Abraham ALSTON [281]

  General Notes:

Abraham's will left to his brothers Samuel and Isack Alston "all and singular my messuages Lands Tenements hereditaments whatsoever as well free hould and coppy hould as lease or ferme hould with all and e'uy of ther appentances situate and lyeing and being in Newton above named or else where in the faid Count of Suffolk" etc.

Found in a book Growses Pg. 20 Bildeston Parish - 1892
TRADES - Tokens of the Seventeenth Century Issued at Bildeston.
1. Ob. Abraham Alstone. In the centre a Heart
Rev. In Bildestone. In the centre AA.
Alstoniana Pg. 270.

THE WILL OF ABRAHAM ALSTON:
Dated 4th October 1624.
In the name of God Amen. The fourth day of October in the year of our Lord God 1624 and in the year of the reign of our Soverigne Lord James by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland and defender of the faith and of England France and Ireland two and twenty of Scotland the eight and fifty I Abraham Alston of Newton in the County of Suffolk yeoman being sick in body but yet of a good sound and perfect disposing memory thanks be unto God therefore revoking hereby all other Wills by me formerly made do make and declare this present writing to be and containing my true last Will and testament in manner and form following.
First and principally I commend my Soul into the hand of almighty God trusting and most steadfastly believing to be saved in the day of the General resurrection and Judgement not by my own merits but by the only merits and passion of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And my body I commit to the Earth to be buried in Christian burial at the discretion of my wife and executors hereunder named
ITEM my will and mind is that Margaret my loving and well beloved wife shall hold and enjoy all that my little parlour and the lodging chamber over tha same being principal of my capital messuage wherein I now dwell and adjoining next unto my garden belonging to the same messuage with free ingress egress and regress into and from the same palour and chamber by the ways used and accustomed thereto belong as she shall continue a widow and will make her abode there and further my will is that the Executors of this my will here undernamded shall during such time as my said wife shall inhabit and make her abode in the same rooms, find, lay and provide for her in some of the yards belonging to my said messuage yearly and on the year five good and sufficient cart loads of wood for her fuel or firewood to be expended in the same rooms during the time aforesaid. And furthermore I do give and bequeath unto her the said Margaret my wife all my bedsteads beds and bedding and all my tables, forms and stools and all other household stuff standing being and usually occupied within the same parlour and chamber. To have hold and enjoy the same to the only use and beheft of her the same Margaret my wife her executors and assigns for ever. And moreover I give unto her for ever All such silver plate as I had in marriage or at the time of my marriage with her which she brought unto me.
And I do give and bequeath unto her the same Margaret my wife in recompense and satisfaction of her Dower and thirds which she may have claim or demand of or in all of any my lands tenements or hereditaments one annuity or yearly rent or sum of thirty pounds of lawful money of England to be issuing and going out and to be yearly procaved had and taken out of and in all and singular my messuages lands tenements and hereditaments whatsoever situate lying and being in Newton aforesaid and else where in the said County of Suffolk for and during the term of her natural life at the Feast of the Annunciation of our Lady the Virgin and St. Michael the Archangel by even and equal portions the first payment thereof to begin at such of the same feast as shall first ensue the day of my decease. And if it shall happen the same Annuity or yearly rent or sum of thirty punds or any part or portion thereof to be behind and unpaid by the space of fourteen days next after any of the said feasts about limited for the payment thereof the
same being lawfully demanded at or in my said capital messuage wherein I now dwell in Newton aforesaid that then and from thenceforth at all times after it shall be lawful to her the same Margaret my wife and her assigns unto all and singular my said messuages lands tenements and premises or unto any part or parcel of them to enter and distraine. And the distress or distressess there found to have take and carry away impound withhold detain and keep until the said annuity or yearly rent or sum thirty pounds and the arrears if any shall happen to be shall be unto her the same Margaret or her assigns fully satisfied and paid.
ITEM I do further give and bequeath unto my said wife five pounds of lawful money of England for and towards a mourning gown to be provided for her immediately after my decease And to the End that Margaret mine only child being now an infant of tender age may be the better provided for and be well educated in learning and good manners according to her sex and according to a man child of my degree whereof I do lay special charge upon my wife and upon my executors to have due regard my will and mind is that my said executors out of my lands and Estate which I shall leave unto them shall pay or cause to be paid yearly and every year unto my said wife the sum of ten pounds of lawful money of England for and towards the Education and bringing up of the same Margaret my daughter as aforesayed until she shall accomplish her full age of Eighteen years to be paid unto my said wife as at such times and in such manner as the Annuity of thirty pounds given to her by this my last will is limited and set down to be paid, If it fortune my said wife to marry gain before my said daughter shall attain unto the said age of eighteen years and that such husband as she my said wife shall so marry shall be