Family History
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Family History |
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Last Will and Testament of
Henry Thorpe - 1735
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In the name of God Amen I Henry Thorpe of
Shouldham in the County of Norfolk Labourer being sick and weak in body but in
perfect sense and memory praised be God for it do make and ordain this my Last
Will and Testament in manner and form as followeth First I bequeath my soul into
the hands of Almighty God my most merciful creator hoping that through the
merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour to enter into glory my body I submit to the
earth to receive decency of burial according to the discretion of my executrix
hereafter named and as the worldly goods and estate the Lord hath lent me I
bequeath as followeth
Imprimis I give and bequeath to Frances my daughter the wife of William Crowder of Shouldham aforesaid one shilling to be paid by my executrix a month after my decease And also I give unto her daughter Elizabeth one shilling to be paid her at the same time Item I give unto Elizabeth my daughter and wife of Thomas More of the same town one shilling to be paid by my executrix a month after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto Henry Thorp John Thorp William Thorp and James Thorp my sons one shilling each of them to be paid by my executrix at one and twenty years of age Item I give and bequeath unto Nazra (sic. - Nazareth) my wife my dwelling house with all and every the appurtenances thereunto belonging wherein I now dwell for and during the term of her natural life and at her decease I give the same unto Henry Thorp my son and if the said Henry my son should be in a condition to pay it my will is that he should pay his three brothers John William and James one shilling apiece at one and twenty years of age Item all my goods and chattels and whatsoever is ? and wheresoever I give and bequeath to Nazra (sic. - Nazareth) my wife executrix of this my Will and Testament she the said Nazra my wife paying my debts legacies and funeral charges In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the seventh day
of February 1735 Signed sealed published and declared in the presence of us Archdeaconry Of Norfolk Wills 1735 NOTE - One shilling in 1735 is worth about £5 today. Leaving a person a peppercorn amount in a will was most commonly done to show that the person had been considered when making the will. Otherwise if a person was not mentioned, particularly if they were a close family member, then they may have had a claim against the estate on the grounds that they had been omitted in error. The 'one shilling' could mean that the person had already been provided for earlier, or the testator had no wish to leave that person a legacy e.g. if they had fallen out. Henry's intentions however cannot be truly ascertained and the above is mentioned only as a possibility. Acknowledgments to the Norfolk Record Office |