Will of John Lownes of London, dyer, 1660 (proved 1661)

National Archives PROB 11/304/262

In the name of God Amen The Sixth day of October Anno Domini 1660 And in the Twelveth yere of the raign
of our Soveraigne Lord Charles the Second by the grace of god King of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith etc I John Lownes of the Citty of London Dyer being sicke and weake in body but of sound and perfecte mynde and memory praysed be god doe make and ordaine this my presente Testament declaring herein my last will in manner and forme following That is to saye my soule I commend to god and my body to Christian buriall And concerning such temporall substance as it hath pleased god to endowe me my mynde and will is And I doe give and bequeath the same as followeth That is to say Imprimis I doe give and bequeath unto my Sister Elizabeth Twenty pounds of lawfull money of England. And to my Sister Dyannis I give the like summe of Twenty pounds of like money Provided each of them my said Sisters doe severally pay and if required Secure to paye unto my mother Alice Lownes twenty shillings per annum a peece dureing the naturall life of my said mother by such parcells and porcons thereof quarterly or otherwise as shee my said mother shall accept to receave the same. Item I forgive & remitt unto my Father Robert Lownes the six poundes and tenne shillings he oweth mee uppon bill under his hand and doe will my executors to deliver him by the same bill Item I give unto my brother Peter Lownes three and forty shillings Alsoe I give and bequeath the twenty shillings which my kinsman Wendover Lownes oweth me unto eight poore people of Winslowe such as my father shall thinke fit to distribute the same unto The rest and residue of all and singuler my goods chattells and credits & estate whatsoever after my debts paid my funerall expences discharged, and the legacies in this my will performed I doe wholly give and bequeath unto my said Sister Elizabeth And to my brother Robert Lownes equally to be devided betwixt them part and part like

[p.2] And I doe make and ordaine my said sister Elizabeth and my said brother Robert full and sole executors of this my last will and testament. And I doe enioy my said sisters Elizabeth and Dyannis to be reall and faithfull to my said mother in their payment of her twentie shillings a peece yerely dureing her naturall life, as above is menconed And lastly I doe revoke all former wills by me made and none of them to stand in force but this my will only In witnes whereof to this my last will and testament I have sett my hand and seale. Dated the day and yere first above written

John Lownes

Signed Sealed and delivered by the said John Lownes for his last will and Testament in the presence of
Thomas Leaum      Robert Wells

[Proved at London 20 May 1661 on the oath of Robert Lownes to whom administration was entrusted. Power reserved to Elizabeth Lownes if she applies.]

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Notes

John Lowndes, bap.1636, was the younger brother of Peter Lowndes (1631-1711), q.v. for more about the family. His mother Alice, nee Spooner, was descended from the Mitchell family. He must have been sent to London to be apprenticed as a dyer, and he had made some money despite dying young. The legacy which John left to his sister Dinah (Dyannis) later led to a legal dispute. Robert Wells the witness could be the man of that name from Winslow.