Royston, Hertfordshire - baptised 12th Aug 1699

Created 13th April 1731
Proved: Feb 29th 1731 (1732) to Martin Weshop

In the Name of God Amen I Charles Crowch of Royston in the County of Hertford Gent being weak and infirm of body but of sound & disposing mind & memory praised be God for the same do make this my last will & testament in manner following (that is to say) I inpris(?) I desire my body may be decently buried in the chapel at Buntingford in the County of Hertford.

Item I give & bequeath unto Thomas Keightley & William Keightley children of my sister Mary wife of William Keightley & to each of them the sum of one hundred pounds apiece of lawful money to be severally paid them at their respective ages of one & twenty years and in the meantime I order & appoint my very good friend & executor hereinafter named Martin Weshope of Buntingford aforesaid Woollen Draper to putt & place out at interest the same in his own name intirely or in parcells & upon such security or securities as he can gotten promise for the same in trust nevertheless for the sole use & benefit of the said Thomas Keightley & William Keightley my nephews until they shall severally attain their respective ages of one & twenty years and then to pay them their respective legacies of one hundred pounds apiece and all interest that shall be then due for the same and if either of my said nephews Thomas Keightley & William Keightley shall happen to dye & depart this life before his said legacy shall become due & payable then I give & bequeath the legacy of him so dying unto the survivor of them

Item I give and bequeath unto Mary Doo Elizabeth Doo John Doo & Anne Doo children of my sister Elizabeth Doo widow and to each & every of them the sum of one hundred pounds apiece of like money to be severally paid to the three girls at their respective ages of one & twenty years or day of marriage which shall first happen and the boys legacy at by age of one & twenty years and in the meantime to be putt & place out at interest for their use & benefit by the said Martin Weshope in his own name until they shall severally attain their respective ages as afores’d and then to pay them their several legacies and all interest that shall be then due for the same and if any or other of the children of my said sister Elizabeth Doo shall happen to dye & depart this life before their legacy shall become due & payable then I give & bequeath the legacy or legacies of him her or them so dying unto the survivors or survivor of them equally

Item all my Lands Tenements & hereditaments whatsoever as well freehold as copyhold situate & being in Layston Widdiall Throcking & Aspenden or elsewhere in the said County of Hertford with their & every of their apptences(?) I give & devise unto Elizabeth my loving wife & her assigns for & during the term of her natural life & after her decease I give & devise the same unto my two sisters Mary Keightley & Elizabeth Doo their heirs & assigns for ever to take & hold in moiety as tenants in common & not as Joynt Tenants

Item all my household goods and furniture & household stuff whatsoever and all my plate Linen I give & bequeath unto thes’d Elizabeth my loving wife

Item I give unto thes’d Elizabeth my wife & to my brother in law William Keightley & to Mary his wife & to sister Elizabeth Doo and also to the said Martin Weshope & to each & every of them a Ring and a decent suite of mourning

Item I give to my Godson John Gallard(?) ten pounds

Item I give to such six of my friends who shall bear up the pall at the time of my funeral & to each of them a Ring to wear in memory of me

Item all the rest & residue of my goods Chattels & personall estate whatsoever (my debts, legacies & funeral expenses being first paid & discharged) I give & bequeath to my said two sisters Mary Keightley & Elizabeth Doo equally to be divided between them share & share alike and lastly hereby revoke all former wills by me made

I do hereby nominate & appoint the said Martin Weshope sole executor of this my last will & testament and do give unto him ten pounds taking upon him the trouble & burdon(?) of the executorship & trust afores’d and lastly my will is that my said executor shall not be answerable or accountable for any loss or miscarriage that shall happen in putting or placing out at interest my said personall estate or any part thereof, and that all just & necessary expenses & allowances be made him for his trouble & care herein In witness thereof(?) I have hereunto set my hand & seal this thirtieth day of April in the fourth year of the reign of our sovereign(?) Lord George the second by the grace of God King of Great Britain etc A’D’ 1731

Signed sealed published & declared by the said testator as & for his last will & testament in the presence of us who afterwards in his presence subscribed our names in wittnesses hereunto

Witnessed: John Glover (signed)
Wm Robinson (signed)
Tho. Lewinton (signed)

Signed as: “X” - The mark of Charles Crowch

Proved: Feb 29th 1731 (1732) to Martin Weshop

View scanned originals: at the Essex Archive