First and principally I commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my faithfull Creator assuredly trusting through the merits and mediaton of Jesus Christ my Blessed Savior and Redeemer to obtain free pardon and remission of all my sins; My Body I committ to the earth from whence originally it was taken, decently to be interred with such Christian like solemnities as to Executors herein after named shall seem meet and convenient for one of my rank and degree.
Item I will order and appoint That all such debts and sum[m]es of money which at the time of my death I shall justly owe to any person or persons be respectively paid unto them by my Executors with all convenient speed after my decease.
Item I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Joyce Easton the summe of One Hundred pounds of lawfull money of England to be raised and paid for out of my Personal estate Upon this special [?] or Conditon nevertheless That she my said Wife shall and do relinquish and surrender her Joynter of and in my Mills and all other my lands tenements and hereditaments in Cogenhoe als Cooknoe in the said County of Northton and absolutely release and quitt all her right and title therein or thereto unto my eldest Son Joseph Easton the younger so that my said Son and heir may forthwith upon my death enter upon the said Mills lands and hereditaments with their appten~ces and from thenceforth hold and enjoy the same to him and his heirs forever without any disturbance claim or demand of my said wife or her assigns But if my said Wife shall refuse to handle this my will and appointment in relinquishing her Joynture and releasing all her right and title in and to said Mills and the expenses thereof Then and in that case I give and bequeath the Hundred pounds above mentioned unto my said Son Joseph Easton and leave my wife to her Joynture to make the best advantage thereof she lawfully may or can
Item I give and bequeath unto my said son Joseph Easton and to his heirs and assignes forever All that Acre of meadow ground (be it more or lesse) which I lately purchased of one John [?] and [?] his wife living and being in the meadow of Cogenhoe als Cooknoe aforesaid with all the apptences thereof
Item whereas I have formerly given unto my second son William Easton a sufficient [?] or Childs part I now give him the further sum[m]e or legacy of ffive shillings (and no more) [illegible: crease in paper] the same to be paid unto him by my Executors within three months next after my decease.
Item I give and divise unto my third son Nathaniel Easton and to his heirs and assignes forever all that Messuage or Tenement which I sometime since purchased of and from one Benoni Bradshaw and Barbara his wife situate and being in the parish of All Saints in the said town of Northton in a certain street or place there called Gold Street and now in the possession of my said son Nathaniel Easton and of several other Tenants and occupied thereof Together with all outhouses buildings yards orchards gardens profits and appten~ces whatsoever thereunto belonging
Subject nevertheless to and chargeable with the payment of One hundred pounds of lawfull money of England and interest for the same at the rate of ffive pounds per Anum which I give and bequeath unto my youngest son Samuel Easton and order the same to be paid unto him at his age of One and twenty years But the Interest thereof I order and direct to be paid to my Executors and the Survivor of them by half yearly payments The first payment thereof to begin and be made at the end of Six Calendar months next after my decease And so to continue payable as afores.d during the minority of the said son Samuel Easton to be imployed by my Executors or the Survivor of them for and towards his maintenance and education or other ways to his best advantage And for default of payment of the [first line of second page illegible] lawfull for my said son Samuel Easton at his foresaid age of one and twenty years to enter upon the afores.d Messuage or Tenem.t with the appten~ces and the same to hold and enjoy to his [?] proper use until the same hundred pounds and the Interest thereof shall be fully satisfied and paid unto him.
Item I give and bequeath unto my said son Samuel Easton the further summe of ffifty pounds and the Interest thereof after the rate of ffive pounds per Cent per Anum to be paid him by my Executors or the Survivor of them and of my same estate at his afores.d age of one and twenty years.
Item I give and bequeath unto my fourth Son Richard Easton the sum[m]e of Thirty pounds of lawfull money of England And also all my Book debts summe and summes which at the time of my death shall be due and owing unto me by and from any person or persons in the Town of Northton afores.d either for Corn or Grinding, and order my Executors fortwith upon my death to assigne and set over the said Book debts unto him, and to do all other acts and things necessary for the recovery of the same and also to pay him the afores.d Thirty pounds within Six months next after my decease
Item I give and bequeath unto my said son Richard Easton my house and term of years to come of and in the Mills called Clark mill wherein I now live, with the grounds and Closes thereunto adjoining and belonging To hold to him and his assignes under the rents and [?] in the same house contained.
Item I give and bequeath unto my said son Richard Easton my Wind-mill standing and being in Northampton ffield with all the rights members and appurten~ces thereof to dispose of at his pleasure without interruption of my Executors or either of them
Item I give and bequeath unto my said son Richard Easton the best horse I shall have at Clark mill at the time of my death and also all my Sacks measures instruments and materials properly belonging to and used about the said Mills last mentioned together with such household goods there being as my Wife can best spare and shall be willing to bestow upon him
Item I give and divise unto my oldest daughter Joyce Easton and to heirs and assignes forever all that my Messuage Tenement or Inne called the Three Tuns situate in the parish of All Saints in the said Town of Northton on the west side of a certain Street there called the Horsemarket and now in the possession of one Daniel Stiles or his assignes Together with all the outhouses stables profits and appten~ces whatsoever thereunto belonging
Item I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Joyce Easton the sum[m]e of ffourty pounds of lawfull money to be paid her by my Executors at her age of one and twenty years or on her day of marriage which of the two shall first happen
Item I give and divise unto my second daughter Jane Easton and to her heirs and assignes forever All those my two several Tenements or dwelling houses situate in the said parish of All Saints in the said Town of Northton [illegible: crease in paper] in the [?] [?] of W.m field and Jo.n Hopkins with their oath of their appten~ces
Item I give & bequeath unto my said daughter Jane Easton the sum[m]e of ffourscore pounds of lawfull money to be paid her by my Executors at her age of one and twenty years or on her day of marriage, which of the two shall happen first
Item I give & divise unto my third and youngest daughter Anne Easton [several words partially erased] all lands and hereditam.t whatever lying & being dispsed in the fields libties & precincts of Ecton in the said County of Northton now in the tenure of one Nathaneel Charles with their appten~ces to hold to her and to her heirs and assignes forever.
Provided always & my will & meaning is That in case any one or more of my Children now under age shall happen to die unmarried before they attain their respcive ages of one & twenty years, then the legacy or legacies of him her or them so dying (be the same in lands or moneys) shall be equally divided amongst all my other surviving Children, share & share alike
Item all other my lands tenem.t and hereditam.t goods chattells ready money credits & estate whatsoever not before disposed of (after paym.t of my debts and my ffuneral expenses defrayed) I give & bequeath unto my said wife Joyce Easton & eldest son Joseph Easton whom I nominate & constitute joint & full Executors of this my last Will & Testam.t hereby revoking all former Wills by me made whether by word or in writing
In Witnes whereof I the s.d Joseph Easton the elder to this my last will (contained in two sheets of paper) have set my hand & seal this twenty fourth day of May in the second year of the reign of our Sovraign Lady Queen Anne & Anno Dmi 1703.
The seal of Joseph Easton.
This transcript was taken from a microfilm copy of the original will held at the Northamptonshire Records Office in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England. We have tried to be as accurate as possible but because of the faded and sometimes illegible script in the document, there may be errors.
Formatting and emphasis have been added to ease legibility.
Copyright © 1995-2003 by David Harper and Lynne Marie Stockman