Aspects of Kentish Local History

Wills of 17th Century Chatham Shipwrights
Prerogative Court of Canterbury (P.C.C.) Wills 1603 - 1699)

Richard HOLBORNE - 1654

In the name of God amen this twenty seaveneth day of November one thousand six hundred and fifty two I Richard Holborne of Chatham in the county of Kent shipwright being of good and perfect minde and memory praised be to God first takeing into consideration the uncertainty of my life and having a desire to settle and leave that estate which it hath pleased my good God in his mercy to bestowe upon me in such a way as may be most for his glory and the good of those whome it shall concerne and whose names are hereafter mentioned I doe hereby ordaine and make this my last testament and will in manner and forme following Imprimis I committ and commende my soule being a spiritt into the hands od Almighty God the creator and father of spiritt home? in assured hope constantly believing through the merritts death and passion of my lord and saviour Jesus Christ to receive full remission of all my sinnes and to be made an inheritour of his ever lasting kingdome my body being the massie? substance of the earth to the earth I committ to be buried in a decent manner as my executorix hereafter named shall thinke fitt Item i give and bequeath to Margarett Holborne my deare and loveing wife during the time of her naturall life if she shall continue a widdow and unmarried all my landes messuages or tenements and heriditaments withall and singular theire appurtenances thereunto belonging situate lying and being att Luton in the said parish of Chatham in the tenure and occupation of John Rallings and also that in the parish of Minster in the Isle of Sheppey in the county aforesaid now in the occupation of William Messlock? also that messuage or tenement at Erith in the countie aforesaid she keeping them and every of them in good repayre and paying the lord's rents for all and every of them and after the death or marriage of my said wife Margarett Holborne I do hereby give and bequeath all the rents of that my messuage or tenement and landes situate lying and being att Luton in the parish of Chatham aforesaid unto Sarah Marsh my daughter for and during the time of her naturall life she keeping the reparations therof and paying the lord's rent and committing no waste upon the same and after the decease of my said daughter Sarah Marsh I doe hereby give and bequeath all the rents and benefitt of my said messuage and lands thereunto belonging as it is now lett to John Rallings aforesaid to be equally given betweene Peter Marsh and James Marsh my two grandchildren borne of my said daughter Sarah Marsh and to theire heires lawfully begotten of theire bodyes for ever and for want of such heires to the longest of them their being alive and for want of such heires lawfully to begotten of theire bodyes I doe give and bequeath the saide house and landes with the appurtenances thereto belonging unto Bethia Marsh my grandchild and to her heires for ever Item I give and bequeath unto my said grandchild Bethia Marsh the summe of forty poundes of good and lawfull money of England to be payde unto her at or on the day of marriage or when she shall come unto the full age of one and twenty yeares and also I give and bequeath unto my said grandchild Bethia Marsh all the household stuffe that doth furnish my best chamber and nothing else att the death of me and my wive's death or the longest survivor of us two Item my will and intention is that after the decease or marriage of my said wife I will and bequeath the rent of all that my said messuage or tenement or lands lying and being in the parish of Erith in the county aforesaid unto my said daughter Sarah Marsh for and during the tearme of her naturall life and my will is that the tenements in the sevearll gifts? herein this my will given unto her for life doe pay or cause to be payed all the rents and rent unto her selfe for her use or uses or to whome she shall assigne it in the severall gifts herein given she the said Sarah Marsh keeping the reparances thereof and paying the lord's rent and other duties and committing no wast upon the said premisses Item I give and bequeath moreover unto Margarett Holborne my fond & deare and loveing wife during the time of her naturall life or continuing my widdowe all the leases that I shall be possessed of att the day of my death with the appurtenances belonging unto them she keeping of them in good repayre and paying the dutys and rents belonging to them and after the death of marriage of my said wife I give and bequeath the said lease and tearme of yeares of the said ould house I now dwell in as it is now standing unto Sarah Marsh my said daughter during the tearme of her naturall life keeping it and the fences thereunto belonging in good repayre maintaining halfe the wharf unto the millponde from the middle of it eastwards unto the fence of James Marsh her husband she her heires and assignes to have ingresse egresse and regresse through that way unto the waterside or water gate att all times when they shall have occasion paying unto Master Robinson of Rochester in the county of Kent aforesaid twelve pence every yeare yearely if it be demanded and after the death of my said daughter Sarah Marsh I give and bequeath the remainder of the tearme of yeares in that lease which shall be unexpired unto my said grandchild Bethia Marsh the daughter of James Marsh of Chatham during the residue time then behinde Item I give and bequeath unto my grandsonne Thomas Gardner my house and land in Sheppey as it shall then be found att my wive's death and mine with halfe the house I now built upon Master Robbinson's lease and as it is passes over to him and his by writing after my wife's decease and mine as he shall then finde it he maintaining halfe the wharfe to the millpond from the middle of the wharfe to the grounde      ?      