Will of William Hicks or Hickes, Scrivener of London 1622

Date: 1622 [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Hicks

Profile manager: Helen Ford

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Will of William Hicks or Hickes, Scrivener of London 1622

National Archives, Kew.

Ref. PROB 11/140/270

Prob 30 September 1622

Transcribed by Helen Ford. Note the text of this will contains a lot of contractions. Parts are difficult to transcribe and there are undoubtedly many errors

In the name of God Amen : I William Hicks Citizen and Scrivener of London beinge sicke in bodie ( yet praysed be God) of good and perfect memorie, calling to minde the uncertainties of mans life and how fitt it is for every Christian to set his estate in order before his deathe doe make and ordaine this my last will and testament in manner followinge viz first and principallie I give and bequeathe my soule into the hands of Almightie god who gave it to me, fastlie hopinge by the meritte and previous death and passion of my onely Lord and Saviour Jesus Christe to be freelie pardoned of all my sinnes and my desier is that my bodie be decently buried without any pomp or show to be made for the [s__y] in the parish church of St Martins Ludgate London where I have long con[firmed?] a parishioner in such manner as my executors in their directions shall thinke good And as concerning that worldlie estate wherewith the Lord hath [blessed?] me I doe give the same in manner followeinge.

Firste I doe give and bequeath into and amongst fower of my sons viz unto Randolph Hicks Elias Hicks William Hicks and Adam Hicks and unto their heirs and assignes forever All and every the freehold messuages mannors landes ten’ts meadowes pastures and heridatam’ts with all and every their appurten;ces whatsever w’ch I have purchased lying & being [as__] in the counties of Middlesex & in the Cittie of London and in the Counties of Lincoln, York & North’ton, and alsoe in any other cities, towns or counties whatsoever w’thin the realms of England (exceptall and every my howeses landes ten’ts and hereditam’ts w’th their & every of their app’tennces set and beinge in Fenn Stanton in the Countie of Huntingdon w’ch I purchased of Mr Ellis Jones my father in lawand of Mr Falds, And also except the houses, lands, ten’ts and hereditamen’ts w’ch their appertenances w’ch I have in Stamford in the said Counties of Lincolne and in Tansor and Oundle in the s’d countie of North’ton & in Eastgreenw’ch in the Countie of Kent And also except all and every my houses messuages ten’ts & hereditam’nts situate and being in Chelmsford and Moulsham in the countie of Essex withall & every their app’ten’ces w’ch I latelie purchased of Mr Richard Putto?) And my intent and meaning is that if in case any of my said sonnes shall happen to die before or after that he or they shalbe possesed of an equal part of th_ said freehold lands ten’ts and hereditam’ts hereby given and bequeathe [ illeg] aforesaid then my [illeg] and meaning is that the same part of hym or th[ey] soe hapening to dye shall distrene and come unto the rest of my sonnes then [surv]iving ,equallie to be devided amongst them and to be proportionablie se[illeg]th and alotted by my executors to the consent and agreement of thems[ ]es provided alwaies and upon this condit’on that my sonnes and everie of them and their heirs doe and shall permit and suffer my executor’s hereunder named peaceablie and quietlie to enioy & have w’thout any of their interrupc’on all & every the said messuages landes ten’ts & hereditaments given & bequeathed as aforesaid & the rents yssues and proffits therof & of every of them to have received and take’ for and during the space of two years next and immediately after my decease for and towards the paym’t of my debts and legacies my executors allowing such competent means and maintenance unto and for my youngest sonnes William Hicks and Adam Hicks for their education & learning as unto them my (next page) executors shalbe thought sufficient.

Item I doe further give unto my said sonne Randolph Hicks over and above his said equall part w’th his said brothers & over and above ten pounds ye ann’ formerly allowed him payable out of a house in the Strand, all and every my said houses rentes and hereditaments w’th their app’tenn’ situate and benige in Stamford & Tanser and Oundle aforesaid for his [pu’s me___] and manitenance.

