May Will 1596
Will of Anthony Maye

of Fordwich, Kent

Source: Archdeaconry Court of Canterbury, Canterbury Cathedral Archives PRC 16/216 M/5

Submitted by Margaret Glenn In the name of God Amen the laste daie of June in the yeare of our Lord God one thowsand Five hundreth ninetie Five and in the seaven and thirtith yeare of the reigne of our soeveraigne Ladie Elizabeth by the grace of god queene of Englande, Fraunce and Ireland, defendour of the Faith &c.

I Anthonie Maie of the towne of Fordewich in the countie of Kente, Jurat, holl and sownde of minde, in good health of bodie and of p[er]fecte memorie, knowinge and fearinge the sodaures? of deathe, beinge of the age of lxxx [80] yeares and upwardes, praised be God allmightie most hartelie for his greate mercie therefore, do ordaine and make this my presente testamete wheren is contained my last will in manner and forme followinge : that is to saie :

First I comend my sowle into the handes of the most blessed and trinitie three p[er]sons and one God trustinge assuredlie beleevinge to enjoye and inheritt the blessedd Kingedome of heaven by the deathe and bitter passion glorious resurrection and ascension of my onlie saviour and redemer Jhesus Christe and my bodie to be buried in the churchyarde of the parishe churche of Fordewiche aforesaid by the church porch on the East side there uppon the bancke neere the place where my late wives do lie where uppon I will a tombe stone to be laid and made by mine executor or his assignes like as it is at or neere Sturrie church dore within one yeare or thereabouts next after my decease

And I will that my sonne Humphrie Maie shall not medell or have anie thinge to do with anie of my nowe landes or tenementes in Fordewiche aforesaid, Sturrie or Stodmarshe in the said countie of Kente or anie of them, nor shall have anie p[ar]te or p[ar]cell or porcon of my goodes, chattells or debtes wheresoever they be or remaine because I have otherwise considered him with the gifte of my messuage, landes and teneemnts with the apurtennces in Stoddmershe [Stodmarsh] aforesaid nowe by him bargenned and solde to Robarte Allen and his heires wth my consente and agreemente

Item I will that my executor shall cause a good and godlie sermon to be made ad preached at or before the time of my buriall

And also I will that there shalbe provided and given at or imediatlie after my said buriall sufficiente boiled meate and porredge, bread and drincke for suche and so maine godlie disposed poore people of the aforesaid towne of Fordwich as shalbe attendannte at my said buriall and at the sermon aforesaid and like wise I will that there shalbe distributed and given by my said executors at his discrecon to everie poore howsholde within the said towne of Fordewich twelve pence within one moneth next after my decease

Item I will that Bennet my wife shall have her dower out of the said messuage, landes and tenementes with the apurtenannces in Stodmarshe aforesaid which some time were mine, sold to the said Roberte Alen in forme abovesaid during hir widowehod accordinge to the custome of Kente and accordinge to a certaine exception specified in the Indenture had and made of the sale thereof

And furthermore I geve and bequeathe unto the said Bennet my wife my bedstedell, bed, bolster and two pillowes wheareon I usuallie lie and the Coverlett and blancket and furniture thereto belonginge, two pillowe coates, three paier of my better sorte of sheetes with all hir linen, wollen and wearinge attier and apparell, sixe pewter platters, sixe pewter dishes, sixe sawcers, a spitt, a little brasse pott to seeth her meate in, a bras kettle to warme hir water in and a dripping panne to be had and used for hir owne occupienge and use for ever And allso I freelie geve unto my said wife hir dwellinge and lodgeing in the great chamber and being in my messuage at Fordewiche aforesaid with fre(e) going and cominge to and from the same for and duringe hir widowhead onlie and no longer

Allso I geve and bequeath unto the said Bennett for and during the holl terme of hir life tenne powndes by the yeare of lawfull monie of England, halfe yearelie to hir or hir assignes to be paid, goinge owte and to be provided of and in my messuage, landes and tenementes in Fordwich aforesaid, and for defaulte of paiemente of the same it shall and maie be lawfull to and for the said Bennett and his Assignes into the said messuage and everie or anie p[ar]te thereof to enter and distraine

