In the name of God Amen the tenth day of July Anno Dmi 1648 I Thomas Strudwick of Lowfold in the parish of Wisborough greene als xxxx in the County of Sussex yeoman being sick in body but of good and perfect memory thanks be given to Almighty God thereof do make & ordayne this my last will & testament in manner and form following That is to say
First and before all things I commend & committ my soule in to the hands of my blesssed creator trusting most assuredly to bee saved by the death passion and only merritt of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And my body to be buried with Christian burial
Item I give & bequeath unto my sister Jane the wife of Ralph Naldrett of the parish of Billinghurst tenn pounds of lawfull money of England
Item I give & bequeath unto John Mary Jane & Susan the sons and daughters of the sayd Ralph & my said sister Jane five pounds apeice
Item I give & bequeath unto my sisters Mary Katherine & Elizabeth Strudwick forty pounds apeece
Item I give & bequeath unto my brother Henry Strudwick my land of Lowfold aforesaid from the time of my decease untill my brother John Strudwick accomplish the age of one & twenty years And then & thence forward it shall be & remayne unto my said brother John his heirs & assigned hee the said John truly paying or giving security to pay the before mentioned legacyes in this my last will & testament bequeathed within three months after hee shall accomplish the sayd age
Item my will & meaning is that yf my sayd brother shall happen to dye before hee accomplish the sayd age of one and twenty years that then my sayd land of Lowfold shall abide and remayne unto my brother Henry his heyrs & assigned for ever He the sayd Henry paying the sayd legacyes before mentioned
Item I give & bequeath unto my sayd brother John all the household stuff which is within doores & belonging unto and with the sayd house of Lowfold
Item I give and Bequeath unto Thomas, Elizabeth and Jane the son and daughters of my father in Law John Wade within the parish of Wisborough green tenn shillings apeece to be payed by my executor at their ages of one and twenty years
Item I give and Bequeath unto every servant in the dwelling in Wisborough of the sayd John Wade twelve pence to be payed by my executor within one month after my decease
Item I give & bequeath unto the poore people of the parish of Wisborough green aforesaid forty shillings to be payed & distributed by the discretion of my executor within half a yeare after my decease whereof I desire that five & twenty shillings be distributed to the poore people of this end of the parish and fifteen unto Loxwood end
Item my debts payed & the legacies & engagements of mee required by the last will & testament of my brother William Strudwick late of the sayd parrish of Wisborough greene disposed according to the true intent & meaning thereof, and after all my funerall & other charges about like probation of this my last will & testament discharged & payd I give & bequeath unto my sayd brother henry Strudwick all the rest of my goods & chatttells whatsoever
Finally I desire my Uncle William Stenning & Roger Whittington of the sayd parrish of Wisborough Green to bee Overseers of this my last will & testament unto whom I bequeath two shillings a peece
In witness whereof I have sett my hand & seale to this my last will & testament this said ninth day of July Anno Dmi 1648 Thomas Strudwick
Signed Sealed Published and Declared as the last will & testament of the sayd Thomas Strudwick in the presence of Maurice Rowland, clerk William Stenning John Wade his mark Elizabeth Weeden her mark
Memorandum that the word 'Strudwick' between the tenth and eleventh line and the words 'and thence forward' between the thirteenth & fourteenth lines and the words 'before mentioned' between the fourteenth & fifteenth lines and part of the word 'Household Stuff' between the nineteenth and twentieth lines, also the word 'this' and the words ' to bee' towards the end of this will & testament were interlined before the sealing & subscribing here of Maurice Rowland William Stenning John Wade his mark, Elizabeth Weeden her mark
Memorandum that the testator herein named at the time of the making & declaring of this his last will & testament did name and appoynt his brother Henry Strudwick, within named, to bee the full and whole executor of this his herein written will & testament which should have been inserted in the sayd will but was casually omitted And this wee whose names are under written are each ready to testify appon our oathes Maurice Rowland xxx Testamenti Sx William Stenning
Probatum August 1648 to Henry Strudwick, after Maurice Rowland and William Stenning were duly sworn.