Transcript of Will of Thomas HOUGHTON of Swanwick 1611  

In the name of God Amen.  The eighteenth day of March in the Yeare of our Lord god One Thousande sixe hundred and nine: I THOMAS HOUGHTON Of Swanwick within the parish of Titchfield on the Countie of Southton yeoman, being sicke in bodie But in good and perfect remembrance  (thanks be given to Almightie god) Doe ordayne and make the last will and testament in manner and forme followinge That is to say, first I commende my soule to Almightie god my maker, and to Jesus Christ his only sonne my redeemer, by whose death and passione I trust to be saved, and I will my body to be buried in the parishe churche yard of Titchfield aforesaid, neare to the place where my father was buried.  ITEM I give to the poore people of the said parishe Twentie shillings of lawfull money of England to be distributed by the discretione of my overseers hereafter named.  ITEM I give to ALICE HORSLEY my daughter one angel  of golde (see below), and to her sonne THOMAS HORSLEY one cowe bullocke of a yeare old and to every one of the residue of the children now borne two shillings and sixe pence of lawful Englishe money.  ITEM I give to my daughter SARAH HAWKSWORTH five shillings of lawful Englishe money and to every one of her children now borne two shillings and sixe pence a peece of lawful Englishe money.  ITEM I give and bequeathe to ROBERT HOUGHTON my son my lease of the Farm of Swanwicke and all my estate interest and terme of yeares which I nowe have yet to come in the said Farme, more I give to my said sonne ROBERT The seelinge in the chamber there in the said Farm, one joined table with a frame, a joined back of winscott, one joined cupboard all in the Hall, all the glasse in the Farme wyndowes, one podring trough in the kitchen, one hen coupe a plancke forme, a newe joined bedsteede at Titchfield in Thomas Missings house, one good fether bedd, one fether bolster two fether pillows, a coverlet, a payre of blankets, two payre of sheetes, one Holland sheete, one Holland table cloath, one canvas table clothe, sixe table napkins, three of the best and three of the second sort, two pillow bars (?) one of the best and one other good one, one newe Irone bound carte with a lade and a cart ladder, bray pins and ins pins, one good Corne rope and a good wood Roope.  ITEM More I give to my said son ROBERT HOUGHTON one payre of andirons, one payre of tongs and a fyre panne all standing in the chamber where I now lye, and also fower cushions of the best, one great kyttle of brasse, one brasse panne, one other kittle of brasse, my second best brasse pott, one great broche, one drippinge panne, one chaffinge dyshe one mortter of brasse, four platters, three pottengers, and three sassers of pewter, four doussenof good newe trenchers, one furnace standing at the Farm aforesaid, and mynewe Vase standing in the Brewehouse where I now dwell one plowe with irons and wheels ready for worke.  And one hundred pounds of good and lawful money of England , and two silver spoons the one of them is that which was given to his brother THOMAS deceased.  ITEM  more I give to my said sonne ROBERT , one joined truckle bedd, one joined table in the newe chamber where I now dwell, a joined forme, three joined stools, one great chest wrought on the outside, one other brasse pott, one of my best candlesticks of brasse, two other candlesticks of brasse, of brasse, of the middle sort.  Allwhich money and goods before given to my said sonne ROBERT HOUGHTON my will and meaninge shall bee payed and delivered unto my said sonne ROBERT HOUGHTON when he shall accomplishe the age of one and twenty yeares (if he shall so longe live)  But if it shall happen my said sonne Robert to depart this mortall life before life before hee shall accomplishe the full age of one and twentie years THEN my will and meaninge is and so also appoint that fortie pounds of the foresaid hundred pounds unto him before given, shall bee equally divided among my three daughters  That is to say Joane, Eme and Thomasone Houghton  And the residue of all my said Robert’s portion (if he shall so die before his said age of one and twentie yeares)  I give and will it to my son John Houghton (if hee be than living)  But if hee be then deceased then my will and meaning is that the residue of the said portion to remayne and be equally divided amongst the rest of my children then livinge.

