MRP: Robert Raworth will
= Robert Raworth will =
Son of Francis Raworth
Married Katherine Spelman
b. XXXX, d. XXXX
PRO 11/XXXX XXXX Will of Robert Raworth of Grayes Inn
IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I Robert Raworth of Grayes Inn in the County of Middx: Esq:r being in good health and of perfect mind memory and understanding (praised be God) knowing the certainty of death and the incertainty of the time thereof that I may have no worldly cares to distract me when it shall please God to call mee to my bedd of sickness I doe this ffourth day of November Anno dui 1675:e in the 27:th yeare of the reigne of our Soverraigne Lord Charles the Second by the Grace of God of England Scotland and ffrance and Ireland King defender of the ffaith do make and declare this my last Will and Testament in writing in manner and forme following:
FFIRST and principally I recommend my immortall Soule into the hands of God that gave it, assuredly, trusting by and throigh y:e merritorious death and passion of Jesus Christ my Blessed Saviour and Redeemer to receive a glorious Resurrection among the just, my Body, I leave to the Earth from whence it came (without being dissected) to be decently but privately ?interred in the Chancell of the Parish Church of Throcking in the County of Hartford And I will and appoint that a decent monument be there sett upp for mee and Katherine my Deare Wife daughter of the Learned and ever to be ??revered S:r Henry Spelman Kn:t and because I have given largely in my life time to my Relations and ffriends and have lately purchased Lands that I shall not have so considerable a personall Estate as I lately had I shall give but for Legacies But first I give to my always dutifull and onely child ffrances now Wife of Jeremy Elves Esq:r two hundred pounds to bee disposed of as shee notwithstanding her to venture and as if shee were soe: shall appoint more I can not now give her haveing already given a good porccon with her marriage and more since
ITEM I give to the said Jeremy Elwes her husband One hundred pounds And haveing about nine yeares since given to ffrances Elwes and Mary Elves my Grandchildren ffive hundred pounds a peece by payment of one Thousand pounds to their ffather Upon this Agreement that hee should give to either of them one Thousand pounds a peece as of my Guift at their respective ages of eighteene yeares or daies of marriage w:ch first happen, and if either of them died before Two Thousand poundes to the Survivor of them I cannot well at present give either of them any more not doubting but that my Wife if they bee dutifull to and observant of her will make such addiconn as she cann to what I have given them
ITEM I give and devise to my Grandchild John Elwes the summe of ffive hundred pounds secured by Bond from the said Jeremy Elwes the ffather and me as his Surety to Michael Pearce but in trust for me, and so by him declared by deed to be paid to him when hee shalla ccomplish his age of one and twenty yeares, and in the meane time to be imployed and disposed of for his maintenance and if hee shall dye before, then betweene the younger Children of my daughter as my Wife if shee bee liveing or if dead as my daughter shall think fitt in her good discretion And if either of my Grandchildren Robert or John Elwes will study the Law, which I desire one should, I hereby give and devise to him that shall so studdy the Law all my manuscripts and printed bookes (except such of Divinity as my Wife or daughter shall chuse for xx themselves
ITEM I give to my Grandchild Jeremy Elwes one hundred pounds hee being otherwise well provided for by the settlement upon his Mothers marriage and otherwise by me by this my Will
ITEM I give and appoint mourning for my sonn and daughter and their children and such of their and my Servants as my Wife shall think fitt and to no other
ITEM I give to the said
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KATHERINE my deare Wife All my plate Jewells householdstuffe Leases Mortgages in my owne name or in trust for mee Goods and Chattels whatsoever paying my debts Legacies and ffunderall expenses And I make and order the said Katherine my Wife sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoakeing all former Wills by mee made/
THIS IS THE LAST WILL AND Testament of mee the said Robert Raworth touching the disposition of Mannor of Throcking, and all and singular my Messuages Lands Tenem:ts and Hereditaments in Throcking or elsewhere in the County of Hertford I give and devise all and singular the said Manno:r Messuages Lands Tenements and Hereditaments to the said Katherine my deare Wife for and dureing the tearme of her naturall life without impeachment of xxxx other than voluntary and wilfull xxxst which I hereby declare is and shall bee in lieu and satisfaction and with much advantage to her my said Wife of what was obliged Upon my marriage to give or leave her at my death And from and after her death I give and devise to the said Robert Elwes my Grandchild and his heires one Annuity or yearely Rent of Two hundred poundes of lawfull money of England to bee issueing and going out of all my said Mannorr and Lands in the said County of Hertford payable at the ffeasts of the Annunconn of the Virgin Mary and S:t Michaell Tharchangell yearely by equall porconns the first payment thereof to be and be made at that ffeast of the ffeasts aforfesaid which shall happen the said Annuity or yearely Rent of Two hundred poundes shall be behind and unpaid by the space of thirty dayes next after a all very, or any the said ffeasts on which the same as aforesaid ought to be paid that then and from thereforth it shall and may be lawfull to and for the said Robert Elwes and his heires into the said Mannor Messuages Lands and premisses in the said County of Hertford and every or any part thereof to enter and distreyne as well for the said Annuity or yearely Rent as for all arrearages thereof if any happen to bee And the distress and distresses then and there found and taken lawfully from thence to take lead drive and carry away impound and in pound to detyne and keep untill he, and they, shall befully satisfied and paid
UNFINISHED TRANSCRIPTION
4th day of November 1675
Commentary
