5 February 1706 Will of Christopher Pike of East Greenwich, Kent (proved 5 March 1706)

Source: TNA, PROB 11/493

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 Christopher Pike of East Greenwich in the County of Kent
Gentleman being sick and weake in body but of sound and perfect
mind and memory (praise be therefore given to Almighty God
for the same) And considering the uncertainty of the humane life
Subject to infinite and numberless Casualties doe make and ordain
this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following
(that is to Say) First and principally I recomend my Soul into the
hands of Almight God my Creator hoping through the merits
Death and Passion of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to have
free pardon and forgiveness of all my Sinns and to inherit
Everlasting life And my body I commit to the Earth in hopes of
a blessed Resurrection to be decently buried in the parish Church of
East Greenwich aforesaid at the discretion of my Executrix
hereafter named And as touching the disposall of all Such Reall
and personall Estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me
I doe give devise and bequeath the same in manner and forme
hereafter mentioned (that is to say) First I will that all my just
debts which I shall owe to any person or persons at the time of my
decease and my Funerall Expences be first paid and discharged
Item I doe give devise and bequeath unto such and soe many of
the poor of the parish of East Greenwich as doe receive pentions
from the Overseers thereof the sume of five Shillings apeice
to be paid by my Executrix hereafter named within some convenient
time after my decease Item I doe give devise and bequeath unto
the Feeoffees of the Foundation or Charity of Mr John Roane
deceased commonly known by the name of the Grey Coat School
in East Greenwich aforesaid the sume of four pounds in order
for them to buy Twenty Bibles for such and soe many of the
poor Children of the said Foundation as doe wear the Donors
Badges which sume of four pounds I doe desire may be paid
by my Executrix hereafter named within some convenient time



after my decease And as for all the rest and residue of my said Estate
either Reall or personall whether it be goods or Chattells Rings Jewells
Debts Bonds Mortgages Specialties Rent-charges and Annuities
whatsoever I doe give devise and bequeath unto my dearly loved
Wife for and during the terme of her naturall life and no longer
(Except the sume of One hundred pounds of lawfull money of England
which I give devise and bequeath unto my said loving Wife to be by her
disposed of to any person or persons whatsoever at or before the time
of her decease either by Will or otherwise which sume of One Hundred
pounds I doe hereby appoint my Overseers and Executors hereafter
named to pay to her Executors Administrators or assigns within
three moneths after the decease of my said Wife) And from and
after her decease I doe give devise and bequeath unto One Hundred
poor and indigent Housekeepers of the said parish of East Greenwich
as doe receive no Alms from the same the sume of Two hundred
pounds of lawfull money of England to be distributed in
manner and forme folloing (that is to say) the sume of Forty
Shillings to each poor person of which number I would have the
Widow Fox now living near me (if she be then alive) to be one
Item I doe give devise and bequeath unto the Children of my Brother
William Mandrell Confectioner hereafter named the sume of
Sixty pounds of like lawfull money (that is to say) To his Daughter
Mary the sume of Twenty pounds To his sonn Richard the
sume of Twenty pounds and To his sonn Jonas the sume of
Twenty pounds Item I doe give devise and bequeath unto my
Nephew Richard Stevens Marriner the sume of Fifty pounds
of like lawfull money Item I doe give devise and bequeath unto my
Nephew Walter Steevens of East Greenwich Cordwayner the
sume of Thirty pounds of like lawfull money besides the sume of
Twenty pounds which he now stands indebted to me Item I doe
give devise and bequeath unto Joanna Parr Wife of John Parr
Cooper the sume of Fifty pounds of like lawful money All
which gifts and bequests last mentioned I doe desire may be paid
by my Overseers and Executors hereafter named within some
convenient time after the decease of my said Wife And I doe hereby
appoint my said loving Wife Mary Pike to be full Sole and
absolute Executrix of this my last Will and Testament And doe
nominate and appoint my esteemed and loving friends Mr
George Meaddowes Currier and Mr John Fisher Baker
both of the said parish of East Greenwich to be Overseers thereof
And from and imediately after the decease of my said loving
Wife Mary Pike I doe give devise and bequeath unto them the
said George Meaddowes and John Fisher All my Reall and
personal Estate whether it be goods Chattells Rings Jewells
Debts Bonds Mortgages Specialties Rent-charges and
Annuities whatsoever Upon this Special Trust and Confidence
Nevertheless in them reposed that they the said George Meaddowes
and John Fisher doe well and truly in all point pay the
Legacies and bequests above devised and bequeathed which I
trust they will doe as they will answer the same to Almight God
And from and after the true payment of the same All the
Residue and Remainder of my said Reall and personall Estate



whatsoever I doe give devise and bequeath the same to them the said
George Meaddowes and John Fisher for theire own proper use
and as theire own proper goods and Chattells to be equally divided
betweene them Share and Share alike And after the decease of my
said Wife I doe make them my Sole and absolute Executors And I
doe hereby revoke disannull and vacat all former Wills and
Testaments by me at any time heretofore made and doe make this
to stand and be for and as my only last Will and Testament
contained in this one Single Sheet of paper In Witness whereof I
the said Christopher Pike to this my last Will and Testament
have hereunto sett my hand and Seale this fifth day of February
in the fifth year of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lady Ann by the
grace of God over England &c Queene Defender of the Faith &c
Annoq Domini 1706/7  Christopher Pike  Signed Sealed
read published owned declared and delivered up by the above
named Testator Christopher Pike to be his last Will and Testament
in the presence of us the Witnesses whose names in the presence of
him the Testator are hereunto subscribed  S Grimston  Ja Christie
Richd Barber  Edwd Owens Scr

Probatum fuit [this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate at London
on 5 March 1706]
Quinto die mensis Marchii Anno Domini Millimo Septingesimo Sexto 
[to] Maria Pike Relicta dicti defuncti et Executricis




[written in the column beside the will is the following:]
Probatum Londini ?????ente
vizo Joh? Exton Legum ?? Surrey
Undecimo die mensis 
Septembris Anno Dni 1711
Juramtis Georgii Meadowes
et Johannis Fisher
Extorum substiturorum
in die Testo ?orat quibus
de bene &c jurat prob??
Test dci defti nomine
Maria Pike Relicte et
Extricis &c als mense
Marchii 1706/7 habitaet
fastaratione ?uortis
dicta maria Pike cessata
et expirata

Last Modified: Sunday, 19-Apr-2020 12:08:48 NDT