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Will of Alice DOCTON, 1619.
In the name of God Amen, The two and twentieth day of July in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and nynteene, I Alic DOCTON of Hartland in the Countie of Devon widdowe late wife of Thomas DOCTON esquire deceased, being of perfect mind and remembrance thanks be unto Allmightie God // That is to say first I commend my soul into the hands of allmightie God my maker and Redeemer and my body to the earth.
Item: I give towards the reparation of the Church of Hartland the sume of fower poundes and the sume of twentie pound for a stocke to be continually ymployed by the Churchwardens and Overseers of the poore within the same parish from time to time forward & the releefe of the poore of the same parish in such sort as that the sayde sume of twenty pounds do always remayne intire for the use aforesaid and the benefit thereof to be imployed as before for which my will and desire is that the said Churchwardens and Overseers shall yearly an accompt with theire other Accompts for the poore within the said parish.
Item: I give towards the reparation of the parish Church of Welcombe fower pounds and to the poore of the said parish forty shillings to be distributed amongst them by the discretion of the Overseers of this my Will.
Item: I give towards to reparation of the parish Church of Morewenstowe twenty shillings and ten shillings to the poore there to be distributed as before.
Item: I give to the poore people of Bradworthy twenty shillings and to the poore of Kilkhampton twenty shillings.
Item: I give to the releefe of the poore of Wolfardisworthy forty shillings and towards the reparation of the Church there fower pounds.
Item: I give towards the reparation of the Church of Hartham [ie: Hartland] five pounds and to the poore of the same parish fower pounds.
Item: I give to the poore of Greate Torrington forty shillings.
Item: I give to the pooew of Clovelly thirteen shillings and fower pence.
Item: I give towards the reparation of the Church of Inwardly twenty shillings // towards the reparation of the Church of Ashwater twentie shillings // towards the reparation of the Church of Hallwell ten shillings, and towards the releefe of the poore of Parkham ten shillings, and towards the releefe of the poore of Beddifard twentie shillings // towards the releefe of the poore of Little Torrington twentie shillings.
Item: I give to each of John BAGLEHOLE's children forty shillinges moreover to Edward BAGLEHOLE his son my little silu(?) bole.
Item: I give to each of John COOKE's children forty shillings, and to each of Francis POWE's children forty shillings, and to each of Thomas HEARE's children of Berry forty shillings and to Alce HEARD ten poundes, to William HEARD five pounds and to Robert HEARD fower pounds.
Item: I give to Margaret COMER ten pounds, and to Susan BRADDEN ten pounds, and to each of her children twenty shillings, and to Elizabeth POPE six pounds thirteen shillings fower pence, and to Agnes POPE six pounds thirteen shillings and fower pence.
Item: I give to Christian the daughter of my brother Peeter ALLIN ten pounds, and to Anne her sister five pounds.
Item: I give to Degorie SECCOMBE the elder twenty pounds and to Degorie SECCONBE the younger ten pounds.
Item: I give to Arthur SECCOMBE twenty pounds.
Item: I give unto Jane RANDALL six pounds thirteen shillings and fower pence.
Item: I give to each of Nicholas VELLEYE's children six pounds thirteen shillings and fower pence, to Richard VELLEY six pounds thirteen shillings fowre pence, and to Thomas VELLEY six pounds thirteen shillings fowre pence, and to Honor STAPLEDON six pounds thirteen shillings fowre pence.
Item: I give to Grace ATKIN ten pounds, to Mary ATKIN ten pounds, to Francis ATKIN ten pounds, to John ATKIN ten pounds, to Anthony ATKIN ten pounds, and to Robert ATKIN ten pounds.
Item: I give and bequeath to Thomas DOCTON of Wellesford the use and occupation only of eight feather beds & framed(?) whereof fower are over the hall, three in the main chamber, and one in the mayde's chamber, to be furnished as they are now used two bedsteads over the Hall, one trundle bedsteade there, one bedstead over the brewehouse, three bedsteads in the main chamber, one garnish of pewter dishes, a bason and ewer, three brewing pans that do usually stand upon the shelfe in the kitchin, a chittle in the brewehouse, three small pans, all the coffers in the brewehouse, and one cupboard there, all my brewing troughs, two greate barrels in the buttrie, eight small drincke barrels, six cushions of the worser sort, two great ~ves in the brewhouse, and two beeves in the Malthouse, three spitts one of every sort, three brason crocks, two of the biger and one of the least payre of pothangings, and the iron bar in the kitchen chimney, the greate andirons in the kitchen, and one payre of andirons in the little chamber, the table bordes forms and stooles in the Hall and parlor, three high chayres, fower table clothes, two dozen of table napkins, of which one table and one dozen of napkins to be of diap and theother table cloth and dozen of napkins to be of canvas, moreover my little silver salt guilded, two silver goblets the one guilded and theother white which I have already appointed out, and one dozen and a half of silver spoons, the wynde instrument, the spruce chest over the hall, and the forme chest in the chamber over the dairy, two pair of iron bound wheeles the worst saving one two longe waynes, two butts and yokes and chaynes to yoke eight oxen of which my Will is that the said Thomas DOCTON shall have but only the and ymployment as aforesaid // And the property of all the same to remayne after him to such of the name of the DOCTONs as shallbe heyre to the howse of Docton.
Item: I give to the said Thomas DOCTON eight oxen, eight kine, twenty weathens and twenty ewes, and all my pyggs troughs // And my Will and desire is that Elizabeth DOCTON shall have her beinge and dwelling in the howse at Docton so longe as she pleaseth // And I give unto the said Elizabeth DOCTON the bed whereon she useth be lye, with the bedstead and furniture to the same // And my Will is that after her death, the same shall remayne to the said Alice HEARD // Moreover I give and devise unto the said Elizabeth DOCTON one yearly rent of twenty pounds issuing out of certayne lands in Matryland within the parish of Morewinstowe which I there now hold under the ground of one John BEERE to hold the said yearely rent of twenty pounds to the said Elizabeth immediately from and after my death for and during all the time and terme yet to come in the said lands if the said Elizabeth live so long to be paid quarterly by even persons at the feast days of the Birth of our Lord God, Thanunciation of the Virgin Mary, the nativitie of St John Baptist, and of St Michaell Tharchangell // And my Will is that if the said yearly rent be not well and truly paid accordingly within twenty days next after every of the said days of payment, that then it shallbe lawfull for the said Elizabeth and her Assigns unto the said lands or any part thereof to enter and distrayne and the distresse there ound to leade two carry awaye and impound and the same impound to be keepe until the said rent be beingbehind be fully satisfied // And my will is that if the said Elizabeth do over live my tearme in the said lands, that they my executor shall find and provide to and for the said Elizabeth meate drinke apparrell lodging and all other necessaries meete and convenient for her estate and degree during her life.
Item: I give to Thomas CHOLWILL of Luttiford twenty pounds, and to his son five pounds.
Item: I give to John DOCTON of Tesbury two kine and to each of his daughters forty shillings.
Item: I give to each of my servants which I shall have in howse at the time of my death forty shillings, Henry BRAYLEY only excepted whom I have already otherwise advanced.
Item: I give to Elizabeth RYSDON(?) the daughter of Phillipp RISDON(?) esquire sixe shillings and eight pence.
Item: I give to Margaert CARY the daughter of William CARY esquire ten pounds, to every of the rest of my godchildren two shillings.
Item: I give to Alce BREMRIDGE ten pounds, to every of her children forty shillings.
Item: I give to Elizabeth VINE six pounds thirteen shillings and fowre pence, and to every of her children forty shillings.
Item: I give to Agnes BAGLEHOLE forty shillings, and to her daughter Jane twenty shillings.
Item: I give to Peeter ATKYN twenty pounds and to every of his children forty shillings.