And moreover I will that there shalbe yearelie felled out of my Woddes or hedge rowes in or neere Fordwiche aforesaid so much as shall amounte to sixe loades of woodd to be yearelie from time to time imploied, used and burned in my messuage aforesaid about my wives busines during hir widowhead onelie and that my said wife onelie shall have these duringe hir widowhead in the chamber aforesaid and that my said executor and wife live and love together there as my full trust is they will do as Chri[sti]an charitie bindeth them in this behalfe Allso I will that my said wife from time to time during hir said widowhead shall have free washinge, baking and burninge there :

Provided allwaies that if my said wiffe or anie for hir or in hir name do or shall by hir consente claime or demaunde anie joinrture or dower or to be endowed of or in my aforesaid messuage, landes and tenements in Fordwiche adoresaid or anie pte or pcell thereof with the apurtennces or of or in my messuage and garden with the apurtennces in Stodmershe aforesaid wherein one Clement Dier nowe dwellth or of anie or in anie messuage and garden with the apurtenancces in Sturrie in the aforesaid countie of Kente wherein one William Pooke, Butcher, nowe dwellethe That then I will that the giftes and bequeathes aforesaid to my said wife given and bequeathed and the gifte of the aforesaid tenne powndes by (the) yeare shalbe clearlie and utterlie void, frustrate and of none effecte, anie thing hereinbefore specified to the contrarie hereof in anie wise not withstanding

And further more I will geve and bequeathe my said messuages, barnes, buildinges, malte howse safter, gardens, orchardes, landes, pastures, medowes, marshes, hedge rowes and woddes withe the apurtennces in Fordwich aforesaid to Valentine Maie my sonne and to his heires and Assignes for ever

In consideracon whereof I will that the said Valentine Maie his heires execut(or(s)) or Assignes shall paie or cause to be paid unto my daughter Agnes the nowe wiffe of Martin Phillpott tenn powndes

as the said Valentine his heires or executors maie convenientlie paie the same and to my daughter Judith Maie thirtie powndes at or within the end of one holl yeare nexte after the daie of hir marriage uppon lawfull demaunde at my dwellinge howse to be made

And to paie unto Richard Maie my sonne at his age of one and twentie yeares tenn powndes:

Also I will that there shalbe paid and given to my sonne Timothye Maie twentie markes to be paid him in pte or in all at once or otherwise at the good discrecon of my said executor :

And to Thomas Maie my sonne Twentie powndes at his age of fower and twentie yeares uppon lawfull request at my messuage in Fordewiche aforesaid to bee made : And if the said Thomas my sonne chance to die before his age of fower and twentie yeares Then I will the said twentie powndes shall remaine to my executor

And I geve unto my sonne John Maie tenn powndes in token of good will I beare him

And to Anthonie Maie the sonne of the said John Maie six pownds thirteen shillinges and fower pence at his age of two and twentie yeares if he shalbe then livinge and if he shall chance to die before the said age then I will the said vjli xiijs iiijd shalbe paid unto Margerie Philpott, daughter of the aforesaid Agnes my daughter at or shortelie after the daie of hir mariage

And I bequeath unto Judith Maie and Marie Maie daughters of William Maie my sonne, deceased, to either of them fortie shillings at their severall ages of twentie yeares to be paid

And also I give and bequeathe unto Joane Hall, daughter of Elizabeth Hall my daughter deceased, fortie shillings at hir age of twentie yeares to be paid :

And furthermore I geve and bequeathe unto the aforesaid Richard Maie my sonne his heires and Assignes forever my aforesaid messuage and garden wth the apurtennces in Stodmarshe aforesaid in the occupienge of the said Clement Diar so as the said Richard Maie live to accomplishe his full age of twentie and one yeares :

And allso I geve and bequeathe unto the aforesaid Richard Maie my sonne his heires and Assignes for ever my messuage and garden with the apurtennances in Sturrie aforesaid in the occupienge of the said William Pooke so as the said Richard Maie do live to accomplishe his full age of one and twentie yeares

