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Wills of Alice Steere and Thomas Steere of Marden, Kent, 1649

Ref: PROB 11/81/209, PCC 138 Fairfax

In the name of God Amen I Alice Steere of Marden in the County of Kent, widdow, being sicke and weake of body but of perfect memory doe make this my last will and testament in manner and forme as followeth. ffirst I commend my soule unto god that ……………..? unto life through the merritts and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ and my body to be buried in the Churchyard of Marden as my Executer and the Overseers of this my last will shall dispose of. Item I give unto Alice Steere my daughter All my goods and chattells who I make my lawfull Executrix which shee shall enioye? when shee cometh unto the age of eighteene yeares And if it shall soe fall ……..? my daughter Alice Steere shall dye before shee come to that age to enioye it Then my will is that Edward Chowne Thomas Chowne Annis Usborn and Susan Durtnold shall enioy all my goods and chattells aforesaid, and further my will is that my goods and chattells shalbe equally devided betweene them only my will is that Annis Usborn shall have the greatest share of the foure by twenty shillings furthermore my will is That the abovesaid Edward Chowne Thomas Chowne Annis Usban and Susan Durtnold if they shall come enioy my goods as aforesaid shall pay unto John Chowne my brother twenty shillings [inserted - & to my sister Joane Chowne twenty shillings] furthermore my will is that Edward Lanes? of Marden and Edward Chowne of the same parish shalbe the Overseers of this my last will and testament and shalbe ……..? to improve my goods and chattells aforesaid unto my daughter Alice Steere her best advantage untill shee come unto the age of eighteene yeares as aforesaid and then shee shall enioy it in wittness hereof I have to this my last will sett my hand Alice Steere wittnes Joane Parkes Joshuah Sharpey The ……? of widdow ….?

Proved 11 September 1649 by Edward Lanes and Edward Chowne to Alice Steere, filia naturalis

The last will and testament Nuncup_at^ive

of Thomas Steere late of the parish of Marden in the County of Kent Taylor deceased. By him with a testamentary purpose and intention uttered and declared in the time of his last sicknesse of which he afterwards dyed and about five dayes next before his death he being then of perfect sence and memory in these or the like words and in this manner following that is to say ffirst he gave to his daughter Alice one bed and bedsteadlewith the curtaines belonging …? it, three blanketts two paire of sheets and a coverled all standing and being in his best chamber, one ioyned chest standing in the chamber over the hall and one cubbord standing in the hall of his dwelling house and tenn pounds money to be all payd and delivered unto her at her age of eighteene yeares And withall willed that if his said daughter should dye before she came to be eighteene yeares old That then his wife Alice should have all the before menconed things and Legacies to her selfe ffurther he gave to his brothers thr……? to each of them a Sheep. To Elizabeth Hall five shillings, And to the poore of Marden five shillingsto be distributed as his wife should think fit And lastly he said that Alice his said wife should be his said Executrix there being then present together and Wittnesses of the ……..? Bennett wife of George May and Ann Usborne widdow both of Marden and ….? Wittnesses the mark of George May Ann Usbon?

Administration granted 11 September 1649 to Edward Lane and Edward Chowne, guardians and ….? of Alice Steere, filia naturalis of Thomas Steere of Marden, deceased,

(In the latin paragraph on the proving of the will, Alice the mother, who would have been Thomas's Executrix, was said to have died during her daughter's minority).