Item I doe give and bequeathe unto my sonn Samuell Hicks his heirs and assignes for ever All and every my said messuages lands ten’ts and hereditam’ts whatsoever w’th their appurten’ces situate & benig in Chelmsford and Moulsham aforesaid w’ch I lattelie purchased of Mr Putto upon condic’on [ne’ the__ (nevertheless?)] that he doe permit & suffer my executors herenunder named to [retaine?] & have the rents yssues and proffitts thereof for & during the like space of two yeares next after my decease for & towards the paym’t of my debts & legacies And likewise give unto my said sonne Samuell Hickes upon the same condic’on not to [me’d__] w’th the rent for two yeares next after my decease. My lease [estate?] and terme of yeares w’ch I have to come, of in & to all that messuage or ten’t w’th th’app’tence wherein my cosen Robert Gill dwelleth and of in to th’[] howse or ten’ts w’th thapp’tences wherein Mr Awdley? the fether dresser dwelleth both benige in the parish of St Martins Ludgate London

Item I doe give unto my said sonne Samuel Hicks the some of fyve hundred poundes of lawfull money of England to be paid unto him when he shall arraine unto the age of xxiiij yeares

And as concerning my howses lands ten’ts and hereditamen’ts in East Greenw’ch aforesaid I give & bequeath the same ten’ts & lands w’thall and every of th’app’tennces unto my daughter Alice Jackson wife of Mr Nicholas Jackson for and during her naturall life and after her decease unto their heires males of the said Nicholas Jackson on the bodie of the said Alice lawfully begotten and to be begotten And for default of such issue then I give and bequeathe the same unto the right heires of the said Alice Jackson for ever. And I doe also give unto my said daughter Alice Jackson & unto my daughter Elizabeth Ketewich[?] wife of Mr Thomas Ketewich and unto my daughter Marie Hicks to each and every one of them all and singuler my howsehold stuff and goods [ ] [ ] or abou[ ] said houses & ten’ts in East Greew’ch aforesaid equallie to be devided amongst them

Item I doe give to my said daughter Mary Hicks the wardship and marriage of John Dryland[?] my ward of his next heirs if in case he die before his attain’[ ] unto the age of xxj years And the benefitt and advantages of all rents and somes of money that shall or may be due for or of concerning the said wardship and marriage upon cond’con that she shall permitt my executors fower__e the rents thereof for the like space of two yeares next after my decease, And I doe further freelie give unto my said daughter Mary Hicks in my bond unto her the some of one thousand pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her at her age of eighteen years or day of marriage w’ch either of them shall first happen [See, Soe??] that she marrie for her p’ferm’t w’th the consent and good liking of my executors.

Item I doe give unto my other daughters Susan Hicks, Ann Hicks, Abigall Hicks & Margarett Hicks to each and every of them sev’alie and respectivalie the severall somes of one thousand pounds a peece to be paid unto them at their severall ages of eighteen years or on daies of marriage w’ch of them shall first happen Soe? that their marriages be for p’ferm’t & w’th the consent & good liking of my executors. And my meaning is that my executors shall in the interim allow unto my said youngest daughters sufficient mayntenance for their education.

Item I doe give unto Christes hospitall whereof I am a member the some of twentie pounds of lawfull money of England,

Item I doe give unto the Companie of Scriveners the some of twentie pounds.

Item I doe give unto the poor of this parish of St Martyns Ludgate the some of five pounds

(next page)

and unto the poor of EastGreenw’ch the like some of five pounds

Item I give unto my brother Thomas Hicks the some of fiftie pounds and to his daughter Elizabeth the some of tweintie pounds.

