7 February 1679 Will of George Peyke of Baythorne, Birdbrook, Essex, esquire (proved 15 May 1680)

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In the Name of God Amen The
Seventh day of February in the yeare of Our Lord One thousand six hundred
seventie and nyne I George Peyke of Bayethorne in Birdbrooke in the Countie of 
Essex esqr being weak in bodie but Praised be God of sound mynd and perfect
memorie doe make and declare this my last will and Testament in maner and 
forme following (that is to say) First I committ my Soul into the hands of my most
mercifull God that gave it mee and my bodie to the Earth From whence it
was taken decently to be interred within the Parish Church of Birdbrooke
aforesaid I doe hereby Order and appoint the Summe of Threescore and tenn
Pounds of lawfull money of England to be layd out by my Executors or Executrixes
hereafter named for the erecting and Setting up a Monument of Marble over
my Tombe and place of Buriall within the tyme and space of fifteen moneths
next ensuing after my decease Item I doe give and bequeath unto Twentie of
the poorest and most indigent People of the Parish of Birdbrooke aforesaid
the summe of twentie pounds of lawfull money of England to be payd & equally
distributed amongst them by my Executors or Executrixes Item I doe give and
bequeath unto my Wife Mrs Ann Peyke the summe of tenn pounds as a legacie unto
her Item I doe give and bequeath unto my Sister Mrs Elizabeth Crouch the
Summe of tenn Pounds as a legacie unto her And to her foure Children viz To
my Godsonn Peyke Crouch to her Daughter Elizabeth Crouch and to her
other two Sonns John Crouch and Thomas Crouch to each of them I doe give
and bequeath the summe of tenn pounds a peece as a legacie unto them Item I
doe give and bequeath unto my Nephew Mr George Violit the summe of tenn
Pounds as a legacie unto him Item I give and bequeath unto my Sister Mrs
Mary Whitlocke the summe of tenn Pounds as a Legacie unto her Item I give
and bequeath unto my Sister Mrs Cicelia Cooper the summe of tenn pounds as a 
legacie unto her Item I doe give and bequeath unto those my Servants who shall
be living with mee at the time of my decease the summer of Five pounds 
apeece to be payd to each of them over and above their Wages which shall be
then due unto them Item I doe give and bequeath demise settle and affirme
unto and upon John Crouch Second Sonn of my Sister Mrs Elizabeth Crouch
aforesaid All those my Mannors lands ???ments hereditamts and Reversion
withall and singular the Premises thereunto belonging lying and being wthin
the Parish and Parishes of Meldreth and Melbourne called and known by the
name and names of Sheene and the Mannors of Sheene and St?????????
Countie of Cambridge As alsoe all ???? Houses meadows ??????? and
lands as well Copihold as Freehold with???????????????????????
-ing called and knowne by the name and names of Preist houses lying and being
within the Parish of Litteport in the Isle of Ely in the said County of Cambridge
And likewise all those my Mannors and Mesuages tenements hereditamts and
Reversions called and known by the name and names of Baythorne End
house and Baythorn hall Farme withall and singular the ????????????????
lying and being within the Parish and Parishes of Birdbrooke ????????
???ewell in the Counties of Essex aforesaid And likewise all that Mesuage
and Farme now in the Occupation of   ????? with the houses???????????
meadows pastures and arable Lands thereunto belonging lying and being
within the Parish of Shadshall and ?????????????? Suffolke And 
alsoe all that Farme called and knowne by the name and names ????????
								and


