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 Joseph Pyke of Tiverton in the County of Devon Clerk being through Mercy of sound understanding (tho' weak in Body) Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following having first sincerely and solemnly committed my Soul to the peculiar charge of my God in Covenant and in hopes of Eternal Life through Jesus Christ my adorable Advocate Imprimis I ordain that all my just Debts be paid as soon as convenient Item I ordain and appoint that the Two hundred pounds stipulated in Sister Churly's Marriage Articles to be left to her after my decease as part of her Fortune be paid at the time therein agreed on by my Executors Item I give and bequeath to my Brother Bhurly my Mahogany chair with its Implements Item I give and bequeath to my dear Sister Eliz: Churly one of the Silver Salvers Item I immediately lend to my dear Brother Oliver Pyke of Exon Soapboiler the sum of one hundred pound for which he is to pay four and a half per Cent Interest every half year to my beloved Wife Mary Pyke during the term of her natural Life and then the principal to become his Item I give and bequeath to my dear Brother Oliver Pyke of Exon Soapboiler his Heirs Executors Admors or Assigns the Sum of One hundred pound to be paid by my Trustees hereinafter named within a year after my decease I likewise give him my Woollen wearing Apparel Hat and Wiggs and my New Mare or Old one as Mrs Pyke pleases Item I bequeath unto his Wife Hannah Pyke the fellow of the Silver Salver bequeathed to Sister Churly Item I give and bequeath to my Niece Eliz: Pyke (Daughter of my Brother Willm Pyke) now living with Mr Odling Junior at Exeter in New England the Sum of One hundred pounds when she comes to the Age of Twenty one The Interest of the said hundred pounds in the meantime to be paid to my dear Wife Item I give and bequeath forty of the best of my English Books to my dear Wife which she may choose out for her own Study Item I give to my Coz John Rudge all the rest of my Books Pamphletts Controversial Writings and Sermons except those that are old and the Writing decay'd with all my Book Cases and Desks on condition none be printed Item I bequeath unto my Coz John Rudge five pounds to buy a black Suit of Mourning and all my wearing Linnen Apparel with the Ring left me by Mr Euchmarch and my Watch Item I give and bequeath ten pounds to ten poor people of the Church of which I am the unworthy pastor to be paid out of the first Arrears that shall be received from the Church Item I give and bequeath to each of my two Servants now living with me Eliz: Langdon and Mary Cross Three pounds to put themselves into Mourning Item convincd of the vanity of pompous and expensive Funerals 'tis my Will that I be buried privately in the new Church yard in a new Grace Six foot deep at six of the Clock in the Morning and that I am carried by six Men only (without upper Bearers) who are to be paid five shillings each and to have Gloves that the Minister whose week it is to read prayers and the Revd Mr Saml Westcott have Hatt bands and Gloves Item I give and bequeath unto the Revd Mr Saml Westcott my Silver Tobacco box and desire him to preach my Funeral Sermon the Lords Day after my Interment on those Words of the Apostle No Man liveth to himself &c Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife all my Household Goods Rings and plate not disposed of above And Whereas by Articles made at my Marriage with my said Wife the Sum of Two thousand pound was agreed to be laid out in the purchase of an Estate or on such Securities as are therein mentioned and the yearly produce thereof to be for my said Wife's Jointure in case she survived me but having by bad Debts lost Fifty pound of her Money and One hundred pounds being spent in buying her Wedding Cloaths &c in consideration of which last Article one hundred pound in Million bank was added to the Jointure 'tis my last Will that the following Sumx Vizt Ninety pounds in the Hands of Mr Enchmarch one hundred and fifty in Mr Hooper's fifty in Mr William Jones's of Bristoll Fifty in Farmer Maunder's Fifty in Mr Rudge's four hundred in Mr Igrrit Smith's three hundred in Mr Daniel Saunder's one hundred in Mrs Frances Yerbury's and Fifty pound which being paid in and applyed to my use I ordain to be paid her by my Trustees herein after named out of the money in Million bank which stands in my name in all twelve hundred and forty pound All which sums I give devise and bequeath unto my very good Friends Thomas Enchmarch and Richard Enchmarch Merchants To hold to them their Executors Administrators and Assigns for Ever Subject nevertheless to and by and under the several Trusts and provisoes and to and for the several uses ends intents and purposes hereafter mentioned and declared that is to day In Trust that they the said Thomas Enchmarch and Richard Enchmarch and the Survivors of them their Executors Admors do and shall within Six Weeks after my decease by a Deed of Assignment or other sufficient Conveyances Transfer and make over to my said dear Wife her Executors Administrators all the said forementioned Sums to her own and their proper use and behoof that she dispose of call in or put out to Interest as she pleases as her own property Item I give to my very good Friends Thomas Enchmarch and Richard Enchmarch aforesaid wt remains the sum of seven hundred pounds that lye in Million Bank part of Mrs Pykes Jointure In Trust that they or the Survivors of them do receive the Annual products of it or any other moneys that remain in Stock or out at Interest not disposed of by virtue of any Letter of Attorney which I desire my good Friends Mr Nathaniel Butler and Mr Samuel Jacob Merchant in whose Names the stock stands to grant unto them and that they pay the said products to