NRO Biographical notes Beachamp family

In the name of God Amen, the eight and Twentith day of May in the yeare of our lord, one thousand sixe hundred ffiftie five I John Beauchamp the elder of Cosgrave in the county of Northampton yeoman Being sicke in body but of perfect remembrance (praised be God) Doe hereby make and ordayne this to be my last will and Testament In manner and forme following Imprimis I give and bequeath my Soule to Almighty God my maker Trustinge through the pretious merit of Jesus Christ my Saviour to have free remission of all my Sinnes, And my Body I commend to the earth (…) whereof it was made. And to have christian burial in the parish churchyard of Cosgrave aforesaid at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named. Item for and concerning all the worldly goods and estate which god of his bountifull goodness hath bestowed upon me I give and bequeath as hereafter followeth And first concerning my three children which I had by my former wife I give and bequeath as followeth for and concerning the Cottage or Tenement in the occupation of Thomas Temple and all the arable land and meadowe and pasture ground in the Towne ffeilds and parish of Cosgrave aforesaid with theire and every of theire appurtenances which my father gave me I give unto my sonne Christopher Beauchamp and his heires forever upon condition that he shall pay unto my Executors The sume of one hundred Twenty five pounds of lawfull money of England within one yeare next after my decease And that my Executors shall then cancel a bond wherein the said Christopher standeth bound to pay to Mr Thomas Travell of Haversham in the county of Buckingham ….. The summe of twentie five pounds Item if my said sonne Christopher will not be pleased to accept of the aforesaid Cottage or Tenement Arrable land and meadowe and pasture ground upon the aforesaid conditions Then my Will and minde is that my Executors shall have and enioy to them and theire heires the said Cottage or Tenement Arrable land meadow and pasture ground with theire and every of theire appurtenances They paying unto my said sonne Christopher The sume of Three score and fifteene pounds of lawfull money of England within one yeare next after my decease; and to cancell the aforesaid bond for the payment of the said Twentie five pounds Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Joane Parry the summe of five pounds of lawfull English mony to be paid her within one yeare next after my decease Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Newman two shillings sixpence. And to my two grand[children] which she had by leonard Benton the younger Twelve pence apiece. Item I give and bequeath to my children that I have by my now wife Anne as followeth And first I give to my sonne Robert Beauchamp and to his heires forever The Cottage or Tenement with the appurtenances in the occupation of widdowe ffenable, and my Close adioining on the backside of the said Cottage with the appurtenances the said Robert to have and enioy them soe soone as he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares Provided that if my brother in lawe Robert Emerson or his sonne John Emerson shall redeeme and pay the sume of Threescore and tenn pounds of lawfull money for the said Cottage and close as they pretend to doe Then my Will is that my said sonne Robert shall have the said Threescore and Tenn pounds paid to him soe soone as he shall accomplish the age of one and Twenty yeares Item I give and bequeath to my sonne Richard Beauchamp the sume of fiftie pounds of lawfull money of England when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares Item I give to my sonne Henry Beauchamp the sume of ffiftie pounds of lawfull money of England when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares I give and bequeath to my sonne William Beauchamp the sume of ffiftie pounds of lawfull money of England when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares Item I give to my sonne Valentine Beauchamp the sume of ffiftie pounds when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares Item all the rest and residue of my goods chattels and estate as well reall as personall whatsoever and legacies being paid I give to my loving wife Anne Beauchamp and my sonne Thomas Beauchamp Whom I make and ordaine to be Executors of this my Will and Testament And I doe hereby revoke all former Wills and bequest whatsoever by me made Provided my minde and will is that if my said sonne Thomas Beauchamp shall marry or take to wife any without the consent and likeing of m wife his mother and persons hereafter named That then he the said Thomas shall have noe power in my Executorshipp but that it shall remayne and be wholely to my said wife And that she shall pay to the said Thomas ffiftie pounds of lawfull money of England To be paid to him in manner following (that is to say) five and twenty pounds when he shall accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares And the other twenty five pounds within one yeare next after the payment of the former Twenty five pounds And I doe intreate Mr John Whalley Minister of Cosgrave and the aforesaid Mr Thomas Travell to be my Overseers And I give them for theire paines that they shall take therein ffive shillings apiece In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my seale and subscribed my name the day and yeare above written In the presence of those whose names are under written John Beauchamp

The witnesses named to the sealeing and signeing hereof are Thomas Travell Arth: Walbanke

THIS WILL was proved att LONDON the fowerteenth day of July in the yeare of our lord God one thousand six hundred ffiftie and five before the Judges for probate of wills and granting Administration lawfully authorised By the Oathes of Anne Beauchamp the relict and Thomas Beauchamp the sonne and Executors named in the said will To whom Administration of all and singular the goods Chattells and debts of the said deceased was Committed They being first sworne by virtue of a Comission truly to Administer the same