of Kelvedon Hatch
Created 8 May 1602
Proved 22 February 1603
HENRY ROLF of Kelvedon [Hatch] gentleman, 8 May 1602.
To Mary my daughter £500; the leases of my dwelling house in St Lawrence Lane in the city of London and from William Howe, my brother-in-law, of lands in Mucking, Horndon-on-the-Hill and Corringham called Cow Leaze, Chelley and Ringway Marsh, she paying yearly to the churchwardens and overseers of Mucking 40s. to be distributed among the poor; £500 to be paid as the same may conveniently be raised out of my estate; and my lands in Mucking holden of the manor of Mucking; and to her heirs, with successive remainders to my daughters Elizabeth and Anne, and to Henry, son of my brother Edmund Rolf, and his heirs.
To my daughter Anne wife of John Crowch my freehold lands in Shenfield which I bought of John Woode esquire and his wife, and her heirs, with remainder to Elizabeth and my daughter Mary and their heirs and further remainder as aforesaid; my lease of houses new built by me in Grub Street in the city of London or suburbs, she paying or taking order for paying weekly a dozen of penny loaves being 13 to the dozen, in St Giles-without-Cripplegate church, during the continuation of the lease, among the poor inhabitants after morning prayer and other divine service every sabbath, and she and her husband making to Thomas Kelley citizen and embroiderer of London a lease for 21 years, as by several drafts thereof already drawn in my custody; the £200 remaining yet unpaid of my promised portion of £500 given in marriage with her to John Crowch; such portion of money as remaineth on account betwixt me and my cousin Edward Barkham and debt late of one Blieth deceased; also £200; all which legacies on condition that John Crowch, father to my son-in-law, shall according to his promise convey to his son and Anne lands of the yearly value of £80, whereof £50 a year to be for their present maintenance and £30 a year to come to them and their heirs after the decease of John the father.
To William Pettus and Elizabeth his wife, my daughter, and their heirs, remainders to Anne and Mary and their heirs, then aforesaid, my messuage called Brizes, with the lands belonging in Kelvedon, Navestock and Doddinghurst; my lease of the farm called Jennynges, which one Fox now holdeth; and £500
Whereas my brother Edmund oweth me and there will grow due to me at Michaelmas 1603 for money lent and for the arrerages of an annuity of £100 to me granted by Richard Beckham gentleman £300, and another £100 likewise to me due at Michaelmas 1604, I bequeath that £200, parcel of the £400, be paid by my brother to my executor to be bestowed, i.e. to keep in his own hands to the use of Susan Rolf and John Pettus, son and daughter of Elizabeth my daughter, to whom I bequeath the same, i.e. £50 each, £150, and other £50 residue of the £200, to be delivered to my son-in-law to the use of Henry son of John Crowch and Anne my daughter, to which Henry I give the said £50, and the other £200 residue of the £400 shall remain in the hands of Edmund to the use of Henry his eldest son, to whom I give £50, and the residue thereof, i.e. £150, to the use of Edmund's other children, to whom I give the same, to be distributed among them at 21 or marriage.
Whereas my brother-in-law Thomas Lane oweth me £300, that he only pay to my executor towards the performance of my will £100, together with such [interest] thereof as shall be due at the time of my decease, and the residue of the £300 I bequeath among the children of Thomas and Mary his wife, my sister.
Whereas my brother-in-law Thomas Atwood oweth me £206 on the mortgage of the lease of the house he dwelleth in and other debts, I give £50 thereof to Martha his wife, my sister, and if he pay my executor the residue of his debt within 4 years after my decease then the lease so mortgaged shall be delivered to him or otherwise reconveyed.
To my cousin Robert Rolf, now in house with me, £50, and Katherine his daughter £20 at marriage or 21; and such apparel of my own or my wife's as my executor shall think meet to him and Anne his wife.
