The Will of Roger Walker of Catley, Bosbury, 1630
In the name of God Amen. The twentieth day of April in the sixth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King Charles, I Roger Walker of Catley in the County of Hereford, yeoman, being weak in body but of good and perfect memory God be praised do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following. That is to say, first I commend my soul into the hands of God my Maker hoping assuredly through the only merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour to be made partaker of life everlasting. And I commend my body to the Earth whereof it was made, and as touching the worldly goods and chattells which God hath lent me, I dispose of them in manner and form as followeth.
First I give and bequeath to the poor people of the parish of Bosbury ten shillings and likewise to the poor of the parish of Leigh ten shillings to be distributed amongst them at the discretion of my Executrix herein named. Item I give and bequeath to Richard Goodier of Worcester my best cloak and to Richard, my son, my second best cloak and my best suit of apparel and my bible book. And to Nathaniel Collins my second best suit of apparel of all sort, my cloaks aforesaid excepted. Item I give to Dorothy Walker, my god-daughter, my posnett and to John Gifford my frypann. And in consideration that Martha, my wife, shall pay unto Richard, my son, the sum of twenty pounds of lawful money of England within three years after my decease, nineteen pounds whereof shall be equally given and distributed unto and amongst my children’s children by my said son Richard within four years after my decease. To my which said son Richard, I do give the other twenty shillings being the residue of the said twenty pounds that my said wife is to pay unto him the said Richard to that intent and purpose and to that only use.
And my will it is that the said Martha, my wife, after the said twenty pounds is paid shall have and enjoy all my goods, chattells and implements of household which are in the parish of Bosbury and county of Hereford to her sole and proper use and behoof to whom and whose use I do give and bequeath the same. And my will it is that Martha my wife, being the Executrix of this my last will & testament, shall give full power and authority under her hand and seal in writing unto Richard, my son, to recover and receive from Edmond, my son, the sum of twenty pounds of money for his payment whereof the said Edmond standeth bound by writing obligatory to be paid within four years after my decease to the use of my four daughters viz. Margaret, Elizabeth, Joan and Anne by equal portions. My will therefore it is that the said Richard my son shall receive the said twenty pounds of the said Edmond my son in manner and according as the same shall become due viz. five pounds yearly every year next following my decease for the space of four years consequenting. And that the said Richard, my son, shall pay yearly every year during said four years twenty five shillings apiece to either of my said daughters to the use of their children if the said Edmond my son shall happen to live and that he or his assigns shall have and enjoy the farm that Richard my son doth rent of me now according to the tenour, purport, effect and true meaning of certain Articles reduced and made in writing between me and the said Edmond my son concerning the payment of the said twenty pounds. And my Will it is that if any of my children shall happen to decease before they shall come to lawful age that the children of Richard, my son, shall have and enjoy the portion of the said decedent. Item I give and bequeath to Richard, my son, the benefit of the ?deads year of my tenement in Leigh according as the custom there will permit and allow. And my Will and intent is that whereas I have given by this my Will twenty pounds to my children’s children that if any of the friends of the said children shall give security to Richard my son for any of their portions by me given, the said Richard shall deliver such portion or portions to such friend or friends that shall give such security and shall convert the same that is so paid by the said Richard to the use of the said children if he doth retain the same. And my Will it is (any thing before written notwithstanding) that Jane Turner my wife’s daughter shall have my best cauldron and the table board in the hall with the frame and forms and four joined stools and my joined chair and my best bedstead & that my wife shall have the use of the said cauldron, board, forms, stools, chair and bedstead during her life.
And of this my last Will and Testament I do make and ordain the said Martha my
wife the sole Executrix. And I utterly revoke and annul all and every former will and wills, legacies,
bequests executed by me in any wise before the time made, named, willed or bequeathed. In witness thereof
I have hereunto put my hand and seal dated the twentieth day of April in the sixth year of the reign of
our Sovereign Lord King Charles, Anno domini Jesu Christi one thousand six hundred and thirty.
Roger Walker
Witnesses hereunto
Francis Cowell
Richard Walker
John Collins
Leonard Collins
Nathaniel Collins
Probate granted 26 November 1632
