(first couple of lines from a rough transcript the rest is verbatim) in the name of god amen I Jn Lamott Honywood of Markshall in the county of Essex esq do hereby revoke all former wills by me heretofore in any wise made and do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say first and principally I commend my soul into the hands of almighty god and my body to the earth from whence it came to be decently interred in Markshall church at the direction of my executrix hereafter named hoping and verily believing by the mercy and merits of jesus christ my saviour and redeemer I shall enjoy everlasting life and as to such worldly estate as god hath been pleased to bless me with I dispose and settle the same in such manner and to such uses intents and purposes as hereafter in and by these presents is mentioned declared and specified first I confirm my wife's jointure made on our marriage and whereas by indenture quadripartite bearing date on or about the 1.9.1673 made upon my marriage with Eliz my now wife I have settled several manors lands tenements and hereditaments therein contained and specified unto the several uses and under the several trust therein contained reserving and limiting the reversion and inheritance of the same premises to me and my heirs now for settling and continuing the same and the reversion and inheritance thereof and all other the manors lands tenements and hereditaments whereof I am seised or any in trust for me of any estate of inheritance or freehold or copyhold in possession reversion remainder and expectancy and all my real estate for want of issue of my body on and in my name and blood and to such person and persons and in such manner as herein after the same are respectively limited and devised I give and devise all that my mansion house and manor or reputed manor of Markshall and all other my lands tenements and hereditaments in the several counties of Kent and Cambridge and elsewhere in the kingdom of England to the heirs males of my b ody lawfully begotten and to be begotten and for want of such issue male then as for and concerning my said mansion house and manor or reputed manor called Markshall and the park or warren and all other my lands tenements and hereditaments now used with the said house and all my lands tenements and hereditaments which came to me in possession at and by my mother's death or which I have otherwise being now in my own or tenants possession lying and being in or very near Markshall parish I give and devise the same to the said Eliz my dear wife for and during her widowhood together with the use during her said widowhood of my library barrels tuns coppers leaden cisterns brewing tubs and vessels pictures beds linen and other household stuff in or belonging to my said mansion house at my death in which I shall in this my will direct and appoint to go in succession with my said manor house and as to the same from and after her second marriage or death and also as for all other my said manor lands tenements and hereditaments from and after my death and as the said several estate therein shall cease and determine as aforesaid I do give and devise the same to every the daughter and daughters of my body lawfully begotten and to be begotten and the heirs of their bodies lawfully to be begotten and for want of such issue then as for and concerning all my manor lands tenements and hereditaments both in Kent and Essex either settled upon or given to my wife in and by this my will or otherwise for her jointure or life o r widowhood or not so settled or given and wherein and whereof I am seised or interest of any estate whatsoever and not herein otherwise disposed of I give and devise the same unto my cousin Robt Honywood son of Chas Honywood deceased for life and after his decease to his first second third and every other of his sons successively and one after the other and the heirs males of the bodies of such sons successively the eldest always and the heirs males of his body to be preferred before the younger and heirs male of his body according as they shall be in priority of age and seniority of birth and for want of such sons and heirs males I give and devise the same unto Chas Honywood brother of the said Robt Honywood for life and after his decease to his first second third and every other of his sons successively and one after the other and the heirs males of the bodies of such sons successively the eldest and the heirs males of his body always to be preferred before the younger and the heirs males of his body according as they shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth and for want of such sons and heirs males I give and devise the same unto Phil Honywood brother of the said Robt Honywood for life and after his decease to his first second third and every other his sons successively and one after the other and the heirs males of the bodies of such sons successively the eldest always and the heirs males of his body to be preferred before the younger and the heirs males of his body according as they shall be in seniority of birth and priority of age and for want of such sons and heirs males I give and devise the same to sir Wm Honywood of Kent bart for life and after his decease unto his first second third and every other his sons successively and one after the other and the heirs males of the bodies of such sons successively the eldest always and the heirs males of his body to be preferred before the younger and the heirs males of his body according as they shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth and for want of such sons and heirs males I give and devise the same to Honywood brother of the said sir Wm for life and after his decease to his first second third and every other his sons successively and one after the other and the heirs males of the bodies of such sons successively the eldest always and the heirs males of his body to be preferred before the younger and the heirs males of his body according as they shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth and for want of such sons and heirs males I do give and devise the same unto Isaac Honywood of Hampsted in Middlesex esq for life and after his decease to his first second third and every other his sons successively and one after the other and the heirs males of the bodies of such sons successively the eldest always and the heirs males of his body to be preferred before the younger and the heirs males of his body according as they shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth and for want of such sons and heirs males I give and devise the same unto Honywood son of Benoni Honywood deceased for life and after his decease to his first second third and every other his sons successively and one after the other and the heirs males of the bodies of such sons successively the eldest always and the heirs males of his body to be preferred before the youngest and the heirs male of his body according as they shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth and whereas I have herein limited and appointed Isaac Honywood and his sons and heirs as aforesaid to take my estate by virtue of this my will before Honywood the son of Benoni Honywood on supposition that Isaac Honywood is descended from the elder