Lancs

Thomas Meade of Prescott, Lancs, 1616

In the name of God amen, the second and twentieth day of October in the year of our lord God 1616, I Thomas Meade, bachelor in divinity and vicar of the parish church of Prescott in the diocese of Chester and county of Lancaster, being sick in body yet I praise God of good and perfect memory, knowing nothing to be more certain than death nor anything more uncertain than the time thereof, do consitute, make and ordain my last will and testament in manner and form following viz first and principally I bequeath my soul to almighty God, confessing myself grievously to have offended my good God by my manifold sins and transgressions, yet assuredly hoping to receive remission and forgiveness of them all through the merit and passion of Christ Jesus my alone and all sufficient saviour and redeemer, and my body I bequeath to the earth from whence it came and to be buried in the chancel of my parish church of Prescot in decent and Christianlike manner at the oversight and discretion of my executors, and concerning thdisposition of such worldly estate it hath pleased God to bless me withall my wish and mind is as followeth. In primis my will is and I do hereby will, devise, bequeath and appoint that Thomas Meade my eldest son and his issue shall have and enjoy all such lands, tenements, leases, tithes, rectories and hereditaments as I have or was heretofore possessed of in the county of Hartford, in such sort as I have formerly assured the same increase for his use and benefit unto George Meade my brother, and if any defect be in that assurance my mind is hereby to supply it and I do give and bequeath hereby the same together also with all my household stuff, goods and chattels within the county of Hartford to the said Thomas Meade my son and his heirs, executors and assigns, so as he satisfy and pay out of the rents, issues and profits thereof unto my son Henry two hundred pounds, unto my son Edward two hundred pounds, and for the benefit of my daughter Susan one hundred pounds by yearly payment in ten years in such sot manner and form as the same is limited and agreed to be paid in and by one indenture bearing like date with this my testament and made between me and my son Thomas on one part and my said two younger sons on the other part, howbeit my mind and will is that my said sons Henry and Edward shall have and enjoy such estate in some lands in the county of Hartford as I have formerly by deed, lease, surrender or otherwise limited, conveyed or assured the same unto them or either of their use. Item my will and mind is that out of all my goods, cattle, chattels, household stuff, credit and money owing unto me as I shall have at my death other than my goods and household stuff in the county of Hartford formerly bequeathed to my son Thomas, first my funeral and then my mortuary and probate of my will and such debts as I shall owe shall be fully satisfied and paid, and that done my will is such particular legacies as I shall hereafter bequeath hereby shall be paid and that then the remainder shall be divided into four equal parts, of which I give three parts to my said three sons Thomas, Henry and Edward, and the fourth part to my son Thomas by him to be governed, employed and disposed for the benefit of my daughter Susan as he shall think fit, provided that her husband have no interest nor power to claim the same or to dispose of any part thereof. Item whereas I have not hereby made mention of my son George Meade I do hereby declare that I have formerly preferred my said son George in greater measure than any of my other younger sons shall receive preferment by this my will or by any other matter I have formerly given them and I pray God to bestow his blessing upon them all. Item whereas diverse of my parishoners are behind with me for tithes and oblations due, some for thirty years together, some twenty and some ten and some two years and some more years and some fewer years, my will and mind is that above my executors may sue for and recover the whole that such of my said parishoners will within six months next after my decease, being reasonably demanded, satisfy and pay for all their tithes due to me within five years next before my death, shall be by my said executors freed and discharged of all due before the said five years. Item I give to the use of the free school of Prescot four pounds over and besides seven pounds which I have disbursed for the use of the same school and have had no recompense for the same. Item I give towards repairing the walls of the watering pool near the cross in Prescot and cleansing it twenty shillings, and I do hereby constitute and ordain my said sons Thomas Meade and Henry Meade my lawful executors, charging and desiring them to perform this my last will as I trust them. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and seal the day and year first above written. Debts owing unto me, in primis my brother George was to have paid me yearly for a house and certain tenements in Ware fourteen pounds and fourteen shillings rent and hath not paid me any since the time that I granted him a lease f th tithes, so as since the granting of that lease he oweth me for every year fourteen pounds fourteen shillings, being rent for the house and tenements. Item my brother George oweth me for rent of the tithes at Ware three score and ten pounds, of which my son George is to have ten pounds and the residue three score pounds. Item George Lyon of Ecclystone six pounds. Item Henry Stanly of Knowsley Park eighteen pence. Item Henry Billing twenty shillings. Item Thomas Shawe nine shillings and eleven pence. Item Hamlet Whitfield his father's mortuary three shillings four pence. Debts which I owe: to Oliver Lyme about four pounds. To Elizabeth Crooke five pounds fourteen shillings four pence. To my son Thomas his annuity due at Michaelmas last twenty pounds. To my son Henry his annuity three pounds six shillings eight pence. To my son Edward his annuity three pounds six shillings eight pence. To my son George for cloth that made two pairs of hose. To Edward Stokley thirty three shillings four pence and what I hae recived of his clerk's wages these two last years as appeareth by my book. To Nicholas Marshall and his wife six shillings seven pence. To Hamlet Whitfield for smithy work. Sealed, delivered and published as his last will and testament by the forenamed Thomas Meade in the presence of Alexander Sutton, John Ditchfield, William Sherlock, Nicholas Marshall, Edward Stokley, William Alcock.