In the Name of God Amen I John Whalley of Cosgrave in the County of Northampton being in good health and perfect memory (Thanks be to God do make and Ordain my last Will and Testament in manner and form following

First I commend my Soul to Almighty God, my Body to ye Earth to be Buried if my Exectors shall think Convenient in ye Chancel Adjoining to ye Parish Church of Cosgrave as near the Bodyes of my Father and Mother as may be, I give and Bequeath to my Loving Uncle Thos Whalley of London Mercer Twenty Pounds Per Ann. issuing and arising out of the Rent of my Land and Houses in Hartwell ye County of Northampton for and during his natural Life to be paid unto him Quarterly to commence and begin from ye next Quarter day after ye Death of my Mother in Law Mrs Ann Whalley I give and Bequeath unto ye Vicar of Hartwell for ye time being the Sum of Four Pounds Per Anno.  for ever out of my Estate at Hartwell aforesaid to commence and begin the next Quarter Day after the Decease of my aforesaid Mother in Law and ye Remainder of my Estate in Hartwell aforesaid I give and bequeath unto the Minis[t]er of Cosgrave Aforementioned unto ye Minister of Calverton in ye County of Bucks to ye Minister of Parsanham [Passenham] in ye County of Northampton and unto ye two Churchwardens of Stoney Stratford in ye County of Bucks for ye time being all which five Persons I do hereby Constitute and Appoint my Trustees for ye setting and Setling of my said Estate in Hartwell aforesaid and for Receiving Rents and Profits thereof and Yearley to Dispose of it for putting forth Poor Boys Apprenticeses born in ye Town of St. Stratford of Parents who have lived five Years as Housekeepers in The said Town and not to give with any Boy above the Sum of Ten Pounds and my Will is that when any Boy hath Honestly and truly served his Apprenticeship that my said Trustees give unto that Boy who shall so serve his time the Sum of Ten Pounds towards setting him up in that Trade he was bound unto and of this I desire my said Five Trustees to take special care to see this my Will Performed and to meet in some convenient place place half Yearley to Consa… what they have to do Provided nevertheless and my Will and meaning is That the Annuity Settled upon my said Mother in Law with the Arrears  thereof which are or shall be due to her together with all my Debts and Legacies which I have hereby given and Bequeathed be duly and truly paid out of my Estate at Hartwell aforesaid before my Five said Trustees have anything to do with it Item I give and bequeath to ye Parrish of Cosgrave ye Sum of Ten Pounds Per Ann. for ever to be employed for the putting forth of one Boy or two Yearly Apprentices Born in y said Parrish of Parents who have lived five Years as Housekeepers in ye said Parrish which said Ten Pounds Per Ann. for ever is to issue forth of my Estate lying and being in Cosgrave Fortho and Potterspury in the County of Northampton and to be employed as aforesaid in putting forth Boys Apprentices according to ye Discretion of ye Minister and Churchwardens of Cosgrave aforesaid for ye time being and not to give above Ten Pounds with any one Boy and my Will is that when a Boy hath truly served his Apprenticeship then such a Boy shall be paid the Sum of Ten Pounds towards ye setting of him up in that Trade to which he served [an Obliteracion of six lines in ye Original or there abouts) these words in ye Parenthesis were put in ye margin of ye Copy provided nevertheless and my Will and meaning is that my Executris hereafter named or her Executors shall have and enjoy all my said Estate lying and being in ye Parrish of Cosgrave Fortho and Potterspury during her Life towards payment of my Debts and Legacies and my Will and meaning is that ye Ten pounds Per Ann^o. given to ye Parrish of Cosgrave shall not begin nor take place till after my Debts and Legacies be fully paid and till after my said Executris, Also my Will and meaning is that my said Executris or her Executors shall have and Enjoy all my Estate in Hartwell aforesaid for and towards the payment of my Debts said Mother in Laws Annuity with the Arrears thereof which is or shall be due to her my said Mother in Law during her natural Life and for ye full payment of my Debts & Legacies And my Will & meaning is that after my Mother in Laws Decease and my said Debts and Legacies are paid and after the five pounds paid Quarterly to my Uncle, Thos Whaley and the four pounds paid to ye Vicar of Hartwell aforesaid that then ye Remainder of my said Estate in Hartwell aforesaid shall come to and be in the Hands of my Five Trustees aforenamed to be by them disposed of for the putting forth Boys Apprentices born in the Town of Stoney Stratford aforesaid. Item I give and bequeath unto Mrs Katherine Lane one of the Daughters of my Loving friend Mr Henry Lane of Hanslop in the County of Bucks all my parts of Meadow ground lying and being in ye Common Meadow in ye said Parish of Hanslop in y County of Bucks which is mine by Estate Inheritance, And my Will is that this my Bequest and gift to her be not in any wise Disposed of but for and towards a Portion for her Marriage and in ye mean time toward her Maintenance for which end I do freely give it unto her by her to be enjoyd and Profits thereof received presently after my Decease And I heartily desire my Executris to see this carefully Performed And whereas my Father caused two little Houses to be erected in ye Parrish of Fortho Two Poor people to dwell in but never settled them neither have I settled them Therefore my Will & desire is that my Executris, and I do give and desire the said two Houses  to my Aunt Cornelius and her heirs upon Trust she shall with all possible speed settle them upon the poor of the Parish of Cosgrave for ever the Churchwardens there (for the time being) to put in such Poor from time to time after the Death of my Executris, Item I give and bequeath unto Robert Johnson and Eliz. his Wife the house wherein they now dwell by them or either of them to be enjoyed during their Natural Lives. and ye longer liver of them, Item I give and bequeath unto my Cousin Roger Whalley of London Salter the Sum of Five pounds besides my Will is my Bond of Seventy pounds due to me from his Father whereof I have Received Fifty pounds be deliverd up to my said Cousin Roger Whalley, Item I give unto my Cousin Honor Barrey Twenty pounds Item I give unto unto my Cousin Richard Parrot Five pounds Item I give and bequeath unto Thomas Thomas Son to Ann Thomas Servant to my Aunt Cornelius Twenty pounds to be disposed of in putting him forth Apprentice or otherwise for ye Boys good as his Mother shall think fit Item I give unto ye said Ann Thomas five Pounds Item I give unto my loving Friend Mr Edw^d Pierce 20 Shillings,Item I give unto my Cousin Edw^d Barrey and his Wife 20 Shillings to each of them Item I give unto my loving Aunt Hester Nourse 20 Shillings and I give unto my other four Aunts 20 Shillings to each of them if my Executris shall think fit Item I give unto my Cousin John Beauchamp Sen^r 20 Shillings Item I give unto my Cousin Jn^o Beauchamp Jun^r 20 Shillings Item I give unto my Cousin Edwd Beauchamp 20 Shillings Item I give unto Mr John Naylor Minister of Cosgrave 20 Shillings Item I give unto my Uncle Aurthur Whalley 20 Shillings Item I give unto my Tennant John Clark 20 Shillings Item I give unto my Tennant John Bayley Five Pounds and for ye better Instructions of my Executris I have here Inclosed a particular of my Debts which I desire may be speedily and fully Satisfied and also a particular of my Personal Estate and of this my last Will and Testament I do make and Constitute my dear Aunt illeg Ann Cornelius my Sole and only Executris intreating her as she did always show me much kindness living so she will now I am Dead, in seeing the exact Performance of the premisses and if there shall be thought to be or shall be any Imperfections or Ambiguity in ye Words or Sentences of this my last Will and Testament I do Authorize and make my [aforesaid] Executris Judge to explain any such Imperfections or Ambiguity & I do hereby make void and Null all former Wills and Testaments by me made and Confirm this to be my last Will and Testament with my hand and Seal ye 12 Day of January in y Year of our Lord 1670 John Whalley

