonging To have and to hold the same for during all the residue and remaynder of the of the terme of yeares with (att) the tyme of my decease shall bee to come[] and [] of and in the lease whereby I hold the same for and under the rent and (covenants) therein reserved and conteyned (if he the said Jeremy Browning shall soe long live) And if my said sonne Jeremy Browning shall departe this life before the expiration of the terme of yeares to [] and [] of and in the lease abovementioned Then I give and bequeath the lease of my said farm called Little (Wike?) and all my (estate)(&) interests therein unto Thomas Browning his sonne Item I give and bequeath to the poore people of Chelmsford in the said Countie of Essex one Annuitie of ffortie shillings per Annum to bee issuing & payable out of my lands in Maldon in the said Countie of Essex for and during the first tenne yeares next after my decease Item I give and bequeath to Malachy Browning my sonne (&) Anne Gurney my daughter all those my messuages lands tenements and hereditaments with their (and?) [] appurtenances scituate lyeing and being in Maldon aforesaid (Charged with all the said Annuitie) To have and to hold the same unto the said Malachy and Anne for and during the termes of their naturall lives and the natural life of the longer liver of them And after both their deceases I give and bequeath all my said messuages lands tenements and hereditaments with (the) appurtenances in Maldon aforesaid unto Thomas Browneing my grandchild for and during the termes of his naturall life And after the decease of the said Thomas Brownyng I give and bequeath my said messuages lands tenements and hereditaments with (the) appurtenances in Maldon aforesaid unto William Browning and Samuell Browning my grandchildren for and during the termes of their naturall lives and the naturall life of the longer Liver of them And after the decease of the (survivor) of them the said William and Samuell I give and bequeath all my said messuages lands tenements and hereditaments with (the) appurtenances in Maldon aforesaid unto the heires males of the said William Brownyng my grandchild lawfully to bee begotten And for default of such issue Then to the heires males of (ye) said Thomas Brownyng my grandchild lawfully to bee begotten And for want of such issue then to the next heires males of me the said William Browning the Testator forever Item I give and bequeath unto my grandchildren Jeremy Robins Elizabeth Robins Ffrancis Gurney and Anne Gurney and to everie of them for and during the termes of their severall respective lives one Annuitie or yearlie payment of Eight pounds apiece of lawfully money of England To be issuing payeable and yearlie goeing out of my farms and lands scituate lyeing & being in Rayleigh in the said Countie of Essex now or late in the occupation of Widow Hawkins or her assigns Item I give & bequeath unto Jeremy Browning and Daniell Browning my grandchildren and to either of them for & during the termes of their severall and respective lives one Annuitie or yearlie payment of eight pounds apiece of lawfull money of England To bee issuing payable and yearlie goeing out of my farms and lands scituate lyeing and being in Rawrey (Rawreth?) abovementioned now or late in the occupation of Charles Abell or his assigns The said severall Annuities given to my said six grandchildren to bee paid unto them severally & respectively Att or in the now dwelling house of my sonne in lawe ffrancis Gurney merchant scituate in Thredneedle Streete in London at the two (usuall) feasts or termes in the yeare That is to say St Michaell the Archangell and the Annunciacion of the blessed Virgine Marie by even and equal (portions) The first payment thereof to be made and begynne at such of the said feasts which shall first happen after the end of two yeares next after my decease And my will and mynd is That if it shall happen any of the said Annuities to be behind & unpaid in part or in all by the (start) of one and twentie days next over or after either of the said feast (daies) of payment thereof abovementioned That then it shall & may bee lawfull and I doe hereby give full power and authoritie unto (&) for my said grandchildren or such of them whose Annuitie shall soe bee behynd and unpaid to and for their or any of their assigns to enter and come into & upon all or any of my said messuages landes tenements and hereditaments out of which the said Annuities are respectively issuing & payable And there to [] for the said Annuities or such part and parts thereof which soe shall bee behynd and unpayd and for all arrearages thereof And [] and [] there from tyme to tyme had and found to leade drive take & carry away and the same to detayne & keepe untill the said Annuities and all arrearages thereof shall bee fully satisfied and payd Item I give and bequeath unto my grandchildren William Browning & Thomas Browning for and during the termes of their naturall lives and the naturall life of the longer liver of them All those my messuages Landes tenements and hereditaments in Rayleigh and Rawrey (Rawreth?) aforesaid charged with the Annuities aforesaid as also in (Hockley) Hanningfield and Ramsden bellowes in the said Countie of Essex and [a line (Latin?) containing name Gabrielem Lyon?] Said Countie of Essex And after the decease of the longer liver of them the said William and Thomas I give and bequeath all my said messuages lands tenements and hereditaments with the appurtenances in Rayleigh Rawrey (Rawreth?) Hockley Hanningfield and Ramsden bellowes aforesaid (charged as abovesaid unto Malachy Brownyng my sonne and Samuell Browning my grandchild for and during the termes of their naturall lives and the life of the longer liver of them And after the decease of the longer liver of them the said Malachy and Samuell Then to the heires males of the said William Brownyng my grandchild before named lawfully begotten to bee begotten And for default of such issue then to the heires males of the said Thomas Brownyng my grandchild lawfully to bee begotten