Will Thomas Jackson 1647 Prebend  (est birth year of 1571, Lanc.)

In the name of God Amen. I Thomas Jackson, Clarke, Doctor in Divinitie & Senior Preb(end) of Christchurch Canterb(ury) beinge at this time in perfect health & memorie, praised be God. Out of consideracion first of humane frailtie & mortalitie beinge aged seaventie one yeares and fiftie of them spent in the studious carefull & faithfull ministrie of the Gospell. Secondly for the greater freedome of my minde not perplexed non distracted with worldly cares and specially in the time of sicknes and intent preparacon for death. And Lastly for the setlinge of peace amongst my wife and children after my death soe this sixth day of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand sixe hundred fortie two both adivisedly disannul all former wills as alsoe frame with mine owne hand, wxyt with my seale, confirme and publish this for my last will and testament in manner and forme followinge. First I doe freely and joyfully bequeath and committing my soule unto the hands of Christ my blessed Redeemer giveinge Him most humble and heartie thanks and hopinge shortly (beinge gathered to the Assembly of his glorious Saints in Heaven to praise Him with everlastinge haloluiazes for all the many and great comforte I have received from him in this time of my pilgrimage. And I trust to be saved and injoy the happines of Gods elect in Heaven only by faith in his promised mercyes in the alone merrittes & mediacon of his most blessed Sonne and All sufficient Redeemer Jesus Christ. In speciall I give him most humble thanks that he hath given me to be borne, brought up child soe longe in those most happie dayes of peace and the Gospell that he hath separated me to this holy and high callinge to be a minister and preacher thereof furnished me with competent Grace and gift ministeriall and fitted me with conveniente places without all symony or corrupcon obtained and specially for callinge me and mainteyninge my minstrie those eight and twentie yeares as a weekely lecturer in this flowrishinge and renowned Cathedrall. And I trust as I have lived and taught others soe I shall die a true member of this glorious visible Church of England. I doe stedfastly beleeve her doctrine and all her Articles of Religion accordinge to such plaine, litterall and grammaticall genre as hath been given and generally receved by the ancient and learned orthodox worthies both at home and abroad. And I utterly disclaime all such heterodox, novell and curious tenents as by Papists, Armenians and Sectarios have been most unhappily broached, preached and permited to the great trouble of the church and the disquietinge of the minde of many godly people. And I heartily pray God to compose the many and great differences lately risen amongst us and both remove those Popish corrupcons and minouscons introduced into the church & erect such a discipline as may be most for his glory and the comfort of all such as truly feard him Amen. Alsoe my body I committ to the Earth from whence it was taken and to the Grand as a bed of rest expectinge a glorious Resurreccon and to be buried when, where and howe it shall seeme good to myn Execut. hereafter to be named. And if shee thinke fitt to procure one to preach at my funerall I bequeath to him Justin Martyrs Works and a two and twentie shillinge peece of gold. And I doe constitute, ordaine and appoint my welbeloved wife Elizabeth the sole Executrix of this my last will and testament chardginge her conscence to make a true and full inventory of all my goods and chattells that without fraud or disgrace to my callinge all my debts, funerall expences and legacies may be truly paid and dischardged. And I doe hereby authorize her not only to gather up and receave all moneys which shalbe due to me at the time of my death but also to sell and put into moneys all my goods and chattells as apparrell, plate, bookes with and not particularly bequeathed in this will for my meaninge is as shee hath been a ganefull and frugall good wife in gettinge and savinge soe shee should be first and sufficiently provided for in her old age yea if the yearely rents of mine houses and moneys which I shall leave her or shee procure by sale of such goods no shee may sell will not affoard her a competent maintenance.   I doe allow her to sell mine house in the Mercury Lane which I hold by lease from the deane and chapter of Christchurch Canters (but that case excepted) mine expresse will and meaninge is that mine Executrix shall noe further claime, meddle with, receive and injoy the rents of my lands, houses and leases but by way of legacie neither shall shee have any power to sell, alien or morgage or anyway entangle or incumber my said houses, landes or leases but that they may with their respective evidence, proffitts and emoluments whatsoever descend to such person or persons as in this my will I doe dispose them. And I doe further will and ordaine that in case my said Executrix shall chance to die or dispose herselfe in marriage with any other man before the execucion of this my will that then and therefourth shee cease to proceed any further in the execucion of this my will and in such case I doe ordaine and constitute my welbeloved sonne in law John Banks, clarke to be mine Executor and doe hereby authorize him to call my said Executrix to an account and in that case of her marriage I doe only give now twenty pounds a yeare issueings out of all my rents dureinge her naturall life and tenne pounds of my plate and twentie pounds worth of mine household as they shalbe found prized in the inventory. And if any coutroversie shall