In the name of god Amen in the yere of our Lord god 1579 the xvth daie of Januarey and in the xxist yere of the raigne of our Sov[er]aigne Ladye Quene Elizabethe by the grace of god &c I RICHARDE WARDE of the parishe of WESTGRINSTED and in the countye of Sussex yeoman make this my laste will and Testamente being sicke of bodye but of p[er]fect memorey thankes be gevene to god, as followethe
First I will and bequeathe unto MARY my wife all my lands and tenements lyinge and beinge in the p[ar]yshes of WESTGRINSTED ASHURSTE and LAUNSINGE w[i]th the app[ur]tenancs whatsoev[er] untyll my sonne GEORGE WARDE and THOMAS and the Childe that she goethe by yf yt be a sonne come unto the age of xxitie yeres and then to delyv[er] them my lands with the app[ur]tenancs as followeth
First I will and geve unto my sonne GEORGE w[hi]ch ys my eldest sonne all those my lands and tenements called BLACLY MORDEN[?], NEWLAND and SOUGERS w[i]th the app[ur]tenancs whatsoever therunto belonginge to be delyv[er]ed unto him when he cometh to the age of xxitie yeres as ys aforesaid
Item I will and bequeathe unto THOMAS my Seconde sonne all those my lands and tenements in ASHURSTE w[i]th the App[ur]tenancs whatsoever therunto belonginge to be delyv[er]ed unto him when he cometh to the age of xxitie yeres
Item I will if the same be a sonne w[hi]ch my wyefe is nowe greate of that he sh[oul]d have all thos[e] my lands & tenements in LAUNSINGE w[i]th the app[ur]tenancs whatsoever therunto belonginge to be delyv[er]ed unto him when he cometh to the age of xxitie yeres and yf the childe w[hi]ch my wyefe ys nowe greate of be a daughter then I will all thos[e] my lands in LAUNSINGE unto my eldest sonne GEORGE to be delyv[er]ed him when he comethe to the age of xxitie yeres Provided always that eyther of my sonnes shall have the lands before mensyoned to them and to their heyres.
Item I will that yf my second sonne THOMAS doe dye before he cometh to the age of xxitie yeres abd w[i]thout heyres of his bodye lawfully begotten that then thos[e] lands w[hi]ch I have geven him as are before mensyoned shall goe unto my Sonne GEORGE and his heyres, and to be delyv[er]ed him when he cometh to the age of xxitie yeres Also yf my sonne THOMAS do dye after he comethe to the age of xxitie yeres and w[i]thout heyres I will that thos[e] my lands w[hi]ch I have given unto my sayde sonne THOMAS unto my eldest sonne GEORGE.
Item I will & bequeath unto the childe w[hi]ch my wife ys nowe greate of wheather yt be sonne or daughter thirtye pounds. Yf yt be a daughter then I will the money to be payde her at xviii yeres of age or at the tyme of her mareyadge and yf yt be a sonne then I will the sayde money to be payde him when he comethe to the age of xxitie yeres.
Item I will and bequeathe unto my daughter DOROTHYE xxxli to be payde her when she com[eth] ethe[r] to the age of xviii yeres or at the tyme of hir marreyadge
Ite[m] I will unto my eldest sonne GEORGE my furnes and my greateste caudronew[i]th the rynges and one brasse pott
Ite[m] I will unto my daughter DOROTHYE cauldron[?] & a great Kettell
Ite[m] I will unto the childe my wyffe goethe by the best brasse panne savinge one and one brasse pott
Ite[m] I will unto my sonne GEORGE two payer of sheets
Ite[m] I will unto my sonne THOMAS two payer of sheets
And unto my daughter DOROTHEY two payer of shets and unto the childe my wyffe goethe by two payer of sheets
Ite[m] I will to the poore of WESTGRINSTED vis viiid
Ite[m] I will to THOMAS PARSON my man vs
Ite[m] I will to RICHARDE BOOCHER my god son iiis iiiid
Ite[m] I will unto every of my servants xiid
Ite[m] I will unto my wyffe all the reste of my goods unbequeathed whome I make my sole executrix, and to have all the reste of the goods w[hi]ch I have geven unto my children in her custodye untyll the tymes before mensyoned
Item I will that my wife shall put in good and suffycyent suertye unto my ov[er]sers for the true performans of my will And yf my wyffe doe refuse to put in good and suffycyent suertye unto my overseers That then yt shalbe Lawfull for my said oversors to take and enter upon the goods w[hi]ch I have geven my children as ys before mensyoned and the same to kepe and retayne unto my childrens uses untyll they come to the ages afore mensyoned and I will that my overseers shall put in good and suffycyente suertyes unto my executrix for the deleverey and payments of the sayde goods unto my children w[i]th the profytes w[hi]ch shall ryse therof
Item I will that yf anney of my children doe dye before they come to the ages before mensyoned in w[hi]ch they should receave their goods That then the goods of the sayde childe shall be devided equalley amonge the reste of my sayde children
Ite[m]I will that yf my wyffe doe dye before my children come to there ages in w[hi]ch they ought to receave these lands, that then my overseers shall enter in and uppon the lands before bequeathed unto my children and the same to retayne & keape unto the childrens uses untyll they come to the ages before mensyoned and to see the children broughte uppe untyll they come to their full ages, and then to delyv[er] unto my children their landes w[i]th profytes that shall ryse therof deducting their charges for the bringinge uppe of the children
Ite[m] I will unto my sonne GEORGE xli, And unto my sonne THOMAS xli to be paude theme whene they come to their ages
Item I will to my overseers iiis iiiid a pece My overseers names are theis GEORGE DAVIE JOHN AGATE of Iming...[?] JOHN BERDE of COWFOULD
Sined and delyv[er]ed in the presens of us THOMAS SHERLEY RICHARDE WOODD JOHN AGATE THOMAS SCHATEFFORDE JOHNE BERDE and others
Proved 26 May 1579.
West Sussex Record Office – Records of the Archdeaconry Court of Chichester. Ref: STCI/12 f 96b
Notes by transcriber:
The child Richard’s wife was expecting at the time his father wrote his Will, was a boy, named Richard, and he was baptised in West Grinstead on 20 March 1579/80
Dorothy, Richard’s daughter was baptised in West Grinstead on 16 January 1567/8.
Thomas Ward, Richard’s second son, was baptised in West Grinstead on 29 June 1577
There is some query here over the date of this Will. The Will states it was made on 15 January 1579, which is presumably 1579/80. However, it was proved on 26 May 1579 ie before it was written!
Unknown.