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In the name of God Amen I John Porrett of Stockton upon Tease in the County of Durham gent being (praised be God) in good health and of pfect memory and Understanding but of great age and desirous to settle my wordly affairs I do make and publish this my Last Will and Testament in manner following hereby revoaking all former Wills
First I Commend my Soule to Almighty God my maker hopeing through the meritts of Jesus Christ my Redeemer to have remission of all my sins and to inherit Everlasting life And my body I committ to the Earth to be decently and privilly buried at the discretion of my Deare Wife And as to my Worldly Estate I give bequeath and Devise the same as followeth
First I give and Devise unto my Eldest Son John Porrett his Heirs Executors Admntors and Assignes all my Lands and Tenements at Stillington in the said County of Durham Charged with the payment of the clear yearly sum of Forty pounds p Annm unto my Deare Wife for and during her nrall Life without any deduction for Sesses or other matter or thing whatsoever at two equll payment at Martinmas and Whitsuntide in lew and satisfaction of her Dower or thirds out of my Estate and of what by our Marriage Articles She is or was to have and receive from and after my decease And charged also with all my just Debts and funerall Expences and with the portions & annuities hereinafter mentioned to my six younger Children (to wit) with the severall payments or annuities of Fifteen pounds p annm to my son David and Ten pounds p annm to my Son Francis for their maintenances untill they attain to their respective ages of four and twenty years And when they respectively attain to that age then with the payment of two Hundred and Fifty pounds to the sd David and two hundred pounds to the said Francis in full of their portions And to my Daughter Mary the sum of Twenty pounds p Annm untill she Marry And to my Daughters Katharine and Faith the severall sums of Fifteen pounds a peice untill they Marry and at their respective Marriages the Sum of Two Hundred pounds a peice to all these my said Daughters in full of their respective portions And whereas my youngest Son is now at Oporto in Portingall with his Onnckle Jackson the Consull there where I hope he will be well provided for I only Order him My deare Son Robert One Hundred pounds at his age of four and twenty yeares
Item all my Household goods Lynen plate and Rings Whatsoever I give & bequeath unto my dearly beloved & affectionate Wife And my Will also is If any of my said younger Children dye before his her or their said portions become due that then one equall half part thereof shall go & bepd to & amongst the rest of my sd younger Children then living equally and the remaindr thereof be & remaine to my sd Eldest Son And in case my Said Eldest Son dye before he attaine to the age of One and twenty years then my Will is that all my said Estate shall go & decd to the next of my said Eldest Sons then living his heirs Extors Adtors & assignes Charged as aforesaid And that the sd portion to whom thesd Estate shall decend Shall go & be equally divided amongst the rest of my sd Children then living
And my Freehold Close at Yarme I give and devise unto my said Eldest Son his heirs & assignes he or they putting my Son Francis to an Apprentyship or imploymnt as my deare Wife shall desire
And my Will likewise is that my Grand Lease of Stillington which I hold undr Morton Colledge in Oxon Shall from time to time be renewed in the joynt Hands of my deare Wife and Eldest Son in Trust for the purposes aforesaid till all the said severall Sums of money be discharged And lastly I do hereby Nominate & appointe them my said deare Wife and Eldest Son sworn joynt Executors of this my last Will and trustees for my said younger Children untill they marry or attaine to their respective ages of One and Twenty years In Witness whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand and Seale the Nynth day of August in the Fifth yeare of our Sovereigne Lord King George the Second of Great Britaine &c Anno Dom 1731
Signed Sealed ..........
Ann Finch
Thos Middleton Sworn
Rd Barker
BOND
John Porrett of Stockton in the County of Durham Gentleman
Thomas Middleton of Stockton aforesaid in County of Durham Yeoman
Sworn to ensure Execution by
John Porrett Son & one of the Executors of the last Will & Testament of
John Porrett late of Stockton in the Dioces of Durham & Province of York Deceased
transcript Dave King, published 28.12.2005