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Will of Dr. Leonard Poe from a reproduction attainable through United Kingdom Documents Online
Thanks to C. Dwight Poe for the transcription
Some highlighting has been added for
emphasis.
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n the name of God
Amen: I
Leonard Poe
Doctor in Phisicke and
Phisicon in ordinary to his Matie for
his hono:ble houshold
the Eighteenth day of February in the yeare of our Lord God one
Thousand six hundred and Thirty Doe make and ordaine this my will and
testament in manner and form following
And first I bequeath my soule unto Allmighty God my maker trustinge to be saved
by the merits of my Saviour and sole Redeemer Jesus Christ, And my body I doe
appoint to be buried in such decent manner as shall seeme fit unto my Executor
and Overseers hereafter named, And lett all men knowe that I doe hereby ordaine
and make my welbeloved sonne Mr. James Poe
beinge nowe a Master of Arts and Fellowe of Kings Colledge in Cambridge my sole
Executor of this my will and Testament revokinge all former wills by me
formerly made, but my will is that before he make probate of this my Will, or
alter any part of mye estate he doe become bound unto my Overseers hereafter
named or unto two of them at the least if two of them be livinge or otherwise
unto one of them, in one obligation of the full some of Eight thousand pounds
of lawfull English money for the true Performance of
this my will according to the true intent and meaning thereof And as touching
such portion and provision of maynetenance as I intend to bestowe on my sonne Theophilus Poe my will is that in regard
of his present unthriftie livinge he shall have paid unto him dureinge his life
only out ?of? my estate the somme of Thirtie pounds PerAnnu
unlesse by gods grace he shall hereafter conforme himself to live and demeane
himselfe as becometh a sober thrifty and temperate man, which if he shall soe
doe and that my Executor or Executors and Overseers or any two of them shall soe
finde of him, and declare him soe to live and demeane himselfe Then my will is
that my Executor with the advice of my Overseers or two of them shall pay out
and disburse for him my said sonne Theophilus Poe for his best benefit and
advantage the full some of Five hundred pounds of good and lawfull English
money And thereupon his yearly payment of Thirty pounds PerAnnu
is to cease and determine, And my will and desire is That if at the tyme of my
departure out of this life I shalbe seized of any Land tenements or hereditaments
whatsoever mortgaged or to be mortgaged or conveyed unto me for any somme or
sommes of money whatsoever Then I give and bequeath this same unto my Executor or Executors that proveth or doe prove this my
will for the uses hereafter expressed, that is to saie, That the same shalbe
sold unto the best advantage and that the moneys thereof and thereout raysed
shalbe imployed in such sort as I by this my will have derected or shall
direct, And my will is that, until the same Lands tenements and hereditaments
soe mortgaged or to be mortgaged or conveyed unto me as aforesaid shalbe
redeemed or sold, That my Executor shall receive the Rents Dues and proffitts
thereof for the uses in this my will expressed and to be expressed unto which
my said Executor viz the said James Poe, I doe hereby give my
Lease of the Rectory of Ringwood in the Countie of Southton to the intent that the rents and profitts
thereof together wth the rents and profitts thereof together wth
the rents and profitts [sic, apparently unintended repetition by copyist] of
the same lands Tenements and hereditaments soe mortgaged or to be mortgaged or
conveyed unto me as aforesaid shalbe disposed of to such uses as I by this will
have directed or shall direct, And my will also is, That when it shall please
God I shall depart this life, and that my Executor the said James Poe be then
livinge, that he shall receive my said Lease of the Rectorie of Ringwood for
such terme and number of yeares as he can procure the same, wch he shall soe
receive for his own benefit and advantage unto whome I doe absolutely give the
same after my decease And as touching all the rest and residue of my goods
Chattels and whole estate I doe bequeath as followeth And first I will and