so remiss careless or ill effected towards my said child as not provide and see her well brought up in learning and good manners as aofresaid Then my will and mind is that mine executors shall take my said daughter into their protection care and charge and place her with such honest and such parson and parsons as shall and will educate her in good learning and good manners as aforesaid until her said age of eighteen years with the said ten pounds yearly which should have been paid to my said wife if she had continued the bringing of her up. And then my said executors shall be freed and discharged against my wife and her said husband of and from the payment of the same ten pounds yearly anything before expressed to the contrary notwithstanding yet my desire is and I do here request my executors that if it fortune they be so occasioned to provide for the education of my said child as aforesaid that they should place her with such persons as may to and with the content and liking of my said wife as I doubt not of them but they will so do. Provided now these and I do here declare my will and meaning to be that if it fortune my said daughter Margaret to depart this life before she shall come to her said age of eighteen years living then my said wife then my will is that the same ten pounds which should have gone and been paid yearly for the education of my daughter if she had lived shall be paid by my executors unto my said wife to her use until such time as my said daughter might have attained unto her said age of eighteen years if she had lived and if my said wife shall live so long and not otherwise.
ITEM my will and mind is that my said executors shall pay or cause to be paid unto Susan Alston my mother yearly during her natural life the sum of forty pounds of lawful english money which I stand chargeable to pay out of or in respect of lands unto her by virtue of the last will of Thomas Alston my late father deceased or otherwise howsoever.
ITEM I give and bequeath unto the said Margaret my daughter the sum of three pounds of lawful money of England to be paid unto her by my executors at her age of eighteen years for and in respect of the Lands Tenements and hereditaments which I have given and devised unto them by this my will so that she my said daughter does not marry or contract herself in marriage to any before her said age of eighteen year without consent of her mother or of my said executors or of any two of them And I do hereby devise limit and appoint that if it fortune my said wife and Susan Alston my mother or either of them to die or depart this life before such time as my said daughter shall (attain) unto her age of twelve years then from the time of the death of my said wife the sum of thirty pounds yearly and from the time of the death of my said mother the sum of forty pounds yearly which shall arise or come of the issues and profits of my said lands and tenements until my said daughter shall accomplish her said age of twelve years shall go and be p'ted to and amongst my said executors and Edmund Alston my brother and Abraham Alston my nephew son of William Alston my brother part and part alike, and after that my said daughter shall attain unto her said age of twelve years my will and mind is that our of the yearly rents issues and profits of the same my lands tenements and hereditaments after the death of my said wife and mother or either of them respectively thirty pounds yearly after the death of my said wife and forty pounds yearly after the decease of my said mother until my said daughter shall come unto her age of eighteen years shall go and employed to and for the benefit of the same my daughter by mine executors and by them paid unto her at the same age so as she does not marry nor contract herself in marriage without consent as aforesaid
ITEM. I give to my said mother Susan Alston forty shillings.
To Mr. Cocke of Ipswich my father in law ten pounds to buy him a gelding.
To my four sister in laws, daughters of the said Mr. Cocke twenty shillings apie ce to buy them rings.
To my brother Edmond Alston's wife to buy her a ring twenty shillings.
To my sister Dorothy Alston forty shillings to buy her a ring.
To Mr. Wetherall my loving friend, parson of Newton five shillings.
To my good friend Richard Skinner of Sudbury gent forty shillings.
To my brother William Alston's wife five shillings.
To my brother Isaac Alston's wife twenty shillings
Also I give unto Abraham my brother William Alston's son ten pounds and to William and Robert two either of his sons five pounds apiece to be paid to them at the seu'ell ages of twenty years and if any of them happen to die before they attain to that age then the legacy and legacies of him or them so dying to go and be paid to the survivors or surviving of them part and part alike at such time as such legacy or legacies decreasing should have received the same by force of this my will of he or they lived to receive the same and I give unto everyone of the daughters of the same William my brother twenty shillings to be paid unto them at their seu'ell ages of one and twenty yeas And if any of those daughters which be now living happen to die before her or their legacies or legacy shall grow due to be paid that then the legacy of such daughter or daughters so dying shall go to the survivor or surviving of them part and part alike.
ITEM. I give and bequeath unto everyone of the sons of Edmond Alston my brother five pounds and to everyone of his daughters forty shillings to be paid unto everyone of them respectively at their seu'ell ages of one and twenty years And if any of those sons of daughters happen to die before their legacy of legacies shall grow due to be paid then the legacy of such son or sons dying to be divided amongst the sons living and the legacy and legacies of such daughter or daughters dying to be parted amongst the
daughters surviving part and part alike to everyone of them.