AND as much as my said sonne Robert Houghton by reasone of his young years is not able to use the said Farm himselfe, I therefore doe wyll and appoint that my said son John Houghton shall have the use and occupatione of the said Farm, and the profits thereof, receive and take to his owne use and beharfe until such time as the said Robert shall accomplish the full age of 21 yeares if my sonne John do soe long live, the said John Houghton paying the Lord’s rent and all other duties payable out of the same Farme and keepinge and mayntayninge the howses hedges and growndes belonging to the same sufficiently repaired, and in good order as it is nowe kept.  And to newe build two rooms on the north part of the said Farm house, where the old rooms standeth, And also yeeldinge and payinge to my said sonne Robert yearly and for every year until hee come to the age of one and twentie yeares the somm of tenn shillings of lawfull money of Englandat the feaste days of St Mychaell the Archangell five shillings, and at the annunciation of our Lady Sainte Marie the Virgine five shillings.  And  upon this condition that my said sonne John Houghton shall within 3 monthes next after my decease become bound unto my said sonne ROBERT in the somme of £200 of lawful money of England, with condition subscribed or indorsed that hee the said John Houghton his executors of assigned shall when the said Robert shall accomplishe the said age of one and twentie yeares deliver and yeelde upp into the hand and possessione of the said Robert quiet possessione of the said Farme of Swanwicke aforesaid.  And the said leese uncancelled and not made voyd by his or theire defaults meanes or procurement  And all the houses, lands, grounds and commodities therein demised and granted to me the said Thomas Houghton in such good ample manner and forme, as the said John Houghton my sonne doth receive the same without fraude or covine.  If my sonne Robert bee then livinge.  If not livinge, then my will and meaninge is that the sayd lease and Farm shall remayne and be whole unto my said sonne John Houghton provided always and it is my will and true meaning that if it shall happen my said sonnes John and Robert Houghton And both of them to die before my sonne Robert shall be of the 21 yeares, that then my sonne Richard Houghton shall have the said lease and Farm wholey to himselfe and his heires anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.  ITEM I give unto Richard Houghton my sonne one powthringe trough nowe standing in my storehouse where I nowe dwell, and also onegreat fate now standinge at the sayd Farme.  ITEM I give to Thomas Houghton sonne of the said Richard one cow bullocke of one year olde.  ITEM I give to Agnes , Dorothy and WILLIAM sonne and daughters of the said RICHARD   HOUGHTON and 10 every one of them 2 shillings and sixpence a peece.   PROVIDED always that if it shall happen my said sonne JOHN to depart  this mortall life without issue of his body lawfully begotten, before my son  ROBERT shall come so the full age of 21 yeares and that the said JOHN  doe leave the house or tenement and lands thereunto belonging wherein I now dwell to discend and come unto the said ROBERT accordinge to the custome of the manner of Swanwicke, then the said ROBERT shall have but fourscore pounds of the said hundred pounds before given to him, and my minde is that the Executors and Administrators of the said John shall be eguited and discharged from payment of £20 parcell of the said somm of one hundred pounds before given to the said ROBERT, if the said house and lands be so left unto him as aforesaid, anything herein contayned to the contrary notwithstanding  PROVIDED Likewise and I give unto ELIZABETH my daughter all my hay, barley, strawe and oate strawe now being at HORTON and also one brasse panne now at my daughter SARAH HAWKSWORTH's house  ITEM I give to my daughter JOANE thirtie pounds of lawfull englishe money, one brasse  panne, two platters, one porringer, one pewter Sacer and a candlesticke of brasse and one payre of sheets. ITEM I give to my daughter EME £30 of lawfull Englishe money one brasse panne, one latten candlesticke, two platters one pottenger one pewter saser and one payre of sheets  ITEM I give to my daughter THOMASONE £30 of lawfull Englishe money one brasse pott two platter, one porrenger, one saser, one tatten. candlesticke and payre of sheets  ltem more I give to every one of my three daughters last named that is to say JOAN EME and THOMASOME and to every of them a good table clothe and two doussen of trenchers  ITEM I five to ELIZABETH COLEBROOKE a canvas sheete and to my daughter THOMASONE one little brasse panne.  ITEM more to my 3 daughters JOAN, EME and THOMASONE one christening  sheete of holand and one other little sheet of lockram equally to be divided amoung them To be payd and delivered all to my three daughters last named as they shall accomplishe the age of one and twentie yeares, or at the day of their marriages which shall first happen   BUT if it shall happen any of my said three daughters last named to depart this mortall life before they shall accomplishe the age of one and twentie yeares and before the day of their marriages THEN my will is that her or theire portion so byeinge shall remayne to the survivor of them to be equally devided amongst them   ITEM more I give 10 William Lampard, Robert Wygge junior and to Hugh Higgins my servants to either of them, one ewe sheepe. THE RESIDUE of all my goods and chattells, my debts payed, my legacies performed AND my funeral expenses discharged, I wholy give and bequeath to my sonne JOHN HOUGHTON whome I make and ordayne my whole and sole executore of this my lost will and testament   NOW furthermore it is my will and meaninge that my sayd Executor shall have the keepinge and bringinge upp of my said children during their minority AND that he shall carefully bring them upp in the feare of god Providing and givinge them always all things meete and convenient, namely meate, drinke, lodginge. Apparel and all other things necessarie until they and every of them shall attayne to the full age of one and twentie yeares or to the tyme of theire severall marriages which first shall come or happen.  If they will be content so long to stay and remayne with my said executor And for the better performance of this my lst will and every thinge contained I make and ordayne my trustie and well beloved friends John Wallor Henry Boyes and Francis Corderoy to be my overseers.

In Whitnes Whereof I have hereunto sett to my hand and seale in the precence of their whose names are hereunder written

Signed  Thomas Houghton

Henry Boyes

Frs Corderoy

John Luffe

Probate 21 January 1611