Richard Halke is, I believe, my 12 x great grandfather.

Line breaks are as in the register copy, not indicated by ‘/’ which are as in the document.

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Draft transcription – not checked for typos and other errors – and not yet linked to tree

In the name of god Amen, the seconde day of

September in the yere of our Lorde god m^il v^C xlv^th

and in the xxxvii^th yere of the Reigne of our Sov[er]aigne

Lorde Henry theight by the grace of god kyng of

England Frannce and Ireland defendo^r of the saythe

and in erthe of the churche of England and also of

Ireland the supreme hed I Rychard Halke thelder

of the paryshe of Wye in the countie of Kente beyng holle

of mynde and in good remembrannce make and

ordeyne this my p[rese]nte testamente and laste will in

maner and forme foloweng Fyrste I bequethe my

soule unto allmightie god to our blessed Lady Saynte

Mary and to all the holy company of heaven and my body

to be buried in the churche of Wye aforsayd besides my

wif Itm I bequethe to the highe aultar there for my

tithes and offerynge negligently forgotten or witholden

o – iii^s iiii^d Itm I will there be an honeste preste

founde to singe and celebrate masse in the churche of

Wye for my soule my wife soule and all xpian

soules by the space of half a yere nexte after my

decease having for his salary o – iii ^li vi^s viii^d, to be

Levied and reysed oute of all my Lands and Tentes

[p.2]

excepte my Tente called Cockes tente and gores Tente

and the Lands to them appertenyng or belonging and other

Landes wiche I have or shall geve unto Rychard Halke

my godson the sone of John Halke. Itm I will that there

be kepte in the sayd churche of Wye one yerely obite to the

yerely value in all chardges of – vi^s viii^d by the space of

xx^th yeres nexte after my decease; to be levied and reysed

oute of all my landes and tentes, excepte preexcepted /

Itm I will myne executors pay or cause to be payd within

one quarter of a yeare nexte after my decease unto Sir

xpophor Halke preste for his singing and celebratyng of

masse allredy in the churche of wye for my soule and all

xpian soules – iii ^li vi^s viii^d / Itm I will that myne

exectors geve and delyver to every preste singing or

saying masse for my soule and all xpian soules – vi^d

Itm I will to every man and woman there taking doale

– i^d And to every childe – i^d And likewise I will to be don

at my monthesday Itm I geve to Rychard Halke my

godson the sone of Willm Halke – ii kyne, to be at the

election of the sayd Richard Halke wiche ii kyne he will

have amoungiste all my kyne / Itm I bequethe unto the

sayd Richard ii of my greateste candlesticke / Itm I

bequethe unto Thomas Halke son of the sayd willm ii kyne,

to be at his choise wiche he will have when his brother

Rychard hath chosen Itm I bequethe unto the sayd

Thomas Halke ii of my gretiste candle sticke nexte after

these twoo that I have before bequethed unto his brother

Rychard / Itm I bequethe unto the sayd Thomas my beste

gowne furred withe fox furre, Further I bequethe unto

the sayd Thomas my fetherbed and flockebed Lieng in

the Lofte over my bedchamber w^th all things to the same

bed belonging or appertenyng also withe the bedstedle

The Residue of all my goodes moveable whatsoev[er]

they be not bequethed my dettes and legacies fynally

contented and payd I holly geve and bee bequethe

unto William Halke and Thomas Halke my sonnys

wiche Willm and Thomas I ordeyne and make my

trewe executors of this my p[rese]nte testamente and laste

will to performe and fulfill the same as my

truste ys in them

[p.3]

Thys ys the Laste will of me the sayd Richard Halke

made the day and yere furste abovesayd Furste I will unto

Rychard Halke my godson the son of John Halke my messuage

or Tente called Cocks withe all the Lands to the same

messuage belonging or appertenyng, lieng and beyng

in the parishe of Hastinglye wiche ys nowe in thocupacion

of John Franke, And also one pece of Land called Iyll Toon

contenyng by estimacion vii^th Acres of Land more or lesse

Lieng and being in the sayd p[ar]ishe of Hastinglye as the

mark and bounds do dyvide and shewe, To be had

unto the sayd Richard his heries and assignes forev[er]

Also I will unto the sayd Rychard one pece of Land w^c

sometyme was philpottes contenyng by estimacion

iiii^or Acres & a half of Land Lieng and being in the

p[ar]ishe of Elmested in a felde called Bottyshansted, And

also one pece of medowe contenyng one Acre Lieng and

being in Hastinglye aforsayd under Englyshe wod To be

had unto the sayd Rychard his heires and assignes

for ever And if it happen the sayd Richard Halke

to die Also I will unto the sayd Rychard one

uther Tente wiche sometyme was gores Tente Lieng

and beyng in Elmsted aforesayd withe all the Lands and

woddes to the same Tente belonging or appertenyng

To be had unto the sayd Richard his heires & assignes

forever, And if it hapen the sayd Richard Halke to

die withoute heires of his body Lawfully begotten

Then I will that all the said Lands and Tentes before

unto the sayd Richard willed remayne holly unto Richard

Halke and Thomas Halke the sones of William

Halke and to their heires and assignes for ever, to be

eqally divided betwene them / Codicillus recitatus

post testamentum icendetum(?) / Itm I geve and bequethe

to Thomas Halke a cuppe of Sylver wytnes herof

Willm Hauke and Richard Hauke /

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The will was proved in the Archdeaconry Court of Canterbury and is viewable on microfilm at the CCA or KHLC.

This is a transcript of the register copy of the will, archives ref: PRC/17/26/120 (more details about source to be added to Richard’s page)

The original will appears not to have survived.

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