Will of William Davenport of Lower Withington, Cheshire,1666

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Cheshire, England
Surname/tag: Davenport

This is a transcript of the will of William Davenport, husbandman, of Lower Withington, Cheshire, England. His will was dated 5 February 1666/7 and proved at Chester in 1672.

Transcript

Febru: the 5 1666
In the name of god Amen I William Davenport of Lower Withington in the Countie of Chester husbandman being we[ak] In bodie but of good & pfect memorie doe make this my last will & Testament in forme & manner as Followeth First I resigne my soule into the handes of Almightie god my savior and redeemer by whose death & passion I hope to be saved & my bod[y] to bee buried in Swettenham and as for my worldly goods I give them as followeth

Imprimus I give to my daughter Ellen Henshawe the one haulfe of all my brasse & pewter & the other Haulfe of the brasse & pewter equally to bee devided betwixt my two sonnes

Item I give unto my sonne William Davenporte my Mare & all goods either Chests or what els are now at my house in Withington I give unto my sonne Wm Davenporte

Item I give unto my three Children William Richard & Ellen all the rest of my goods whatsoever equally to bee devided amongst at the oversight of the overseers here after nominated whether bonds & other goods whatsoever (except above or specialty wch is due or oweinge from S[..]gh Grastlie, unto the Testator) wch bond is to Free or Discharge Rich: Davenport fro what he the said Richard is as prsent boun[d] for his brother Wm Davenport & if free the sayd Wm Davenp[or]t or his Assignes […] charge his brother Richar[d] fro what bonds or debts he is at prsent engaged for hi[…] but then this bond above mentioned is equally to bee distributed amongst [t]hem three, except the Funerall expenses or anie thing […] due to bee paid out of the whole

Item I doe Constitute or […] make my sonne Richard Davenport my lawfull Executor to ex[ec]ute this my last will & Testamt accordinge to the trust I s[..,] [re]pose to bee in him & Rich: Oakes Richard Davenport Junior […] overseers of this my Last will & Testamt

In witnesse her[e]of I have hereunto set my hand & seale the day & yeare f[ir]st above written

Wm Davenport
his marke

Sealed & delivered In prsence of us
A Ann Davenport
her marke [Testd?]
[…:
Wm Yarwood

22o […]ilis 1672
Juratus fuit [Ex]ecutor in hoc testmo Noiatus […] &c

Sources

• Manchester University Library. Ref: RYCH/3399. Title: Will of William Davenport, husbandman. Date: 5 Feb. 1666.
• J P Earwaker, An Index to the Wills and Inventories now preserved in The Court of Probate at Chester, From AD 1660 to 1680, The Record Society, 1887, page 73. Google Books (accessed 31 Oct 2021)