Will of Thomas Doo

Clerk Rector of Hormead Parya in the Country of Hertford

Will dated 3-Mar-1729

Probate Granted 14-Sept-1730

In Die Nomine. Amen. I Thomas Doo Clerk Rector of Hormead Parva in the County of Hertford being at this time in perfect health, Blessed be God for it, do make, ordain & declare this my last will & testament in manner & form following, Vis: First, I commend my soul unto the hands of God, humbly begging his pardon & remission of all my sins, for and through the merits of Jesus Christ my alone saviour, & comfortably hoping that it will please him so he fits me for the hour of death that whenever my change shall come I may happily be received into that rest which he hath prepared for all that love and hear his name. Amen. Lord Jesus. Amen.

Secondly, I leave my body to be committed to the earth, in full assurance of the resurrection of it from the grave at the last day; and for my burial I desire that I may be privately interred within the chancel of my Parish Church by two children of mine there buried, & I do earnestly desire my successor whosoever he shall then be, to permit by beloved wife to be there buried by me, if so be she shall think fit, only of her affection to me & regard to my children hereafter to continue & to die my widow.

Thirdly, as to my worldly goods, I dispose of them in this manner. I will that all my debts (whatever they be at my death) discharged as soon as may be, at least within six months after my decease. Whereas I have given to my mother Mrs. Sarah Doo a Bond of one hundred pounds penally for the payments of twenty pounds per annum to her during her natural life, I will that the said sum of one hundred pounds be paid when within twelve months after my decease in liew of the said annuity according to the obligation in the Bond & the terms agreed upon between us if I should die first: I likewise recommend when prudent care & management my eldest daughter Mary Doo now with her, I desire & hope that out of her tender affection to me she will bring up & educate that child of mine in such manner as she best can; I have hitherto been not unmindful of her, & am persuaded she will be not unkind to mine; I pray God to Bless and prosper her, & to raise her up nere? friends. My beloved wife Elizabeth now stands possessed of one Tenement & certain Copyhold Lands in the Parish of Hormead Magna Parva I bought of Edward Pryor & of William Wigg, that tenements whose lands are settled after her decease upon my eldest daughter Mary Doo, her heirs & assigns for ever; my beloved wife stands also possessed of one other tenement & other Copyhold Lands in the same Parish which I purchased of Elizabeth Judd, & of John ………..; & which after her decease do descend to me & to my heirs; these I cannot bequeath not yet admitted to them; but my heir is my son, & his heirsare his three sisters now living. My estate at Ely & at ………. in the Isle of Ely which descend to me by the last will of my uncle Thomas Doo Gent after the death of his widow Mrs. Abigail Doo, as while I may by any other means be possessed of within that Isle I give & bequeath to my beloved wife Elizabeth for & during the term of her natural life, & from & after her decease I give & bequeath the same to my son John Doo his heirs & assigns for eversubject nonetheless to the payment of two hundred pounds to my second daughter Elizabeth Doo within six months after the decease of my wife; & my will & meaning is that if my said son John Doo shall not pay to my daughter Elizabeth Doo the said sum of two hundred pounds within six months after the decease of my wife it shall then be lawful to & for my said daughter Elizabeth to seize, keep possession, & receive all the rents & profits of my estate within the Isle of Ely ’till the said sum of two hundred pounds, interest & charges be all satisfied & paid. My estate at St Edmunds Bury in Suffolk now in the possession of Ann Palnick(?) widow, I give & bequeath to my beloved wife Elizabeth for & during the term of her natural life & from & after her decease I do give the same unto my youngest daughter Ann Doo her heirs & assigns for ever & whereas I have now by me a Bond of my brother Benjamin Doo to ………. the payment of one hundred pounds to my heirs or assigns in case I should die before him I will that the said hundred pounds shall lay in his hands, that the interest thereof be duly paid by my executrix for the use & maintenance of my youngest daughter Ann Doo, that the principal sum of one hundred pounds be paid by him to my daughter Ann Doo as soon as she shall arrive at the age of one & twenty years; but if my brother Benjamin Doo should die before such time and should fail in the regular payments of the legal interest, in such case I will that my executrix shall forthwith call in & receive the said sum of one hundred pounds in ….. for my child as aforesaid; & my will & meaning is that my daughters shall be heirs to each other mutually that they only shall receive the benefits of each others part here given them, in case either or any of them should die before the age of twenty one years . All the such residue of my estate whether reall or personall I do give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Elizabeth, I have given her as above, & do give her all the rest for her maintenance, & for the maintenance & education of my children (I pray God to Bless them all) & I do hereby nominate & appoint my said wife Elizabeth sole executrix ofthis my last will & testament; In witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this third day of March A’ Dom’o 1729

Signed as: Thos. Doo

Signed sealed published and declared to be the last will
& testament of the within named Thomas Doo as written
with his own hand in the presence of us
Mary East (signed)
Ann Liston(?) (signed)
Wm. Hodgson (signed)

Probate granted ~ Elizabeth Doo – 14th September 173

View scanned originals:  at the Essex Archive