Ralph Gilbert of Scalford 1628 Will
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Archives, Leicestershire Wills and Probate Records 1628
In the name of God Amen I Ralph Gilberte of Scalford in the Countie of Leicester being sick in bodie but of good & perfect memory (god bee praised therefore) doe upon the seaventeenth day of April in the yeare of our Lord god one thousand six hundred twentie & eight ordain this my last will & testament in manner & forme following that is to say
First I bequeath my soule to god my maker & creator hopeing through the meritts & onely deserte of Christe my mediator & onely redeemer to bee partaker of life everlasting
Next I bequeath my bodie to the earth to bee buried in Christian buriall in the parishe Church of Scalford aforesaid about the font at the discretion of my wife Margarett my Executrix & for the worldly goods I dispose & bequeathe in manner & forme following that is to say
First I give & bequeath unto my eldest sonne Willm twelve pence And I doe alsoe hereby refere him (next under god) to the care & discretion of his mother to provide necessaries for him while she liveth And after her decease then I desire & enioyne my Second Sonne Robert to take the care of him for such necessarie things as hee shall stand in need of making noe doubte but that before the time of her death & departure out of this world shee will give unto my sonne Robte some proporcon of goods out of her estate for that purpose which (I hope) my sonne Robte out of his love & affection to us both & to his brother Willm will accepte of
And I doe further give and bequeath unto my second sonne Robte xiid out of my estate
And unto my third sonne Faustyn I doe give & bequeath fortie pounds a sufficient advancemt for him out of my estate to bee paid unto him at the age of one & twentie yeares
And unto my eldest daughter Margerie I give & bequeath twelve pence
And unto my second daughter Joyce I doe hereby give & bequeath tenn pounds as a competent advancemt out of my estate
And unto my third daughter Dorothie I give & bequeath xiid
And unto my fourth daughter Elizabeth I doe hereby give & bequeath fortie pounds as a sufficient advancemt for her out of my estate to bee paid unto her at the age of eighteene yeares or at the day of her marriage which shall first happen
Provided & it is my will that if my goods & Chattells doe not amount to the full value of eight score pounds upon a iuste & equally valuacon that then my said former Children Faustyn & Elizabeth shall abate eache of them five pounds of their portions & accepte of thirtie five pounds a peece
Item I give to the Church as much as will … the font about decently at a Child Christeninge
Item I give & bequeath unto the poore of the parishe of Scalford halfe a quarter of barley to bee devided amongst the poorest people of Scalford according to the discretion of my Executrix
Itm I give & bequeath unto Easter Hemington my grandchilde five pounds
Item I doe hereby give and bequeath unto Margarett my wife my Cottage house or Tenemt with thappurtenancs wherein Edward Bree now dwelleth And likewise my[MJ1] debts legacies & funerall expenses being discharged the rest of my goods & Cattells & Chattells I doe hereby give & bequeath unto Margarett my wife whome I make constitute and appoint to bee the full & Sole Executrix of this my will
And lastly I doe hereby requeste And desire Mr Richard Bidles of Rowlston to be the supervisor of this my last will & Testament
And soe revoaking all former willes & Testamts whatsoever by mee maide I doe make & ordayne this to bee my last will & testamt whereunto I have putt my hand & seale the day and yeare abovewritten
Ralph Gilbert
Published & declared to bee my last will & testamt in the presence of
Memorandum that it is my will that my sd daughter Elizabeth shall in hir marriage bed ruled by her mother & Mr Bidles the supervisor of this my will & that if it happen that shee will not bee advised & ruled by them in her marriage that then it is my will that shee shall onely have twentie pounds to her parte to bee paid unto her at the time beforenamed
John Musson
William Sharpe
Probate 5 April 1628