WILL OF WILLIAM WATERS
19th May 1590
PCC PROB 11/77
Transcript Kindly Provided by John Waters
In the name of God amen. The fourteenth day of June and in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and ninety. I William Waters of Swaffham prior in the County of Cambridge, yeoman, being in good mind and perfect memory do ordain and make this my last will and testament in manner and form following./ First I commend my soul into the hands of God and my body to be buried in the church yard of St Mary’s in Swaffham Prior And as for the disposition of such goods as the Lord hath lent me/ First I give and bequeath unto Ann my wife my house and my land -------- -------- term of her life and after her decease to William Waters my son and his heirs.
Item I give to Ann my wife my copyhold called Palfurmers until my son William Waters comes to twenty-one years of age and then I will my son to have the house and one half of the meadow and one half of the lands as long as his mother live and then William to have my said copy called Palfurmers to quit and to sell.
Item I give to Ann my wife my copy late Cambridge and twenty acres of land until George my son and Francis my son come to twenty-one years of age and then their(?) two to have it together to give or to sell.
Item I give to Richard my son four acres of the copy land I bought of John Cambridge to him and his heirs with two acres of it lie in the middle fields one furlong of ------- ------- and other two acres in Dalefield whereof two half acres lie in the ----- land from -------- to ------ and one half acre above the dale in the long furlong and the other half acre but upon Wate(?) way by a through road [three rood?] of Hall Manor. I do surrender my copy lands into the hands of John Drury and Richard Master according to my will, if it shall please God to call me to his mercy.
Item I give to Richard my son my gold ring which I bought of Mr Bachus which is yet unpaid for, which I will shall be paide for out of my goods.
Item I give forty shillings to the poor of Swaffham Prior and Reach twenty shillings at my burial and the other twenty shillings that ? twelve month And that forty shillings to be taken out of my goods also. All the rest of my goods I give to Ann my wife, Phillip Waters, Susan Waters, Maria Waters, Elizabeth Waters and Joanna Waters my daughters equally to be divided by my supervisor and other of my neighbours. And I make Ann my ----- ------ executrix conditionally that she shall make my supervisor ----- ----- discharge fir claiming any third of my freehold./ If she does not then I will that ----- ----- commodity of this my will and I make Richard Waters my son my signifier./ Witness to this my last will and testament John Drury George Tuthill and Richard and ----- with others.