in the name of god amen I Ralph Josselin of Earls Colne clerk being weak in body but of a calm disposing mind do make this my last will and testament revoking all other wills and testaments by me formerly made first and above all I commend my soul into the hands of god that gave it trusting assuredly through the merits of my blessed saviour christ jesus to enjoy an inheritance in glory among his sanctified ones and for that temporal estate god hath given me that I may leave peace among my relations I bequeath as followeth item I give and bequeath to my only wife Jane the wife of my youth my freehold lands called Sprigs Marsh as also a certain parcel of copyhold land called Stulps lying enclosed with the said marsh during the term of her natural life and immediately after her decease I give both the said closed free and copy to Eliz one of the daughters of the said Ralph and now the wife of mr Gilb Smith of the parish of St Martins in the Fields colourman her heirs and assigns forever as also I I (sic) give to my beloved wife the freehold meadow called Stonebredge Meadow together with the bridge to be laid for her convenient ingress and egress out of the same during the term of her natural life item I do give and bequeath to my said wife Jane for her better maintenance all that silver and gold I have formerly given her and to her heirs and assigns forever together with all her wearing apparel the furniture of the chamber wherein I now lodge as also the furniture in the grey chamber together with whatsoever plate brass pewter iron stills limbecke linen and whatsoever else of my goods shall be needful for her proper use together with her dwelling in three or four rooms of the mansion house wherein I now dwell together with free ingress egress and regress out of the same according to all her occasions with all the wood logs broom coal or whatsoever in the yard is laid in for firing during her natural life together with all the pullin whatsoever in the yards item I give unto my daughter mrs Mary Josselin the wife of mr Edw Day of Great St Martins in the Fields all that my messuage or freehold tenement lying in Colne Green wherein I now dwell together with all the barns stables outhouses houses yards summer house and orchard thereto belonging which containeth 2r more or less from a little below the barn cross to the new hedge that parts the orchard together with those copyhold lands called now by the name of Upper Coes or by whatsoever other names the said lands are or were known by which said copyhold land beginneth at a little bridge next the freehold tenement of one Mole and now in the tenure and occupation of one Hen Wiseman or his assigns and so abuts on the green till it meets with the said freehold tenement and then it takes in a parcel of waste lying before the said tenement and part of the garden thereto belonging and from the gate at the end of the pond it lieth north on the road leading of Colne Green towards Colne Engaine until you come to the chaseway that goeth out of the said road to certain freelands belonging to a farm called Prucknots and from and about the middle of that land the said copyhold land is parted by a fence or hedge from lands called Lower Coes lying on the north which said fence goeth to lands called Baylies being copyhold belonging to one Robt Harris on the east on the north of the said Baylies and so the said copyhold land abuts on the freehold lands that belongeth to one mr Sibly on the east it comes upon by the east to lands lying on the freelands of the said Mole and come up there to the little bridge aforesaid all which said copyhold lands that belongeth contain by estimation 20a more or less and are to pay yearly and every year 20s quitrent to the lords of the manor of Colne Priory all which said messuage and lands I give and bequeath to my daughter mrs Mary Day and to her heirs forever and in case the said mrs Mary decease without the said heirs then I give and bequeath all the said demised premises unto the said mr Edw Day during the term of his natural life and in case they have heirs of their bodies and are disposed to sell the premises they shall offer it to some of the heirs of the said Ralph for such a sum of lawful money of England as shall not exceed 400li also I give unto my said daughter daughter (sic) mrs Mary Day 100li of lawful english money to be paid unto her or the said mr Edw Day within four months after my decease by my executrix within mentioned item I do give and bequeath 40li unto my daughter mrs Jane Woodthorpe to be paid to her out of a bond she oweth to me and my executors and in the meantime during the natural lives of me and my wife separately and jointly she is to pay unto us 40s yearly and every year item I give and bequeath during her natural life to my beloved wife mrs Jane Josselin my two Lower Broome fields called the Lower Coes or by whatsoever names they are called by which said field abut on the lane that goeth down to Prucknes Closes on the west and on the north on a field belonging to the said Prucknots and to the lands also on the north which I bought of mr Fletcher and his wife in Colne item I give to my daughter mrs Eliz Smith and my daughter mrs Rebecca Spicer each 10s to buy them rings as my last legacy to them item I give to my beloved wife Jane Josselin my debts and funeral expenses being first paid all my debts chattels bills bonds whatsoever together with my bullocks sheep cows hogs two young mares corn threshed and unthreshed hay straw chaff whom I make sole and alone executrix of this my last will and testament all other of my lands unbequeathed I give and bequeath to my only son Jn Josselin to enter on them 29.9. next after my decease together with Inhams Stonelays (in registered copy Hernelays ) and Loweland that I bought of mr and mrs Fletcher but on this express condition that he suffer his mother to lay what corn and hay she please in the boarded barn and one end of the other barn at Fishers and that he suffer her or her executors quietly and peaceably to dispose of to their own use all the cattle hay grass corn growing in my lands whatsoever until 29.9. next after my decease which condition being truly performed on his part I appoint his mother to give to him my fallow in Hobstevens my six horses and the young stone colt if so many be then alive and all the harness my wagons ploughs tumbrels and all things pertaining to them my body I appoint to be buried according to the law with as much privacy as may be my library I give as it now stands with the good liking of my executrix herein named I give to one or two of my grandchildren who shall first devote themselves to the ministry my household goods I leave at my executrix's pleasure to be divided into five parts to be chosen by them according to their ages in witness hereof I have hereunto put my hand and seal this 1.6.1683 etc signed sealed published and declared to be the last will and testament of the testator and we subscribed it at his desire in his presence Jo Ludgator Robt Potter Humph Rugels Ralph Josselin