my said Wife during the Term of her natural Life desiring them in case any Sum or Sums of Money in Stock or Bonds Mortgages or any other Securitys are offered to be paid in to receive and dispose of it to the best advantage or if there be any real or apparent hazard of loosing it to call it in and place it out again on other Securitys as they shall Judge proper And from and after the Death of my dear Wife then in Trust that the said Money in Million Bank that was part of her Jointure with any other Sums that may remain shall be applyed to the uses and idisposed of in the manner and form following that is to say I give and bequeath to my good Friend Mr Nathaniel Butler Clothier in Warminster his Executors Administrators or Assigns the Sum of One hundred pounds Item I give and bequeath unto my good Friend Samll Butler Malster in Warminster his Heirs Executors and Admors the sum of fifty pounds Item I give to my dear Sister Churly One hundred and fifty pounds Item I give to my Brother Oliver Pyke two hundred pounds Item I give to my Niece Eliz: Pyke in New England aforesaid two hundred pounds If any other Moneys remain to be divided share and share alike between the three last provided always and my Will and desire is That my said Trustees and their respective Heirs Executors and Administrators out of the principal Interest profit and product of the said trusted premisses or by or out of all or any part of the moneys that shall come to their Hands by virtue or on Account of the said Trust in the first place from time to times and at all times reimburse and make themselves satisfaction respectively for all such Cost Charges Damages and Expences as he they any or either of them shall sustain or be put to in the Execution of this my Will And my Will further is that my said Trustees and their respective Heirs Executors or Administrators shall not be charge or chargeable with or accountable or responsible for more money than they shall actually respectively receive nor for the Acts Deeds or defaults of each other nor chargeable or lyable to make good any Loss or Losses that shall happen in the management or disposal of all or any part of the said trusted prmisses he and they respectively acting bona fide according to the best of his and their Judgement And lastly I do hereby make constitute and appoint the said Thomas Enchmarch and Richard Enchmarch Executors of this my last Will and Testament In Trust as aforesaid and hereby revoke all former Will and Wills by me heretofore made In Witness whereof I the said Joseph Pyke the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament set my Hand and Seal this twentieth Day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred forty one two Joseph Pyke Signed and Sealed published and declared by the Testator above named as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us Thomas Mason Thomas Cooke The Twelfth Day of August 1742 Which Day appeared personally John Rudge of Tiverton in the County of Devon Clerk and Richard Enchmarch of the same place Merchant and severally made Oath upon the Holy Evangelists as followeth to wit That they these Deponents have seen and carefully perused the paper writing hereunto annexed purporting to be the last Will and Testament of the Reverend Joseph Pyke Clerk of Tiverton aforesaid (who dyed about the eighteenth Day of Mary last) contained in one side and an half of a sheet of paper beginning thus (In the Name of God Amen I Joseph Pyke of Tiverton in the County of Devon Clerk" and Ending thus In Witness whereof I the said Joseph Pyke the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament Set my Hand and Seal this Twentieth Day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty one two" and signed and subscribed thus Joseph Pyke" And this Deponent John Rudge by himself saith that the Legacy appearing to be written and to begin in the middle of the eighth Line of the second and last side or page and which is immediately following the Legacy made or bequeathed to Mr Nathl Butler in these Words to wit I give and bequeath unto my good Friend Samuel Butler Malster in Warminster his Heirs Executors and Administrators the sum of fifty pounds And that the Erasure appearing to be made in the ninth Line of the said Second page or side of the deceased's Will and that the Word (one) appearing to be made or written on the said erasure and the Words (and fifty) interlined over the Words (hundred pounds) in the same Line were therein so made by this Deponent Rudge at the request and by the express order and direction of the said Testator Joseph Pyke who was then present and dictated and afterwards read the same himself And the said Richard Enchmarch who's one of the Executors mentioned in the said Will by himself saith that he was present at the Testator's House the next Day after his Death when the said Will was produced and delivered to him and he read it and saith that the same Will and the severall additions Erasures and Interlineations therein now appearing were then in the same plight and condition as the same now are and that this Deponent doth verily believe the same were so made by the said deceased or by his express Order or directions John Rudge Richard Enchmarch On the Twelfth Day of August 1742 The said John Rudge and Richard Enchmarch were duly sworn to the Truth of the attestation before me John Gilberd Curate of Tiverton This Will was proved at London on the twenty fifth Day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and forty two before the Right Worshipfull John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted By the Oaths of Thomas Enchmarch and Richard Enchmarch 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 by Commission duly to Administer the same
Last Modified: Tuesday, 21-Apr-2020 13:31:14 NDT