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The last Will and Testament of
Thomas Gutteridge
2nd Jan 1729

Start of WillIn the Name of God Amen

I Thomas Gutteridge of Desborough in the County of Northampton, Yeoman, being in Health of Body and of sound and disposing Mind and Memory, for which I give my grateful Thanks to Almighty God, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in Manner and Form following, that is to say

in the first place I resign my Soul into the hands of Almighty God, and Body I commit to the Earth to have given unto it such decent Christian Interment as my Executors, herein after named, in their discretions shall think meet and convenient, hoping and firmly trusting that I shall obtain a happy Resurrection of the same to everlasting Happiness; and as for my worldly Estate both Reall and Personall I give devise, bequeath and dispose of the same in manner and Form following that is to say

Imprimis I give and devise to my Nephew Bartin Gutteridge the older of Desborough aforesaid, Yeoman, and to his Heirs and Assigns for ever, all that my Messuage or Tenement together with all and singular the Houses, Outhouses, Barns, Stables, Dovehouse, Edifices, Buildings, Yards, Orchards, Gardens, Homestead[?] and Home Close, and all other Appurtenances to the said Messuage or Tenement belonging; and also all those several peices and Yard Land:- 20 to 40 acres of land, except at Wimbledon, where it contains up to 15 acres. parcels of Land, Arrable, Ley Meadow and Pasture Ground containing by Estimation and commonly reputed to be three yard Land and the one half of one yard Land or thereabouts, be the same more or less, together with the Appurtenances, three Yard Land and a half yard Land with the Appurtenances and situate, standing, lying and being in Desborough aforesaid or in the Feilds, Bounds, Libertyes, Precincts, or Territories thereof and now are in the Tenure or Occupation of my said Nephew Bartin Gutteridge; and also all the other my Messuages, Cottages, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments whatsoever in Desborough aforesaid whereof or wherein I stand seized of, or am in any wise interested in, or intitled unto, of any Estate of Inheritance in Fee:- all lands which are held by perpetual right.
Fee simple:- an absolute Estate which is given in these terms: "to him and his heirs for ever
Fee simple in possession, Revertion, Remainder, or Expectancy, To have and to hold the hereby before devised Messuage or Tenement with the Appurtenances, the said three yard Land and a half yard Land with the Appurtenances, and all and singular other my said Messuages, Cottages, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments in Desborough aforesaid unto my said Nephew Bartin Gutteridge his Heirs and Assigns for ever, to the only proper Use and Behoof of my said Nephew Bartin Gutteridge his Heirs and Assigns for ever

Item I give and bequeath to my said Nephew Bartin Gutteridge all that my Messuage Messuage, a dwelling house with some land adjoining, such as garden, orchard, etc or Tenement with the Appurtenances situate standing and being in Harborough in the County of Leicester, and now in the possession of John Cooper and whereof I stand possessed for an Estate or Term of a certain Number of years therein to come and unexpired as I am Executor of the last Will and Testament of my late brother John Gutteridge deceased To have and to hold the said Messuage or Tenement in Harborough aforesaid with the Appurtenances unto my said Nephew Bartin Gutteridge his Executors, administrations and Assigns for the Residue of such my said Estate or Term of Years which is therein yet to come and unexpired

Item I give and devise to my Nephew Thomas Gutteridge of Weston by Welland in the said County of North'ton, Yeoman, Brother by the Fathers side of my said Nephew Bartin Gutteridge, and to the Heirs and Assigns of my said Nephew Thomas Gutteridge for ever All that my Messuage or Tenement together with the Houses, Outhouses, Barns, Stables, Edifices, Buildings, Yards, Orchards, Gardens and all other the Appurtenances to the said last mentioned Messuage belonging; and also all those my several Peices and Parcels of Land, Arrable, Ley, Meadow, Pasture and grass Ground containing by Estimation and commonly reputed to be three Yard Lands and three quarterns of one yard Land or thereabouts, be the same more or less, all which said last mentioned Messuage or Tenement with the Appurtenances, and the said three yards Land and three quarterns of one Yard Land with the Appurtenances, are situate, standing, lyeing and being in Weston by Welland aforesaid or in the Feitos[?] Libertyes, Bounds, Precincts or Territories thereof; and also all other my Messuages, Cottages, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments in Weston by Welland aforesaid whereof or wherein I stand seized or am in any wise interested in or intitled unto of any Estate of Inheritance in Fee simple, in possession, Reversion, Remainder or Expectancy upon this express Condition that my said Nephew Thomas Gutteridge his Heirs or Assigns do and shall pay all and singular the Legacyes herein after and by the Codicill or Supplement to this my Will subscribed or underwritten, given and bequeathed to the several Legatees herein and therein after nominated, at or upon the second Feast day of St John the Baptist next following the day of my decease, the Legacy to the poor of Desborough and the residuary Legacy of all the Rest of my personal Estate to my Executors only excepted, To have and to hold the herein before devised and that last mentioned Messuage or Tenement with the Appurtenances, and the herein before devised and last mentioned three yard Land and three quarterns of one yard Land with the Appurtenances, and all other my said Messuages, Cottage, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments in Weston by Welland aforesaid to my said nephew Thomas Gutteridge his Heirs and Assigns to the only proper Use and Behoof of my said Nephew Thomas Gutteridge, his Heirs and Assigns for ever for such defeizable Estate as is aforesaid

