In the Name of God Amen
I Mary Spencer widdow and Relict of the honorable Richard Spencer of Orpington in the Countie of Kent esq deceased being of perfect mynd and memorie doe make and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme as following First I bequeath my Soul into the hands of God my most merciful Father assuredly believing by the precious death and passion of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to have full pardon and forgiveness of all my Synns My bodie I committ to the Earth to be buried in the Chancell of the Parishe Church of Orpington aforesaid my bodie to be layd as neare to the Corps of my late deare husband Richard Spencer as may be convenient Item I give and bequeath to my dear cousin Manwood daughter of my deare sister all the Furniture of my Bed chamber being a Velvet Bedd and all belonging to it and in the inner Room and my closet within my Chamber whatsoever is in it or belongs to it or in those two Rooms with all my houshold Lynnen with my Apparel, equally to be divided betweene my Cousin Manwood and Cousin Katherine Sandys And the intire Furniture and Goods whatsoever belonging to my withdrawing Room (excepting such China as I shall dispose of otherwise) I give to her my said Neece Katherine Sandys and the whole and intire Furniture of the room over it Item I give unto her my said Neece all my x x x plate and Jewels not otherwise disposed of my mee Item I give to my deare aunte the Ladie Penelope Sandys now of Ecoortts in Bedfordshire my square Ruby Ring with two diamonds and my Silver Warming Pan Item I give to my deare Cousin the Ladie Glynn wife of Sire William Glynn all the China now upon the Table in the withdrawing Room with the Severall Cups of Calcidony Serpentine and Terrasigilate all contayning of nyne China severall pieces Item I give to my dear Sister Penelope Lochmere my large Saphir Ring and my Deare Husband’s picture now in my Chamber Item I give to my Grandchild Richard Gee tenn Pounds to be payed to him within six moneths after my decease Item I give to my deare Cousin Manwood my large Silver drinking Cup and Cover and twentie pounds in God to be payed to her within six moneths after my decease Item I give to my worthy Friend Dr Say Provost of Oriell Colledge my Gold Watch Item I give to my worthy Cousin Thomas Sandys esq Sonn of William Sandys esq deceased tenn pounds in Gold to buy him a Ring to be payed him within six moneths after my decease I give to my cousin Robert Wilford tenn Pounds to be payd to him within six moneths after my decease I give to my Executors my Bonds and doe earnestly desire them that all my Goods whatsoever not otherwise disposed of by mee be verie Speedily taken downe and sold or removed to some other Place for conveniency of Selling for Payment of my Debts and Legacies onely the Pictures of my deare Father and my deare Mother I give to my Neece Katharine Sandys one of my Executors I wish my two unnaturall daughters Margaret and Elizabeth had not by horid practices against my life and peace compelled mee to alter my former intentions and resolutions of great kindness and my utmost Bountie to them if by all my Indulgence and Advice I could have prevailed upon their unbridled and violent ill humours they were of they then might have been most happie, but their Contrivances against my life being discovered and their Cruelty in my great weakness by a Servant whome they importuned to be of their part ie against mee, upon her accusing them in my Presence they most violently affronted mee and both of them rann away from mee falsely and scandalously railing at me and alwayes declaring if their mother were dead how bravely they would rannt it away at London, which now they doe, for whose sakes advantage and Esteeme and Preferment in the world I had to improve a disturbed oppressed and ruined fortune, undergone great troubles and charges, all for their Advantage, who, it is most apparent, were in Combination in all the Opposition hath been to ruine this estate, hoping by their great Disturbances to shorten my life. As appears upon Oath Elizabeth the youngest did goe to witches to knowe the tyme of my death, which if by giving them the power of all I had could have satisfied them I put no restraynt upon them but often with Tears in my Eyes and a sorrowfull heart importuned them to desist from their deceitfulness and unnaturalness but what could I