And in respect of my great charge of children that I cannot give unto my loving friends such legacies as I could wish for them nevertheless I give unto my loving friends Sir William Paddy, Mr Evan Jones, Mr John Jackson, Mr Edward Roberts, Mr Pye, Mr John Cotton, Mrs Elizabeth Bennet My Aunt Proby, my cosen Gill and Mr George Meader? And unto thirtie others of my best friends funerall gold rings w’th deaths head in them of goldsmiths work, of fortie shillings apeece in remembrance of my mortalitie and of their [ ]

Item I doe give unto my servant John Peirse my lease and howse [w’thin?]I now dwell in the parish of St Martins Ludgate upon condicon [___theld] that he shabe willing to live therein as a servant unto my executors and shall be accomptable unto them for the benefit of those during the space of two yeares next after my decease they allowing unto him for his diett & twetu pound ye Ann’m for his wages. And upon further condicon alsoe that he shall doe his best indeavers to get in the debts w’ch are oweing unto me and to see this my will p’formed soe much as in in [h_____th] And upon condicon likewise that after the end and expirac’on of the same two yeares for and during the rest & residue of the terme of yeares w’ch I have in the said lease he the said John Peirse shall & will pay for the same howse the some of fortie marks ye Ann’m

Item And as concerning all [ ] other my leases annuities goods and chattells whatso’ being eigher in the Citie of London or in any other Cities townes or Counties within in the realms of England and my Stock and adventure in the East India company and likewise my Stock and adventure in Virginia, I give the same leases, Annuities & adventures unto my executors whom I desier not to sell the same, for that I doe [conceave?] they will yield more otherwise towards the paym’ts of my debts & legacies

Item I doe give and bequeath for the same purpose[?] unto my brother Robert Hicks, my cosen William Donhalt[?] the younger esq, unto my sonnes in law Mr Nicholas Jackson and Mr Thomas Ke[tewich] & unto their heirs & ass’s for ever all & ev’ry my said Mess’ , Mannors, lands, ten’ts & hereditaments with their app’ternnces in Fenny Stanton aforesaid to the intent & purpose that they shall sell the same for and towards the payment of my debts. Legacies & childrens porco’ns

All the rest & residue of all & singular my lands, ten’ts and heridtamen’ts w’ch I hold by lease for any term or number of yeares & all other my annuities, rents, foods chattells & debts not formerlie given & bequeathed I doe hereby fullie & freelie give bequeathe the same unto my said brother Mr Robert Hicks, Mr William Donhalt, Nicholas Jackson and Thomas Ketewich whom I make my full & sole executors of this my last & testam’t upon trust and confidence ne’theless that they will pe’terlie after my decease undertake the paym’t of such somes of money & debts w’ch by reason of my trade I have borrowed to pleasure my friends upon assignm’t of their bonds when they had occasion to use their moneys. And that upon paym’t of the same debts legacies & funerall charges discharged my said executors shall & will [insh__] & trulie accompt unto my said sones & daughters & pay unto them equally the overplus & remainder of my estate to be devided amonge them provided alwaies & it shalbe lawful for all or any of my executors w’ch shall take upon them to [prove?] this my will to make a declamac’on & to allow unto themselves sevarallie & respectively the severall somes of one hundred pounds a peece w’ch I give them for their care & trouble herein not doubting they will p’forme the trust herein by men in them reposed concerning the execut’on of this my will. And I do hereby utterlie revoke all former wills by me at any tume heretofore made

In witness wereof I the said William Hicks have to this my will consisting of two sheetes of pay’ set my hand & seale & published the same to be my last will this [new page] fyve & twentith day of September 1622 and in the twentith yeare of the raigne of our sov’eigne Lord King James of England &etc

Willim Hickes, signed sealed published & acknowledged to be the last will and testam’t of the w’thin named William Hicks the day & yeare w’thin written in the p’sence of Edmond Pye, Henry Proby, Edward Henson, John Peirse sev’t to thesaid William Hicks Margaret X Griffith m’ke maid serv’t unto the s’d W Hicks

Probate statement needs translating.

The following entries are from the St Martins parish register ( Ludgate City of London). Note there are two folios for the same period, some of the events are recorded in only one . MS10212 appears to be the earlier version.

1) 1597 The ij day was christened Eles Hickes the daughter of Willm Hickes skrivener)