brother of the said Benoni so that if I am mistaken and the said Benoni Honywood was elder brother or ancestor to the father or grandfather of the said Isaac Honywood I then direct and devise that the said Honywood the son of Benoni Honywood and his sons and their heirs males as aforesaid shall be preferred and take my estate herein devised to them first and before the said Isaac Honywood and his sons and heirs of his body as aforesaid I will that the said Robt Honywood Chas Honywood Phil Honywood sir Wm Honywood Honywood brother of the said sir Wm Isaac Honywood and Honywood the son of Benoni Honywood and their several sons and the heirs males of the bodies of their said sons severally and respectively as they come in possession of my estate by this my will my severally and respectively make jointures to their wives which they shall successively marry of my estate in Kent as they think fit I give to my wife the books pictures beds and other household stuff which shall be in and belonging to my said mansion house of Markshall at my death which which (sic) came to me by my wife or her relations I give also to my wife for her life all the lands and estate in or near Burnham in Essex or elsewhere which came to me from sir Wm Wiseman my wife's father and my will is that in case my wife marry again so that and whereby my said mansion house and manor or reputed manor of Markshall and the said park or warren and all other the lands tenements or hereditaments which came as aforesaid to me in possession and by my mother's death and now in my own or tenants possession as aforesaid shall go away from my said wife then and from thenceforward in such case I give and devise my said lands and estate which came to me from sir Wm Wiseman unto my said wife and her heirs forever I will that though my said wife be my executrix yet she shall not have all my goods and household stuff but that she shall particularly leave the said library barrels tuns coppers leaden cisterns brewing tubs and vessels and pictures the usage of which I have devised to her as aforesaid and also my said manor house reasonably well furnished with beds linen hangings stools chairs tables and other household stuff to go in succession with my said mansion house to such person and persons to whom the freehold and inheritance of and in the same mansion house shall come and when the same shall so come by virtue of this my will I give to the said Robt Honywood or such person or persons to whom the freehold and inheritance of my said mansion house of Markshall shall come and when the same shall come by virtue of this my will the usage of my library of books and pictures which I shall have at my death and came not to me by my wife or her relations and also the usage of the said cisterns coppers tuns leaden cisterns brewing tubs and vessels beds linen and other household stuff as aforesaid directed and appointed to go in succession with my said house I give also to my wife for her life all my lands tenements hereditaments and estate which I purchased of mr Wiseman late of Pattiswick and mr Eden or either of them lying and being in Baddow Bocking Braintree or Haningfield alias Hanfield or any other place or places in Essex together also with that estate and those pieces or parcels of land which I not long since purchased and have let together with and amongst the lands belonging unto or let with Kirbyhall Farm I give to my nephew Robt Cotton his heirs executors administrators and assigns all my estate in the lands tenements and hereditaments in Feering or elsewhere in Essex which I hold by lease from the bishop of London and also all my freehold and copyhold land which now is or was formerly let to my farm in Jn Brett's occupation or his assigns and also all my freehold and copyhold land that now is or was formerly let to Howchin or his undertenants I give also to my nephew Robt Cotton and his heirs my manor of Fowlmere in Cambridge and all other my lands tenements and hereditaments in the counties of Cambridge and Suffolk I will that when I am dead my cousin Wm Wilkinson do carefully inspect my deeds writings and papers of my estate and do carefully sort and sever them so that the several deeds writings and papers may be severally delivered to such several person and persons to whom they shall or may belong by virtue of this my will or other deed or deeds which I have executed or may execute I will that the said Robt Honywood Chas Honywood Phil Honywood sir Wm Honywood and his said brother Honywood Isaac Honywood and Honywood the son of Benoni Honywood if and when they severally come to my estate in Kent herein devised to them they may severally hold the same without impeachment of waste saving voluntary waste in houses outhouses barns and other buildings notwithstanding anything in this my will I give to my servant Nich Pierce for life the house garden and two orchards thereto belonging in Markshall now in Jn Hutchinson's possession I will that my wife and other the devisees in this my will shall always for the honour and credit of my family severally and respectively keep in good repair my said mansion house park or warren gardens walls paling barns and outhousing goods and chattels severally devised to them in this my will and shall continually repair amend and keep the same repairs as occasion shall be and require and though I do hope and believe that the monies arrears of rent and personal estate over and above and besides what I have herein bequeathed and which I have and will be due at my death will fully pay my money legacies yet for fear that it should not I order that the first half years rents after my death shall be applied to pay what shall be wanting and my several land devisees except my wife's jointure shall bear their equal shares therein according to the values of the several estates devised to them rendering the overplus to them severally I give to my brother and sister Cotton 20li for mourning to lady Wiseman for mourning and also to lady Frowds three sons 10li each to mr Callendrine clerk 10li to mr Livermore the minister for my godson his son Jn and himself 10li each to mr Crakenthorp and his son Jn my godson 10li each to the poor of the several parishes of Great Coggeshall Feering and Foulmere 10li each to the poor of Earls Colne Halsted Bocking and Braintree 5li each to Pattiswick poor 40s to all my servants at my death decent and necessary mourning and one quarters wages to each besides what shall be due to each to mr Perkins three daughters 10li each to Wm Abell Nich Pearce and my godson Jn Pemberton 10li each to mr vicechamberlain Sayer and his lady 20li to Wm Wilkinson aforesaid 40li to my cousin Swan and his daughter Alice 10li each to mr Jn Wilkinson and his son 10li each I give to defray my funeral expenses 300li and to buy rings to be disposed to such relations and friends as my executrix pleases I make my said dear wife sole executrix of this my will Jn Lamott Honywood signed sealed published and (from transcript) declared by the said Jn Lamott Honywood to be his last will and testament upon the 21.10.1693 etc. in the presence of the witnesses hereunto written who subscribed their names in the presence of the testator and at his desire Jn Kidd Geo Pemberton Dorothy Pemberton Jn Kidd jun