In the name of God amen the thirteenth day of January in the tenth year
of the reign of our sovereign Lord George by the grace of God of Great
Britain France and Ireland King defender of the faith and In the year of
our lord One Thousand Seven Hundred Twenty and Three I Marvin Bowles of
Waterend in the parish of Great Gaddesden in the county of Hertford
Yeoman being of good health and of perfect mind memory & understanding
(thanks be to God for the same) and remembering the certainty of death
but the uncertainty of the time thereof do make and ordain this my last
Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) First
and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God my
Maker and Creator hoping assuredly through the merritts of Jesus Christ
my Savior and Redeemer to be partaker of everlasting life and my body I
committ to the earth to be decently burried in the churchyard of
Hemelhempsted in the county of Hertford as near the grave of my late
deceased Mother as may be as for such temporal estate as it hath pleased
almighty God to bless me withal I do hereby give will devise and
bequeath the same as followith:
Imprimis, I do give will and devise unto my
nephew William Willis the younger (youngest son of my Brother in law
William Willis of Bushey in the said county of Hertford) and his heirs
and assigns, All those my free tenements or dwellings with their & every
of their Appurtences Situate Standing and being at Waterend aforesaid in
the parish of Great Gaddesden heretofore one Messuage cottage or
Tenement and called or known by the name of Moses’s and all houses
outhouses buildings barns stables yards gardens Orchards and backsides
to them or any of them belonging or in any way appertaining and also all
those my three closes of arable land by meadows or pasture ground
thereto belonging and adjoining containing together by Estimation Twelve
Acres be their more or less and are called or known by the several names
of The Home field, Middle Field and The Further Field with their and
every of theier Appurtences (which said three tenements or dwellings and
closes are copyhold and are holden by copy of court roll of the mannor
of Great Gaddesden which I have surrendered to the use of this my last
will and Testament) and all other my lands tenements and hereditaments
whatsoever situate lying and being of the said parrish of Great
Gaddesden with their and every of their appurtenances to the use and
behoof of my said nephew William Willis the younger his heirs & assigns
for ever subject unto & under this provies and upon this condition
nevertheless that he the said William Willis my said nephew his heirs
executors administrators and assigns or sum or one of them do and shall
within Blank pay or cause to be paid unto my nephew Henry Willis his
eldest brother and other of his sons of my said brother in law Wm.
Willis the Summ of Four Shillings per week for & during the term of his
natural life which said Sum of Four Shillings per week I do hereby give
and bequeath unto him the said Henry Willis my said nephew for and
during the time of his natural life to be paid to him on every Monday
morning out of the rents and profits of my said copyhold estate in Great
Gaddesden before given & devised to the said Wm. Willis my nephew and I
do hereby charge and make the said copyhold estate chargeable with the
payment of the same for & during the terme of the natural life of the
said Henry Willis my said nephew and subject with and upon this further
condition that he the said Wm. Willis my said nephew his heirs executors
administrators or assigns or xxx any of them do and shall out of the
said copyhold estate to him devised as aforesaid well and truly pay or
cause to be paid unto my nephew Marvin Bowles youngest son of my brother
Leonard Bowles and my niece Mary Willis sister to him the said Wm:
Willis the younger the full some of Fifty Pounds apiece of lawful money
of Great Britain which I hereby give and bequeath them to be
respectively paid to them by my said nephew Wm: Willis with legal
interest fo the same from my death out of the said Cophold Estate held
in the mannor at Great Gaddesden to him before herein given and devised
when they shall respectively attain to their respective ages of One and
Twenty years
And my Will is that in case my said nephew
Marvin Bowles or my niece Mary Willis do or shall happen to dye or
depart this life before he or she shall have attained his or her
respective age of one (and twenty) years then the legacy of Fifty Pounds
and interest of him or her shall so dying shall not be paid nor shall
the copyhold estate hereby given & devised to my said nephew Wm: Willis
or be charged or any ways chargeable with the payment thereof and after
unto and upon this further condition that he the said Wm: Willis my said
nephew his heirs executors administrators or assigns or sum or one of
them do and shall within inxxx next after the decease of my said nephew
henry Willis well and truly pay or cause to be paid unto and amongst all
the sons & daughters of my said brother Leonard Bowles xxx be then
living the full sum of One Hundred Pounds of lawful money of Great
Britain I do hereby give & bequeath unto them to be paid out of my said
copyhold estate xxxx of the mannor of great Gaddesden & I also do hereby
charge & make the same chargeable with the payment of the said Sume of
One Hundred Pounds unto & amongst the sons & daughters of my said
brother Leonard Bowles and further my will is & xxxx my true intent and
meaning that if my said nephew Wm: Willis his heirs or xxx or shall
refuse or neglect to pay any or either of the respective legacys or
persons hereinbefore all any or either of the legacys or sums of money
to them herein before by me respectively given & beginning on the days &
times herein before set hintaged and appointed for the payment thereof
xxx & from xxx henceforth my will is & it is my true intent and meaning
that it shall and may be xxx to & for such and so many of the said
severall and respective legacies or persons xx paid xxx into and upon
all or any part of the copyhold estate herein before devised to the said
XXX Willis my said nephew situate lying & being at Waterend aforesaid in
the parish of great Gaddesden and the same to have hold and enjoy & to
have receive & to take the Issues & proffitts thereof untill due payment
be made and full satisfaction given to him and them for their several &
respective legacies & sums of money so unpaid and in and together with
his her or their full costs and charges for their trouble be xxx xxx xx
put unto or expend in or about the recovery thereof any gift or devise
herein xxxx xx contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding
Item I the said Marvin Bowles Testator do
hereby give will & devise unto my brother Henry Bowles of Wastford? In
the county of Hertford Innholder and Leonard Bowles of Great Gaddesden
aforesaid Yeoman & to their heirs All that copyhold messuage tenement or
Inn called or know by the name or sign Red Lion held by Copy or Court
Roll of the Mannor of Hemelhempsted common? The said county of Hertford
situate standing & being, at Waterend in the parish of Hemelhempsted in
the county of Hertford together with all Houses Outhouses Barns Stables
Yards Gardens Orchards & Backsides thereunto belonging xxxx Appertaining
with their and every of their Appurtenances and also all these my Chase?
