Thos Exton knight doctor of law in and for the whole archdeaconry of Colchester officially and legally appointed to our beloved in christ Hen Abbott junior of Earls Colne in the county of Essex and the rightful jurisdiction of the commissary general of the diocese of London gentleman greetings whereas by our trustworthy testament in this part witnesseth to our agreeing the aforementioned Hen Abbott to have been and to be a parishioner of the said parish of Earls Colne and domiciled in the said parish to hold that there is no fitting place to sit in the parish church of Colne aforesaid for the usual hearing of divine service with wife and family and also that according to the investigation of the minister and guardians of the said church there was and is in the said parish church however a vacant place appropriated by no parishioners on the south side of the said church next to the east wall of length ten and a half feet five and a half feet wide where the said Hen Abbott could conveniently be able to construct a seat in which at the proper time of the celebration of divine service he may sit to pray and h ear divine service and kneel with his wife and family and the aforesaid Hen Abbott humbly entreats us that we should consider it worthy of the church and our office to grant a seat or pew in the agreeable and convenient place aforesaid to build appoint and erect or procure the erection and construction for sitting and kneeling to hear divine service and we have thought fit by the requests in this part and are favourably inclined to satisfy your desire to you the aforementioned Hen Abbott as far in this part as we may do and as far as in our right we are able by authority and right to construct a seat or pew aforesaid in the south side of the said church ten and a half feet in length and five and a half feet in width to hear divine service in the same church we give you special licence that you may be able to construct and erect a seat as aforesaid in such a manner that it should not exceed in height six feet to you and your successors inhabitants in the house or habitation commonly called the Hayhouse situate in the parish of Earls Colne we assign to you and the lawful successors aforesaid to hold and possess as far as it is in us and of right we are able to grant in proof of which matter we have affixed to these presents our seal given the 4.10.1687