THE WILL OF ANNE TWITT (National Archives, ef PROB 11/319/170)

 IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN  the seven and twentieth day of June in the seventeenth year of the reign of our sovereign Lord King Charles the second over England Anno Domini 1655 I Anne Twitt of Harwich in the county of Essex widow being sick and weak in body but (blessed be God) of good and perfect memory and yet considering the frailty of this transitory life do make and ordain this my last will and testament  in manner and form following. First I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping and assuredly believing through the merits of Jesus Christ  to receive free pardon of all my sins and to be made partaker of everlasting happiness, and my body to be committed to Christian burial when it please God to take me hence. And my worldly estate I will order and devise that the same shall after my decease be ordered and disposed of as followeth. In primis I give and bequeath to Francis Parker  my brother the sum of 20/- to be paid him upon demand after my decease.

And unto Francis Parker his son 20/- to be paid him upon like demand. And also unto Anne Bolton my said brother’s daughter  20/- upon like demand  Item I give unto the rest of my said brother’s children which shall be living at the time of my decease 5/- apiece to be paid them respectably upon like demand. Item I give and bequeath unto Judith Powell and Susan Powell, the daughters of Judith Dobbs my sister, to each of them the sum of £10 a piece of lawful English money to be paid them by my executors hereafter named at their several ages of one and twenty years or day of marriage, which shall first happen. And if either of them shall depart this life before her said legacy shall become due and payable, then the same to be paid to the survivor. And my will and meaning is that the said Judith Dobbs their mother shall receive and take the interest and benefit of her said daughters’ legacies until the same shall grow due and payable unto them severally as aforesaid, to be yearly paid unto her by my executors hereafter named for and towards the (sic) education.  Item I give and bequeath unto Margaret the wife of John Smith the younger the sum of £40 to be disposed of by my executors hereafter named to purchase a messuage or tenement of that value in some convenient street for trade in Harwich aforesaid, to be settled and conveyed  unto John Smith aforesaid and Margaret his wife and to the heirs of the body of the said Margaret lawfully begotten or to be begotten, and in default of such issue to Susan the wife of Samuell Newton and to her heirs and assigns forever, which said £40 I order to be disposed of as aforesaid within three months after my decease.  Item I give and bequeath unto the said Susan  the wife of the said Samuel Newton  and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten  all that new built messuage or tenement with all houses, stable, yard, garden, rights, members and appurtenances thereof, which I lately purchased of John Smith the elder, situated lying and being on the back side of the Three Cupps in Harwich aforesaid and now in the occuptation of Jacob Layfeild, provided always and my true intent and meaning is that if the said Susan Newton shall at any time hereafter consent unto or make sale of any the houses she has an interest in in Harwich, that then I give and bequeath the said messuage  or tenement before bequeathed unto the said Susan unto the above named Margaret the wife of the said John Smith  and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten . Item I give and bequeath unto Frances Sherman the sum of £10 to be paid her at her age of one and twenty years or day of marriage which shall first happen . And also to Elizabeth the wife of John Morfeild all the household stuff of mine in her house and what money she owes unto me. And likewise to Anne Heard widow the sum of 20/- to be paid her upon demand.  Item I give and bequeath unto Jonas Syrett my nephew the sum of £10 to be paid him  at his age of three and twenty years together with such interest as shall arise or be made thereof in the meantime  Item I give unto my niece Anne the wife of Thomas Garnham of Dover the sum of £20 to be paid to her or her assigns within three months next after my decease. Item all the rest and residue of my goods, chattels, household stuff, debts, ready money, plate and personal estate whatsoever (after my debts and legacies, funeral charges and charges of probate of this my will shall be paid thereout) what shall remain thereof I give and bequeath unto Samuell Newton son of the said Samuel Newton  and the child the said Susan his wife is now withal, equally to be divided between them to be paid them at their respected ages of one and twenty years, and if either of them die before that said age then the survivor of them shall enjoy the deceased’s legacy in like manner as the deceased should have done had he or she be then living. And further my will and meaning is that the said money shall remain in my executors’ hands until the same shall become due and payable unto the said children as aforesaid, and the interest thereof shall be yearly employed and  bestowed in repairing the houses, messuages and tenements of the said Samuell and Susan aforesaid And finally I do nominate ordain and make the said Samuell Newton and Mr  John Rolfe the elder to be executors  of this my last will and testament, desiring their faithfulness in the performance thereof and for revoling all other wills by me formerly made. I do publish and declare only this to be my last will and testament.  IN WITNESS whereof to this my last will  containing three whole sheets of paper  and thus much of the fourth I have  I have to every of the four sheets put to my hand and to the first and last sheet thereof my seal the day and year  in the first sheet contained Signed: Anne Twitt. Sealed subscribed published and declared to be the last will and testament of the said Anne Twitt in the presence of Anne Wood, Francis Sherman and John Rolfe senior.

Probate was granted in London 23 January 1655 in favour of Samuell Newton.