Aspects of Kentish Local History

Medieval & Later Kent P.C.C. & C.C.C. Wills
Wills of 17th Century Gentlemen of Chatham 1647-1698

Edward YARDLY 1656

In the Name of God Amen
the twentie ay of Februarie one thousand and sixe hundred Fiftie five I Edward Yardly of Chatham in the Countie of Kent gentleman beinge weake in bodie but of perfect mind and memorie I doe humbly give God praise doe ordaine constitute and make these presents to be and containe my last testament and last will in manner and forme Followinge That is to say First assuringe my self that there is nothing in this world so sure as death neither     ?     any thing so uncertaine as the day and hour & thereof which doth rest onely in the determinable will and power of Almightie God my heavenly father by and from whome I doe onely assure my selfe of sume pardon and forgivenesse of all my sinnes and offence through Jesus Christ my onely Saviour and Redeemer Amen
   Then my will and desire is to settle and dispose of all that portion of lande and Tenements goods Chattels and moveables which it hath pleased the Lord to bestowe upon me in manner and forme Followinge
   First I doe give will and bequeath unto Dorothie Yardley my deare and most lovinge wife all my lande and tenements which I have within the parishes of Chatham Gillingham Margarets next the Citie of Rochester and the Island of Sheppey in the Countie aforesaid duringe the naturall life of my said lovinge wife
   And after her decease I I doe give will and bequeath to Robert Yardley my sonne my farme called Cockwell with a barne stable mill or well house ? and other outhouses with the upper orchard part of it planted with apple trees And the other part to be planted with good pipin trees by William Bright my Tenant at the seasonable time of the yeare And all those severall pieces and parcells of land now beloninge to it That is to say Longlandes Snoddest Croft adjoyinge to it The Croft     ?     the meadowslyinge by Captaine Stanley his hop garden     ?     one piece lying on G     ?    side sixty acres Whitehill     ?     otherwise called Greene rest? Three roods lyingeon B     ?    ks Downe with a pollard elme two growinge at the noth end of the said parcell of land one parcell lyinge on Mr Leggato Bowles dale one parcell lyinge in a field called seaven Acres in the occupation of Edward Vintle? butcher one piece lyinge on the north end of Dauckes? hill one other piece lyinge at the south end of the said Dauckes? hill five roodes lyinge at Mr Holt's? field called Tothsande? and payes yearely rent seaven shillings six pence Blue bottle ? Beldam gills foure acres lyinge at Hooke containinge by estimation fortie foure acres more or lesse for terme of his naturall life
   And after his decease to William Yardley my grandchild eldest sonne of Robert Yardley my sonne to him and his heires male And for want of heires male of his bodie lawfully begotten to Robert Yardley his brother And for want of heires male of his bodie lawfully begotten to Henry Yardley his brother And for want of such heires of his bodie lawfully begotten to Robert Yardley his brother And for want of such heires male of his bodie lawfully begotten then to the heires male of my sonne Robert Yardley that shall be hereafter lawfully begotten And for want of such heires male to the right heires of me the said Edward Yardley for evermore
   Item I give unto Robert Yardley my sonne my wood called Doggatt Wood with all Timber and Timber     ?     and     ?     wood to him for terme of his naturall life And after his decease to William Yardley my grandchild sonne of Robert Yardley my sonne to him and his heires lawfully begotten and for want of such heires to Edward Yardley my sonne and his heires forever
   Item I give will and bequeath to Robert Yardley my sonne one Tenement with a maulthouse and a [parcell] of land belonginge to it with a bake ? Kitchin as also one barne Two stables with a garden and yard and one piece of land lyinge on the North side of the said tenement containinge by estimation foure acres of land more or lesse with all timber and timber     ?     for tyme of his naturall life and to the heires male of theire (sic) bodies lawfully begotten And for want of such heires male to the right heires of Edward Yardley my sonne and to his heires for ever
   Item I give to him the said Richard Yardley a piece or parcell of ground lyinge on the East side of my farme called cockwell that is to say from the     ?     post of the lane that leads from Chatham Streete towards Chalke pit hill* or hogge lane to the middle ash there contaninge one hundred thirtie and three feet Assize and from the said ash next the said lane to the wallnut tree sixtie feet of assize And from there over the ground to the streete one hundred yrds twentie and one feet of assize And from there alonge the street to the aforenamed Conny? wood     ?     said lane leadinge to Chalke pit hill of hogge lane sixtie feet of assize which piece of ground I have given him to build a house upon and shallbe inclosed with a pale at his leasure
(* Chalk Pit Hill is an extant road towards the Luton end of Chatham and south of the A2)
   Item I give will and bequeath to Francis Yardley my sonne my Tenement knowne by the name of the Cignet or swann with the shopp garden yard and stable Ans also my two new tenements next adjoyninge with the gardens and fruit     ?     if he the said Francis Yardley shall hee to come home ot of the East Indies But if he happen to die there Then my will and meaninge is That those three Tenements with their severall appurtenances shall equally divided between Richard Yardley and Edward Yardley my two sonnes and to the longest liver of them and to their heires for ever Provided alwayes that they pay or cause to be paid unto Mary Mathews the wife of Richard Mathews and to Susan Tunbridge the wife of Thomas Tunbridge my two daughters twentie pounds apiece equally between them if they shalbe then livinge But if they happen to depart their life before their legacies shalbe due to either of them Then I doe appoint that it shalbe paid to the two daughters of Mary Mathews and Susan Tunbridge that shalbe then livinge
   And further I doe appoint them the said Richard Yardley and Edward Yardley to pay or cause to be paid to Sarah Yardley my grandchild the daughter of Robert Yardley my sonne twentie pounds and to Elizabeth Yardley her sister (daughter of Robert Yardley my sonne) beinge my grandchildren ten pounds at the age of eighteene yeares or day of marriage which shall first happen if they shalbe then livinge
