Stephen Halke is a 3rd cousin 11 x removed of mine.

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

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In the name of God Amen The second

of October 1607 I Stephen Hawk of the p[ar]ishe

of Ste. Mildrede within the Cittie of Canterburie of

p[er]fecte remembrance make my last will & Testamente

in manner and forme followinge First I bequeathe

my soule to Christ my Redeemer and my body to the

Earth Item I gyve and bequeathe unto my wife Tomsen

Hawke all my moveable goods whatsoever and where-

soever unto her proper use Item I gyve & bequeathe

unto my wife Tomsen Hawke duringe her naturall

life all my lands and Tenements howses and p[ar]tes

of howses rights remainders and reversions at a place

called Garlindge in Petham within the Countie of

Kent And after the deathe of my said wife I gyve

all my said lands and tenements houses and parts of

howses rights reversions and remainders unto my sonne

and his heires if it be a sonne wherewth my wife

goeth so that my said sonne shall paye or cause to be

paid unto my daughter Elizabeth Hauke twentie

pounds when she shalbe of the full age of eighteene

yeares But if my wife be with child with a

Daughter then I gyve unto that Daughter and my

other daughter Elizabeth Hawke all my said lands

Tenements howses p[ar]ts of howses rights reversions &

remainders To have and to hold all and singuler the

said lands tenements howses p[ar]ts of houses rights rev[er]sions

and remainders with all and singuler theire appurte^ans

unto them two and theire heires for ever and of this

my last will and testament I make my wife Tomsen

Hawke my sole Executrix Witnes my hand & seale

the daye & yeare above written Stephen Hawk by

his marke Witnesses Raphe Bodors by his m[ar]ke

Edward Stronge by his marke

[probate statement to be added; probate granted 3 Nov 1607]

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

CCA ref: PRC/17/54/291 (more details about source will be on Stephen’s page)

The original will also survives (CCA ref: PRC/16/130 H/7); I have not yet viewed this.

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Thomasine followed Stephen to the grave 2 months later, probably as a result of childbirth, as the burial a few days later in the same parish (St. Mildreds, Canterbury) was of John, son of Stephen – presumably the child with which Stephen wrote ‘my wife goeth’. Hence, Elizabeth was left to inherit everything. She should have had a comfortable upbringing and a good education.

It seems that the wishes of this will may not have been carried out, as Elizabeth’s guardian, John Hovenden, brought a case in the Court of Chancery on her behalf in 1622, which claims that Stephen’s brother John and his wife used Elizabeth as a servant instead of making proper use of the money that should have been used for her education.
(Both bill and answer survive, but so far I have only read and transcribed the bill, Elizabeth’s side).

So far I have not managed to identify Elizabeth’s marriage or death, so I don’t know what became of her after 1622 …