And for want of such issue Then to the heires males of the said Samuel Brownyng my grandchild lawfully to bee begotten And for default of such issue Then to the heires males of Nathaniell Browning my grandchild lawfully to bee begotten And for want of such issue then to the next heires males of of me the said William Brownyng the Testator forever provyded [] and my will and mynd is and I doe hereby ordeyne that if any of my said grandchildren shall either directly or indirectly sell assign doe away or depart with his her their or any of their Said Annuitie or annuities to any person or persons whatsoever That then and from thenceforth said annuitie or yearlie some of money soe sould assigned done away or departed with shall [][] wise bee payd or payeable to any such person or persons to whom the same shall bee sould or done away but shall from thenceforth fall and become due to my Executors provyded also that if my said sonne Jeremy Brownyng shall deteyne from my Executors any some or somes of money which shall happen to bee remayning in his hands and due to mee at the tyme of my decease or shall by himselffe or any other person or persons attempt or endeavour to hinder the due proving of this my will Then and in such case I doe hereby revoke and make void all legacies by this my will formerly given unto him and in lieu thereof I doe give unto him only the some of twentie pounds in full satisffaction of his child's part And in such case I doe give unto the Executor of this my last Will for and during the terme of the naturall life of my said sonne Jeremy All my lands to him formerly given in such sort as he should have had and enjoyed the same And whereas I have a writing under the Comon Seale of the Towne of Great Yarmouth in the Countie of Norffolk made for the payment of one Annuitie of Twentie pounds per annum unto my daughters Sarah and Anne after my decease I doe appoynt the custodie of the said writing unto my Executors hereafter named for the use of my said daughter Anne who is only surviving Item I give & bequeath unto my said sonne Malachy Brownyng all my [] apparell And to my Said two grandchildren William Brownyng and Thomas Brownyng all my printed bookes equally to be devyded between them Item I give and bequeath unto William Mannyng of Bury St. Edmonds to the wife of John Tompson of the same Towne Weaver and to Roger (Cutler) of Maldon (tenne) shillings apiece Item I give and bequeath to Mr. Simpson of Maldon fortie shillings and to Mr. (Waters?) twentie shillings Item I give and bequeath to Mr. Cowles Mr. Hooker late mynisters of Gods word at Chelmsford fortie shillings apiece and to Mr. Marshall of Wetherffield twentie shillings and to Edmond Mannyng merchant dwelling in Tower Streete fortie shillings Item I give and bequeath to the preacher of Gods word at Rochford in Essex to Mr. Moorton preacher of Gods word at St. Savyours in Southwarke And to Mr. [] Minister in Suffolke twentie shillings apiece The rest and residue of all and singular my [] money plate leafes household stuffe goods & chattells and personal effects whatsoever unbequeathed after my debts and legacies paid and funerall charges discharged I give and bequeath unto all my grandchildren beforenamed in this my Will equally to be devided amongst them And to bee paid to the males at their severall ages of one and Twentie yeares And to the females at their severall ages of one and twentie yeares or dayes of marriage first happening And if any of them depart this life before such age or marriage Then my will and mynd is That the part and portion of the partie or parties so [] shall remayne and bee paid to the Survivors of them equally part and part alike provyded [] and my will and mynd is That if the parents or next friend of my said grandchildren or any of them shall putt in good and sufficient securitie to my Executors hereinafter named to pay and satisffie unto them their Severall parts shares and portions of and in the said last mensoned legacie according to the [] and (true) meaning of this my last That then upon such securitie for the same as aforesaid And I doe hereby make and ordeyne my said sonne Jeremy Browning and the said Thomas Brownyng his sonne full Executors of this my last Will and Testament whom I devise and charge duely and truly to performe the same according to my true meaning herein declared And I doe nomynate and devise my loving friends Mr. John (Walker/Walter) and Mr. Mephibosheth Robins to bee overseers thereof. And for their care and paines thereon to be taken I give unto either of them the some of five pounds of lawfull English money And lastly I doe hereby ordeyne that in case my said sonne Jeremy and his sonne Thomas or one of them Shall not duely prove the this my last Will and Testament within three months next after my decease being thereunto lawfully warned or summoned That then they shall bee not Executors of this my last Will and Testament And in such case I make and ordeyne the said Mr. John (Walker/Walter) & Mr. Mephibosheth Robins full Executors of this my last Will and Testament And I doe hereby revoke all former Wills by me made and doe appoynt these presents onely to stand and bee in full force for my last Will and Testament In witness whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand and Seale the day and yeare first abovewritten. By mee William Brownyng this present Testament conteyneing myne sheetes of paper was Signed Sealed and published by the Said William Browneing the Testator for his last Will in the presence of us Henry Reynolds John Jett And Christopher Ffa(r?)ell

Sources

1. ↑ Will of William Brownyng or Browning, Merchant of London. Kew, Surrey, England: UK National Archives. Reference number PROB 11/167/498. Download with free registration here.
2. ↑ Image of will at Ancestry.com ($) here.
3. ↑ London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812. Online database at Ancestry.com with images, citing London, England: London Metropolitan Archives, Reference Number P69/BOT4/A/001/MS04515/002. Ancestry link ($).