The Will of Margaret Cufflin
In the name of God Amen. The xxth
(20th) daie of Januarie in the yeare of our Lord God 1623 (ie.1624) I
Margaret Cuflyn of Blabie in the countie of Leic. widdow being sicke in
bodie but whole in mynd and in good and perfect remembrance praise be to
Almighty God, do make this my last will and testament in manner as
followeth viz. I bequeath my soule unto Almightie God my maker and
redeemer & my bodie to be buried in the p(ar)ish churchyard of Blabie
aforesaid.
Ite(m) I give and bequeath unto my daughter Marie *Cuflin*
three pounds
Ite(m) I bequeath unto my daughter Ann Cuflyn three
pounds
Ite(m) I bequeath unto my daughter Frances *Cuflin* three
pounds
Ite(m) I bequeath unto my sone Henrie Cuflyn the some of three
pounds
Ite(m) my will is that alle the rest of my goods unbequeathed
*my funerall discharged, my detts p(ai)d, shall I ordayne to John Cowp(er)
of Thorpe lancton the whom I Make my full and sole executor etc. to be
equally divided amongst my said foure (children)* hereafter mentioned viz.
Mary, Ann, Francis & Henry. Soe soone as they shall accomplish their
sev(er)al ages of one and twentie yeares. And if it fort(u)ne any of them
to dep(ar)te this life before they accomplish theire said ages of xxi
yeares then their po(r)tion to rem(ain) to the residue of them then
livinge
(the next three lines have been deleted) And I do ordayne John
Cowper of Thorpe Lanckton in the Count(y) aforesaid husbandman my full
executor of this my last will and testament.
And I will that the said
John Cowper my broth(e)r for his assignes shall have the keeping or
bringing upp of these my saide fowre children last mentioned untyll they
shall accomplish theire said severall ages of xxi yeares afores(ai)d And I
will that hee the said John Cowp(er) execut(or) shall have the benefitt of
all my said goods *towards the bringing (up) of my said fower children*
duringe the tyme of their severall nonages (the next thirteen words have
been deleted) of my saide fowre children after my debts be p(ai)d &
fun(er)all expences p(er)formed.
It(em) my will is that my brother
Henry Cuflyn of Whetston in the count(y) of Leic(ester) wheelwright and
John Graunt of the same towne and count(y) *miller* shalbee overseers of
this my said will & testament. And I *do herby revoke* utterly revoke
and anull & Anull all and every other former testament wills legacies
and bequeaths, executors and ove(r)seers by me in any wise before this
tyme made, named, willed or bequeathed. Theas *being* witnesses
*pres(ent)* whose names are heere under wrytten.
James [------]
the
m(ar)ke + of John Grant
et me
Robertu(s) Chrispe [------] etc.
Probatum 21 Feb: 1623
p(er)
exec(utor)em etc. de bene etc. jurat etc
Notes by Janette Shepherd:
Words between asterisks*----* are
interlined with the main text or inserted as omissions in the text. There
is a portion of text deleted in the original which has been superseded by
the interlined section beginning "*mye funerall discharged -----*" I have
not attempted to transcribe this as it is so difficult to decipher and
obviously has no bearing on the substance of the will. I'm afraid I have
been unable to decipher the surname of the first witness nor the word
following the surname of the last witness who is probably the clerk
(perhaps the local vicar) who wrote out the will. He launches out into
Latin!
The final two lines are a note of the probates of the wills on
14 Jan. 1623 (1624 in the modern calendar)# the same day as Margaret
Cuflyn made her will, and on 21. Feb. 1623 (1624) after Margaret's
death.
Words which I have been unable to read or of which the reading
is doubtful have been shown in square brackets [-----]
Note. Until 1752
New Years day was the 25th March.
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