Will of John Harvey

Wills are generally written without any punctuation or abbreviations. There is often alternative spelling of some words and using upper case letters which do not always mean the start of a new sentence. Neither are they divided into paragraphs but are continuous lines of writing This can make documents difficult to read or understand.

This post shows the Will exactly as it was written with no attempt to break it down into paragraphs. Done in this way it shows exactly how the original document is written. As the documents are sometimes very large each line of writing in the document sometimes takes up two lines when it is transcribed in to the web site.

1 In the Name of God Amen

2 I John Harvey of Wivenhoe in the County of

3 Essex Mariner being much weak and feeble in body ( but

4 of sound mind and memory God be praised declare my

5 last Will and Testament to be as follows My soul I

6 resign to God and my body to Christian buryall hopeing in

7 Christ for a joyous resurrection to life eternall as to my worldly

8 Goods I dispose thereof as follows Imprimis I doe give and

9 devise to my four Daughters Mary Jane Elizabeth and

10 Sarah Three hundred pounds apiece To be paid to each

11 respectively at the age of one and twenty years or day of

12 marriage which shall first happen All the rest of my

13 Estate whatsoever I devise to my loving Wife Mary

14 her heirs and Assigns forever so revoking all former

15 Wills I declare these to be my last Will and Testament

16 and Mary my loving Wife sole Executrix With my

17 will and mind is that if either of my Daughters marry

18 against my Wifes consent that such Daughter shall

19 have but two hundred pounds unless my Wife shall

20 afterwards think fitt to give her more Witness my hand

21 and seal This sixteenth day of ffebruary Anno Dom 1709

22 and in the eight year of Queen Anne John Harvey

23 Signed sealed and Published ( the said John Harvey first

24 desiring his Daughter Mary should have the silver punch

25 Bowle in the presence of Mary Willson sign

26 Elizabeth Deverell