In the name of God Amen the eight & twentieth day of Aprill in the eight & twentieth year of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lord Charles the second by the grace of god King of England Scotland et~ and in the year of our Lord 1676 I John Strudwicke of Ashurst in the County of Sussex yeoman being sicke in body but of sound mind and pfect memory thanks bee given to God Heretofore revoking all former wills and testaments doe make publish and ordaine this my last will & testament in manner & forme followinge Viz
Ffirst I comend my soule into the hands of almighty God trusting to bee saved by the only merritts & mediation of Jesus Christ my Blessed Saviour & Redeemer & my body I render to the earth to bee decently buryed in the Church yard of Ashurst aforesaid by & att the discretion of my Executors in trust hereafter named & for my worldly goods I thus of them dispose
First I give and bequeath unto the poor of the parish of Ashurst aforesaid the sum of twenty shillings of lawfull English money to bee distributed amongst them by the executors in trust of this my last will & testament hereafter named by & with the advice & consent of the churchwardens & overseers of the poor of the said Parish within half a year next after my decease
Item I give & bequeath unto Thomas Strudwicke my son & to his heirs & assigns for ever one parcell of land of mine called or knowne by the name of Freely garden together with the appurtenances thereunto belonging & all the writttings concerning the same and my will & meaninge is that hee and his heirs & assigns for ever shall have free liberty of ingresse egresse and regresse into itt by the same way leading to itt that I myself with my teeme used always to goe to itt without the denyall or molestation of Henry my son his heirs and assigns
Item I give & bequeath unto Henry Strudwicke my son my lands which I purchased called or knowne by the name of Grants situate lying and being in Ashurst aforesaid together with all the appurtenances thereto belonginge and all the writtings concerning the same I give I say the same to him and to his heirs and assigns and when hee shall come to the full age of one & twenty years
Item my will & meaning is that Thomas Strudwicke my son or my executors in trust hereafter named shall pay unto my said son Henry yearly and every year twelve pounds of lawfull English money quarterly by even & equall porcons towards his education and maintenance untill hee comes to the age aforesaid
Item I give & bequeath unto Anne Strudwicke my daughter the summ of two hundred pounds of lawfull English money to bee paid unto her when shee shall come to the age of eighteen years or day of marriage which of them shall happen first
Item my will & meaning is that Thomas Strudwicke my son shall pay the said two hundred pounds to her att the time and times afore mentioned out of my lands called or knowne by the name & names of Poyntell & Grants & likewise my will & meaning is that my said son Thomas or my executor in trust hereafter named shall pay unto my said daughter Anne yearly & every year thirteen pounds of lawfull English money quarterly by even and equall porcons towards her education & maintenance untill shee come to the age and time aforesaid
And further my will and meaning is that if my said daughter Anne should happen to dye before she come to the age of one and twenty years then the porcon hereby given her shall bee equally divided and remaine to Thomas & Henry my sons
& further my will & meaninge is that if either of my sons Thomas or Henry should happen to dye before they come to the age of one and twenty years then my said daughter Anne shall have two hundred pounds more of lawfull english money to bee paid unto at the age and time aforesaid out of my lands called Poyntell & Grants
Item I give to my daughter Anne two pieces of Gold amounting in value to forty shillings and upwards and three silver spoones
Item I give and bequeath to my said son Henry and Anne my daughter three paires of sheets apeice to each of them two pair of xxx sheets and one paire of linnen sheets to each of them one feather bed one feather bolster & two pilows apeice
Item I give & bequeath unto the said Anne my daughter the childs mantle & the child bed linnen
Item further to my will & meaninge is if the said two hundred pounds or as it may happen four hundred pounds hereby to my said daughter Anne shall not bee paid to her at the time and times aforesaid then shee shall have power to enter unto the said lands called Poyntells & Grants and shall take the profitt thereof untill the said two hundred or as it may happen four hundred pounds and the arears thereof bee fully satisfied and paid
Item further my will & meaning is if it shall soe happen that all my three children Thomas Henry & Anne should happen to dy without issue then I hereby give & bequeath my lands called Poyntells and Grants & Freely garden unto John Strudwicke of Wisborough Greene my brother in law in the county of Sussex aforesaid to him his heirs & assigns for ever hee the said John Strudwicke payinge two hundred pounds in manner & forme following that is to say to the five children of my uncle Richard Woolvin late of West Grinstead in the County aforesaid deceased namely Richard Anne Elizabeth Thomas & Susan twenty pounds apeice & one hundred pounds to Henry Strudwicke of Stenninge in the County aforesaid my kinsman
The rest of all my Goods and Chattells Cattle household stuff money or moneys worth whatsoever my debts beinge paid & funerall expenses discharged I give and bequeath unto Thomas Strudwicke my son whom I hereby make & ordaine the sole executor of this my last will & testament
And I desire nominate & appoint my loving friends & kinsman Richard Pilfold of Warnham my father in law & my Uncle John Woolvin of Liminster, Henry Badmeringe of Weston my Cousin, John Strudwicke of West Borrow greene my brother in law, John Pilfold of Warnham my brother in law ,all of this County to bee my Executors in trust because my executor is younge
& I give them hereby full power & authority to lett & putt out all my lands to the best advantage & likewise to sell & dispose of my stocke & goods to the best advantage to pay my debts & to dispose of my lands according to their discretion untill my said executor comes to the full age of one and twenty yeares
And I give them forty shillings apeice in token of my love over & above the allowance of all their lawfull charges that they shall bee att in or about my business
In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand & seale the day & ytyear above written
Item my will & meaning further is before the sealing hereof that my said daughter Anne shall have more linnen of all flock sheets napkins towells tablecloths pillow coates & pewter of all sorts such as I have according to the discretion of my executors in trust John Strudwicke his mark
Signed sealed & published to bee the last will & testament of the aforesaid John Strudwicke in the presence of us Thomas Wilson John Haseldon his marke
Probatum 1676