William Caunt of Ab Kettleby 1587 Will
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Archives, Leicestershire Register Books 1587 25/89
In the name of god amen the xiiith daie of Aprill in the yere of owre lord god 1587 in the xxixth yere of the Reigne of our soverainge ladie Elisabethe by the grace of god of England France & Ireland Quene defender of the faythe &c I Willm Cawnte of Alkettlebye in the countie of Leic husbandman beinge of whole mynde & in good & perfect Remembrance praysed be god therfore make and ordeine this my present Testament conteyninge therein my last will in manner & forme followinge
First I commend my soule in to the hands of almightie god maker of heaven & Earthe and of all things conteined therein assuringe my selfe of eternall salvason through xst Jesus our saviour knowinge to be saved throughe & in & by no other wayes or meanes & my bodie be buried in the[MJ1] parishe Churche of Abkettlebie aforesaid assuringe my selfe also that this same my bodie shall ryse againe at the last daie unto eternall life &c
Itm I give & bequethe to my Sonn Edward Cawnte those cottage howses wherein John Brustar Elizabeth Hawly and Agnes Olyffe nowe dwell at with ther appurences savinge that Agnes Olyffe shall have her howse to dwell in duringe her natural lyfe
Itm I give to my sonn Edward Cawnt one quarter of Land whiche I bought of Robte Blanckley which land was a parcell of Mr Beamont Land to him & his heirs for ever and yf Edward my sonn have no heyres males then the said howses & land before named shall returne & come to Willm Cawnt my sonn & to his heires males and for want of heires males of Willm then to my sonn Thomas Cawnte & his heires males, and for want of heyres males of Tho my sonn then to the heyres males of Robte my sonn, and for want of heires males of Robte my sonn, to the heires generall of my daughters for ever
Itm in lyke maner I give to my sonn Edward and his heires males for ever halfe an acre of meddowe in Kettleby woulds
Itm I give him x sheepe & one yerlinge colte
Itm I will that Robte my sonn shall have the foresaid cottage with the appurtences durynge the widowe hod of Agnes Cawnt my wyfe
Itm I give to Robte my sonn two of those lands in Dykes end close, which I bought of Robte Blanckley with ther endes, and to his heires for ever
Itm I give to him & his heires males, for ever, two other lands in the west Redyearth of those iiii whiche I bought of Robte Blanckley at the same tyme he to have those two next to Warpnabie feild
Itm I give him iiii sheepe and one heckfer or els xiiis iiiid for her
Itm I give him all the Tooles belonginge to the Smithie
Itm I give to Elizabeth Cooke one Ewe and a lambe
Itm I give to Agnes Cawnt my wif e my house whiche I nowe Dwell in with the appurtences and all the land whiche I nowe have in occupation during her widowhood savinge those iiii lands alreadie bequeathed to Robte my sonn
Itm I give to Robte Cawnt my sonn after the decese of Agnes my wyfe the same howse whiche I nowe dwell in together with the land & other the appurtences and to his heyres males for ever, and for want of heires males of Robte my sonn to the heyres males of Edward Cawnt my sonn and for want of heires males of Edward my sonn, to theires males of Willm Cawnte my sonn, and for want of heires males of Willm my sonn, to the heires males of Thomas my sonn and for want of heires males of Thomas my son to the heires generall of my daughters for ever
Itm I will that yf Agnes my wyfe do marrye againe Then ymediatly the said howse and Land together with the appurtences shall returne & come to my sonn Robte Cawnte & his heires males as ys aforesaid
Itm I give to Robte my sonn the Quearnes & the Lead and one longe table in the howse
Itm I will that Robte my sonn shall give in consideracon that he hathe the said howse & land with the appurtences unto Willm & Tho my sonnes v li a peece within ii yeres next after that he ys possessed of the howse & land which I now dwell in , whiche sume of money yf he refuse to paie to my said Children then I will that they namely Willm & Tho my sonnes shall give unto him xx li and have the said howse & land with the appurtences to them & ther heires males for ever
Itm I will that Agnes my wyfe shall have the third parte of all my goods Cattells & detts unbequethed, thother ii parts to be equally devyded betwine Willm & Thomas my sonnes, and Agnes, Joane & Elizabeth my daughters by even porcons
Itm I give to the poore of Abkettleby iis
Ite I will that Elizabeth Hawley shall have the howse she now dwelleth in, not … … with the yarde during her widowhood, or until the deathe of Agnes Olyffe And yf she over lyve the said Agnes then she shall have her howse during her wyddowhood & no longer
Itm I ordeine and make Agnes Cawnte my wyffe my full & whole executrix of this my laste will & Testament
Itm I ordeine Heughe Reste als Parmer, John Neale, John Baylie & Raphe Holte overseers
Thies being witnesses Robte Blanckley Willm Stokes and Bartholowewe Crosse with others
Probate 12 July 1587, Agnes Cawnte relict sworn