To William his son £5. To Robert son of William Mason £5. To Thomas son of Bridget Heath, my sister, and Margaret his sister, wife of William Lawes, and Anne wife of Christopher Story, each £5, and every other of my sister Heath's children 40s. To my brother Edmund and my sister Mary Lane each 50s. to buy a gold ring and to Edmund's wife 40s. for the like. To my brother-in-law Thomas Lane my best livery gown. To my cousin Edward Barckham £3 and Jane his wife 40s. to buy each a gold ring. To my godson Henry Harris, my goddaughter [blank] Warde, one of the daughters of [blank] Warde tailor, Elizabeth Codlinge my maid servant, Nicholas my manservant, each 20s., and Joan Staine my maidservant and Jerwood Eastrowe, Matthew Baker my servants 10s. apiece. To the poor inhabitants of Sperle (Norfolk) where I was born £5. To my cousins Joan wife of William Hammonde 40s., Margaret wife of Richard Wiberd 40s., and Mr John Pettus 50s. and his wife 40s., and to Mr Richard Luther and Mistress Martha and Mary wives of Richard and Anthony Luther, each 50s. to buy rings of gold. To the poor inhabitants of Kelvedon where I dwell 40s., Stondon 20s., Chipping Ongar 15s., High Ongar 15s., Navestock 20s., Doddinghurst 20s., South Weald 20s., and Blackmore 20s. To nurse Hilles wife of John Hilles 20s. and to my daughter [Anne] Crowche's nurse 10s. A bullock of the price of £3 shall be bought and distributed by the discretion of my executor, with 10 bushels of wheat and 6 barrels of beer, among the poor of the same parishes, or £8 at their discretion, provided that such persons as shall be at my funerals and be troublesome shall have no part. To my cousin Weld wife of Thomas Weld £5. To Susan one of the daughters of Henry Ducy £5 at 21 or marriage or otherwise towards her placing in service.
Whereas the lease of the manor of Mucking and lands in Mucking, Corringham and Horndon-on-thc-Hill remaineth in me, I bequeath it to my very loving friends John Pettus esquire, Richard and Anthony Luther gentlemen, William Pettus merchant, and Adrian Moore citizen and haberdasher of London on trust notwithstanding that, whereas my brother-in-law William Howe by former agreements betwixt us was to pay me yearly for 12 years 100 marks for one year's payment only there is assigned to me the debt of £70 owing by one Thomas Staunton of Norwich beerbrewer and others, of which I have received £20, and of the residue of the 100 marks for 11 years, I will that, if Howe shall pay for 6 years the yearly payment of 100 marks and also £50 to my executor, then Pettus and the others shall dispose of the residue and the lease according to their best discretions as well for the payment of the rent on the lease as for the benefit of Howe and his children and their maintenance.
To my daughter Mary a double gilt bowl of silver which I bought of Richard Wythens, 12 beasts and 1 bull, 20 ewes, and 1 mare and her foal at Great Warley, with 1 grey nag at Bryses, my bedsteads and household goods in my house at Mucking or my house in St Lawrence Lane, with 2 featherbeds on the trundle bed in my hall chamber and my own bedchamber.
To my daughter Anne Crowch 20 ewes at Great Warley, with 6 beasts at Shenfield, and a standing bedstead in my hall chamber at Bryses. My plate (except that before devised), jewels, gold and linen in my plate chest standing at my trundle bed's feet in my own bedchamber and the key thereof shall be delivered to my assured loving friend Mr Anthony Luther, to be kept by him until he and Richard Luther and their wives shall make an equal division of the same as also of my linen at Brizes into three parts; after which three lots or scrolls in parchment or paper shall be made to contain the part which every of my three daughters shall have, and be put into a hat, bonnet or other thing, where they shall not see what is contained therein but by chance take out such of the lots or scrolls as shall happen to them.
The residue of my goods to Elizabeth my daughter and her husband William Pettus, whom I constitute my sole executor, and my well-beloved friend Anthony Luther and Mr Adrian Moore the overseers, and to Anthony for his pains £10.
Witnesses : John Pettus, [blank] Luther, Edward Josselyne, Richard Atwoode, John Partridge.
View scanned originals: From the National Archives