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Will of James Britten of Granborough, grazier, 1731/2 (proved 1732)
National Archives, PROB 11/652/119
In the Name of God Amen I James Britten of the parish of Grandborough in the County of Bucks Grasier being weake in body but of sound and perfect minde and memory praised be God therefore and Considering the Certainty of Death and the uncertaine time thereof doe make and Ordaine this my last Will and Testament in manner Following (that is to say) First and principally I Com(m)end my Soule into the hands of Allmighty God who gave it hopeing through the merritts of Jesus Christ to be partaker of Everlasting life and my body I Committ to the Earth to be decently buryed at the Discrecion of my Executor hereinafter named and as for such worldly Estate as I shall be Blessed with at the time of my Decease I give and dispose thereof as Followeth Imprimis I give Devise and bequeath unto my son John Britten the Sume of thirty pounds of Lawfull money of Great Brittaine to be paid unto him by my Executor hereinafter named within twelve months next after my Death. Item I give Devise and bequeath unto my said son John Brittens four Children John James Mary and Benjamin a Guinea each and to be paid into their Fathers hands for their use by my Executor here(in)after named within twelve months next after my Death whose receipt for the same shall be a sufficient discharge to my Executor Item I give devise and bequeath all that my Messuage or Tenement in Yardley in the Parish of Potters Perry in the County of Northampton and the parcell of ground outhouses and appurtenances thereunto belonging unto James Britten my Son for the Term of two Years next after my Death and from and after the end of the said Terme of two Years then to Dorcas Britten my Daughter and her Heirs for ever upon Condition that the said Dorcas Britten or her Heirs doe and shall out of the same pay or cause to be paid unto Martha Britten my Daughter the sume of Fifteen pounds of Lawfull money of Great Brittaine within three years next after my Death but in case the said Dorcas my Daughter and her Heirs shall neglect or refuse to pay the said Fifteen pounds or any parte thereof unto the said Martha my Daughter when due and payable Then I give devise and bequeath the said Messuage or Tenement in Yardley aforesaid and the parcell of ground outhouses and appurtenances thereunto belonging unto the said Martha Britten my Daughter and her Heirs for ever Item I give devise and bequeath unto the said Martha Britten my Daughter the further Sume of Fifteen pounds of Lawfull money of Greate Brittaine to be paid unto her by my Executor hereinafter named at such time as she shall have attained the age of two and twenty years or in twelve months next after my death which shall last happen Item I give Devise and bequeath unto my said Daughter Dorcas Britten my Corner Cubbard and the Cheney and six silver spoons therein to be delivered unto her by my Executor hereinafter named Immediately after my death Item I give Devise and bequeath unto my said Daughter Martha Britten my New quilt to be delivered unto her by <my> Executor hereinafter named Imediately (sic originale) after my Death Item I give Devise and bequeath my Messuage or Tenement Close Arrable Lands Ley Meadows and Pasture Ground which are Scituate lying and being in Oxhill in the County of Warwick and the Appurtenances thereunto belonging and alsoe my one acre and a halfe of Land lying in the parish of Dinton in the said County of Bucks and the appurtenances thereunto belonging unto my said son James Britten and his Heirs and assignes forever upon Condition that the said James Britten my son his Heirs or assignes do and shall out of the same Yearly and every Yeare after the Terme of two Years shall be Expired from the time of the Death of John Kingsley my son in Law and the Lawfull Issue of his body (if he shall happen to leave any) and the Survivor of them well and truly pay or cause to be paid unto the Baptist Minister as shall preach in the meeting House at Foord in the said County of Bucks the Sume of twenty Shillings every Yeare for so long time as the Baptist shall maintaine the Interest of Christ there and alsoe unto the Baptist Minister as shall preach in the meeting House at Winslowe in the said County of Bucks the like Sume of twenty Shillings Every Yeare for so long time as the Baptist shall maintaine the Interest of Christ there and doe alsoe out of the same well and truly pay or cause to be paid unto the said John Britten my Son his Executors or Adm(inistrator)s the Sume of forty pounds of Lawfull money of Great Brittain and unto the said Dorcas Britten and Martha Britten my Daughters the like Sume of forty pounds each of like Lawfull money of Great Brittaine at the end of two Years next after the Death of the said John Kingsley and the Lawfull Issue of his body if he shall happen to leave any and the survivor of them and doe alsoe in case they the said Dorcas Britten and Martha Britten my Daughters or either of them shall happen to dye and leave no Lawfull Isue of her or their body or bodyes before the said sume or sumes of forty pounds appointed for her or them so dyeing shall be due and payable well and truly pay or cause to be paid the said sume or sumes of forty pounds appointed for her or them so dyeing unto and amongst such of my said Children John Britten James Britten Dorcas Britten and Martha Britten as shall be then living each of them an equal share thereof when due and payable But in case the said James Britten my son and his Heirs shall neglect or refuse to pay any or either of the sumes of money hereby appointed to be paid or any parte or parcell of them any or either of the when due and payable Then I give Devise and bequeath the said Messuage or Tenement Close Lands and premisses in Oxhill and Dinton aforesaid and the appurtenances thereunto belonging unto the said John Britten Dorcas Britten and Martha Britten and their Heirs for ever they paying Yearly thereout unto the Baptist Minister of Foord and Winslowe aforesaid twenty shillings each in Manner as aforesaid Item my Will and desire is that the charges of my Funerall shall be borne and paid by my said four Childen John Britten James Britten Dorcas Britten and Martha Britten each of them an equal share thereof Item I give Devise and bequeath all the rest of my goods Chattells and personall Estate whatsoever and wheresoever unto the said James Britten my Son he paying my debts and Legacies on his part to be paid and I do hereby make Ordaine and Appoint the said James Britten my Son full and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament and Lastly I doe hereby Revoke and make voide all former Wills by me before made and do declare this to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have to this my will Contained in two Sheets of paper to the first Sheete thereof sett my hand and to the last Sheete thereof my hand and Seale this first day of February Anno Domini 1731
James Britten
Signed Sealed published and Declared in the presence of us who have hereunto Subscribed our Names as Witnesses in the presence of the Testator and of each other and the word (Dinton) in the last Sheete hereof being first Interlined
Hannah Deely Peter Goldsworth John Goldsworth
[Probate granted at London on 5 June 1732 to James Britten the executor]
Notes
James Britten or Brittain had represented Winslow at meetings of the General Baptist Association since 1724 (see Baptists). He was described as a yeoman of Winslow in 1722 when he became a trustee of the Meeting House, and he was constable in 1724. In 1698 he made an agreement with William Lowndes to sell him the house and land in Shipton which his wife Ann had inherited from her brother Thomas Deeley (another Baptist) in 1696. James and Ann got married at Courteenhall, Northants, on 31 Oct 1696, when they were both said to live at Yardley Gobion.
In 1723 Thomas Britten, son of James, was apprenticed as a fishmonger in London; presumably he died young.
Dorcas Britten witnessed the will of Sarah Gyles in 1724, which suggests that she lived with her. John Britten's wife Ruth was mentioned in the will of Martha Norman, 1742.
Cheney: ?phonetic spelling of china