ordaine that after my decease the lease of my owne dwellinge house togeather
with all my plate houshold stuffe and ymplemts of houshold whatsoever shalbe sold at the best value soe soone as my
Executor wth the advise of my Overseers or any two of them
can sell the same to the best advantage And that the moneys thereof cominge and
to be raised shall be likewise added to the rest of my estate [end of page one]
and stocke of moneys, To be disposed of by my Executor with the like advise of
my Overseers or any two of them for the best profitt thereof to be made and wth the best security as likewise other my moneys
nowe lent forth at interest are, and so to be continued or otherwise disposed
of as the same shalbe from tyme to time receaved, to be ymployed as I have
directed or shall direct by this my will, And my will is that noe morninge be
given for at my Funeral for the solempnizinge thereof but only unto my Children
and servants Provided also and my will is, That if my said sonne James Poe
shall refuse and will not become bound in and by the said obligacon of Eight
Thousand pounds unto my Overseers in manner as this my will directeth for the
true Performance thereof wthin
one and twentie dayes next after request made unto him by my said Overseers or
any two or one of them so to doe Then and thereupon my Will is That
notwithstandinge anyethinge herein conteyned to the contrarie he my said sonne
James Poe shall not meddle any further wth the possessinge havinge and
disposinge of any part of my estate neither shall he have anye profitt or
benefitt thereof or therefrom other than the said Lease of the said Rectory of
Ringwood with eight hundred pounds in money (unlesse I by this my will shall
make any further increase of portion unto him) wch Eight hundred pounds my Will
is shalbe so paid unto my said sonne James Poe out of my estate by my sonne in lawe Mr David Ramsey and my trusty and welbeloved freind Mr Walter Hillary of Clifford Inne London gent, whome then and not before or
otherwise I doe hereby make and ordaine to be the sole Executors of this my will
upon speciall trust and Confidence only that they shall see the same truly and
duly observed and performed for the benefit of my Children and other of my
freinds to whome I have or by this my will shall give or bequeath any legacie
or bequest whatsoever unto
wch my said Executors vizt,
the said Mr David Ramsey and Mr Walter Hillary (in case they fortune to become
my Executors and doe prove my will I doe hereby give and bequeath the some of
Five pounds apeece for their paines and labour to be taken in and about the
executinge thereof accordinge to the trust reposed in them as aforesaid But my
will is that if my said sonne James Poe shall make probate of this my will and
enter into the said obligacon as aforesaid, Then my meaninge is that the said Mr
David Ramsey and Mr Walter Hillary together with Sr Walter Pye knight, Sr Thomas Merry knight one of his Maties servants Mr Manley
Esquire, one other of his Maties servants
and Joseph Lane of Fetterlane neere Fleete Street London gent shalbe the Overseers
of this my will, unto which my said Overseers I doe hereby give the somme of
Three pounds apeece for their care and paines to be taken in the aydinge and
assisting of my Executors accordinge to the true intencon of this
my will And my will
also is that if my sonne Leonard Poe shall
become compos mentis, and that I doe not settle or place my said
sonne Leonard Poe in some fitt place to gaine a competent meanes of livinge)
before my death he beinge compos mentis Then my meaninge is, That my Executor
or Executors that shall make probate of this my will shall paie and deliver
unto my said unto my said [sic, phrase repeated] sonne Leonard Poe (he beinge
compos mentis) out of my estate by the consent of my Overseers or two of them)
the full some of Seaven hundred pounds for his present prferment
and placinge in some Competent way of livinge, But my will is that if my said
sonne Leonard Poe shall not be compos mentis, Then the said Seaven hundred
pounds nor any penny thereof shall not be paid unto him nor any for him, But
that there shalbe only the somme of Fiftie pounds PerAnnum
raised and disbursed by my Executor or Executors for his maintenance until such
time as it shall please God he shall become compos mentis and be able to live
