The will of Mary Bedlake née Adams ( -1665/66)
Mary is a 9 x great grandmother of mine.
A useful will in naming the husband of three of her daughters and married name of the fourth – though with a surname uncommon in Kent not as valuable as it would be in some families. Most that she left was to be equally divided between them, the exception being that Marie, the eldest did not inherit £4 like the others; it seems likely she had already had something of similar or greater value. Possibly Mary was thinking of the bedsted and table left by their father to Mary junior. Perhaps there was friction between the four sisters: Mary, like Christopher, was anxious to provide a law suit arising, but saw sufficient possibility to stipulate what should happen. Unlike Christopher she did not wish to virtually disinherit a daughter; rather she appoint others who would arbitrate, if necessary. (It’s possible the friction was between her son-in-laws; without blood ties to make them concerned for each other they may each have been out to get what they could.) The income from property, sold or let, could be divided without argument, but the value of household items etc. would not be so easy to determine. However, her daughters were not even married when Christopher wrote his will; maybe Mary or Christopher had had a bad experience with a will dispute in their family before.
In the name of God Amen I Marie
Bedlock of Deale in the County of kent widdow being sick & weak in body but
in sonn & perfect memory praysed bee god therefor I Doe make & ordayn this my last
will & testament In maner & form following that is to say First I comitt and comend
my soule into the handes of Almighty god my alone savior & redeemer And my body to bee
interred at the discression of my executrixes hereafter named Item I give and
bequeath unto my three youngest dafteres that is to say to Bennett Bannester wife of
Thomas Bannester, Sysley Slodden wife of Richard Slodden & Honor Long widdow
the full and just sum of Fowr poundes of Lawfull money of England a peece to bee payd unto
them within one moneth next after my decease Item I give & bequeath unto
my four naturall dafters that is to say Marie Phillips wife of Robert Phillips Bennett
Bannester Sysley Slodden & Honor Long the Lease of the house where I now live together
with the appurtenances & other houses All which sayd houses shall bee equally shared
between my sayd four dafters To bee had & houlden unto them & either of them their
& either & every of their executors administrators & assignes fro[m] the day of my death
and decease unto the end of the term therein limited with benefit of renewment & coven=
ants of the sayd lease Item I give & bequeath unto my s[ai]d four dafters Marie Bennett
Sysley & Honor All & singuler my goodes household stuff linnen woollen brass pewter & other
implementes of household whatsoever to bee equally divided between them Item all my
other estate hereby not disposed or bequeathed I give & bequeath to my sayd four dafters
Marie Phillips Bennett Banister Sysley Slodden & Honnor Long who I make my executrixes
of this my last will & testament hereby adnulling all will & wills testament & testamts
by mee formerly made or declared & acknowledgeing this & onely this to bee my last will
& testament Item my will & meaneing is that if my children or either of them
shall have any difference about any of my small estate I shall leave them that then to avoyd
Lawsuites & troubles they & every of them shall bee ruled & adjudged by Richard
Bridger beerebrewer John Pittock Draper & John Culmer pylott or any two of them &
what they or any two of them shall adjudge & award under their handes shall bee as firm
& good as if it had been so exprest in this my last will In witnes whereof I have
hereunto set my hand & seale this tenth day of November In the seaventeenth year of
his Mats reign Anno D[omi]ni 1665
Seen read signed sealed & delivered & by mee the Mary Bedlock
sayd Mary Bedlock published & declared as my last her mark
will & testament In the prsence of
Richard Stone John Barckes Ri. Wattes
Probate Statement
Summary: On 9 Feb 1665/6 probate was granted to the executrixes named in the will
Source
This is a transcription by me, Teresa Goatham, of an image of the original will, KHLC ref. PRC/31/134 B/2, viewed on FamilySearch at Yeovil FHC.
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