In the name of God Amen I John Durrant of Waldron in the County of Sussex mercer being in good health of body and of sound and perfect mind & memory (thanks be given to God) therefore do this psent six & twentith day of May in the thirteenth year of the raign of our Soveraign Lord George (by the grace of God) of Great Brittain France and Ireland King defender of the faith &c Annoq Dni 1727 make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) In the first place I recomend my soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it me and my body I leave to return to the earth from whence it came & to receive a decent buryall at the discrecon of my executor herein after named. And as touching the disposicon of such estate as it hath pleased God to bless me with in this world I do dispose of the same as followeth. Inprimis I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth my dear and loving wife one guinea to buy her a ring to wear in remembrance of me to be paid unto her within one month next after my decease by my executor herein after named. Item whereas in and by one indenture bearing date on or about the twelfth day of Aprill which was in the first year of his Ma’ties reigne (that now is) made between me the said John Durrant the testator by the name of John Durrant of Waldron in the County of Sussex & Elizabeth my wife one of the daughters & coheires of John Brighlredge late of Warbleton in the said County of Sussex yeoman deceased of the one part and William Durrant of Framfield in the said County of Sussex Gent of the other part (reciting as therein is recited) and thereupon & in consideracon thereof I the said John Durrant did promise and agree not only to convey settle & assure the messuage tenements hereditaments and p’misses therein after menconed unto and upon the said Elizabeth my wife. But also to grant unto her one annuity or yearly rent of five pounds to be issuing out of the lands tenements and hereditaments therein also ... that purpose menconed & payable during her life case she survive me the said John Durrant her husband. But in that case also to leave unto her the sume of forty pounds & one half of my houshold goods for her more comfortable support & maintenance and to be disposed of by her to such child and children as she should thinke fit by her Will or otherwise if she survive me the said John Durrant. I the said John Durrant for and in consideracon as well of the intire love and affecon which I did and do still bear unto the said Elizabeth my wife as of the p’misses in & by the said Indenture menconed and to the end & intent that a competent & suitable provision might be had & made for the support & maintenance of the said Elizabeth in case she should survive me for my self my heirs exects & adm’rs did covenant p’mise grant & agree by the aforesaid recited Indenture that I and my heires & all & every other p’son or p’sons then being seized of the p’misses in trust for me or them & the heires of such p’son or p’sons respectively should from thence forth for ever thereafter stand & be seized I and in all that peece or parcell of land called Alisherne (or by whatsoever other name or names the same be called or known by) with thappurtences lying and being in Waldron aforesaid conteyning by estimacon four acres more or less. And also of and in all those two peeces or parcells of land called or known by the name of Nottys als Notts (or by whatsoever other name or names called) with thappurtences lying and being in Waldron aforesaid conteyning by estimacon eight acres more or less. All which said p’misses were lately purchased of John Wood als Attwood, Gent & then & now in my own occupacon. And also of and in one messuage or tenement lately erected and built and of and in one spot of ground lately taken off from an orchard next adioyning to the said new erected messuage & of & in that part of the pond in the said orchard next adioyning to the said new erected messuage & now in the occupacon of Richard Page. And of and in the revercon and revercons remainder and remainders thereof with the appurtenances to and for the severall uses behoof & purposes therein menconed (that is to say) as for touching & concerning the said three peeces of land called Alisherne & Nottys als Notts to the use & behoof of me the said John Durrant the testator during my life (without impeachment of wast). And after my decease to the use and behoof of the said Elizabeth Durrant my wife and her assignes during her life. And from and after her decease to the use and behoof of such p’son & p’sons & to such estate & effects as I the said John Durrant the testator by any Deed or writing or by my last Will & Testament in writing to be by me sealed and executed in the p’sence of three or more credible witnesses should for that purpose declare limit & appoint. And for want of such declaracon limitacon & appointment to the use of the right heires of me the said John Durrant the testator for ever. And as for touching & concerning the said messuage newly erected & built spot of ground taken off from an orchard & part