In the name of God Amen I Anthony Collett of Bourton-on-the-Water in the County of Gloucester Gentlemen being infirm in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory praised be Almighty God considering the frailty and uncertainty of humane life doe this present sixteenth day of January in the year of our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and sixteen make and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following, that is to say
I do hereby revoke annul and make void all former wills by me at any time heretofore made And I do hereby devise my Soul to Almighty God who gave it And my body to be interred decently according to the rights and ceremonies of the Church of England and according to the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named And as to the Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me I give and devise the same in such manner as hereinafter is mentioned
Imprimis I give devise and bequeath unto Edmund Chamberlain Esquire of Maugersbury in the said county of Gloucester, Giles Truby Yeoman of Little Rissington in the said county and to William Parren Yeoman of Wyck Rissington in the said count their Executors Administrators and Assigns and to the Survivor or Survivors of them his or their Executors Administrators or Assigns All those my Messuages, Lands, Tenements and hereditaments in Bourton-on-the-Water aforesaid and also all those my Messuages, Lands, Tenements and hereditaments whether freehold or copyhold in Charlgrove, Rowford, Weathington and Northmoor in the county of Oxon with all and singular their rights members and appurtenances with all other my lands, Tenements and hereditaments in the counties of Oxon and Gloucester or elsewhere found during the term of one and twenty years fully to be complete and ended
Upon this special trust and confidence nevertheless that the said Edmund Chamberlain, Giles Truby and William Parren and the Survivor or Survivors of them and Executors or Administrators of such Survivor or Survivors shall and will out of the rents issues and profits of the premises or by sale or Mortgage of the same or any part thereof during the said term pay off and discharge all my just debts which I shall owe at the time of my decease
In case my personal estate shall fall short to pay the same and shall also out of the rents and profits reimburse themselves all such charges and expenses they shall be put to in the execution of the said Trust and shall also pay and discharge the legacies given by this my Will or which shall hereafter be by me given by any codicil hereto annexed
And my further Will and meaning is that as soon as my debts and legacies shall be fully paid and satisfied by my said Trustees that the said term for one and twenty years shall cease and determine And I do hereby give and devise unto the said Edmund Chamberlain, Giles Truby and William Parren and their heirs and to the survivor and Survivors of them and to his or their heirs the yearly sum of ten pounds to be issuing and payable out of all my said Lands forever without any manner of deduction or defaultation whatsoever for or by reason of any taxes ordinary or extraordinary to be imposed upon the same The first payment thereof to begin at the end of two years next after my decease
In first nevertheless the said Trustees or the Survivor or Survivors of them and his or their heirs shall appoint some proper and fitting person conformable to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England and of a good life and conversation to teach and instruct five poor boys of the Parish of Bourton-on-the-Water aforesaid whose Parents shall be Inhabitants thereto read the English tongue and write and cast accounts and to instruct and teach them the Catechism of the Church of England such poor boys to be nominated by the Rector and Churchwardens of the said Parish for the time being and shall continue so long at school as they shall see necessary and convenient for such their education and when any of them shall be fully instructed and leave the said school that then the said Rector and Churchwardens shall nominate and appoint others to succeed them in the said school
And further my Will is that when the said Edmund Chamberlain, Giles Truby and William Parren shall have nominated and appointed such Schoolmaster that they shall pay him the ten pounds yearly as a recompense for teaching such boys and in case the said schoolmaster so appointed by my said Trustees shall misbehave himself or otherwise neglect the said school or remove the same from Bourton aforesaid that in any of the said cases I do hereby empower my said Trustees or the Survivor or Survivors of them to discharge the said Schoolmaster from such his employment and to appoint another to succeed him in his place and to receive the said salary
Item I do hereby give and bequeath unto my said Trustees Edmund Chamberlain, Giles Truby and William Parren the sum of five pounds a piece to be paid within twelve months after my decease
Item I give and bequeath unto Jane Parr my god-daughter the sum of one hundred pounds to be paid her by my said Trustees or Executors hereinafter named when she shall attain her age of one and twenty years or be married which shall first happen
Page 3
Item I give and devise unto Henry Collett my brother (subject to the charges hereinbefore mentioned) one moiety or half part of all and singular my said Messuages, Lands, Tenements and hereditaments in the said counties of Oxon and Gloucester in two equal parts to be divided for and during the term of his natural life
And from and after his decease then I devise the same so that it goeth as aforesaid to the first Son of the body of the said Henry Collett lawfully begotten or to be begotten and to the heirs of the body of such first son
And for want of such issue I give and devise the same unto the second son of the body of the said Henry Collett lawfully begotten or to be begotten and the heirs of the body of such second son charged as aforesaid
And for want of such issue I give and devise the same unto the third son of the said Henry Collett and to the heirs of the body of such third son lawfully begotten or to be begotten charged likewise as aforesaid
And for want of such issue I do hereby give and devise the same charged like amount unto all and every other the son and sons of the Henry Collett lawfully to be begotten and to their heirs of their respective bodies to take the same as they shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth
And for want of such issue I give and devise the said premises unto the daughter and daughters or the said Henry Collett and the heirs of the body of such daughter and daughters
And for
want of such issue I give and devise the same unto my sister Anne Collett the
wife of
Item I give and devise the other moiety or half part of all and singular my said Messuages, Lands, Tenements and hereditaments in two equal parts to be divided (subject to the charges aforesaid) unto the said Anne Collett for and during the term of her natural life and from and after her decease
I devise the same unto the first son of the body of the said Anne Collett lawfully begotten or to be begotten and to the heirs of the body of such first son
Page 4
And for want of such issue I give and devise the same unto the second son of the body of the said Anne Collett lawfully begotten or to be begotten and to the heirs of the body of such second son
And for want of such issue I give and devise the same unto the third son of the said Anne Collett and to the heirs of the body of such third son lawfully begotten or to be begotten
And for want of such issue I do hereby give and devise the same in like manner unto all and every other the son and sons of the said Anne Collett lawfully to be begotten and to the heirs of their respective bodies to take the same as they shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth
And for want of such issue then I give and devise the same premises unto the daughter and daughters of the said Anne Collett and to the heirs of the body of such daughter and daughters
And for want of such Issue I give and devise the same unto my said brother Henry Collett his heirs and assigns forever
And lastly I do hereby constitute ordain and appoint my said brother and sister Henry and Anne Collett joint executors of this my last Will and Testament in Witness whereof I the said Anthony Collett have here unto set my hand and Seal the day and year first above writ
Anthony Collett signed sealed published and declared by the said Anthony Collett as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our names as Witnesses thereof in the presence of the said Testator
Anne Gladwin, Edward Gladwin, Richard Roe and Benjamin Templer
Henry Collett his brother (Ref. 14I2
Anne
Collett his sister (Ref. 14I3)