understandingly and fitly of himself which Seaven hundred pounds if it shall
fortune to be paid, Then the Fifty pounds PerAnnum to
cease. Item I give unto my daughter Mris Grint the some of One hundred pounds for the
benefit of her selfe and her husband because they have noe Children betweene
them to be paid her wthin Sixe moneths after decease Item I
doe also give unto my two litle Grandchildren
William Ramsey and Frances Ramsey beinge the sonne and daughter of my said
sonne in lawe Mr David Ramsey, vizt to each of them One hundred pounds, To be paid
unto them at their severall ages of One and twentie yeares or daies of marriage
(wth Consent of their freinds) wch shall first happen, And my will and meaning
[end of page two] is that untill my said Grandchildren shall have attained unto
their severall ages of one and twentie yeares or marry as aforesaid That the
whole profitt of each of their hundred pounds shalbe imployed for and towards
their educacon and maintenance in the meanetyme, which severall legacies of One
hundred pounds a peece, my will is shalbe delivered unto my said sonne in lawe
Mr David Ramsey wthin
Sixe moneths after my decease for the use and benefitt of his said
children in manner as is before expressed And my said sonne Mr David Ramsey to enter into an obligacon of
Five hundred pounds to my Executor or Executors for the performance thereof accordinge to this
my will, Item I doe also give unto two other of my
litle grandchildren that is to say, Dionisia Bastwicke and Judith Bastwicke
beinge the daughters of my sonne and daughter Bastwicke vizt,
to each of them one hundred pounds to be payd unto them at their severall ages
of one and twentie yeares or dayes of mariage wth consent of their freinds (which shall first
happen, And my will and meaninge is that untill my said grandchildren shall
have attained unto their severall ages of one and twenty yeares or marry as
aforesaid That the whole profitt of each of their said hundred pounds shalbe
ymployed for and towards their educon and mayntenance, in the meanetime, wch severall legacies of one hundred pounds apeece
my will is shalbe delivered unto my said sonne and daughter Bastwick wthin
Sixe moneths after my decease for the use and benefit of their said Children in
manner as is before expressed And my said sonne Bastwicke is to enter into an
obligacon of Five hundred pounds to my Executor or Executors for the
performance thereof accordinge to this my will Item I doe also give unto my Nephewe Robert Poe (beinge nowe an apprentice unto one Mr
Harris a shoomaker of London the somme of Tenn pounds to be payd him
at the end of his apprentishipp if he shall then be living and not otherwise
Item I doe give unto my lovinge freinde Mris Sara
Compton the somme of Twentie pounds to make
her a ringe Item I also give unto my goddaughter Mris Elizabeth Allen one of
the daughters of the said Mris Sara Compton Fortie shillings to
maker her a ringe, And I give unto Mris Sara
Clapthorne and Mris Mary Compton two other of the daughters of the said Mris
Sara Compton to either of them the like some of Fortie shillings to
make each of them a ringe And I give unto Jane Compton one other of the
daughters of the said Mris Sara Compton the like some of Fortie shillings to
make her a ringe, Item I alsoe give unto Mr Crane, Mr Nicholas Paye Mr Manley and Mr Twyne
(beinge all fouer of them Clarks of his Maties kitchen) the some of Fortie shillings apeece to
make each of them a ringe, Item I doe also give unto my sonne in lawe Mr John Hankinson the somme of Fortie shillinges to make
him a ringe Item I also give unto my servants hereafter named vizt, unto Joane my maide Tenn pounds, unto Edward Lloyd Fortie shillings unto James my Footeboy Fortie shillings, unto John my Coachman Fortie shillings, unto Elizabeth Appleton fortie shillings, unto Ellen
Ward fortie shillings, yf they my said servants shall be dwelling wth me at the tyme of my departure out of this
life Item I allso give unto auncient servant
Richard Haggenson, Allice his wife, and Thomas Taylor Twentie
shillings apeece to make them ?sevally? ringe wth all, Item I also give unto the poore people of
the said parish of Christ Church London the somme of Five pounds (if I dye in
that parish) But in case I dye not in that parish, Then I give the sayd Five