happen to arise betwixt my said Executrix and any of my children or betwixt any of my children which God forbid about this my will or any clause therein I pray the Right Worship the maior of this cittie of Canterbury for the time beinge and the Lector of Saint Andrewes in the said citie for the time being joyntly to heare and determine the said difference whereunto I require them all to submitt themselves peaceably otherwise if any be stubborne refractory and troublesome I doe only give to any such an one twentie shillings of money and utterlie deprive him or them of all further benefitt he or they might have had by or from this my last will and testament. And because God hath blessed me with a numerous progenie of children & grandchildren I doe hereby publish to Gods glorie both his great blessings upon mine honest indeavors and my great care and love to my children that besides their bringinge up and educacon in mine house I have given and disposed amongst them for their preferment by learninge, mariage, trades and other wayes before this day above the summe of fowre thousand pounds and yet there is a considerable porcon remaininge which (as I have done more or lesse for or their behavior hath deserved) I thus dispose of and humbly pray Gods blessings therewith. Imprimus I give to every child and grandchild livinge at the time of my death and not better indowed by this my last will as alsoe to my sister Jackson of Wie and her daughter Anne tenne shillinges a peece to be paid to every one of them within one yeare after my decease if it be demanded. Alsoe I give to mine oldest sonne Thomas Jackson, clarke my seale ringe and my picture which hangeth in my parlor with the appurtenances to it and one of my Gownes and one of my cassocks and my best beaver hatt and my cane tipped with silver. Alsoe I give to his goodwife Anne, my daughter in lawe, one of my gilded tankers with the Countesse of Winchelsea my most honoured and Religious friend gave to me on her deathbed. Also to their sonne Thomas I give my little ruled Bible and covered with blew Spanish leather and is at Chilham. And whereas my sister Knight deposited five pounds in my mine hands for him my will is that the said five pounds be paid to him and I give him five pounds more of mine owne free gift to be paid to him or others to his use when the same may be any way enployed for his good, except I doe in my lifetime more for him than this legacie commeth unto. And if the said Thomas shall die before he injoy my such benefitt then my will is that my said sonne Thomas or his wife Anne surviver or survivers shall receave and injoy the said tenne pounds upon one quarter of a yeare demand. I give to my sonne Renold Jackson soe much annueties as will make up the profitt of his place of Subsicrist in this Church tenne pounds a yeare duringe his naturall life and quarterly to be paid or within fourteene dayes after the foure usuall quarter dayes in the yeare. Alsoe I give to my sonne James soe longe as he continueth a scholler in Cambridge five pounds a yeare quarterly to be paid. Item I give to my sonne George twentie pounds a yeare till he be Maister of Arts or have time to take that degree and quarterly to be paid. Alsoe if my said sonnes James and George shall enter into holy orders or but one of them I doe give to him or them all my writings and manuscripts whether in bookes or loose papers as also my common place books. Alsoe I give to my sonne Richard the yearely rent of mine house and shopp in the Mercury (Lane) which I bought of Mr White wherein hee nowe dwelleth duringe his naturall life keepinge the repuracon and payinge the lords rent thereof. And after his death I give the said house, shopp and appurtenances to my sonne Thomas Jackson and Anne his wife and Thomas their sonne and the longest liver of them and their heires forever. Alsoe I give to my daughter Dorothie, the wife of Captain John Paine, an annuetie of tenne pounds quarterly to be paid toward the maintenance of her and her children. Alsoe I give to my daughter Anne the relict of Isaak Barham an annutie of tenne pounds quarterly to be paid towards the maintenance of her and her children. Alsoe I give to my good soone in law Mr John Banckes the best booke of one volume in my studie which he shall make choice of as most usefull for him. And whereas to helpe my sonne John Jackson's widdow to mainteyne her stocke and tradinge for releif of her selfe and sonne I did lend and deliver to her Mar 16, 1640 the summe of twentie pounds. My will is that shee shall retaine the free use of the said twentie pounds till shee be able to pay it in but then if shee die or cease tradinge I dow give the said twentie pounds as a legacie to Thomas Banckes, the oldest sonne of John Banckes and my Godsonne, and herein I repose great confidence in my said sonne Bancks that he will mannage it accordingly. Also I give to my daughter Jane, the wife of Mr Thomas Bedingfeild, the one of my silver watches which shee shall chuse and my desire is that shee continue to dwell with and be an helpe and comfort to her mother my said Executrix. And to encourage her therein, I will that the yearely rents for the gardens which I have in lease from the church be devided between her two daughters Jane and Margaret, that is to say, five pounds a yeare for helpe to mainteyne Jane and the residue to Margaret, but if my said daughter shall goe away from her mother, or her husband fetch her away, my will is that after my said executrix her death the lease both of the house and gardens abovesaid be sold to best adventage and the money put into some freinds hands for the use of my