Source: TNA, PROB 11/574
Also, if you are a male Pike/Pyke (or you know one) who may be willing to do a genealogical DNA test, then please check out the Pike DNA Project for which I am a volunteer coordinator. There are several Pike/Pyke families that are not yet represented in the project, and for whom participants are wanted.
In the Name of God Amen I Robert Pike Citizen and Haberdasher of London being sick and Weak in body but of sound and perfect mind memory and understanding thanks be given to Almighty God for the same calling to mind the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof Do make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) Imprimis I commend my pretious and immortall soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it And my body I commit to the Earth to be decently buryed And such things to be observed at my Funerall as I shall hereinafter direct hopeing and beleiving through the alone merits and intercession of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to obtain pardon of All my Sins and to have a Joyfull Resurrection at the last day to everlasting life and happiness Item I desire and direct that my body shall be put into a Cedar Coffin with A double Lid and a Glass in the Innermost Lid and interred in the burying ground belonging to the people called Quakers in Bunhill Feilds And that the body of my deced son Benjamin shall be taken up and laid by me Item I desire and direct that Thirty Coaches may be provided to carry such Freinds and Neighbours as shall be willing to attend my body to the place of burial as as to such worldly estate as it hath or shall please God to bless me with (after my just debts and Funerall expences shall be there out first paid and satisfyed) I give devise and bequeath the same as follow (viz) Impris I give devise and bequeath unto my dear and loving Wife With all such part of my estate both reall and personal as she can or may claim by the custom of the City of London or by any other Law or custome whatsoever Item I give and bequeath unto my cousin Mary Mason Twenty pounds To Mary that now nurses my Child Twenty pounds To my eldest Apprentice Byles White Twenty pounds To my Apprentice William Groom Ten pounds To my Apprentice William Poole Ten pounds To John Randall who is to be turned over to me Five pounds (in case he shall be turned over to me and not otherwise) and to my servant William Lee Ten pounds Item I give and bequeath the sume of Fifty pounds to be distrubted among such poor people and in such manner and proporcon as the Members of the Meeting house of the people called Quakers in Devonshire Street near Bishopsgate Street shall think fir Item in case my said Wife now is or shall happen to be with Child by me and the same shall be a son Then I give devise and bequeath unto such my son all my Freehold and Copyhold Messuages Lands Tenements in possession Revercon and Remainder when he shall attain his age of one and Twenty yeares to hold to him and his assignes during the Term of his naturall life and from and imediately after his Decease To the Heires of his body lawfully to be begotten Item in such case I also give and bequeath unto such my son One Moiety or half part of all my Leasehold Estates Messuages or Tenements in possession and Revercon and one Moiety or half part of all the rest and residue of all other my personall estate not hereby before given and bequeathed When he shall attain his age of one and Twenty yeares And in case of such son as aforesaid I give devise and bequeath unto my Daughter Anna Maria Pike the other Moiety or half part of all such my Leasehold estates and of the rest and residue of all other my personall estate not herein and hereby given and bequeathed as aforesaid But if instead of a son my said Wife shall happen to have a Daughter Then and in such case my Will and meaning is and I do hereby give devise and bequeath all my Freehold and Copyhold estates in possession Revercon and Remainder unto such Daughter and my said Daughter Anna Maria Pike equally to be divided between share and share alike when they shall attain their respective ages of one and Twenty yeares or be marryed which shall first happen To hold to them during the Termes of their naturall lives and from and after their respective Deceases To the Heires of their bodyes lawfully to be begotten Item in case of such Child being a Daughter as aforesaid I also give devise and bequeath all the residuary part of my personall estate unto such Daughter and my said Daughter Anna Maria Pike to be equally divided between them share and share alike when they shall attain their respective ages of one and Twenty yeares or be marryed which shall first happen And if my said Wife shall not happen to have another Child or if she shall happen to have another and the same or either of them shall happen to dye before the age of one and Twenty yeares or marriage as aforesaid Then such Child as shall live or survive shall have all and every Legacy and Legacyes Estate and Estates by me herein before given to the other of them and in case my said Daughter Anna Maria Pike and such other Child shall happen to dye before their respective attaining their age of one and Twenty yeares or marriage and without Issue Then my will and Mind is and I do hereby (after the decease of my said loving Wife) give devise and bequeath unto my Sister in Law Mary Mason All my Freehold and Copyhold and Leasehold and other personall estate by me hereby before given unto my Child or Children To hold to her the said Mary Mason her Heires executors administrators and assignes for ever And my will and Mind is that my said dear and loving Wife shall receive and take to her own use and without rendring any account for the same) All the Rents Issues profits and proceed of all my messuages Lands Tenements and other Estate and effects hereby before by me given and bequeathed unto my Child or Children untill they shall attain their respective ages of one and Twenty yeares or be marryed as aforesaid which shall first happen she maintaining bringing up and educating my Child or Children in Reading Writing Accounts Latin French Needle work and other usefull and necessary learning in respect to their Sex and in case my said Child or Children shall happen to dye before his her and their attainment of the age of One and Twenty yeares or marriage Then my Will and mind is that my said loving Wife shall continue to receive the Rents Issues and profits of my said Estates as aforesaid to her own use during the Term of her naturall life without rendring any account as aforesaid She giving good Security to my Sister Mary Mason that she shall have the same after the decease of my said Wife but in Case my said Wife shall Survive my said Children and my said Sister Mary Mason Then I give devise and bequeath all and every my Messuages Lands Tenements Estate and Effects before by me given to my Child or Children unto my said dear and loving Wife her Heires Executors administrators and assignes for ever anything herein contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding And I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my Father in Law Benjamin Mason Sole Executor of this my Will and Guardian of my Child or Children And do desire him to take care of my Wife and the educacon of my Child or Children and I do order and direct that my said Father in Law and my Wife shall not be Answerable for any loss that my happen in putting out any moneys or any otherways acting by vertue of this my Will And lastly my Mind and Will is And I do desire that my Brother in Law Joseph Tantum shall never inhabit use or occupy any of my houses Lands or Ground or any part thereof And for that purpose that speciall Clauses Covenants and provisoes shall be made and contained in all and every Leases and contracts which shall be made for letting the same In Witness whereof I the said Robert Pike have to this my Will contained in three Sheetes of paper set my name to the bottom of each Sheet and my Seal to this last Sheet this Twenty first day of February Anno Domini One Thousand Seven hundred and Nineteen Robt Pike Signed Sealed published and declared by the said Robert Pike the Testator to be his last Will and Testament in the Sight and presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses hereto in his Sight and presence Mary Lee David Lamb Ar Avis Probatum fuit [this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate at London on 27 May 1720] vicesimo septimo Die mensis Maii Anno Domini Millesimo Septingentesimo Vicesimo [to] Benjamini Mason Executoris
Last Modified: Sunday, 19-Apr-2020 12:27:31 NDT