John WANLER
1648
In the Name of God
Amen
I John Wanler of Chatham in the County of Kent
gent being of perfect mind and memorie thankes be given unto almightie
god doe make and ordaine this my last will and testament in manner
following
First and the chiefest
of all I comitt my soule into the hands of my Creator hopinge
steadfastlie of my salvation onlie in and through the merritts of Jesus
Christ my onlie Saviour and redeemer
And as touching my
estate which itt hath pleased God to give unto mee through his care and
providence I doe will and bequeath in manner and forme following
First I give and
bequeath all my lands which I now stand seized of in Higham, Halstow and
St Margaretts neere Rochester all in the County of Kent unto my onlie
daughter Elizabeth Somer now the wife of Richard Somer
of Clifford's Inn London gent and to the heirs of her bodie lawfully
begotten by the said Richard Somer
And as for the fowre
hundred sixtie and fowre pounds in my Sonne Somer his hands which
I deposited to him for ?
the purchase of his land in Milton neere Gravesend of Mr Turkes
called Poundsfield my will and desire is that soe much of that land
accordinge to the rate of the purchase as hee bought itt more? bee
estated? and settled upon my said daughter and their heires in the same
manner if itt shall please god I depart this life before itt bee
otherwise settled
Item I give and
bequeath to one Mrs Priscilla Steggen? dwelling neere
Lymehouse bridge the sume of twentie pounds
Item I give unto
Goodwife Pulman the wife of Robert Pulman foure
pounds
Item I give unto Robert
Pulman twentie shillings
Also I give and
bequeath unto my maid servant Jane Popple twentie
shillings
Also I give and bequeath unto
Robert Walker of St Margaretts and his now wife each of
them twentie shillings
Also I give unto Mr Rosewell
the Minister of Chatham twentie shillings
Item I give unto the
poor people of the Parishe of Saint Margaretts neere Rochester the sume
of three pounds to be distributed att the discretion of Mr Thomas
and Mr William Somer desiringe them to have respect to the
ancientest dwellers there and poorest
Item I give unto the
poore of the parish of Chatham the sume of Fortie shillings to be
distributed by the Churchwardens for the time being
And the rest of my
goods and chattels moneys plate and household stuffe my debts being paid
Legacies and funerall expenses discharged I give unto my Sonne Richard
Somer whom I make executor of this my last will and Testament
And I desire my good
friend Mr Miles Troughton and Mr Edward Hayward
to be overseers of this my last will and for their paines I doe give
unto each of them twentie shillings to buy either of them a Ringe
In witness of this to
bee my last will and Testament I have this one and twentieth daie of
September in the three and twentieth yeare of the raigne of our
Soveraigne Lord Charles of England Scotland France and Ireland Kinge
defender of the Faith etc Anno Domini One thousand six hundred fortie
seaven sett my hand and Seale John Wanler
Signed sealed and published in the presence of Mayles? Troughton
E. Hayward
Proved 1st April 1648
The Halstow mentioned in the will is High Halstow,
where, in the churchyard is the tomb of William Somer,
erected in 1607. This tomb was repaired and "beautified" by Wanler's
son in law and William Somer's grandson, Richard Somer
in 1672. Richard Somer has a mural monument in Rochester
Cathedral (see my Monumental Inscriptions of Rochester Cathedral on this
site), on which his father in law's surname is given as Waller
not Wanler. A John Wanler is a witness of the will
of Sir John Hawkins, 1594