I do publish seal and declare this together with ye Codicill annexed as it’s now Altered to be my last Will and Testament This being 26^th Day of January 1670 Wittness hereunto H Warne Edw^d Pierce Sign’d Seal’d Acknowledged published and declared in ye presence of us John Baker H Warne Sen

A Codicill to be annexed to my last Will, my Will and meaning is and I do give and devise unto my Dear Aunt Cornelius and her Heirs all that my House with the Appurtenances in Cosgrave to have and to hold for her and heirs for ever

Item I give and devise to my said Aunt and her Assigns all my Lands in Cosgrave Fortho and Potterspury for ye Term of her Natural Life upon Trust that she will of ye Profits may Raise such Sums of money as shall pay and Discharge my Debts and Legacies Also my Will and meaning is that if my Lands in Cosgrave Fortho and Potterspury after my Debts and Legacies paid shall remain and I do give and bequeath the same Except the House aforesaid and homestead unto my Cousin Roger Whalley and his Heirs for ever upon Trust that he shall pay the Legacies bequeathed by my Will to ye Poor of the Parrish of Cosgrave Item I give and devise unto my Aunt Cornelius and her Heirs all my part and parcels of Meadow Ground lying in ye Common Meadows of Hanslop Parrish in ye County of Bucks upon Trust that she shall make sale thereof to ye best Benefit and Advantage of Mrs Katherine Lane Daughter of Mr Henry Lane And in ye mean time and until the sale I desire that Mrs Katherine Lane may receive the Profits to her own proper use and benefit John Whalley

Witness hereunto 26^th Day of January 1670

                                                                                H Warne Edw^d Pierce

At a Publick Vestry held in ye Parrish Church of Cosgrave the 30 Day of Octo: 1740

It is ordered and agreed that ye Charitys given or bequeathed by the last Will of John Whalley late of Cosgrave decd and for y benefit of the Poor of the said Parish or for ye putting forth Poor Boys Apprentices or other purposes be immediately recoverd by the present Churchwardens of this parrish and that they do cause such Suits to be commenced and prosecuted for ye recovery thereof as they shall be advised And it is hereby Ordered and agreed that ye Costs Charges and Expences of recovering getting and sueing for the said Charities shall be paid by one or more Levy or Levys to be made and assessed upon ye Owners and Occupiers of all the Lands in ye said Parrish of Cosgrave by … equal Parte according to the respective Lands by such Owners or Occupiers held or enjoy’d

Robert Rand                C Rigby

Georg Rand                 Will? Turvey                The Mark of [V]William Scot

William Jarvies           William Corbett

Joseph Roberts            Sam Durrant

Richard Panter

H.S.E.

Translated as:

Here is buried, awaiting the dawn of the Christian resurrection, that most worthy man John Whalley, Master of Arts, and faithful rector of this church of Cosgrove for nearly twenty years. He built two semi-detached houses as a benefit to the same place, and then laid down the burden of the flesh, famed for his piety, candour and charity, and ripe for heaven, on the 24^th of March, in the year of salvation 1659 [1660 NS] aged 49; the memory of the devout lasts for ever.