Читать книгу The Discovery of Witchcraft - Reginald Scot - Страница 6

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Extracted from the copy, not the original, in the Principal Registry of the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice.

S In the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.

In the Name of God Amen. I Raynolde Scott in the Countie of Kent gent beinge of the Parish of Smeth Doe make and ordaine and w^th myne owne hande doe write this my Last will and Testament on Saturdaye the fyfteenth of September Anno Dñi a thousand fyve hundred nyntie nyne and in the fortie one yeare of the raigne of osoveraigne Ladie Queene Elizabeth Fyrst I bequeath my Sowle to Almightie god and my body to be buryed as yt shall seeme good to Alice my wiefe whome I make and ordaine to be myne onely Executrix Item I bequeath to my sayde wief All my goods and chattells plate housholde stuffe Juelles and Chaynes with all my leases and goods moveable and vnmoveable savinge such as I shall by this my Will other Wise dispose of Item I (for the trust I repose in M^r. Edwarde Hall of Ashforde and of my neighbouRaynolde Keale of Smeeth in countie aforesaide doe make them two the overseers to this my Last will and gyve to eyther of them for theire paines and trouble w^ch they ar like to sustaine herebye fyve poundes Item I bequeath to SJohn Scott my lease of the banke or pond at Aldinge Item I bequeath to my graund childe Cisley Turnotenne poundes to buy her a little Chaine Item I gyve to my daughter in Lawe Marie Collyar six poundes thirteene shillings foure pence to be paide unto her within one quarter after my decease, to be bestowed in apparell upon her selfe as she shall seeme good nether would I have her mothers hand anie thinge the shorter towardes her in that respect Item I give to my daughter Turnothe Covenant that I have of my Cozen Charles Scott touchinge the renuinge of my lease when his grace doth renne [read renue] his lease of Braborne Rectorie provided that my meaninge is, that my said wief shall enioye the full tearme that I nowe possesse and howsoever yt shalbe renued my daughter shall have the only renuinge which shalbe in effecte after the whole tearme w^ch I holde now be expired so as by any meane [intervening] renuinge my saide wief be not defeated of my true meaninge towardes her Item I do bequeath to my saied wief and to her heires for ever All my Landes Lyinge in Aldington and now in thoccupacion of John Pollard and all my Landes in Ruckinge in thoccupacion of —— Diggons and all my Landes in Sellenge in the occupacion of —— Coakar All which Landes lye in the sayde sayde* Countie of Kent Item I gyve and bequeath to my said wief all my other Landes in Rumney Marshe or els where in the said countye duringe her naturall lief† Item I doe gyve to my Servante Moyll Smyth the some of twentie shillinges yearelie duringe his naturall Life to be paide out of all my Landes halfe yearelie and that for defaulte of payment yt shalbe Lawfull for him to distraine And so I ende desyreinge the worlde to iudge the best hereof and of the consyderacions for greate is the trouble my poore wief hath had with me, and small is the comforte she hath receyved at my handes whome yf I had not matched w^th all I had not dyed worth one groate.—

Ray: Scott.

* Sic, first at end of line.

† Sic, to be paide is interlined above this.

By a short notice following the copy of the will, it was proved on the 22nd November 1599. There is also a document setting forth that Alicia Scott, relicta, and Elizabetha Turnor, als Scott, filia naturalis et legitima, had disputed, before certain functionaries named regarding the will, and that probate was granted as aforesaid on the 22nd November 1599. But as the cause or subject of the dispute is not mentioned, this, like the short notice, is not given.