Aspects of Kentish Local History

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

Samuel SMITH 1694

In the Name of God Amen
I Samuel Smith of Chatham in the County of Kent Gent being in good health of body and of sound and disposing mind and memory (praised be God for the same) And not knowing how soon it may please God to take me out of this life Doe therefore and for the quieting of my mind and setling and disposing of that Estate it hath pleased God to bless me with make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner following vizt
   Impris I give devise and bequeath unto my deare and loving wife Frances All and every my Messuages Lands and Tenements situate lying and being in the parishes of Lower Halstow and Upchurch in the said County of Kent To have and to hold the same Messuages Lands and Tenements to her my said wife Frances and her Assigns for and during the term of her naturall life she keeping and maintaining the same and every of them in good tenantable repaire plight and conditional
   Item I give and bequeath unto her my said wife Frances All that my Messuage or Tenement with the yard backside and appurts thereunto belonging situate and being in the parish of Chatham aforesaid late in the tenure or occupation of John Rosewell Schoolmaster which I hold of and from the Brethren of St Bartholomew's Hospital To have and to hold the same Messuage and premisses last mentioned to her my said wife Frances and her Assignes for and during soe many yeares as she may naturally live and noe longer she keeping and maintaining the same and every part thereof in good tenantable repaire plight and condition
   Item I give and devise unto my son Nevill Smith All and every my Messuages Lands Tenements and hereditaments with their appurts situate lying and being in Lower Halstow and Upchurch as aforesaid (Excepting Estate in Lower Halstow aforesaid called Callum and Callum Hills ) which premisses by me devised to my said son Nevill I bought and purchased to me and my heires and Assigns of and from Mr Thomas Pett and his Sisters and relations To have and to hold the same Messuages Lands Tenements and hereditaments and every of them with their appurts (Except aforesaid Estate called Callum and Callum Hills) to him my said son Nevill Smith and to his heires and Assigns for ever expextant from and immediately after the death of my loving wife aforesaid
   Item I give and devise unto the child and children my wife is ensient or goes with All that my Land and Estate aforesaid situate and being in Lower Halstow aforesaid called or known by the name or names of Callum and Callum Hills or howsoever otherwise called which I late bought and purchase to me and my heires and Assigns of and from Mr Petty and his wife To have and to hold the same Land and Estate last mentioned with the appurts to such the child or children my said wife is ensient or now goes with and to the heires and Assigns for ever of the same child or children expectant immediately after the decease of her my said wife Frances
   Item I give and bequeath unto the said child or children my said wife is ensient or now goes with All that my aforesaid Messuage or Tenement with the yard backside and appurts thereunto belonging situate and being in the parish of Chatham aforesaid late in the tenure or occupation of the said John Rosewell and which I hold from the said Brethren of St Bartholomew's Hospital To have and to hold the same Messuage or Tenement and premisses last mentioned with the appurts from and immediately after the decease of her my aforesaid wife Frances until the same before mentioned child and children she my said wife now goes with and to the Executors Administrators and Assigns of the same child and children for and during out all the time and terme of yeares I have therein
   Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Phillippia the sume of Fower hundred pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto her by my Executrix hereinafter named when and if she my said daughter shall live to be married or attaine unto her age of one and Twenty yeares
   Item I will direct and appoint That my Executrix she until the same Fower hundred pounds shall become due and payable as aforesaid put out and placed at Interest upon the best security and securities my said Executrix hereinafter named can from time to time gett for the same either in an intire sume or by severall sumes or parcells thereof and the Interest benefit or advantage which shall be raised thereby my said Executrix shall lay out and employ for and towards the maintenance and education of my said children now born and of such the child and children my said wife goes with or which I shall have by hereditaments
   Item I will and direct That when and soe soon as my said son Nevill shall be of yeares and capacity fitt to place out at some very good Trade Calling or profession That he shall be soe placed out and at least the sume of Seaventy pounds of lawfull money given with him to some good discreet Master who shall well deserve the same money with him
   Item I further will and appoint and it is my true intent and meaning That if any of my Children now born or which I shall have by my said wife Shall either dye before the Estate reall or personal herein before by me given the same child and children will or ought according to the true meaning of this my Will to come to the same child and children soe dyeing    or else not live to be born or being born alive shall not live to have right to or enjoy such of my Estate I have given to the same child and children respectively That then the same Estate reall and personall which should or ought to have gone to and been enjoyed by the same child and children soe dyeing or not being borne alive as aforesaid shall goe to and be enjoyed by the survivor and survivors of my said children his her or their heires Executors Administrators and Assignes respectively share and share alike if more than one then one shall survive at their severall respective age and ages of one and Twenty (Saving my said Wife's rights I have as aforesaid given to her for life)
   Item I doe give and bequeath unto such of my children as shall be living at my wife's decease the some of Two hundred pounds of lawfull money of England and which I will shall be had and received by the Overseers of this my Will in Trust for such of the same children which shall be living at the time of my said wife's decease and to be by them the said Overseers paid to such of the same children last mentioned at their respective age or ages of one and Twenty yeares
   Item all the rest and residue of my personall Estate (after my debts Funerall charges and probate of this my Will paid and satisfied) I give and bequeath unto her my said wife Frances whom I doe hereby make constitute and ordain full and sole Executrix of this my Will hereby revokeing all former Wills or Testaments by me at any time heretofore made or published
   And lastly I doe hereby nominate and appoint my very good friend Mr James Almond of London Tobacconist and Mr Andrew Hawes of Chatham aforesaid Chirugeon Overseers of this my Will
   In witness whereof I the said Samuel Smith have to this my present last Will and Testament contained in three sheetes thereof sett my hand and to the first and last sheet thereof my seale this present five and Twentieth day of June in the fifth yeare of the reigne of King William and Queen Mary of England etc Anno Domini One Thousand six hundred ninety three Sam Smith Signed Sealed published and declared by the said Samuel Smith the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who subscribed our names as witnesses hereunto (the above words vizt Overseers of this my Will and fower fower being first interlined) in the presence of the said Testator Mary Bonis John Hayes Jo. Walsall
   Proved 22nd May 1694

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