5 January 1729 Will of Isaac Pyke of Greenwich, Kent, esquire (proved 10 April 1739)

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In the Name of God Amen
I the underwritten Isaac Pyke of Greenwich in the County of
Kent Esqr late Governor of St Hellena ?? duly considering my
own Mortality and the many Casualties to which I  as well as 
all other men am subject being desirous to settle my small affairs in


in the best manner I can have therefore made and hereby I doe
make these papers to be and contain my last will and Testament 
It is likely that there may be found among my papers some other 
will by me formerly made 
  but I do hereby revoke
  and now disallow all manner
  of Wills or Testaments by me
  formerly made
or pretended to be made and I appoint
these papers only to stand good as my last will First as to my Sons
I trust in the Manifold mercies of God through Christ that I shall
have a pardon for my Sins as to my Religion it is the protestant
according to the Established Orders of the Church of England my
body I leave to be decently and Frugally Interred according to the
discretion of my Executors but in as private a manner as possibly
they can And on no account whatsoever to Exceed the buriall of my
Mother but would have the Expence be as much less as they will
I desire Mr Richard Mead of Greenwich if he be then living
may be employed in it and have a Ring besides his payment 
but I would have none of the undertakers padgeantry nor no
Coaches with more then two horses each and the Hearse if 
they should have one with no more then 2 Horses nor none of
those Foppish Lights called Branche Lights and therefore desire 
to be buried by day light and as it is likely according to Custome 
   there be some friends to Support the pall I desire they may
be Chosen most out of the Lay Gentlemen of Greenwich who
use frequently the Club that the professor Dr Morton Councillor
Blondel and myself belonged to and I think Mr White Mr
Isaacs and Mr Hally Dr Newington Mr Strong Mr Joseph
Moor and Mr       make up the most part if not all of 
them at the time let Mr Justice Clerke be Invited as a
Supporter of the Pall and those of the Club who do not hold up
the Pall to have the same with those who do and a Small
Treat ad the Tavern on the first Saturday Night after my
Buriall of half a Crown a Man I put not this in on any 
Superstitious nor no prophane account all the Gentlemen
named above are of better principals and tho this thing may
looke to some a little Romantick I have no other meaning than
to wish those Gentlemen to be Innocently Chearfull as usuall
thos I am no longer to partake with them I would have no
more persons or Clergymen at the burial then needs must the
parson of the parish for the time being will be there in his Duty
if my Brother John Pery be then in Town I suppose he'l be there to
I desire to lye in the same Grave which my Mother was buried in 
without any other Inscription then Mr Isaac Pyke and the date
of the year I dye in As to the small Estate it hath pleased God to
bless me with I dispose thereof in the following manner to each
Servant who shall be living with me at the time of my decease 
one years wages more then is due to them but no ring. To each of the
Members that now are of a religious Society in London to whom			The society that I
I formerly belonged Mr Warham Mr Lane Mr Skeate Mr Stewart			mean used to meet
Mr Pridie did belong to the same I referr the names of those who		on St La??pountneys
now belong thereto to their own List as it was set down when			Hill
they last before my death Elected their Steward and to all those
in that list five pounds sterling each and one Gold ring each 
To Mr William Gardner Distiller Twenty pounds in money for
Mourning and 1 ring. To Mr John Shepherd Tea Merchant


