of Great Hormead in the County of Hertfordshire

Will dated 5-Jan-1750

proved 26-May-1756

In the Name of God Amen I Elizabeth Doo of the parish of Great Hormead in the County of Hertford Widdow being infirm of body but of sound mind, memory and understanding praised be God for the same doo make and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say first and principally I recommend my soul to Almighty God – hoping for pardon of all my sins through the merits and intercession of my saviour Jesus Christ and my body to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named and as to all such temporal Estate as it has pleased God to bestow upon me I do give and dispose as followeth Imprimis I will order and direct that all my just debts and funerall charges shall be well and truly paid by my executrix hereafter named Item: I do give and bequeath to my daughter Ann Doo and to her heirs and assigns all my estates both real and personal whatsoever or wheresoever the same may be or consist which may in my right be to posess after the decease of Mrs Farifs(?) Crouch as a Messnage or Tennement with the Appurtenances there unto belonging being in the parish of Layston in the County of Hertford now in the tenure or occupation of Henry Bateman and the widow Balsham and others late the estate of Mr Charles Crouch or any other Real Estate which may or shall be at my disposal be the same whensoever I do devise to my said daughter Ann Doo and to her heirs and assigns for ever and I do nominate and appoint my said daughter Ann Doo my sole executrix and legatee of this my last will and testament in witness whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal this 5th day of January in the twenty fourth year of the reign of our soverign Lord George the second by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France(?) and Ireland (defender of the faith) and in the year of our Lord God One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty

Signed sealed published and declared by the testator as and for her last will and testament in the presence of us who at her request where witnesses thereto and subscribed our names in her presence.

Witness names:
Nath’n Pryor (signed)
Ann Wigg (signed)
Eliz Maynor (X her mark)

Signed as: Eliz Do

Proved the 26th Day of May in the year of our Lord 1756 before the worshipfull Arthur Collier Doctor of Laws Surrogate by the oath of Ann Pitts, formerly Doo, (wife of Ozell Pitts) the daughter of the dec’d and sole executrix to who admon was granted being first sworn duly to administer.

(The testatrix Elizabeth Doo otherwise Do was formerly of Great Hormead in the County of Hertford but late of Braughing in the said County and died in August 1754)

View scanned originals:  at the Essex Archive