said daughter and her two daughters abovesaid. Alsoe I give to my daughter Elizabeth, wife to Captaine Richard Benson, my greatest standinge silver bowls. Alsoe I give to my daughter Mary, the wife of Mr John Banckes, my nuttshell cup edged with silver and to either of her daughters a round trencher silver salt to be delivered to them within one quarter of a yeare after my decease. Also I doe give to my grandsonne Lodowick Jackson, the sonne of Richard Jackson, one annuetie of eight poundes towards his maintenance and quarterly to be paid duringe his naturall life. And to his sister, Ursula Jackson, towards her maintenance one annuetie of sixe pounds and quarterly to be paid duringe her life. Alsoe I give to every servant, man or maid, that shall have served me one yeare before my death twentie shillings a peece and to poore goodwife Myles tenne shillings to be paid to them within three months after my decease. Alsoe I give to my grandchild and godson Peregrine Benson my silver tankerd beseechinge God to settle him and his parents in the peaceable possession of their inheritance in Ireland. Alsoe I give to the poore people three pounds either to be distributed by dole amonge them on the day of my funerall or sent to sixe poore parishes proportionably at the choice and discretion of my Execut. Alsoe I give to the poor of Chilham the some of fortie shillings to be delivered to the church wardens and overseers of the poore of that parish to distribute amonge them within sixe month after my decease. And whereas I have in this my last will and testament given divers annuall pensions and legacies which I trust mine Execut. will discharge accordingly duringe her life. Soe my will is that after my said Execut. decease the said yearely pencon be paid out of the yearely rents of mine houses and I therewith chardge them as followeth, that is to say. To my sonne Reynold his pencon of fowre pounds a yeare duringe his naturall life out of the yearely rents of mine house in the Mercury wherein Henry Collet dwelleth and the reparacon and church rents to be paid out of the residue. Alsoe to my sonne George his pension of twentie pounds a yeare duringe the time limitted in this my will. Likewise to my daughter Paine her annuall pension of tenne pounds per annum till her husband be better able to provide for her. As alsoe to my daughter Barham her annuall pension of tenn pounds per annam. Those three pensions to be paid out of the tennants rents whoe dwell in the houses which I rent of the Mayor amd Commonalitie of this cittie, the reparacons and towns rent beinge paid out of the overplus. Alsoe I doe release to my said daughter Anne, the relict of Isaak Barham, all right, title, claime and interest in all or any her goods due to me upon sentence or two hundred pounds upon bond. Alsoe I release all right to those goods in her house at the signe of the George in Sittingborn which Isaak Barham bought of his landlord and forwith Mr Godfrey of Sittingborne aforesaid stood bound with the said Isaak in fortie and five pounds which bond since Barhams death I discharged. I doe will that my said daughter Anne make use of the said house and all the goods and utinsells therein by sale, legicie or otherwise, without any molestacon by mine Executrix or any other person by or from me or her. Alsoe I doe release to her, my said daughter Barham, (such sommes of money besides what I have freely given her) as at severall times shee borrowed of me and forwhich I have her bond of two hundred pounds and forfittes for nonpayment the nine and twentith of September in the yeare past viz. one thousand sixe hundred and forty provided that those releases of moneys and goods be for the benefit of my said daughter and her children for if any of her creditors shall molest and trouble her (as they have alreadie done and threaten to doe the like againe) in that case I utterly renounce the said releases and invest my Execut. with full power and authoritie by bond and other indowel to recover mine owne but all to be imployed for the good of the said daughter and her children. To my grandchild Lodowick Jackson his annual pension of eight pounds per annum and to my grandchild Ursula Jackson his sister of sixe pounds out of the yearely rent which is dewe from mine house benighte towne house in Angell Lane which the Ironmongers shop and all the appurt. to the same which I let to Mr Richard Burrow, reparncons beinge kept and lords rent paid. And if either of the said Lodowick or Ursula die I will that the survivor injoy the whole rents of that house. And if both die I will that my sonne Reynold shall injoy it duringe his naturall life and after his death the heires at the common lawe. And lastly because in the execucon of this my will some questions may arise as about rents and reparacons as alsoe if any percon become void by the death of my penconer I reserve the dispose thereof to mine Execut. duringe her life and the regulatinge thereof after her death to my Christian good freinds in whom I much confide, the maior of Canterb(ury) and Rector of Saint Andrewes for the time beinge, prayinge both her and them to have respect to Gods glory and the most needfull helpe of my children or grandchildren. And thus forgiving all men and desiringe the same from them prayinge alsoe for Gods grace and blessings to my wife & children and posteritie in an holy life heere, an happie departure hence & a glorious resurrecion. At the last havinge penned, read and confirmed I doe publish this for my last will and testament this sixt of Aprill one thousand sixe hundred fortie two. Make my soule ready and come Lord Jesu. Amen.