And also I will unto the said Richard Maie and his assignes my lease, interest and terme of yeares which I have to come of and in a pcell of lande in Sturrie aforesaid in the occupienge of the said William Pooke which I have in lease of John Smith of Sturrie aforesaid esquier for certeine yeares yet to come so as the said Richard Maie do live to accomplishe his said full age of twentie one yeares :

Provided allwaies and my full minde and meaninge is that of Richard my sonne shall chance to die before his said age of twentie one yeares Then I will that my executor shall sell the said howse and garden for the best price that he can and the monie cominge of the sale thereof I will shalbe emploied and bestowed amongest all my sonnes as my executor shall thincke meete in his discrecon :

And furthermore my will and meaninge is that my executor shall have and receive all that monie which the aforesaid Roberte Allen shall owe me at the time of my decease and those thirtie two powndes and ten shillinges which the aforesaid Humphrie Maie his executors of Assignes are to paie my executor or Assignes at the end and terme of one yeare nexte after my decease for and towardes the paiments of my debts and legfacies aforesaid :

And allso I geve and bequeath unto the said Valentine Maie whome I make my holl and onelie executor of this my testament and last will :

All the residewe of my goodes, plate, corne and Cattell, my debtes, legacies and funerall first discharged saving that my will and meaninge is that my said executor shall distribute and bestowe such pte and porcon of my said howshold stuffe, corne and Cattaile [Cattle] amongest my aforesaid children borne of the aforesaid Bennett my Wife as shall remaine after my debtes, legacies and fuenrall discharged as to his discrecon shall seeme good, meete and convenient :

And I will my Loving Friend Roger Maie of St. Stephens [Canterbury] in the Countie of Kent gent[leman] and Richard Wallis of the same Citie jointelie and severallie overseers of this my last will and testament giving them and either of them full Authoritie, power and controlement to se(e) and cause my executors to p[er]forme, paie and accomplishe the effecte and intent of all thinges of and in this my said testament and laste will mentioned as my said executor answeare at the judgment seat of God as my full trust is in is my said overseers and either of them

And I geve and bequeath to the said Roger Maie Twentie shillinges and to the said Richard Wallis twentie shillinges for their and either of their paines to be had and taken herein and their and either of their costes and charges taken hereaboute to be borne by my said executor in this behalfe

And I will that this my last will and testamente being by me sealed upp and subscribed withe my marke shall remaine in the custodie of the aforenamed Roger Maie untill it shall please God to take me to his mercie and then I will that he shall make it knowen unto the maior of Fordewiche for the time being and to his bretheren :

These beinge Witnesses at the readinge, ratifieinge and subscribing of this my will and testamente, these being witnesses

Roger Maie; Thomas Kennardie; Pershevall Foster; Willm. Simproxe? and Richard Wallis

Probat. fuit: 14th october 1596

Notes:

Anthony May was Mayor of Fordwich in 1581 and 1585: [Kent Archaeology Society]

Anthony May married Anett Parkes 7 Aug 1564 at St. Mary the Virgin, Fordwich, Kent.

Son Humphrey Maye married Margery Hogbyn 29 Sep 1584 at St. Peter, Bekesbourne, Kent.

Son Valentine May married in 1595, by Licence: May, Valentine, of Hackington, Clerk and Amy (or Ann) Austen, Virgin of St. Martin, Canterbury, dated 11 Nov 1595. They were married at St. Michael and All Angels, Harbledown (Canterbury), Kent on 18 Nov 1596?

Daughter Agnes Maye married Martyn Phylpotte 4 Oct 1586 at St. Peter, Bekesbourne, Kent.

Son Richard May, 40, Bachelor, Gentleman of All Saints, Canterbury and Rebecca Ellis, 40, widow of the same parish, by Licence on 6 Aug 1620 at All Saints, Canterbury.

Son Timothy May married Elizabeth Goulder 10 Jan 1602 at Fordwich.

Transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh A. Mason, 25th September 2023

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