Will of Francis King

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.

The last part of this will shows a summary of the Names, Places, Properties and Vessels mentioned in the will.

1 In the Name of God Amen

2 I ffrans King of Wivenhoe in the County of Essex Mariner being in

3 bodily health and of a sound and perfect disposing Mind and

4 Memory praise be to the Almighty God for the same but knowing

5 the brevity of life and the certainty of death therefore do make and

6 declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and form as

7 following that is to say ffirst and principally I recommend my Soul into

8 the hands of the Almighty God my only Maker and Creator hoping

9 through the meritorious death and passion of my blessed Lord and

10 Saviour Jesus Christ to have free pardon and Remission of all my

11 Sins and Admission to eternal life my Body Commit to the earth

12 from whereit came in hope of a glorious Resurrection to eternal

13 life and for all the Estates both Real and personal wherewith it

14 shall please God to endow me with I do give devise and bequeath settle

15 order and dispose of in manner and form as following that is to say

16 when Debts ffuneral Charges being first paid and deducted at the

17 discretion of my Executor hereafter named Item I do give to my Son

18 ffrans King one shilling for which best known to myself Item I do

19 give to my Son John King all such part or parts of Ship I may be

20 concerned with and all the Appurtenances thereunto belonging Item I

21 do give and bequeath to my loving Son Jonathan King the house I

22 now live in situated in Wivenhoe in the above County and all those

23 three houses or Tenements now in the Tenur or Occupation of

24 Wm Brown John Goodwin and Mary Ducker at age or the day of

25 Marriage with all the Garden Orchard Lands and Premises

26 thereunto belonging but my Mind and Will is and I hereby further

27 order and devise that in case my loving Son Jonathan dye

28 without Issue and not married my Mind and Will is that the

29 Houses Orchard Gardens and all Appurtenances thereinto belonging

30 be sold and the money to be equally divided to all my loving

31 Children under mentioned that then survives or  to their Heirs

32 Item I give unto my loving Son Saml King at Age or the day of

33 Marriage the Sum of ffour hundred pound of good and lawful

34 money of Great Britain Item I give unto my loving Son Martin King

35 at Age or the day of Marriage the Sum of ffour hundred pounds

36 of good and lawful money of Great Britain Item I give unto my

37 loving Daughter Mary King at Age or the day of Marriage the

38 Sum of ffive hundred pounds of good and lawful Money of

39 Great Britain Item I give unto my loving daughter Hannah

40 King at Age or day of Marriage ffive hundred pounds of good and

41 lawful money of Great Britain And my Mind and Will is that if

42 please God to endow me with any more after my Debts and ffuneral

43 paid then what I have bequeath as above to my Son Samuel King

44 Martin King and Daughter Mary King and Hannah King my Will

45 is that it be equally divided to ye above my loving Son Samuel King

46 Martin King and Mary King and Hannah King each having equal

47 part And my mind and Will is that if any of my loving Children under

48 mentioned should dye before they come of Age and not married that

49 what i have bequeath as above that it may be equally divided that

50 is to say to my Son Saml King Martin King and My Daughter Mary

51 King and Hannah King whom of these may survive each equal

52 Share or part alike and what Househol Goods and Linnen I leave

53 it is my Will they be equally divided to my Daughter Mary King and

54 Hannah King each alike and to what plate I may leave it my Will

55 that my Executor divide it to my loving Children as he thinks fitt

56 And I do hereby make name and constitute and appoint my loving

57 Cousin George Martin Sailmaker of Wivenhoe in the County

58 aforesaid my sole Executor of this my last will and Testament

59 and do nominate and appoint him to be Guardian to all my loving

60 Childre here mentioned until they come of age or the day of marriage

61 aforesaid And I do hereby make void all former Wills Deeds Or Gifts

62 whatever And I do hereby renounce and declare the matter contained

63 in this paper to stand and be for my last Will and Testament In Witness

64 whereof I have set my hand and seal this 22 day of Septer 1730 in the

65 fourth year of the Reign of our Soverign Lord Geo by the Grace of

66 God of Great Britain ffrance and Ireland King Defender of the

67 ffaith ffrans King Witness Nathll Harris Sarah Harris