Thos May
Jn Keable
Wm Carter
Jn Hills
S Stebbing
in the name of god amen I
Solomon Stebbing
of Much Tey in the county of Essex gent being very sick and weak in body but of a sound and perfect mind and memory thanks be to god do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner following hereby revoking all former wills by me made imprimis I give and bequeath unto my eldest daughter
Ann Stebbing
and to her heirs forever all that my capital messuage or tenement commonly called or known by the name of the Brook situate in Much Tey aforesaid and now in my own occupation with all the outhouses barns stables yards gardens and orchards and all the freehold and copyhold lands meadows and pastures thereunto belonging lying and being in Much Tey aforesaid and Little Tey on the south side of a certain small rivulet or brook called Old Ford running from a certain wood called Lady Wood to Stanaway that is to say Lynfords Stablefeild otherwise Lower Holmers Upper Holmers Aspin Ashfeild Dickin and Hobsons Croft Hall Land Hall Land Pightle All Portall Meadow lying as well on one side of the said rivulet as on the other Hall Land Meadow the meadow behind the wheat barns and Alperts alias Palmers Meadow and Ballards Marsh which holds of the manor of Barons cum Flories also I give unto her and her heirs forever all that my cottage and orchard or piece of ground now in the occupation of
Jn Modley
item I give and bequeath unto my youngest daughter
Eliz Stebbing
and to her heirs forever all that my barn called Hewescroft Barne together with all my lands meadows and pastures belonging to and now used with my aforesaid messuage called the Brook lying and being on the north side of the said small rivulet or brook except Portall Meadow aforesaid that is to say Hewescroft Little Broadfeild Great Broadfeild Honyleigh Honyleigh Pightle Fiveacres Bushy Broadfeild Moses Mosesbottom Mosesmeadow the Marsh and Welmans Marsh also I give unto her and her heirs forever all that cottage or tenement orchard and croft of land called Basketers situate lying and being in Much Tey aforesaid and now in the occupation of
Jn Mead
jun item I give and bequeath unto her my said daughter
Eliz
and to her heirs forever all and singular my freehold and copyhold messuages lands tenements and hereditaments situate lying and being in Earls Colne and Copford in the said county of Essex and respectively holden of the several manors of Earls Colne Colne Priory and Copford and in case either of my said daughters shall happen to die without issue of her body before her age of 21yr then I give and bequeath the messuages lands and tenements of her so dying unto the survivor of my said daughters and her heirs forever and in case both my said daughters shall happen to die without issue before their ages of 21yr then my will and meaning is that all and singular my said messuages lands tenements and hereditaments whatsoever and wheresoever as well freehold as copyhold shall be sold by my executor hereinafter named so soon as conveniently may be after such decease without issue of my said two daughters as aforesaid for the best price that can be gotten for the same and that the rents an
d profits of my said messuages lands and tenements until the same shall be sold and the monies arising by such sale shall be received by my executor hereinafter named and shall be by him disposed of in manner following that is to say first for the payment of my debts and legacies which shall be then unpaid and which my personal estate will not be sufficient to pay and the remainder of the said monies sh
all be divided into three equal parts one third part whereof shall b
e paid unto such of my sister's mrs
Sherman's
children as shall be living at the time of such sale one other third part thereof I will shall be paid unto such of my sister's mrs
Goodwin's
children as shall be living at the time of such sale and the remaining third part I will shall be paid unto my sister mrs
Marrett's
children in ca se she shall have any but in case she shall have no child then I will that the said third part of the said monies shall be put out at interest by my executor and the interest and improvement thereof shall be paid unto her my said sister for and during the term of her natural life and after her decease without issue I will that the same shall be paid unto such of my said sister
Goodwin's
children as shall be living
S Stebbing
(inserted)
but my will and meaning is that my executor hereinafter named shall receive and take the rents issues and profits of all and singular my said messuages lands tenements and hereditaments whatsoever and wheresoever until my said daughters
Ann
and
Eliz
shall attain their several ages of 21yr for and towards their maintenance and education according to their quality and estate and the remainder of the rents and profits shall be for and towards the payment of such of my debts and legacies as my personal estate will not be sufficient to pay the same to be paid as the said rent shall come into his hands and for the payment of the several fines and fees for the several admissions of my said daughters to the several copyhold lands and tenements to them herein before respectively given and bequeathed and in case there shall be any overplus remaining in my executors hands out of the said rents and profits I will that the same shall be equally divided between my said two daughters at their ages of 21yr but in case my said personal estate and the rents and profits of my said messuages lands and tenements until my said daughters shall attain their ages of 21yr shall not be sufficient to pay all my debts and legacies then I will that what
shall be then remaining unpaid shall be equally paid and discharged by my said daughters out of the lands and tenements herein given unto them respectively share and share alike item I give and bequeath unto my kinsman and namesake
Stebbing Sherman
one of the sons of my said sister mrs
Sherman
the sum of 10li to be paid unto him by my executor at his age of 21yr item I give and bequeath unto my kinswoman
Eliz Goodwin
daughter of my said sister mrs
Goodwin
the sum of 20li to be paid unto her by my executor at her age of 21yr or day of marriage which shall first happen or so soon as the same can be conveniently raised out of the rents of my said lands and tenements but my executor shall pay her interest for the same after the rate of 5li percent from the time of her marriage or age of 21yr which shall first happen until the said legacy of 20li shall be paid item I give and bequeath unto my godson
Dan Grimston
one of the sons of my kinsman
Solomon Grimston
the sum of 10li to be paid him by my executor at his age of 21yr item I give unto the poor people of the parish of Much Tey the sum of 5li to be paid and distributed amongst them by my executor within six months next after my decease item I give and bequeath unto the son of
Thos Porter
the younger of Easthorpe in the said county of Essex yeoman the sum of 5li to be paid unto him at his age of 21yr by my said two daughters equally out of the estate herein before given unto them but in case they shall die before they attain their ages of 21yr then to be paid unto him by my executor out of the monies arising out of the sale of my lands and tenements as aforesaid item I will that all my goods chattels stock without doors corn household stuff and implements of household plate linen and all other my personal estate whatsoever and wheresoever except such as is herein otherwise given shall be sold by my executor for and towards discharging my funeral expenses probate of this my will and paying of my debts and legacies and lastly I do nominate and appoint my said kinsman
Solomon Grimston
of Chappell alias Pontesbright in the said county of Essex gent sole executor of this my last will and testament and I do appoint him guardian of the bodies and estates of my said two daughters until their respective ages of 21yr and I give unto him my silver hilted sword and belt and my case of pistols and holstalls and 10gns as a token of my love to be received by him out of the rents of my estate so soon as the same can conveniently be paid in witness whereof I the said
Solomon Stebbing
to this my last will and testament contained in two sheets of paper have to each sheet set my hand and to the last sheet have set my seal the
4.1.1702
signed sealed published and declared by the testator in our presence and after in his presence this last will was attested and subscribed by us
Thos May
Jn Keable
Wm Carter
Jn Hills
S Stebbing