Fifteen pounds for the same and One ring To Mr Justice Clerk
of Greenwich of Unicorns Horn and the King of Bantame Speear
Staff To Dr Halley the Professor my Model of the present Christian
Temple at Jerusalem and Pangarany Monqua Raja Creese
with    head To Mrs Wait and to Mrs Frances Bradford and to
Mr Hemings eight pounds in money each for mourning and a
ring to each I have sometime since subscribed a written Deed
in which I gave after my death one hundred pounds to the
Honourable East India Company for the uses therein mentioned
which I mention over again here to prevent any disputes about
the payment And I also bequeath to each of the Directors of
the said Honourable Company and their secretary and to Sr
Gilbert Heathcott one Gold ring of One Guinea value And to
Alderman Levett the same And to Mr Ellerker of the Temple
I give Ten pounds for mourning To Mr Peacock and his wife			Mr Peacock who was Executor
and Mr Brownsmith and his son and to Capt Richd Rawlins				with me to Sr Frances Forbes I
each one gold ring. To my sister Mary Bradford and Neice 			mention it on this manner
Anna her daughter who is unmarried each 10 pounds for				because I am acquainted wth
mourning As to my Household Goods plate and Linnen I give			some others of that name
One moiety or half part thereof unto my Sister Mary Bradford
and the value of the other halfe part to be placed to account of
my Estate yet so Nevertheless that she shall have the use of the
whole so long as she remains a widow All the rest and remainder
of my Estate to be valued and to prevent disputes the whole sum
of the value of my said Estate whether real or personal to be
Divided into 8 parts whereof I give the use of the whole to 
my sister Mary Bradford for her better support and Maintenance
during the whole Term she shall remain a widow without
Impeachment of wast so as the said Estate be Divided on
her Marriage two Eighth parts to her selfe two other eighth
parts to her daughter my Neice Anna and the remaineing
4 of those 8 parts to my Neice Bufarr and the Children 
Born of her body but in Case my Sister remains a widow
and her daughter Anna should Mary with her approbation 
that then her said Daughter shall have one Eight part fo
her fortune but no more during her Mothers life untill
her said Mother shall Marry and then the other Eight
part which will make up a Quarter share I leave the
Estimateing and valuation of the said Estate to be made by
my Sister and my Nephew John Bufarr and also to be
divided by them but in such manner that if any part 
shall be thought to be too highly valued that then such part
shall when the time of possession Comes goe to Mrs Bufarr
and her Children because they will then have 4 of the 8th
parts thus I have as equally as I think is reasonable devided
my Estate for my Sister during her life in Case she shall
remain a widow to possess the whole for her support without
being accountable to any for the Incomes or profits thereof
hat she at her death may be able to tive good Legacies to
such of her Children as shall please her best for such is my
designe and Intent herein however it may happen to be
exprest I leave also to John Bufarr and his Wife my Nephew


and Neice and to their Children 40L for Mourning and I 
appoint my said Sister Mary Bradford before named and 
the said John Bufarr to be Executors to this my last Will
and Testament which I have written all with my own hand
in 4 folio sides of three sheets of paper and in Testimony
hereof I have signed each sheet on the Top or Margin and
subscribed and sealed the whole at the End this fifth day of
January 1729/30  Isa: Pyke  This writing was by Mr Isa Pyke
published and declared to be his last Will and Testament in 
the presence of us who also did sign the same in his presence
Frances Bradford Francis Meyer Titus Ovsdreyd Anna Maria
Ratcliffe

Memorandum That tho I think this Will being 
written all with my own hand there is no great necessity of
Witnesses yet I have Caused it to be signed by 4 Witnesses who
tho they have Legacies I desire that my not Invalid their 
Testimony

This Will was proved at London before the Worshipfull
William Straham Doctor of Laws Surrogate to the Right 
Worshipfull John Bettesworth also Doctor of Laws Master
Keeper or Commissary of the prerogative Court of Canterbury
lawfully constituted the Tenth day of April in the year of Our
Lord One Thousand seven hundred thirty nine by the Oath of 
John Buffar one of the Executors named in the said Will To whom
Administration was Granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels
and Credits of the said deceased being first sworn duly to administer 
(Reserving Power to make the like grant to Mary Bradford the
other Executor also named in the said Will when she shall apply
for the same

This Will was proved at London before the Worshipfull
Robert Chapman Doctor of Laws Surrogate to the Right Worshipfull
John Bettesworth also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary
of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted the
Thirtieth day of Aprill in the year of Our Lord One Thousand 
seven hundred thirty nine by the Oath of Mary Bradford widow
the other Executor named in the said Will To whom administration
was Granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits 
of the said deceased being first sworn duly to Administer

Last Modified: Monday, 20-Apr-2020 16:17:33 NDT