and the Field Farme with all the meadowes Brooke-grounds pastures
wood-grounds and lands thereunto belonging scituate lying and being wthin
the Parish and Parishes of Brede Udimore and Selscomb and elsewhere in
the Countie of Sussex As alsoe all that Annuitie and Rent-charge of Twenty
Pounds of current money of England payable out of certaine Mannors & lands
lying within the Parishes of Pakenham Sandringham and Snoring within
the Countie of Norfolk and late the Possession of ??ile Sir Cobb And all other
my houses lands tenements and hereditaments whatsoever as well freehold
as Copihold or Leasehold scituate lying and being with the Kingdome of
England But upon these conditions and lymitations and with this espe-
-tiall Provisoe following (that is to say) That hee the said John Crouch doe
and shall legally or by Act of Parliament or in any other wayes binding in
the Law alter and change that his Sirname being Crouch to the Sirname
of him the Testator hereof being Peyke And that hee the said John Crouch 
shall be called by noe other Name from the tyme that hee makes Entrance and
takes possession of the said Mannors lands tenements hereditaments & reversions
soe given bequeathed devised settled and confirmed as aforesaid To have and to
hold unto him the said John Crouch soe qualified and made capable as aforesd
by the alteration and change of that his Sirname being Crouch to the Sirname
of the Testator hereto being Peyke as aforesaid All the said Mannors lands
tenements hereditaments and Reversions for and during the Term of his
naturall life And after his decease To the Heires male lawfully by him
begotten or to be begotten and soe qualified as aforesaid by and with the
Sirname of him the Testator hereof as aforesaid And for want and in defect of 
such Heires males soe qualified as aforesaid I doe give and bequeath devise 
settle and confirme unto and upon Thomas Crouch the Third Sonn of my said 
Sister Mrs Elizabeth Crouch All those my said Mannors lands Tenements as
well Copihold as Freehold hereditaments and Reversions aforementioned
scituate lying and being within the severall Counties and respective Places 
as aforesaid But upon these Conditions and lymitations and with this esp-
-tiall Provisoe following (that is to say) That hee the said Thomas Crouch
doe and shall legally or by Act of Parliamt or any other wayes binding in
the Law alter and change that his Sirname being Crouch to the Sirname
of him the Testator hereof being Peyke And that hee the said Thomas
Crouch shall be called by noe other Name from the tyme that he makes
Entrance and takes Possession of the said Mannors lands tenemts hereditaments 
and Reversions soe given bequeathed devised settled and confirmed as aforesd
To have and to hold unto him the said Thomas Crouch soe qualified and made
capable as aforesaid by the alteration and change of his Syrname being Crouch
to the Sirname of the Testator hereof being Peyke as aforesaid All the said
Mannors lands tenements hereditaments and Reversions for and during the
Terme of his naturall life And after his deceased to the Heires male lawfully
by him begotten or to be begotten and soe qualified as aforesaid by and with
the Sirname of him the Testator hereof as aforesaid And for want and in defect
of such Heires male soe qualified as aforesaid I doe give and bequeath devise
settle and confirme unto and upon Mr Thomas Pyke Sonne to Mr William Pyke of Comb St Nicholas neare 
Chard in the Countie of Somerset All those my Mannors Lands Tenements 
Hereditamts and Reversions with all and singular the Premises thereunto
belonging lying and being within the Parish and Parishes of Meldreth and
Melbourne called and knowne by the name and names of Sheene and the Mannors
of Sheene and Streets within the Countie of Cambridge As alsoe all those my
Houses meadows pastures and lands as well Copihold as Freehold with a Custo-
									marie


