Mathew Weld 1675

In the name of God Amen the twentieth day of January in the five and twentieth year of the reign of our sovereign lord king, Charles the second, 1673, I, Mathew Weld of Fen Ditton in the county of Cambridge, Gent, being in perfect health and of a sound memory, thanks be given to God, and avoiding further preamble which is rather of course than necessity, do make this my last will and testament in form following: Imprimis: I give and bequeath unto Mrs Jane Weld, my truly loving and virtuous wife, all my messuages, lands, tenements, pastures, meadows and woods both free and copyhold with their and every of their rights, members and appurtenances whatsoever situate, lying and being in Gissing in Norfolk to have and to hold the said messuages, lands, tenements, pastures, meadows and woods both free and copyhold to the said Mrs Jane Weld and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life upon condition that she shall keep the said houses, barns, stables and other the edifices in rentable repair and from and after her decease I give the same messuages, lands, tenements, pastures, meadows and woods with their and every of their appurtenances unto my two brothers, Wickstead Weld, Esq., and John Weld, their heirs and assigns to be equally divided between them to have and to hold to the said Wickstead and John their heirs and assigns forever, the aforementioned premises immediately from and after the death of my said wife but my will and meaning is that if my wife shall chance to be with child at the time of my death and that after the child shall be born and live to the age of one and twenty years then the devise above to my two brothers, Wickstead and John shall be void and of no effect and that all my estate aforesaid shall go to the said child and it’s heirs forever from and after the death of my said wife. Item: I give unto my brother Wickstead Weld all my Law books or Latin Books whatsoever. Item: I give unto my brother Martin all my apparel linen and woollen. Item: I give to my brother John forty shillings to buy him a ring to be paid him within a quarter of a year after my decease. Item: I give unto the poor of the town of Fen Ditton twenty shillings to be distributed amongst them by the overseers of the said town within one month after my decease. Item: I give to the poor of Gissing in Norfolk forty shillings to be paid to the overseers of the said town within a quarter of a year after my decease to be by them distributed amongst the said poor. All the rest of my goods and chattels, debts and household stuff whatsoever, my debts and funeral charges being first defrayed, I give and dispose of them to my said wife, Mrs Jane Weld, whom I do make and ordain sole executrix of this my last will and testament herein revoking all other and former wills by me heretofore made. I formally surrender my copyhold land at Gissing into the hands of the lord of the manor by the hands of Mr Edmund Clarke, his steward, to the use of my will and paid him for the entry thereof. In witness thereof etc...seven and twentieth day of September 1674.