The residue of all my goods and chattels not before given and bequeathed I give bequeath to my nephew William ATKYN whom I make and ordayne my whole executor of this my last Will and Testament and I do appoynte and request my wellbeloved friends John VEYY, Richard ROCHE, Thomas CHOLWILL, Robert OLEVERDON and Charles YEO to be overseers of this my last will and testament // And I give unto every of them for their paynes to be taken thereabout forty shillings // And my will is further that the several legacies before given to my brother William ATKIN's younger children shallbe paid unto them respectively as they shall accomplish the age of one and twenty years at the time of marriage of such of them as shall marry before.

In witness whereof I have to this my present last will and testament put my signe and seale and have published the same in the presence of those whose names are underwryten.

Memorandum, that there words in the first lease vi~t(?) of the poore and those words vi~t(?) Henry BRAYLEY only excepted whom I have already otherwise advanced in the second lease were interlined before the sealing and publishing hereof.

Signed: Alicie DOCTON Teste: Johanne ALLYN, Richard ROCH, Thomas CHOLWILL.
This will containing three sheets of paper was signed sealed and published by the same Alce DOCTON in the presence of us whose names are under written: John ALLYN, Richard ROCH, Thomas CHOLWILL, Henrie BRAYLEY.

Proved at London 21st November 1619.

Last updated - Brian Randell, 7 Feb 2012