In the name of God Amen I Samuel Durrant of Waldron in the County of Sussex mercer being indisposed in body but of sound & perfect mind & memory (thanks be given to God) therefore doe this p’sent first day of February in the seaventh yeare of the raigne of our Sovraigne Lady Ann by the grace of God of Great Brittain France and Ireland Queene defender of the faith &c Anno Dni 1708 make & ordaine this my last will & Testament in manner & forme following (that is to say)In the first place I recomend my soule into the hands of Almighty God that gave it mee & my body I leave to returne to the earth from whence it came & to receive a decent buriall at the discrecon of my executors hereafter named. And as touching the dysposing of my worldly estate as it hath pleased God to blesse mee with in this world I do dispose of the same as followeth. Inprimis I give & bequeath unto the poore of the parish of Waldron aforesaid thirty shillings to bee distributed amongst them att the discretion of my executors herein after named within six months after my decease. Item I give & bequeath unto Mary my loving wife twenty pounds of lawfull money of Great Brittain to bee paid unto her within six months after my decease by my executors hereafter named. Item I give & bequeath unto the said Mary my loving wife the use of all my plate & silver spoons during her naturall life. And after her decease I give unto my grandsonne John Durrant my old silver tumbler. To Mary Durrant my grandaughter one silver poringer sonne & daughter of John Durrant my sonne. To William Durrant my grandsonne my wrought silver tumbler. To Samuel Durrant my grandsonne my silver tankard sonnes of my sonne Samuel Durrant. To Samuel Bradshaw my grandsonne one silver spoone marked with J:D: and unto James Bradshaw my grandsonne one silver spoone marked with A:J: which said severall legacies aforesaid given my mind & will is shall bee delivered unto my aforesaid grandchildren att their severall & respective ages of one & twenty yeares by my executors hereafter named (if the said Mary my wife shall not bee living) if living the legacies aforesaid not to bee delivered. All after her death I haveing given unto the said Mary my loving wife the use of my plate during her life. Item I give & bequeath unto Elizabeth the now wife of my said sonne John Durrant & unto Anne the now wife of my sonne Samuel Durrant one twenty shilling peece of gold a peece in token of my love towards them. Item I give & bequeath unto Samuel Durrant my grandsonne & sonne of my sonne John Durrant one broad peece of gold called a Jacobus to bee paid unto him att his age of one & twenty yeares by my executors hereinafter named. Item I give & bequeath unto Sarah Durrant my grandaughter one chest of drawers to be delivered unto her by my executors herein after named att her age of one & twenty yeares. Item I give & bequeath unto Sarah West widow my sister twenty shillings to bee paid unto her within six months next after my decease by my executors hereafter named. Item I give & bequeath unto the said Mary my loving wife all my linnen to bee delivered unto her imediately after my decease by my executors hereafter named. Item I give & bequeath unto the said Mary my loving wife the best bed with all the furniture thereto belong one chest one table & three stooles in the best chamber of my now dwelling house during her naturall life. And after her decease I give the same unto my said sonnes John Durrant & Samuel Durrant equally to be divided betweene them. Item I give & bequeath unto the said Mary my loving wife what necessary houshold ............ after my decease during her life b& no longer. And after her decease I give the same necessary housholds (excepting the brewing vessells & tubbs) to my said sonnes John Durrant & Samuel Durrant. Item I give and bequeath unto my said sonne John Durrant all my brewing vessells & tubbs & one iron plate now being in the parlour of his dwelling house imediately after the decease of the said Mary my loving wife. Item I give & bequeath unto the said Samuel Durrant .... sonne his executors administrators & assignes the lease of my wast ground lying att Waldron? Downe during the terme of yeares therein yet to come. Item I give & bequeath unto the said Samuel Durrant my sonne my longest spit. Item I give & bequeath unto Samuel Bradshaw my grandsonne one hundred pounds of lawfull money of Great Brittain to bee paid unto him att his age of one & twenty yeares & not before by my executors herein after named. Item I give & bequeath unto James Bradshaw my grandsonne one hundred pounds of like money to bee paid unto him att his age of one & twenty yeares & not before by my executors herein after named. And in case any of my said grand children Samuel Bradshaw or James Bradshaw or either of them shall happen to dye before they shall attaine theire severall ages of one & twenty yeares then my mind & will is that the legacy of moneyes aforesaid bequeathed of him soe dyeing shall goe to the survivor of them to bee paid unto him att his age of one & twenty yeares. And in case my said two grand children Samuel Bradshaw & James Bradshaw shall both of them happen to dye before they shall attaine theire severall ages of one & twenty yeares then my mind & will further is that the legacies of one hundred pounds a peece given to the said Samuel Bradshaw & James Bradshaw as aforesaid shall bee equally divided amongst all my grandchildren that shall bee living at my decease of my sonnes John Durrant and Samuel Durrants children and to bee paid unto them att theire severall and respective ages of one and twenty yeares by my executors hereafter named. Item