Whereas diverse legacies are given and allotted out of severall houses of freehold or lease my will is that if (after the death of my abovesaid Executrix) the said legacies be not quarterly paid or within fowreteene dayes next after the fowre most usuall quarter dayes that such to whom they are due shall distrayne for them or the arrerages therof if any shall happen. Alsoe before the confirmacon and publicacon of this my last will and testament fore inere good consideracons I advisedly determine and order that soe longe as my abovesaid Executrix shall continue a widdow shee be absolutely bound to pay noe more than the generall legacie of tenne shillings a peece to every child and grandchild as is above bequeathed but for the annuall pensions I leave them wholly to my Execut. dispose to increase, dimminish or exchange them accordinge to the variacon of the childrens condicons knowinge that as shee is motherly assorted to them all soe shee will dispose of what I leave and shee can spare no shee thinketh may be most for Gods glory and the supplye of her owne and her children and grandchildrene parte and therein I rest. Sealed, subscribed and published in the presence of Peter Pyarde, Edward Pyarde, the marke of William Chantry.  
Septemb. 13, 1644.   In the name of God Amen. In the continuam of those greevous, troublesome and bloodie funds by contribucons, loanes, sesses losse of howse and Armes, the parishoners ungodly detention of tythes, farnders of their rents and debtors of their bonds and obligacones besides the sequestracon of all the profitts of Our Cathedrall Church, my temporall estate come much diminished. I was forced to renounce mine old wille formerly made in my fatherly card and providence and findinge it impossible that mine estate will beare the execucon of such a dispose. I doe the day and yeare first above written and beinge in good health and perfect memory and understandinge, praised be God, utterly disanull and make void all former wills withal their scheduled and appendanth only that last which I made and published the sixeth of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord one thousand sixe hundred and fortie two whereunto this is annexed I loane (though cancelled) not as bindinge mine Executrix hereafter to be named but as a light and direcon what I would have done if then I had died and desire her to follow and performe soe farre as shee is able. And first I doe give and bequeath to my good daughter Jane Bedingfeild whoe hath been for many yeares as a good and faithful servant in mine house keepinge all that lease of an house and all the gardens scituate and beinge within the parish of Christ Church Canters which I hold by lease of the deane and chapter aforesaid to have and to hold to her, my said daughter, and to her two daughters, Jane and Margaret, of the said lease and all the profitt thereof for and towards their maintenance, the said mother to have the lettinge, settinge and dispose of them duringe her natural life and then her two daughters joyntly and after the death of either then to descend wholly to the longest liver of them but this I referre to the card and discretion of mine Executrix least shee be inconvenient in habitacon or maintenance. Alsoe I doe constitute, appoint and make my deare and welbeloved wife Elizabeth my full and sole Executrix of this my last will desiringe her to looke well to the revertion of my former will and though cancelled and not obligatory yet to fulfill the same soe farre as shee may be able. I doe alsoe appoint my welbeloved sonnes Thomas Jackson, George Jackson and John Banckes to be the Overseers of this my last will and testament and helpfull to their mother in the same. And for their paines therein I give to my sonne Thomas my great gold ringe, to my sonne George all my manuscripts and bookes of Divinitie written with mine owne hand and a trunk to lay them in, and unto my sonne Bancks my Hebrew interlineary Bible with further consideracon as he shall deserve by takinge paines to gather in such moneys as are due to me and specially such as are due for tythes in Iviechurch. And I doe give all my lands, houses (whether of freehold or by lease) and all other my goods not bequeathed to myne Executrix chardginge her first not to give away or sell or alien any of my said houses, lands or goods without the approbacon and consent of my said Overseers or of two of them at the least. Secondly I require and charge her within one quarter of a yeare after my decease to make a true and perfect will and therein dispose of what shee seeth shee may leave, for my will is that her turne beinge first serudly what remaines may be mercifull to us all and bringe us to his heavenly happines. Amen. This last page I have written, read, published and confirmed for my last will and testament the day and yeare first above written viz. the thirteenth of September in the yeare of our Lord Christ one thousand sixe hundred and fortie fowre. Thomas Jackson. I did review this page above written this March 31 one thousand sixe hundred fortie five & doe againe publish and confirme it for my last will and testament. Thom Jackson. In the presence of Ed. Boys, Robert Lewis.
Probatum (Latin) ... 1 July 1647 ... Elizabetha Jackson, relict dict defunct et Executrcio in testamento ...