Customarie Ch???e thereunto belonging called and knowne by the name names
of Preist houses lying and being within the Parish of Littleport in the Isle of
Ely in the said Countie of Cambridge And likewise all those my Mannors lands
mesuages Tenements hereditamts and Reversions called and knowne by the name
and names of Baythorne End House and Baythorne hall Farme with all and singular ye prmises situate lying & being
  within ye parish & parishes ???
  Bumstead & Bedgewell in ye County 
  of Essex aforesaid And likewise
  all that mesuage & Farme now
  the Occu-
-pation of     Plume with the Houses and Tenements meadows pastures and
arable Lands thereunto belonging lying and being within the Parish of Steadstall
and elswhere in the Countie of Suffolk And alsoe all th??Farme called and
knowne by the name and names of L??fe?d and  ?fend Farme withall the meadows
Brooks grounds pastures woodgrounds and Lands thereunto belonging scituate
lying and being within the Parish and parishes of Brede Udimore & Selscom S
and elswhere in the Countie of Sussex As alsoe all that Annuitie or Rent
Charge of twentie pounds of current money of England payable out of certaine
Mannors and lands lying within the Parishes of Pakenham Sandringham and 
Snoring withing the Countie of Norfolke and late the possessino of     Cobb
And all other my houses lands tenements and hereditamts whatsoever aswell
freehold as copihold or Leasehold scituate lying and being within the King-
-dome of England To have and to hold to him the said Thomas Pyke for and
during the Terme of his naturall life And after his decease to the Heires male
lawfully by him begotten or to be begotten And for want and in defect of such
Heires male as aforesaid I doe give bequeath devise settle and confirme unto
and upon John Pyke the other Sonn of him the said William as aforesaid All
those my said Mannors lands and tenements as well Copihold as Freehold heredi
-taments and Reversions with all and singular the Premises and emoluments there-
-unto belonging To have and to hold unto him the said John Pyke for and during 
the Terme of his naturall life And after his decease to the Heires male law-
-fully by him begotten or to be begotten And for want and in defect of such
Heires male as aforesaid To the right Heires of mee the said George Peyke
for ever Item I doe hereby make constitute and ordaine my wife Mrs Ann Peyke
and my Sister Mrs Elizabeth Crouch the Executors or Executrixes of this my
last will and Testament And I doe hereby disannull revoke and make void all
former and other Grants Wills Testaments Codicills legacies Deeds of Gift ???
-ments and Conveyances of any of my Mannors Lands as well Copihold as Free
-hold hereditaments or Reversions As alsoe all Bequests assurances demises 
by Lease or any other Trusts in the behalfe or future benefit or behoofe of any
other person or persons whatsoever by mee heretofore made ??????????
-listed or declared Item my will and desire is That ?al?? F???? of ???
-Hull in the Countie of Hertford esqr Mr Thomas Crouch ???? of P??????
Hull in Cambridge Mr Robert Hancock Fellow of Clare Hall in Cambridge
aforesaid and Mr Francis Tattrill Apothecarie in Bridgewater in the County
of Somerset would be Aiders and Assistants to my said Executors or Executrixes
in the execution of this my last Will and Testament and for a Compensation of 
there paines and trouble herein I doe give unto each of them the summe of twentie
Pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid unto them by my said Executors or
Executrixes of this my last Will and Testament  In witness whereof I the said
George Peyke have hereunto set my hand and Seale the seventh day of February
in the yeare of Our Lord one thousand six hundred Seventie nyne first herein
mentioned G Peyke   Richard Barnett  Edmond Dames  John Lynes
Anne Scott

Be it remembered That before the Sealing and publishing
hereof I the said George Peyke doe hereby declare and signifie my Will & determinacon


as followeth (that is to say) That if it shall soe happen That any Issue
male shall or may be by mee begotten on the bodie of my Wife that now is Mrs
Ann Peyke or on the bodie of any other woman whatsoever within lawfull wed-
-locke that then and in such case All those my said Mannors lands and heredi-
-taments soe given devised settled and confirmed as aforesaid doe and shall
descend and enure to the said issue male soe begotten or to be begotten and be to
his or their onely use benefit and behoofe without the hindrance or molestation
of any person or persons whatsoever  Witness hereunto my hand and Seale the
day and yeare first abovewritten G Peykes  Signed sealed and published by
???? said George Peyke and attested and subscribed by us whose names are here-
under written in his presence  Richard Barnett  Edmond Dames  John Lines
Anne Scott

Probatum fuit [this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate on 15 May 1680]
Decimo
quinto die mensis May Anno Domini millesimo sexcentesimo Octogesimo 
[to]
Anna Peyke et Elizabetha Crouch Executricum

Last Modified: Sunday, 19-Apr-2020 12:02:33 NDT