Copy Hold Closes of Meadows and pasture ground thereto belonging
containing together by estimation five acres (be they more or less) held
also of the said mannor of Hemelhempsted end membris with their & every
of their Appurtenances which I have surrendered to the xxx of this my
last will and testament and all other my lands tenements hereditaments
whatsoever situate lying & being in the parish of hemelhemsted with
their & every of their appurtenances To the only proper use & behoofe of
my said brothers henry Bowles & Leonard Bowles their heirs & assigns for
ever upon this special trust & confidence in them by me resposed and to
the end intend & purpose that they the said Henry Bowles & Leonard
Bowles and the survivor of them and the heirs of such survivor do and
shall with all convient speed they may or can after my decease sell &
dispose of the same messuage tenement or Inn and three closes and every
part thereof with the appurtenances at & do or the best price that may
or can be had or gotten for the same or do or shall in the first place
dispose of pay & apply the monies arising by such sale for and towards
the payment & discharge of all such Sum and Sumes of money as I owe upon
mortgage surrender or bond at the time of my decease and afterwards do &
shall within twelve months next after my decease pay or cause to be paid
unto my nephews Henry Bowles & Geo: Bowles sons of my brother Henry
Bowles the full sume of eighty pounds apiece of lawful money of great
Britain which I do hereby give & bequeath unto my nephews Henry Bowles &
George Bowles respectively to br paid to them within twelve months next
after my decease and also that they my said brothers Henry Bowles &
Leonard Bowles do & shall out of the money arising by such sale pay or
cause to be paid within twelve months next after my decease (unto my
nieces Elizabeth Bowles, Hanah Bowles & Sary Bowles daughters of my said
brother Henry Bowles the full summe of Forty Pounds apiece of lawfull
money of Great Britain which I do hereby give and bequeath unto them my
said nieces Eliz: Bowles Hanah Bowles and Sarah Bowles repectively to be
paid to them within twelve months next after my decease & in case any or
either of my said nephews or nieces (sons & daughters of my said brother
Henry Bowles) do or shall happen to die or depart this life before his
her or their legacy’s so given to him her other as aforesaid shall be
paid or become due or payable them my will & mind is that the legacy of
him her or those so dying shall go & be paid unto and amongst the
surviving sons & daughters of my said brother Henry Bowles share & share
alike and it is my mind & will that if any surplus or overplus of the
said money that shall be raised by sale of my said copyhold estate in
hemelhempsted hereinbefore given to be sold as aforesaid after mortgages
and bonds by me owing and legacies by me given and bequeathed satisfyed
and paid shall remain the same shall be put out at interest by my said
brothers Henry Bowles & Leonard Bowles for the benefitt of my nephew
Henry Willis for & during the time of his natural life and from & after
his decease it is my mind and will such surplus or overplus shall
immediately go & be paid to my niece Mary Willis her executors
administrators or assigns I give & bequeath Ellen Perkins Widow my
sister in law the xxxxx of Ten Pounds of lawfull money of Great Britain
to be paid to her by my executors xxx named out of my personal estate
within six months next after my decease if she shall then be living
Item I give & bequeath unto my niece Frances
the wife of William Crane of Ellesborough my best featherbed & cover
thereto belonging two of my best feather pillows & Boulster & ten pair
of my best sheetts
Item I give to my niece Mary Willis? All the
rest of my sheetts of what sort soever,
Item It is my will & desire that in case Hxxx
Arising by sale of my Copyhold Estate in theparish of Hemelhemsted shall
fall short and benot sufficient for the payment of what money I shall
owe on mortgage or & legacy’s herein before by me given & bequeathed to
the sons & daughters of my brother Henry Bowles that then all my
personal estate shall come in aide thereof and be subject and liable to
the payment of the some mortgages bonds & legacies
Item All the rest residue & remainder of my
lands tenements hereditaments & real estate whatsoever & wheresoever not
herein before given or devised & all the rest residue of my goods Cxxzx
Cattle & personal Estate hereinbefore given or bequeathed after the
payment of Debts & Legacies & my funerall expenses & other incident
charges thereof discharged & satisfied I the said Marvin Bowles the
testator do hereby give will devise bequeath unto my said brothers Henry
Bowles & Leonard Bowles these my executors administrators and assigns fo
rever & I do hereby make constitute and appoint the said Henry Bowles &
Leonard Bowles my brothers executors of this my last will & testament
and I do hereby revole and make void all former & other wills by
xxxtofore made & I do declare this my last will & testament & I do
hereby devise to my? Loving friends Ephraim Howe of Hemelhempsted
aforesaid Woolen Draper & Thomas? Smith of puddephats in the parish of
Flampsted in the said county of Hertford to be overseers of this my will
to see this my last will and testament be doth? Punctually observed &
performed to every thing, according to the true intent & meaning thereof
and do hereby give to each of them a gold ring of one & twenty shillings
in value to wear in remembrance of me In Witness whereof I the said
Marvin Bowles the testator have to this my last will & testament
contained & written on five sheets of paper set my hand & seal to each
sheet thereof the day & year first before weitten signed sealed
published & declared by the said marvin bowles the testator to be his
last will & testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our
names as witnesses in the presence of the said testator John Beach
Richard Marriott Wm: Ginger Jr. Marvin Bowles (LS)