GEORGE GIFFARD 1650

George Giffard, Merchant of London
Will dated 27 December 1650


In the name of God Amen
the seven and twentieth day of December in the yeare of our Lord according to the Computation of the Church of England one thousand six hundred and fifty I George Giffard of London Merchant being sicke and weake in body but of good and perfect minde and memory All Laud and praise be given unto Almighty god for the same And considering with my selfe the frailty of mankind & that nothing is more certaine than death and nothing more uncertaine than the hour in thereof I doe therefour make and ordaine this my last will and testament in manner following viz ffirst and principally befour all earthly things I commend my soule into the most mercifull hands of Almighty god my Creator assuredly trusting and by a lively faith believing to be saved by and through the passion death merritts and bloodshedding of Jesus Christ my blessed and alone Saviour and Redeemer And my body I committ to the earth from where it did come to be decently buried in the parish church of Alhallowes Stayning London if it may be without strife And my desire is that there shall not be any mourning given out of my house And my further wish is that Mr Ffuller shall preach my funerall sermon and shall have three poundes of current English mony for his paynes And so touching my worldly estate which it hath pleased god to endow me with and to the intent that after my decease the same may be disposed of according to my own desire without strife or contention in law I doe will and bequeath the same as followeth In primis I give and bequeath to the poore of the parish of Northam in the County of Devon the some of tenn pounds of lawfull mony of England to be distributed amongst them at the direction or appointment of my Uncle William Leigh of the same parish Esq Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Agnes the wrought bedd with all the furniture there unto belonging and the cabbinett which now is in the roome to be kept for her by Sarah my loving wife untill my said daughter shall attaine unto the age of twenty and one yeares or be married And in case shee shall dye or depart this mortall life befour that time Then I give and bequeath the said bedd and cabbinett unto my said sonne George Giffard To be delivered unto him at the like age Item I give and bequeath unto my said sonne George Giffard the Diamond Ring which I now weare to be kept for him by my said wife untill my said sonne shall attaine unto the age of sixteene years And in case he shall dye or depart this mortall life befour he shall attaine unto the said age of sixteene years Then I give and bequeath the same ring unto my said daughter Agnes to be delivered to her at the age or time aforesaid And in case my said children shall both dye or depart this mortall life befour such time as they or either of them are to receive the said gifts by this my will Then I give and bequeath the same bedd and cabbinett unto the said Sarah my loving wife in case she shall be then living And I give and bequeath the said Diamond ring unto my sister Elizabeth Harris the wife of Mr Phillip Harris of Torrington in case shee shall be then living But if my said wife shall be deceased Then I give and bequeath the same bedd and cabbinett unto Luce Sweets daughter of my brother Henry Harris if the said Luce shall be then living But if the said Luce Sweets shall be deceased Then I give and bequeath the same bedd and cabbinett and ring and every part thereof unto my sister Ffrances Vigires [Vigers] Item I give and bequeath unto my said wife ruby rings and chayns of pearls as I have given her befour or since marriage Item I give and bequeath unto Mr James Lambert Merchant and Mr John Hampton my Uncle Mr Thomas Williams Merchant and Mr Edward Watts Merchant now resident in Saint Lucia five pounds apiece to buy each of them a ring to weare for my sake All of the rest and residue of my estate whatsoever my Debts being first paid and my funerall expenses discharged I give and bequeath the one moi[e]ty or halfe part thereof unto the said Sarah my wife and the other moi[e]tie or halfe part thereof to my said two children Agnes and George to be equally devided betweene them when they shall attaine unto the severall ages of twenty and one yeares or be married And if either of my said children shall dye or depart this mortall life before he or shee shall attaine unto his or her said age or marriage the Survivor to have one halfe of the portion of the said deceased and my said wife the residue if shee shall be then living and unmarried otherwise the Surviving child to enjoy the whole part outright of the deceased And in case they shall both dye or depart this mortall life befour the ages or times aforesaid my will and desire is that share or portion of my said last deceased child shall be paid unto and equally divided betweene my sister Honora Giffard for the use of her children my brother Arthur Giffard my brother Thomas Giffard my sister Vigires [Vigers] for the use of her children and my sister Harris or among soe many of them as shall be living at the time of my said last deceased child’s death Only the some of one hundred pounds to be taken out of it viz fifty pounds apiece to my brother Wyatt’s two daughters Joane and Agnes in case they shall be both living otherwise the Survivor of them to have the whole one hundred pounds And I doe hereby nominate and appointe the aforesaid Mr James Lambert Merchant Mr John Hampton my Uncle Mr Thomas Williams Merchant and Mr Edward Watts Merchant Trustees for and Guardians of my said children to take their portions into their custodies as the same shall or may from time to time be received or gotten and to dispose thereof according to the true meaning of this my last will And I doe desire them to take care of the tuition and education of my said children untill they shall attaine unto their ages aforesaid and to pay and beare the charge thereof and of my said children’s portions and the profitts thereof And if any of the said Trustees dye the Survivors to make choyce of others in the roome or roomes of him or them soe dying And I doe and hereby nominate and appointe my said sonne George Giffard sole Executor of this my Last Will charging him duly to perform the same according to my true intent herein sett down and to be guided by the counsells and directions of my said Trustees Lastly I do hereby renounce revoke and disanull frustrate and make voyd all former wills by me made and doe declare this only to stand and bee my last will and testament it consysting three whole sheetes of paper and a third part of a sheete to every one of which I the said George Giffard the Testator have putt my hand and seale the day and yeare firste within written

[Signed:] George Giffard

Signed sealed published and declared by the said George Giffard for and as his last will and testament in the presence of

JO: BUTLER SNR
JOHN BUTLER JUNR


[Transcribed by Jane Sercombe Lewis]