I give & bequeath unto the said John Durrant, Mary Durrant, Sarah Durrant & Samuel Durrant my grand children & sonnes & daughters of my said sonne John Durrant and unto William Durrant and Samuel Durrant my grand children & sonnes of my said sonne Samuel Durrant & unto the said Samuel Bradshaw & James Bradshaw my grandsonnes one broad peece of gold a peece called a Jacobus to bee paid unto them att theire severall & respective ages of one & twenty yeares & not before by my executors herein after named (if the said Mary my wife shall bee then dead (if living) the aforesaid legacies of one Jacobus a peece not to bee paid to my aforesaid grand children till after her death. Shee haveing the said peeces of old gold in her owne keeping. Item I give & bequeath unto Mr Ebenezer Bradshaw my sonne in law five pounds a yeare? to bee paid unto him by my executors herein after named halfe yearely untill such .... said Samuel Bradshaw his sonne shall attaine the age of one & twenty yeares ... should have attained his said age had he lived & no longer out of interest ... my executors will have power to receive. The first payment to begin six months after my decease. All the rest & residue of my goods chattells ready money bonds bills morgages plate & p’sonal estate whatsoever & wheresoever to bee found in the Kingdom of Great Brittain called England & not herein before given & bequeathed my debts legacies funerall expences & probat of this my will being first paid and discharged I give & bequeath unto the said John Durrant & Samuel Durrant my sonnes whom I doe hereby make & ordaine executors of this my last will and Testament revoking all former Wills by mee heretofore made. This is also the last will and Testament of mee the said Samuel Durrant the testator made published & declared the day and yeare above written touching the disposicon of my messuages lands tenements & p’misses with theire & every of theire appurtenances herein after menconed (that is to say) First I give & devise unto my said sonne John Durrant & his heires for ever all that my messuage barne & severall peeces or parcells of freehold land with thapptenances called or knowne by the name of Pookereede? scituate lying & being upon Waldron Downe in the pish of Waldron aforesaid conteyning by estimacon sixteene acres more or lesse & now in the occupacon of Richard Smith or his assignes. Item I give & devise unto the said Samuel Durrant my sonne & his heires for ever all that peece of land called by the name of Horsmans or by what other name soever called conteyning by estimacon foure acres more or lesse lying & being att or neere a place called the Hoadly Butts? in the parish of Easthoadly in the said County of Sussex & nowe or late in the occupacon of Isaac Virgoe or his assignes which I the said Samuel Durrant the testator did by a surrender bearing date on or about the last day of ... one thousand six hundred eighty & nine surrender into the hands of the Lord of the Mannor of Heighton St Clare by the acceptance of BLANK Shelley Esqr, Steward of the said Court to such uses as I should by my last will & Testament declare limit or appoint. Item whereas I the said Samuel Durrant the testator did by a surrender bearing date the foure & twentieth day of January 1688 surrender into the hands of the Lord of the Mannor of Laughton by the acceptance of John Hunt, Beadle; John Attwood, Gent & James Driver? two customary tennants of the said Mannor all that one peece or parcell of woodland conteyning by estimacon twenty acres more or lesse lying & being in Waldron aforesaid to such use & uses as I should by my last Will & Testament ........ declare limitt or appoint. Now I the said Samuel Durrant the testator doe hereby give & devise the said peece or parcell of woodland aforesaid with thappurtenances unto the said Samuel Durrant my sonne his heires & assignes for ever/ Item whereas also I the said Samuel Durrant the testator did by a surrender bearing date on or about BLANK day of BLANK in the yeare of our Lord 1691 surrender into the hands of the Lord of the Mannor of Laughton aforesaid by the acceptance of Charles ....., Gent, Steward of the said Court a messuage barne & five acres peeces of land more or lesse thereto belonging with apptenances scituate lying & being upon Waldron Downe neere the Thornes there in Waldron aforesaid heretofore Sprays? & late Thomas? Bakers to such use & uses as I should by my last will & Testament in writing declare limitt or appoint. Now I the said Samuel Durrant the testator doe hereby give & devise the said messuage barnes & five peeces of land with thapptenances thereunto belonging & last above menconed unto the said Samuel Durrant my sonne his heires & assignes for ever. In witnes whereof I the said Samuel Durrant the testator have to this my last Will & Testament contained in foure sheetes of paper to the three first of the bottom of the sheetes of paper sett my hand & to the last sheete thereof my hand & seale the day & yeare first above written. Samuel DurrantSigned sealed published & declared in the p’sence of us whose names are hereunto subscribed who subscribed our names as witnesses thereunto in the p’sence of the testator according to a late Act of Parliament ... that case was & provided. John Morton?; Richard Goldsmith his marke; William Luxford
(Latin) Proved 5 July 1712 by John Durrant & Samuel Durrant the executors named in the said Will to whom was granted admon &c. Before me John Shore?, Surrogate
There is a lot of black around the sides of the pages that has unfortunately crept over the text in places, also some of the text has gone off the edge of the photocopy. DW
Unknown.