expect, when their unnaturalness to their most worthie Father was soe great without may Possibilitie of reclayming, notwithstanding the dayly heart-sorrows, and reproofs he expressed to them, all ineffectuall, that they forced him the day that he dyed by their continuance in disobedience, and his reproving them for falsitie to say those words, My children have broke my heart, At which neither of them showed the least remorse, or concerne, and soe contynued to afflict, who with great sorrow and silence did strive to conceale from publick knowledge their foul Crimes as now appears to the worlds view, having robbed me of all the accompt Books with their Father’s hand, the youngest hath by that got a counterfeit deed sued and got a hundred and thirty pounds, with noe witnesses alive, nor any that ever heard of the deed, or saw it, till tenn yeares and more after her Fathers death and shee runn away from mee, nor can shee pretend where shee had the deed, And both having robbed mee of severall deeds which concerne the Settlement of my Estate, now sue mee to overthrowe their Fathers Will by which also my deare Husband settled my Estate, I forboare to mention their severall roberies of their Father and mee, my Plate, ah unfortunate children to force mee by their unparalleled, and opposition, to discover that with heart-sorrow I so long concealed, till now compelled, Can they expect to be happie without Repentance. I pray God give them Grace publickly to repent and amend their Lives; but if after my death my Daughters should produce any Deed or Bond for their Advantage under my hand, as Elizabeth hath by a Deed pretended to be her Fathers hand, I doe declare it to be false, and never any made or signed by mee whatsoever, or to any other person for them. Item I give to my deare Cousin the Lady Boswell wife to Sire Henry Boswell my plaine Silver Server with my crest upon it Item I give and bequeath to Rober Boren now Vicar of Orpington tenn pounds to be payd to him within six moneths after my decease I give him also a mourning Gowne Item I give to my neece Katharine Sandys daughter to Sr Thomas Sandys tenn pounds to be payd to her within six moneths after my decease Item I give to the Poore of Orpington as frequent the Church at common Prayer twentie Shillings Item I give to the Poore of S Mary Cray as frequent the Church at Common Prayer twentie Shillings Item I give to the Poore of Nockholt such as frequent the Church at Common Prayer twentie Shillings to be distributed according to the discretion of my Executors within six moneths after my decease; And I desire that all my Goods both within dores and without whatsoever be speedily taken downe and sold to the utmost value, Except what I have otherwise disposed of; And I desire that all my just debts and Legacies be duly payd as soon as conveniently may be by my Executors hereafter named; Item I doe nominate constitute and ordaine my noble Friend Sr Henry Herne of Crossy Hall in Lincolne shire Sr William Boreman of White hall my verie worthy friend and my deare Neece Katharine Sandys of Northbourne in the Countie of Kent and my worthy Friends Colonell Henry Gilburne of Pauls Cray in the Countie of Kent my Executors of this my last Will and Testament; And I desire my Executors to bury mee privately but decently in the Chancell, onely hanged with list of Black and Eskocheons Item my lease of Dunton in Bedfordshire is already disposed of by Deed, and so remains; Item my Corne in the Barron of all sorts, and all things without dores is to be sold to pay my Legacies, Debts and funerall Expenses, And the Over plus to be equally divided betweene my deare Cousin Elizabeth Manwood and my deare Neece Katherine Sandys. I doe by this, revoke and make void all former Wills and Testaments, whatsoever made by mee
at any tyme hereafter, And doe publish and declare this to be my last Will and Testament conteyning foure sheets of paper; In Witnes whereof I hav set my Hand and Seal the sixteenth day October in the seaven and twentieth yeare of the Reigne of Our Soveraigne Lord King Charles the Second in the yeare of Our Lord God One thousand six hundred Seaventie five, Mary Spencer: The two lines put out more before the sealing and deliverie of this, and then declared and published to be the Will and Testament of the above named Mary Spencer in the presence of A H*** Rob’t Bourne Rob’t Streatfield Symon Neale