Aspects of Kentish Local History

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

Richard GODDEN - 1669

In the name of God amen the fifteenth day of January in the nynteenth yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles the Second by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland etc. I Richard Godden the elder of Chatham in the county of Kent shipwright though weake in body yet being of disposing memory thankes be to God doe make this my last will & testament in manner and forme following that is to say first and principally I bequeath and surrender up my soule into the hands of Almighty God believing to bee saved by the meritts and satisfaction of Jesus Christ my only saviour & redeemer and my body to bee decently interred by and at the discretion of my executor hereafter named Item I give unto my grand daughter Rhodny Lee the somme of tenne shillings to buy her a mourning ring to be paid by my executor within one month after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my two grandchildren Samuel and Sarah Lee each of them the somme of two pounds tenne shillings apeece of lawful money of England to be paid to them respectively by my executor when they come to their respective ages of twenty yeares or day of marriage which shall first happen provided that if either of them shall dye before the said tyme then I will that his or her share soe dying shalbe paid to the survivor at the tyme aforesaid Item I give and bequeath unto my eldest soone Edward Godden all that my messuage or tenement which is now in the tenure or occupation of John Andrews marriner with the yard garden or orchard thereunto belonging or therewith now used and occupied with the appurtenances as the same is now fenced of and enclosed to have and to hold the same premisses with ye appurtenances unto the said Edward Godden my sonne his executors administrators and assignes for and during all the residue of the terme of yeares mentioned in an indenture of lease to me granted from the bretheren of St. Bartholomew's Hospital near Rochester and the which shalbe to come and unexpired at the tyme of my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne Joseph Godden all that my messuage or tenement being situate towards the west of the other said tenement and now in the tenure or occupation of him the said Joseph Godden with the yard garden or orchard and passage downe to the riverside and the appurtenances thereunto belonging or therewith used an ? as the same is now fenced and enclosed to have and to hold the same premisses with the appurtenances before bequeathed unto the said Joseph Godden his executors administrators and assigns for and during out all the residue of the terme of yeares in and by the said mentioned indenture of lease aforesaid to me granted which shalbe to come and unexpired at the tyme of my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne Richard Godden all that messuage or tenement wherein I the said Richard Godden the elder and [          ] duke marriner dow now dwell with the orchard and wharfe which lyeth towards the waterside there and is enclose from the said garden or orchard used with the dwelling houses so given to my said sonnes Edward and Joseph as aforesaid and all the ground wherin the new messuage or tenement standswhich was lately built by him the said Richard Godden my sonne with the yard and all the appurtenances thereunto belonging to have and to hold the same premisses with the appurtenances before bequeathed unto my said sonne Richard Godden his executors administrators and assignes for and during all the residue of the terme of yeares in and by the said mentioned indenture of lease to mee and      ?      granted and which shalbe to come and unexpired at my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my said sonne Richard Godden all that messuage or tenement which I did lately buy of my sonne Edward Godden built upon parte of the said ground mentioned in the said lease and the backside or garden and appurtenances as the same is now enclosed thereunto belonging now in the tenure or occupation of John Bull shipwright which said messuage or tenement my will is that it shall be sould by my executor towards the payment of the legacies by me given and bequeathed in this my last will and testament and my will and mynd alsoe is that my sonnes Edward, Joseph and Richard and their respective executors administrators and assignes shall have equally the use and benefit of the way leading from the streete aforesaid to the river of Medway and my mynd and will alsoe is that my sonne Richard Gooding (whome my will is shall have the keeping of the said indenture of lease aforesaid)shall permitt my other two sonnes Edward and Joseph respectively their executors administrators and assignes to take a new lease and estate of and in the house or houses and premisses to them respectively by me given aforesaid the appurtenances from the said bretheren of the said hospitaor such other person or persons as shall have power to make the same without any denyall trouble or interruption      ?      and to the end that they my sonnes Edward and Joseph may be better enabled soe to doe my will is that my said sonne Richard shall at the charges of my said sonnes Edward and Joseph upon request unto him by them made make and deliver unto each of them a true coppy in writeing of the said originall lease under the hands of two or more creditable witnesses testifying the same to bee a true coppy of the said lease and my further will and pleasure is that untill the said lease shall end or be renewed my said sonnes Edward and Joseph respectively their respective executors administrators and assignes shall pay unto my said sonne Richard upon every nyne and twentieth day of September and the five and twentieth day of March or within one and twenty dayes after three shillings apeece towards his payment of the rent of nyne shillings a yeare reserved? in the said lease which I will my said sonne Richard shall pay and discharge yearly according to the reservation? of the said lease Item I give and bequeath unto my grandson Richard Godden sonne of the said Edward Godden the somme of five pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto him by my executor when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares Item I give and bequeath unto my grandchildren Hannah and Mary Godden children of the said Richard Godden my sonne the somme of five pounds apeece of like lawfull money of England to be paid to them respectively when they shall come to their respective ages of one and twenty yeares or on the days of their respective marriages which shall first happen provided that if any of them shall dye before the said tyme then I will that the legacies soe bequeathed be give and paid to the survivor of them at the tyme aforesaid Item I give and bequeath unto my grandchildren Hester , Rodney and Elizabeth Goodden children of Joseph Goodden my sonne the somme of five pounds apeece of lawfull money of england to be paid them respectively when they shall come to their respective ages of one and twenty yeares or on the dayes of their respevtive marriages which shall first happen provided that if eyther of them shall dye before the said tyme then I will that the legacies soe bequeathed be given and paid to the survivor or survivors of them at the tyme aforesaid Item I give unto my sonnes Edward, Joseph and Richard all my working tooles to be equally divided betweene them after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto every of my cousins the children of my cousins John and Elizabeth Beckett the somme of five shillings apeece to by each of them a bible and my further will and pleasure is that if it shall please the Lord to sufferme soe long to live that I shall have at the tyme of my death wasted? any of my estate that then there shalbe an abatement? in the severall legacies before bequeathed and by me given to each party      ?      to the estate soe spent and wasted and alsoe to the legacies soe bequeathed and by me given respectively Item all the rest of my goods chattels and ready money and whatsoever belonging to mee at the tyme of my decease I give and bequeath unto my said sonne Richard Goodden whome I doe hereby make nominate and constitute to be my sole executor of this my last will and testament conteyned and specified in two sheets of paper hereby making voyd and null all former wills and testaments by me made in witness whereof I have to bothe the said sheets of paper before mentioned sett my hand and seale the day and yeare first above written the marke of Richard Gooden sen. this will was read signed sealed and delivered by the above named Richard Gooding the elder as his last will and testament in the presence of Thomas Mitchell Math. Inwood.

Proved 24th March 1669