   Item I doe give will and bequeath unto Edward Yardley my youngest sonne a Tenement with a small barne one orchard with two pieces or parcells of land lyinge in the parish of Minster on the Island of Sheppey called by the name of little Todwell and two pieces of land called by the name of little Todwell and Waye Croft and in the occupation of Robert Mullens or his Assignes
   Item I give unto him the said Edward Yardley my sonne two pieces or parcells of land lyinge in the parishes of Chatham and Margaret's next the Citie of Rochester wherof one is called by the name of Blacklande and the other Heyfielde conteninge by estimation seaventeene acres more or lesse and is in the occupation of Edward Vintle ? of Chatham butcher or his assignes
   Item I give will and bequeath unto him the said Edward Yardley my sonne one tenement with a brick chimney in the parish of Chatham and in the occupation of William Newall ropemaker or his assignes
   Item I give to him the said Edward Yardley my sonne one acre of woodland with the timber trees and underwoods growing upon it lyinge and beinge in a wood called Taylor field wood and Knowne by the name of foxberrey? in Capstone in the parish of Chatham and now in my owne occupation
   Now as concerninge of my yeares yet to come and unexpired in my parsonage Lease from the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral church Rochester my will and true meaninge is that my lovinge wife shall receive the rent Yearly thirtie sixe pounds everie halfe yeare That is to say upon the twentie five day of December usually called Christmas day thirtie sixe pounds And upon the four and twentieth day of June usually called Midsummer day thirtie sixe pounds duringe the continuance of my said lease if my said wife shall so longe live my sonne Robert Yardley discharginge and payinge the Colledge rent as he hath alwayes donne at the usual feasts or dayes of payment That is to say At everie Lady day and everie Michaelmas or within one and twentie dayes after either of the said feastes or dayes of payment But if she happen to die before the expiration of the said Lease then my will and true meaninge is that Richard Yardley and Edward Yardley my two sonnes shall receive the rent of my said sonne Robert Yardley and shall pay and performe such legacies as I shall     ?     then that they shall pay or cause to bee paid hereafter
   Item I give to Richard Yardley my sonne twentie pounds and to Edward Yardley my sonne twentie pounds And to Mary Mathews my daughter tenn pounds and also to Susan Tunbridge my daughter tenn pounds to be paid by my Executrix within two yeares next after my decease
   Item I give to Sarah Yardley my grandchild the daughter of Robert Yardley my sonne tenn pounds and to Elizabeth Yardley her sister five pounds to be paid by my Executrix at their severall ages of eighteene yeares or day of their marriage which shall first happen conditional that my sonnes and daughters and grandchildren doe seale acquitance severally to my Executrix upon the receipt of their Legacies which shalbe her discharge
   Item I give will and bequeath unto Francis Yardley my sonne if he shall live to come home out of the East Indies twentie pounds to be paid by my Executrix his loveing mother if not now to be paid But if my wife shall depart this life before the expiration of my colledge Lease Then I doe appoint my Two sonnes Richard Yardley and Edward Yardley to pay or cause to be paid unto the said Francis Yardley their brother if he shall live to come twentie pounds then my Executrix is ? and to pay him And to pay Mary Mathews and Susan Tunbridge four pounds apiece more if they shalbe livinge And further I doe meanyne them to pay unto Sarah Yardley my grandchild Ten pounds and to Elizabeth Yardley her sister five pounds more than my Executrix is to pay them at the age of eighteene yeares or day of marriage which shall first happen     ?     then I doe enjoyne them to pay unto William Yardley my grandchild ten pounds at the age of foure and twenty yeares if he shalbe then livinge
   Item I give to everie one of my grandchildren ten shillings apiece except the     ?     that I have given legacies unto To be paid them by my Executrix at the expiration of my Colledge Lease if they shalbe livinge at the day of my decease
   Item I give unto Edward Yardley my gold ringe that usually wear
   Item I give unto him my small bible And I give unto Richard Yardley my great old bible after my wife's decease and my deske
   Item I doe give to Anthonie Turner? the old Fisherman if he shalbe livinge five shillings
   Item I give unto Walter Rosewell twentie shillings to preach my funeral sermon
   Item I give to the poore people of the parish of Chatham fortie shillings to be distributed by my Executrix at her leasure
   Item I give my maidservant dwellinge with me at the time of my death five shillings
   Item I give to Sarah Yardley my grandchild my silver porringer and a spoone to it after my wife's decease
   Item all the residue of my goods moveable plate household stuffe debts and whatsoever is not bequeathed I doe give will and bequeath unto Dorothie Yardley my deare and most lovinge wife to dispose accordinge to her owne discretion and will whome I doe ordaine make and appoint my Sole Executrix of this present testament and last will revokinge all other former wills whatsoever
   And I doe ordaine nominate and make my very loveing friends Mr John Allen of Margaret's and Mr Edward Hayward of Chatham to be overseers or supervisors of this my present Testament and last will givinge to either of them ten shillings apiece to buy them gloves for their paines making no doubt if theire love and care but that they wilbe very carefull to aide and assist my loveinge wife upon whose care I have laid the     ?     them? for managing all of my      ?     estate
   And so I take my leave with my heartie prayers to bless them and so     ?     all and to make them and     ?     live and to die? his    ?    and faithfull servant Amen
   In witness whereunto I have written this my present will and testament with my owne hand and have subscribed my name and fixed my seale the day and yeare above written Edward Yardley Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of us whose names are hereunto written Thomas Fletcher John Paulrett? Thomas S???onge Edward Join???les
   Proved 5th May 1656

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