ITEM I give and bequeath unto everyone of the sons and daughters of Susan Mann my sister five pounds to be paid unto them respectively at the seu'ell ages of one and twenty years and if any of them shall happen to die before such time as his or her legacy shall grow due to be paid then the legacy and legacies of such sons and daughters so dying to be divided and paid to and amongst the children then living to every one of them part and part alike. Also I bequeath unto the three children of Amy Curd
my sister to everyone of them five pounds apiece to be paid unto them at the seu'ell ages of one and twenty years and if any of them happen to die before their legacy of legacies grow due to be paid then the legacy and legacies of him or her dying to be divided and paid to and amongst such of them as shall be living part and part alike.

ITEM I give unto Alice Godfrey my servant ten shillings and to Bridget Ballard Thomas Lambert Samuel Simpson my servants five shillings a piece. Also to the poor people inhabiting within the parish of Newton aforesaid to be distributed amongst them twenty shillings
And to the end that Samuel Alston and Isaac Alston my brothers whom I do hereby nominate and authorise and appoint to be executors of this my last will and testament may be inhabeled to pay my debts and legacies and perform this my testament and last will. And for that I am desirous that such lands tenements and hereditaments whereof I am lawfully and legally possessed at this time should remain in such as are of mine own blood and surname to the will and pleasure of my God. I do therefore hereby give devise and bequeath unto them the same Samuel Alston and Isaac Alston my brothers all and singular my messuages lands tenements and hereditaments as well freehold and copyhold as lease or freehold with all and every of there appurtenances situate lying and being in Newton above named or elsewhere in the said County of Suffolk together also with all and singular the deeds evidences muniments and writings touching or in any wise concerning the same premises or any part thereof. To have hold and enjoy the same messuages lands tenements hereditaments and premises with their appurtenances unto the said Samuel and Isaac Alston my brothers their executors administrators and assigns respectively forever and further more towards the payments of my debts
legacies funeral expenses charges of providing this will and performances of the same my will I do give and bequeath unto them my said executors. All my money plate goods chattells cattle corn household stuff and implements of husbandry whatsoever execpt such of them as I have otherwise particularly given by this my will and which I shall dispose of by any Codicil Schedule or written to this my will annexed and except also the sum of one hundred pounds of lawful English money now resting in mine own possession.
The which said sum of one hundred pounds I do give and bequeth unto the aforenamed Margaret my wife for her own use in further recompense and full satisfaction of her Dower or thirds which she may have claimed or demand out of or in my said lands and tenements or any part or parcel thereof whereof I am now seized of have been seized of any estate of inheritance during the Contracture between her and me.
ITEM My will and mind is that the said Samuel Alston Isaac Alston my brothers their heirs executors or assigns shall pay or cause to be paid for and in respect of the said lands tenements which I have given to them by this my will unto William Alston my brother ten pounds and to Edmond Alston my brother twenty pounds at such time as the said Margaret shall attain or come unto her full age of eighteen years or within some short time after. And in witness this present writing is and doth contain my true last will amd testament I have to every sheet or leaf thereof being five in number subscribed my name with my own hand and this last sheet or leaf of the same five sheets or leaves as also at the head or the top of this writing I have set my seal the day and year first about written.
Sealed subscribed and published in the presence of William Wetherell,Eustace Abbott
and Thomas Lambart
Abraham Alston.
Proved 26th April 1625.

Abraham married Margaret COCKE of Ipswich [3495] [MRIN: 1190].