Item I give and bequeath to Mary Coleman, Widow and Relict of William Coleman late of Church Langton in the said County of Leicester Yeoman deceased, the Sum of Forty pounds; and if it shall so happen that such said Legacy shall become lapsed by the death of the said Mary Coleman before my death then I give and bequeath the said Forty pounds to William Coleman, Elizabeth the Wife of William Andrewes, and Mary the Wife of Thomas Walker, the three Children of the said Mary Coleman to be equally divided between them Share and Share alike

Item I give and bequeath to my Nephew John Manning of Orlingbury in the said county of North'ton, Yeoman, the Sum of Forty pounds and if it shall so happen that the last mentioned Sum of Forty pounds shall become lapsed by the death of the said John Manning before my death then I give and bequeath such last mentioned Legacy or Sum of Forty pounds to and amongst the Child or Children of the said John Manning to be equally Divided amongst them, if more than one, Share and Share alike.

Item I give and bequeath to my Sister Elizabeth, the Widow and Relict of Thomas Mason late of Simmington, in the said County of Northampton, Yeoman, deceased, the sum of forty pounds and if it is shall so happen that the said last mentioned Legacy or Sum of Forty pounds shall become lapsed by the death of my said Sister Elizabeth Mason before my death then I give and bequeath the said last mentioned Legacy or Sum of Forty pounds to and amongst the Child or Children of my said Sister Elizabeth Mason to be equally divided amongst them, if more than one, Share and Share alike.

Item I give and bequeath to my Neice Jane, the Widow and Relict of Robert Iliffe late of Deborough aforesaid, Yeoman, deceased, the Sum of Forty pounds and if it shall so happen that the said last mentioned Legacy or Sum of Forty pounds shall become lapsed by the death of the said Jane Iliffe before my death then I give and bequeath the last mentioned Legacy or Sum of Forty pounds to or amongst the Child or Children of the said Jane Iliffe equally to be divided amongst them, if more than one, Share and Share alike.

Item I give and bequeath to Samuell Rogers Mansfield son of my Neice Elizabeth, now Wife of Thomas Mann[?], by John Mansfield late of Desborough aforesaid, Plumber, her former Husband, deceased, the Sum of Twenty pounds.

Item I give and bequeath to Thomas Justors[?], the Son of Thomas Justors of Layton in the County of Huntingdon, the Sum of two Guinneas in Gold.

Item I give and bequeath to the poor people of the parish of Desborough aforesaid twenty shillings to be paid and distributed to such poor objects of Charity there and in such parts Shares and Proportions as my Executors in their discretions shall think meet and convenient.

Item I will and require that my Executors hereinafter named, or either of them, or my personal Estate, or any part thereof which shall come to the hands possession or use of my Executors, or either of them, shall not be charged or chargeable with, or in any wise come or be brought in aid of the payment of my aforementioned Legacyes, or any of them, or any part of any of them, to the payment of which I have herein before made subject and lyable, all and singular my Messuages, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments in Weston by Welland aforesaid,

and I do hereby constitute ordain nominate and appoint my two said Nephews Bartin Gutteridge and Thomas Gutteridge Executors of this my last Will ad Testament, willing and requiring that my Appointment of them to be my Executors shall not only by Operation in Law (as I am informed and advised it doth) work a Release to my Executors of all Arrears of Rent due and unpaid to me for all the Lands and Tenements in Desborough and Weston by Welland aforesaid which they severally and respectively hold of me, but that my Executors shall for ever hereafter stand acquit also in Equity against each other, for all such said Arrears of Rent from them severally and respectively due and owing;

And I do give and bequeath to my said Executors all the Rest and Residue of my personal Estate and revoke all my former Wills

In Witness whereof I the above named Thomas Gutteridge, the Testator, have hereunto set my hand and Seal the second day of January anno domini 1729 Thomas Gutteridge Signed, Sealed, published and delivered by the above named Thomas Gutteridge, the Testator, as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who subscribed our Names as Witnesses hereunto in the presence of the said Testator John Stoughton - John Orpin - Thos Massey.

I the above named Thomas Gutteridge the Testator do by this codicil or Supplement to my above written Will subscribed or underwritten and in the Body of my said Will by an Interlineation therein referred do give and bequeath to my Nephew Joseph Manning of Orlingbury in the County of North'ton, Yeoman, the Sum of Forty pounds; and this Legacy or Gift of Forty pounds being so made and given before the sealing and executing my said Will I do require and will that the same shall go and be accounted as part thereof as fully and effectually to all Intents and Purposes as if the same had been inserted in the body of my said Will Witness my hand the day of the date of my Will above, Thomas Gutteridge. Witnesses John Stoughton - John Orpin - Thos Massey.

Probate

Probatum 16th July 1731



Notes:-

The original will has little punctuation or separate paragraphs. As this makes it hard to read I have inserted some punctuation and broken the text into separate clauses.

"[?]" following a word means that the word on the original document is unclear and the transcription may be incorrect.

" [???] " means that a whole word was illegible and could not be guessed at.

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