3 March 1723 Will of Benjamin Pyke of London, citizen and skinner (proved 18 January 1724)

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
Benjamin Pyke Citizen and Skinner of London make and declare
these presents to be and contain my last Will and Testament First I
commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it
hoping to be saved through the meritorious Death and passion of
Jesus Christ my Lord And my Body I committ to the Earth to be
Decently Buryed at the Discretion of my Executrix hereafter named
only my Will and command is it may be a private and only relations
and six holders up of the Paul and my Temporall Estate that God
hath blessed me with I dispose thereof as follows First I Will and
appoint that all such Debts as I Justly Owe at the time of my Decease
with my Funerall Charges be fully pay'd and Satisfied after that I
Give to my son Milson Pyke the sume of Two hundred and fifty
pounds which with what he hath had is considerably more than
his part comes to according to the custom of the City of London he
giveing a Generall Release to my Executrix at the same time he
Receivs it but if he Refuses to accept of this and Gives my Executrix 
any trouble or commenceth any Suit against her then I Will that 
my Estate be Exactly cast up what his part of a third of my Estate
will amount to and he shall have his part and no more Item I 
Give to my Son my Wicked son Benjamin Pyke the sume of Fifty
pounds in Money and my Executrix shall pay him fifteen pounds
a year during his life he giving her at the Signing of her Bond for the
same a Generall Release but he refuseth this then I Will that 
she pay him One hundred and fifty pounds in money to make up the
above fifty pounds two hundred pounds that being more than his
part will amount according to the custom of the city of London
and no yearly allowance Item I Give to my Daughter Rebecca 
Lucas of St Edmonds Bury Two hundred and Fifty pounds South
Sea Stock and Two hundred and Fifty pounds of my Annuity
Stock in the same Company but if it shall so happen that I should
have sold any part of the same that then my Executrix shall pay
her 100L for every hundred that is sold if the whole 500L Stock
and Annuitys be sold then my Executrix shall pay her five hundred
pounds she Giveing her a Generall Release at the time she receives
it Item I Give to my Daughter Shorey the Sume of two hundred
pounds dureing her life and after her Decease to Pyke Shorey Item
I Give to my Sister Sanders five pounds for Mourning Item I Will
that my Executrix pay to my Sister Sanders five pounds a year 
dureing her life Item I Give to my sister Erp of Noneaton in
Warwickshire the sume of Five pounds Item I Give to my Mother
in Law Mrs Mary Chambers Tenn pounds for Mourning Item I 
Give my Brother in Law Nicholas Chambers the Sume of Tenn
pounds for mourning Item I Give to Mr Barber Preacher at the
Meeting at Brentwood in Essex the Sume of Tenn pounds Item I 
Give to John Owen that was my Servant formerly Twenty pounds
I Will also that my Executrix pay to Mr Barber forty shillings for
the poor of his Congregation as he shall thinke fitt to dispose of it


All the Rest and Residue of my Estate wheresoever and whatsoever 
I Give to my Dear and loveing Wife Mary Pyke whom I doe ordain
constitute and appoint my full and Sole Executrix of this my last Will
and Testament Revokeing all former and other Wills and Testaments 
at any time made by me before whatsoeever only I Will that if my Wife
shall marry again she shall before the day of Marriage pay my
Daughter Shorey the Sume of Six hundred pounds if living if not the
said sume to her three sons William, John and Pyke Shorey to be
equally divided betwixt them or so many of them as shall be liveing
at the Age of 21 Years my son John Shorey shall have the use of it till
then In Witness whereof I the said Benjamin Pyke the Testator have
to this my last Will and Testament writ with my owne hand doe set my
hand and Seal this third day of March and in the tenth year of the
Reign of our Sovereige Lord George by the Grace of God of Great 
Brittaine and Ireland Kind defender of the Faith 1723/4 Benjamin
Pyke Signed sealed and Published by the above named Benjamin
Pyke the Testator for his last Will and Testament and delivered as his
Act and Deed in the presence of Us Witnesses who at the request who
at the request and by the Direction of the said Testator subscribed
our names in his presence Witnesses Jehn Hall Geo Barry Will?
Barry

Probatum fuit [this paragraph continues in Latin to grant probate on 18 January 1724]
Decimo octavo Die Mensis Januarii
Anno Domini Millesimo Septingentesimo vicesimo Quarto
[to]
Maria Pyke Relicta et Executricis

Last Modified: Sunday, 19-Apr-2020 15:34:37 NDT