The Will of Richard Spencer, 1661. PROB 11/306

The last Will and Testament of Richard Spencer Esq
In the Name of God Amen I Richard Spencer of Orpington in the Country of Kent Esquire second sonne of Robert Lord Spencer Baron Spencer of Wormeleiton deceased being in reasonable health and perfect memorye God bee praysed doe make constitute and ordayne this my last will and testament the Fifth day of June in the Thirteenth yeare of Charles the Second his Raigne by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King defender of the Faith etc. And in the yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred sixtye and one in manner and forme followinge First I bequeath my Soule into the hands of Almighty God reposeing sure hope and confidence for the Forgivenes of my sinnes and the Attonement of a better life in the merritts and passion of our onely Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And I professe to dye as I have ever lived in the Faith the Church of England professed at the tyme of my Birth My Body I bequeath to bee buryed in Christian buryall accordinge to those rites the Church of England hath prescribed in the booke of common Prayer And I desire a plaine stone to bee layd over my grave with this inscription Seminatur in corruptione Surge in Incorruptione I Will that my Land in Wullan Marsh be to my deere wife Mary dureing her life with power to sell it for the best price she can gett and if shee sell it my will is that out of the money shee sells it for shee rayse por’cons for my daughters Margarett and Elizabeth but if it remayne unsould during my deare wifes life Then I give this Land to my daughters Margarett and Elizabeth to be devided equally be tweene them Item I will That all my debts bee duely and instly payd assoone as may bee after my decease Item I will and bequeath to Mary my deare wife All my Lands in Orpington duringe her life And the Lease of the parsonage of Orpington desireing my wife to renewe the said Lease if any life fall voyd during her life And after the decease of my deare wife I give and be queath my Lands and Lease of my parsonage of Orpington to my daughters Margarett and Elizabeth equally to be devided be tween them. And if either of them channce to dye without Issue before the other then the Survivor to bee heire to the other And if it shall happen that these my daughters Margarett and Elizabeth shall dye without Issue then I bequeath after the death of my deare wife All my Lands and Leases to my good Robert Spencer Esquire and his heires forever Item whereas John Lord Craven bequeathed by his last Will and Testament Five hundred pounds to my daughter Elizabeth which I have received My Will is That two hundred pounds which is in the hands of Sr James Harrington and his oldest sonne for which there is a suite commenced bee with all advantages and proffitts to be taken to my daughter Elizabeth her use And Three hundred pounds now in the hands of Mr Nodes Woolen Draper in Paules Church yard bee delivered to my daughter Elizabeth both w’ch said summes are upon this condicon that shee give a release in one forme of Law to William Lord Craven or his Executors and Administrators of the said Legacye of Five hundred pounds Item I will and bequeath to Mary my deare wife my Lease of the Farme in Pauton in the County of Bedford now in the occupacon of John Cooke or his undertenants which said Farme was passed to Feoffers in trust for mee by my good brother William Lord Spencer deceased and since by my good Nephew Henry Lord Spencer Earle of Sunderland I will and bequeath unto Mary my deare wife All my plate Jewells and houehold stuffe whatsoever Item whereso there is adventured in my name Two hundred pounds in the Shippe called the Loyalty and which went to the East Indies My Will is that the proceed of one hundred pounds of that adventure bee delivered to my deare wife Mary And the proceed of the other hundred pounds of that adventure (my name being onely made use of for that hundred pounds by my brother in Lawe Richard Sandys deceased) bee payd to the Executors of my said brother in Lawe or to whom he hath appointed it Item I will to every one of my servants who have deene my servants by the space of Two years and soe continue at the tyme of my death halfe a yeares Wages to bee payd them within six months after my decease I will to such poore of Orpington who constantly go to Church and heare the Common prayer to summe of Five pounds And to the like poore of St Mary Craye Fifty shillings And to the poore of Downe Forty shillings And to the like poor of Nockholt Twenty shillings to bee distributed according to the discretion of my Executrix I doe by theise p’sents nominate and ordayne Mary my deare wife sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament And I appoynt her to be Guardian to my unmarryed daughters And that shee dispose of them as shee shall think best for them And I doe charge and command my unmarryed daughters to have the consent of their mother in their marriages My Will likewise is That if at any tyme hereafter I shall make any Codicil either sealed or subscribed by mee or published by mee by word of mouth before three credible witnesses so it shall be of the same force and validity as this my last Will and Testament I doe by theise p’sents revoke all former Wills by mee made and doe declare this to bee my last Will and Testament consisting of three sheetes of paper In Witnes whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Selae Richard Spencer Signed Sealed and published in the p’sence of William Sandys William Hickes Ben Gestling

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