pounds unto the poore of that parish in which I shall die, To be delivered unto
or for their use in some convenient tyme after my decease, Item I give unto my
sister Beverley (if she survive me) the somme of Five pounds to be paid her wthin
halfe a yeare after my decease But if shee bee not liveing at thend of the said
halfe yeare Then I give the said Five pounds unto her eldest daughter To be
paid her wthin the limitacon of tyme, Item I also give unto my loving brother Anthony Poe the somme of Tenn pounds
to be paid unto him wthin halfe a yeare after my decease, And
give unto my Cozen William Poe dwelling wth one Richard Holman gent the somme of Tenn pounds to be payd
him wthin a yeare after my decease Item I give unto
Mris Wight Fortie shillings to make her a ringe, I also give unto Mris Hillary, the wife of the said Mr Walter Hillary the somme of Three pounds to
make her a ringe, And my will further is that in case Mr Ramsey and Mr Hillary
doe fortune to become the Executors of this my Will in default of my said sonne
James Poe as aforesaid Then my meaninge is that the said Sr Walter Pye, S Thomas Merry
knight Mr Manley and Mr Lane shalbe the sole Overseers of this my
will and moreover my will is that if my said sonnes or either of them shall
fortune to depart this life unmarried, And not have received their [end of page
three] porcons and bequests formerlie bequeathed unto them as aforesaid That
then such parts thereof not by them or either or any of them soe received shall
goe and shall absolutely rest and returne to my sonne James Poe my Executor his
use as by this my will I shall and doe appoint that is as followeth, And if all
my said sonnes depart this life before they have received their said porcons
not havinge any issue of their bodies lawfullie begotten, Then my will is that
their porcons not received by them shall goe and be to and amongst my said
daughters for the use and benefitt of their Children and themselves equallie to
be distributed amongst And my will lastly is that all the rest and residue of
all my goods and Chattells as well as reall as personall not herein formerly given and bequeathed, my
legacies, debts and Funerall expences being first paid and discharged shall goe
and be unto my said sonne James Poe in case he makes probate of this my will
and become bound as aforesaid, And in default thereof my will is that the same
shall goe and be unto said other Executors, vizt the said Mr Ramsey and Mr
Hillary upon speciall trust that they shall wth the advise of my Overseers or two or one of
them at the least equallie distribute the same unto and for the same unto and
for the use and benefitt of my Children
survivinge me and their Children when I dye whereof my said sonne Theophilus
Poe is to have no part but his said Thirtie pounds PerAnnu
unless he shalbe found and declared to have conformed himselfe to live Civily
soberly and temperately wch declaration is soe first to be made by my Executors
or Overseers or two of them at the least In witnes whereof that this present
writinge (conteyninge in itt nyne sheets of paper whereof this present sheete
is one of them) is the last will and testament of me the said Leonard Poe the
Father I the said Leonard Poe have at thend of every the said sheets of paper
written my name and at thend of this sheete I have not only written my name but
have also hereunto sett my hand and seale and have published this ?entire?
writinge to be the last will and testament of me the said Leonard Poe the
Father yeomen the said Eighteenth day of February Anno Dm 1630. And in the Sixth yeare of the Raigne of our Soveraigne Lord
Kinge Charles of
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robatum: fuit testamentum suprascriptum apud
London Coram beneli viro Willimo Mericke ?legim? doctore Surrogato ven enabilis
viri Domim Henrici Marten ?militis? legum etiam doctoris ?Curiae? Prerogativae
?Cunctuariensis? magistri Justods sive Com sirii etime Constituti Visesimo
Quinto dia Mentis Martii Anno Dm Millesimo Sepcentesimo Tricesimo Primo
Funamento Jacobi Poe artium magistri filii naturalis et etim dicti defuncti et
executoris in ?hmor? testamento nominat Cui Comissa fuit administrato omnium et
singulorun bonorum Juricum et Creditorum dicti defuncti De bene et fidelir
administrando eadem ?Ad? sancta Dei Evangelis Jurat.