westward and the ould house I now dwell in to maintaine the other part of that wharfe for theire ingress egresse and regresse as is afore      ?     maintaining the fences as it is now sett out and half the charge of the pumpe att all times when occasion is and paying unto him or her yearly and every yeare fower pence if it be lawfully demanded and I doo give unto the said Thomas Gardener five shillings to be paide unto him by mine executorix within the space of six months after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah Marsh aforesaid my house and orchard with the appurtenances thereunto belonging situate lying and being in the parish of Erith in the county aforesaid and now in the occupation of Edwarde Reeve after the death of I the said Richard Holborne and my said wife or the longest survivor of us giveing unto my said daughter power to dispose of the same to either of her children which she shall soo decide is best I doe expresse this againe with some words more largly than before in first    ?    Item I give and bequeath unto Paul Marsh the sonne of James Marsh my grandchild after the death of me and my wife all that my lease and tearme of yeares then to come and unexpired of my messuage and tenement with the appurtenances lying and being in Chatham aforesaid which I now have and hold from Master William Butler lord of the manner of Chatham aforesaid and now in the occupation of widdowe Taylor keeping the same in good repayre and paying rents due unto the lord for the same Item I do give and bequeath unto William Pett the sonne of Joseph Pett deceased the summe of five shillings of currant English money to be paide unto him being demanded within twelve months after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my grandsonne Peter Pett the sonne of the aforesaid Joseph Pett after the death of me and my saide wife all that other south parte which is halfe of my new house built upon parts of the grounde which I hold by lease from Master Robbinson of Rochester to whom I give all the remainder of yeares unexpired after my death and my saide wive's he paying every yeare yearly by fower yeares if it be demanded to or them that shalbe      ?      the lease of the said ould house in which I now dwell in and also      ?      and having that part of the house and the fence of the garden thereunto belonging and likewise the fence from the lane and so to the      ?      his garden to the way leading to the waterside with halfe the      ?      as it is now inclosed on the north ende being given before to his brother Thomas Gardner as aforesaid Item I give and bequeath to James Marsh sonne my sonne in law the summe of twenty five shillings of good and lawfull money of England to bye him a ring of gold Item I give and bequeath to Bethia Marsh daughter of the aforesaid James Marsh my grandchild all that my messuage situate in Chatham with the appurtenances which I hold of the bretheren of Saint Bartholmewes after the decease of me and my aforesaid wife Item all the rest and residue of my goods & chattels ready money household stuffe whatsoever not before given and unbequeathed my debts funerall expences and legacies herein given and bequeathed being paide and satisfyed I fully and wholly give and bequeath unto my said deare and loveing wife Margarett Holborne and she to dispose of them as she shall thinke fitt whome I doe herby ordaine nominate make and appoint to be the full and sole executrix of this my last will and testament and I doe here also nominate and appoint my loveing neibor Mr Edward Hayward and my cousing John Rawlings both of Chatham aforesaid to be the overseers of this my last will and testament and I also give and bequeath to each of them tenne shillings apeice to give each of them a payre of gloves and I doe hereby desire them to be ayding and assisting to my said executrix with theire good counsell and advise in the due and right performance of this my last will and testamt according to the true intent and meaning thereof in all particulars before specifyed and the true intent and meaning of this my last will and testament if one or more of the parties afore mentioned doth finde him selfe or herselfe or themselves agrieved att these my guifts in this my last will and testament and shall raise any trouble either to my saide wife or one to the other that then that partie or parties shall loose the benefit of his her or theire guift or guifts in this my last will and testament and my will is that his her or theire parts be equally divided amongst them as in my guift before by me given in witness whereof I the saide Richard Holborne have to this my present last will and testament containing three sheetes of paper sett my hand to every sheete thereof and unto the last sheete my hand and seale and also have sett my seale unto them all joyned together i      ?      renouncing and revoking all former wills and testaments whatsoever by me formerly made and have now published and declared this and none other to be my last will and testament the day and yeare first above mentioned Rich. Holborne signed sealed and acknowledged by the said Richard Holborne to be his last will and testament in the presence of us whose names are here under mentioned William Wiborne Ri. Burley Robert Gilles

Proved 25th April 1654