of the pond in the occupacon of the said Richard Page to the use of Mary Durrant widow my late mother during her life (since deceased). And after her decease to the use of me the said John Durrant during my life and after my decease to the use of the said Elizabeth my wife for life. And after her decease to the onely prop use and behoof of Samuel Durrant my son & his heires for ever. And to & for no other use or uses intents or purposes whatsoever (as by the said recited Indenture more at large appeareth). Now I the said John Durrant the testator by vertue of the power to me in the said recited Indenture given and reserved. As touching the disposicon of the aforesaid three peeces or parcells of land called Alisherne and Nottys als Notts (from and after the decease of the said Elizabeth my wife) I the said John Durrant the testator do give & devise & declare limit & appoint the aforesaid three peeces or parcells of land called Alisherne & Nottys als Notts conteyning in all by estimacon twelve acres more or less in Waldron aforesaid in my own occupacon or my assignes unto the said Samuel Durrant my youngest son his heires & assignes for ever upon condicon that my said son Samuel Durrant shall pay unto my eldest son John Durrant twenty pounds of lawfull money of Great Brittain twelve calendar months after my decease. And I charge the aforesaid three peeces of land with the payment of the said twenty pounds as aforesaid. And my mind & will is that my said son John Durrant upon the receipt of the said twenty pounds shall give unto my said son Samuel Durrant a full discharge for the same & of all his right & title in the aforesaid three peeces of land called Alisherne & Nottys als Notts which I have charged with the payment of the aforesaid lands of twenty pounds at his own prop costs and charges or otherwise shall have no benefit by this my Will. Item I give and devise unto my said son Samuel Durrant all that one messuage or tenement wherein I now dwell together with one warehouse one brew house one stable close gardens & orchards thereunto belonging with thapptenncs. And also all that one barne & four peeces or parcells of land meadow & pasture formerly but three peeces & two inclosed ....? comonly called or known by the name of the Burnt Oake (or by whatsoever other name or names the same is called or known by) with thapptennces conteyning by estimacon twelve acres whether of the same there be more or less scituate lying & being in Waldron aforesaid & now in my occupacon or my assignes to have and to hold the said messuage barn land & p’misses with their every of their apptenances unto the said Samuel Durrant my son his heires and assignes for ever charging & comanding my said son Samuel Durrant to pay the annuity or yearly rent charge of five pounds of lawfull money of Great Brittain issuing out of the aforesaid barn land & p’misses .... to my said dear & loving wife Elizabeth Durrant during her naturall life according to the purport & effect of the before menconed recited Indenture which I have therein given unto her as aforesaid. And do further by this my Will charge & comand my said son Samuel Durrant to pay unto the said Elizabeth my wife (in case she survive me) the forty pounds at the end of six months next after my decease. As at the end of three months next after the death of me the said John Durrant the testator to deliver to the said Elizabeth my wife one full moiety or half part of all & every the plate, linnen, woollen, bedding, pewter, brass & other houshold goods whatsoever whereof or wherewith I the said John Durrant the testator shall be possessed or entitled unto at the time of my death pursuant to the proviso and agreement of me the said John Durrant the testator in the before recited Indenture respectively menconed. Item all the rest and residue of my goods chattells Bonds Bills mortgages and personall estate whatsoever and wheresoever to be found within the Kingdom of Great Brittain called England and not herein before given and bequeathed (my debts legacies funerall expences and probate of this my Will being first paid and discharged) I give and bequeath unto my loving son Samuel Durrant whom I make and ordain sole executor of this my last Will and Testament revoking all other Wills by me at any time here before made. In witness whereof I the said John Durrant the testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained in six sheetes of paper to the five first at the bottoms of the sheetes of paper set my hand and to the last sheete thereof my hand and seale the day and year first above written. John Durrant.
Signed sealed published and declared in the p’sence of us whose names are here unto subscribed who subscribed our names as witnesses hereunto in the p’sence of the testator according to a late Act of Parliament in that case made and provided. Rich: Lidgould; Charles Cannon; Sam: Durrant
(In Latin)Proved 1 March 1728 by Samuel Durrant the executor named in the said Will to whom admon was granted &c. Before me R Lardner, Surrogate
The tops of all the pages are almost black. DW
Unknown.