In the Name of God Amen The fourth day of July Anno: Dom 1665 and in the seventeenth yeare of the reigne of our soveraigne Lord Charles the second King of England &c; I Elizabeth Nicholls of Castle Thorpe in the parish of Hanslopp in the Countie of Bucks Widdow (well knoweing the incertaintie of this life and being desirous to settle things in order) doe make and ordaine this my last Will and Testament as followeth
First I commend my soule to Almightie God my Creator, assuredly believing to receive pardon for all my sinnes, and bee saved by the pretious death and merits of my blessed saviour Christ Jesus; and my bodie to the Earth of which it was made, to bee buried in such decent manner as myne Executors hereafter named shall thinke fitt, And as to that Worldly Estate which the Lord in mercy hath lent mee, I give and bequeath the same as followeth (vizt),
1 And ffirst I will and bequeath unto my sonne Thomas Parrott; the Stable, Hogg styes, and Hovell which I lately sett up and built, and Twelve Pence of currant English money to bee delivered and paid unto him by myne Executors herein after named within three moneths next after my decease,
2 Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne John Parrott ffive shillings of like current money, to bee paid by my said Executors within three moneths next after my decease.
3 Item I give and bequeath unto my grandchilde Richard Windemill (sonne of my daughter Mary deceased) ffive Pounds of like money, To bee paid unto him by my said Executors when hee the said Richard Windemill shall attaine his full Age of One and Twentie yeares
4 Item My will and desire is, That (such of my Children (as at the tyme of my decease) shall not have attained their severall Ages of One and Twentie years, and therefore not capable to receive and have the benefit of their severall Porcions given unto them by the last Will and Testament of their father, my late loving husband Thomas Nicholls deceased) Myne Executors (or soe many of them as shallbee then att Age) with the advice and approbation of myne Overseers herein after named) shall imploy and bestowe the Rents yssues and Proffitts thereof to the placeing of them or any of them to trades or other vocations, And my will is further, That soe much of the Rents yssues and profitts, of each Childes said Legacy as shall remaine, and not bee imployed and bestowed as aforesaid: My said Executors shall bee accountable for, and pay the same, when they or any of them shall attaine their or any of their severall and respective Ages of One and Twentie years.
5 All the rest of my goods Chattles and Creditts whatsoever I give and bequeath (My debts Legacies and funeral Charges being first and fully deducted) I give and bequeath unto five of my sonnes (vizt) Richard Parrott, Richard Nicholls, William Nicholls, ffrancis Nicholls and James Nicholls to bee equally devided betwixt them (by my said Overseers herein after named) share and share like, when they attaine their said severall Ages of One and Twentie yeares, And if it shall happen That any or either of them dye before the said Age Then the Parte or Porcion of him or them soe dyeing to goe to the survivors or survivor of them the said Richard Parrott, Richard Nicholls, William Nicholls, ffrancis Nicholls and James Nicholls to bee equally devided amongst them share and share like) by myne Overseers as aforesaid
6 And I do make and ordaine my said ffive sonnes Richard Parrott, Richard Nicholls, William Nicholls, ffrancis Nicholls and James Nicholls the Executors of this my last Will and Testament; And doe nominate and appoint my loving brother William Nicholls the elder of Haversham and my loveing friend John Mansell of Stony Stratford in the said Countie gent to bee Overseers of the same, desiring their best assistance to my said Executors, And for their paines therein to bee taken, I give unto each of them Tenn shillings of currant English money
7 And lastlye I doe hereby utterly revoke and make void all former Wills by mee at any tyme made either by word or writeing, and declare this only to bee my last Will and Testament Wittnes my hand and seale the day and yeare first above written
The marke of Elizabeth X Nicholls
Signed sealed published and declared in the presence of
John Godfery
Jeromiah Gardorn
The mark of Christopher A Andrewes
Probate 21 February 1665/6
