Aspects of Kentish Local History

Wills of Gillingham Shipwrights 1621 - 1852
Prerogative Court of Canterbury (P.C.C.) Wills  (Pre 1858)

Edward MARSHALL 1763

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I EDWARD MARSHALL of Brompton in the parish of Gillingham in the County of Kent Shipwright being in Health of Body and of sound and disposing Mind and memory praised be Almighty God for the same and therefore calling to Mind the Mortality of my Body and Knowing it is appointed for all Men once to dye do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament that is to say Principally and First of all I give and recommend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it hoping for Remission of all my Sins through the Merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a decent Christian like manner at the Discretion of my Executrix hereafter named not doubting but at the general Resurrection to receive the same again through the mighty Power of God And it is my Will and earnest Desire that my dear and well beloved Wife ANN my Executrix hereafter named do cause me to be buried in the Church Yard of Gillingham aforesaid in the same Grave and under the same Stone wherein my late Wife ELIZABETH lies interred And I do hereby give devise and bequeath to my well beloved Wife ANN all that my freehold Messuage or Tenement with the Appurtenances there unto belonging situate lying and being in Brompton Street in the said Parish of Gillingham in the said County of Kent now in the Tenure or Occupation of Mr THOMAS MELLEN Shipwright for and during the Term of her natural Life And from and after her Decease to my loving Brother JOHN MARSHALL during the Term of his natural Life and from and after his Decease (but charged and chargeable with the payment of an Annuity or clear yearly Sum of twenty shillings to the Churchwardens and Overseers of the poor of the said Parish of Gillingham in the said County of Kent for the time being to and for the uses Intents and Purposes and upon Trust hereinafter mentioned and declared concerning the same I do hereby give devise and bequeath the said Messuage or Tenement with the Appurtenances unto HIND MARSHALL the Son of my said Brother JOHN MARSHALL His heirs and Assigns for ever And I do hereby give and devise and bequeath the said Annuity of yearly Sum of twenty shillings unto the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said Parish for the time being and do declare that the same is to be given to them to and for the use and uses of six poor Widows of the said Parish of Gillingham frequenting divine Service and not receiving Alms as they the said Churchwardens and Overseers for the time being shall from time to time in their discretion think proper and to the Intent and purpose and in Trust to pay and distribute the same to and amongst six poor Widows by equal payments on the Day next before Christmas Day in every year in equal shares and proportions Share and Share alike the first of the said Payments begin to be made on the first Christmas Day as shall next happen after the Decease of my said Brother JOHN MARSHALL And I do hereby charge the said Messuage or Tenement with the Appurtenances with the Payment of the said Annuity or Yearly Sum of twenty shillings accordingly But be it remembered that within fourteen Days next after that possession shall or may be taken by my Cousin HIND MARSHALL of the said premises as also my Will and Desire is that the said HIND MARSHALL shall pay or cause to be paid to SUSANNAH OVENDEN and MARY OVENDEN of Stone near Faversham in Kent Spinsters ten pounds each of lawful money of Great Britain And in Default of payment if any litigations Suits of Law should be commenced on the same my Will and desire is that the said Messuage or Tenement shall be forfeited by the said HIND MARSHALL and be the whole and sole property of SUSANNAH OVENDEN and MARY OVENDEN aforesaid Share and Share alike And I do hereby give devise and bequeath to my Brother JOHN MARSHALL one hundred and fifty pounds of true and lawful Money of Great Britain to be delivered to them respectively within twelve Months after my Decease and all my Wearing Apparel Linen and Woollen in six Weeks after my Decease But in Case my Brother JOHN MARSHALL should depart this Life before the said Legacy of one hundred and fifty pounds shall become payable my Will and desire is that HIND MARSHALL the Son of my Brother JOHN MARSHALL the said Sum of one hundred and fifty pounds as above and to HENRY OVENDEN and SUSANNAH OVENDEN and MARY OVENDEN of Stone fifteen pounds each and to my Cousin JANE STRINGER five pounds of the aforesaid one hundred and fifty pounds to be delivered on the Decease of my said Brother JOHN MARSHALL should he not live to be entitled to the said Legacy And I do hereby give devise and bequeath to MARY WEST Wife of JAMES WEST and to ANN MARSHALL and ELIZABETH MARSHALL two Guineas each Also I give and bequeath to JANE STRINGER Wife of WILLIAM STRINGER three Guineas likewise I give and bequeath to HENRY OVENDEN and SUSANNAH OVENDEN and MARY OVENDEN two Guineas each I likewise give and bequeath to Mr WILLIAM RENWICK of Ratcliff Highway Gentleman three Guineas To Mrs MARGARET SMITH and Mrs ELIZABETH SPLIDT the Wife of PHILLIP SPLIDT the younger Ropemaker of Princes Square one Guinea each likewise I give devise and bequeath to CURTIS ANDERSON Son of THOMAS ANDERSON my late Wife's Godson one Guinea All the small Legacies as above it is my Will for it to to be paid at six Months End after my Decease Likewise I do hereby give devise and bequeath to my Cousin HIND MARSHALL the Sum of fifty pounds of true and lawful Money of Great Britain when he attains his age of twenty one Years or out of his apprenticeship by Indenture to Mr STEPHEN BINGLE And as the greatest part of my Effects at present is is in the hands at present of my dear Brother JOHN MARSHALL he being so just a Man make no doubt but he will assist my beloved Wife ANN to see this my last Will executed for which I give him one Guinea more for his Troubles and Charge And I do hereby make constitute and appoint my dear and well beloved Wife ANN Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former and other Wills before by me theretofore made and declaring this to be my only last Will and Testament wrote by my own hand In Witness whereof I have to this my last Will and Testament contained in two Sheets of Paper to the first Sheet thereof set my Hand and the last Sheet thereof my Hand and Seal this third Day of July in the first Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith etc and in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty one EDWARD MARSHALL Signed Sealed published and delivered by the said EDWARD MARSHALL the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses in his presence THOS. MELLIN OLIVER WALLER JOSEPH MELLIN

Proved 11th January 1763

Headstone, Formerly in the Churchyard of St. Mary Magdalene , Gillingham
(No. 385 in my Monumental Inscriptions of St. Mary Magdalene , on this site)

IN PIOUS MEMORY OF
ELIZABETH THE WIFE OF
EDWARD MARSHALL
AND DAUGHTER OF JOHN HOULDEN
OF LIMEHOUSE IN THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX
LINEN DRAPER WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE
THE 6th DAY OF MAY 1756 AGED 53 YEARS
TO ONE OF THE BEST OF WIVES MOST PRUDENT AND VIRTUOUS
HE WITH THE DEEPEST SORROW FOR SO GREAT A LOSS
THIS MONUMENT ERECTED
ALSO THE BODY OF MR EDWARD MARSHALL
DIED 26th DECEMBER 1762 AGED 68 YEARS