IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN
The Fower and Twentieth day of June in the year of our Lord God One Thousand Six Hundred and Five I John Noyes of Trunckwell in the parish of Shinfield in the county of Berkshire Yeoman being of good and perfect memory thanks to be God therefore and considering the uncertainty of this transitory life do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say first I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator and to Jesus Christ my only Saviour and redeemer and to the Holy Ghost my comforter trusting and assuredly believing that by and through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ I shall be saved and my body when it shall please God to call me to be buried in the parish church of Swallowfield Item I give to the mother church of Sarum two pence Item I give to the poor people of Swallowfield five shillings to the poor people of Mortimer three shillings and four pence and the poor people of Benchill two shillings Item I give to the preacher at my burial six shillings eight pence and to the ringers three shilling four pence I do give and bequeath unto my son in law Peter Noyes and to Agnes his wife all that my meadow with the appurtenances called Lovans Mead als Luffan Mead And all that my ground called Woodland with the appurtenance lying and being in Shinfield and Swollowfield or either of them in the counties of Wiltshire and Berkshire or either of them with all the deeds and evidences thereof to have and to hold the said meadows and grounds with the appurtenances and all the deeds and evidences thereof unto the said Peter Noyes and Agnes his wife and to the heirs and assigns of the said Agnes forever The said meadow being by me charged with one yearly payment of twenty shillings to the major and burgesses of the town of Reading and to their successors towards the relief of the poor of the said town forever as by a deed in that behalf to them made appeareth Item I do further give and bequeath unto the said Peter Noyes and Agnes his wife all those implements and moveables in and about my house in Trunckwell which hereafter are particularly named that it to say all my tables forms cupboards wainscot backs and benches painted clothes glass in my windows one pair of andyrons two pair of pot hooks three pots two chafers two old kettles my bedstead in the parlour with the feather beds thereunto belonging another bed stead in the loft wherein I used to lodge myself and one feather bed thereunto belonging one pair of blankets two pair of sheets two feather bolsters two flockbeds two flock bolsters my youltinge vate the dry vate standing by it all the tubes in the malthouse brewing furnace in the kitchen with all my brewing vessel one wringe standing in the wringe house one old iron bound cart one old plough with coulter and a share one pair of harrows my best muskett with the furniture belonging thereunto one crossbow one sword one dagger and one stone mortar with a pestle All which goods before mentioned to be given my will and meaning it shall be delivered unto the said Peter Noyes and Agnes his wife within two years next after my decease So that the said Peter Noyes do not in any ways or means impeach bar let or hinder the probation execution or performance of this my last will and testament in any sort but do allow and stand to the same Item I give to my brother Hugh Noyes my best garment and he to make the first choice Item I give to my brother Thomas Noyes the younger my second best garment and he to have the second choice Item I give to my brother John Noyes my third best garment and he to have the third choice Item I give to my brother Richard Noyes two garments and he to have the fourth choice I give to my brother Thomas Noyes the elder four of my garments and he to have the fifth choice Item all the rest and residue of my apparel I will shall be given to some poor men at the discretion of my executors Item I give and bequeath unto Richard Hooker one of the sons of my daughter Dorothy ten pounds in money to be paid unto him at his age of four and twenty years Item I do give and bequeath unto Arthur Hooker another of the sons of the said Dorothy thirty pounds of the lawful money of England to be paid unto him when he shall be of the age of four and twenty years And if either of the said William or Arthur shall happen to die before he shall be of the age of four and twenty years then his portion so dying shall remain and be paid unto the survivor of them at his age of four and twenty years And further it is my will and meaning that my executors shall within one year next after my decease deliver and pay the said legacy of ten pounds for the use of Richard Hooker and the said legacy of thirty pounds for the use of Arthur Hooker into the hands of my loving friends Mr Richard Hore the younger and Master James Hore his brother by them to be used and employed for the benefit of the said William and Arthur as my said friends shall think good until the said Richard and Arthur shall accomplish their several ages of four and twenty years according to the true meaning of this my last will Item I give to John Hooker and Richard Hooker and to Arthur Hooker and to each of them a flock bed a bolster and a pair of sheets Item I give and bequeath unto Agnes Noyes the daughter of my brother Hugh Noyes ten pounds in money Item I give and bequeath unto Joanne Noyes the youngest daughter of my brother Hugh Noyes four pounds in money Item I give to my brother John Noyes his four children forty shillings apiece Item I give unto my brother Thomas Noyes the elder forty shillings Item I give to my brother Richard Noyes forty shillings Item I give to Thomas Marston twenty shillings And to everyone of my godchildren twelve pence apiece The rest and residue of all my goods and chattels leases debts and moveables whatsoever unbequeathed I do give and bequeath unto my said brother Hugh Noyes whom I ordain and make full and sole executor of this my last and will and testament charging him as he will answer before God to see my debts truly paid my legacies performed and my funeral expenses discharged in substantial manner And I will that my sole executor the day of my burial shall bestow upon my friends and the poor that shall accompany my body to the grave the quantity of half a quarter of wheat and three of four barrels of beer and such other meat and victuals as shall conveniently suffice with credit to expend the said bread and beer my special good friends Samuel Backhouse Richard Hore the elder gentleman Richard Turner the elder gentleman Simon White and Thomas Noyes the younger to be overseers of this my last will and testament And I ordain and make them my overseers accordingly And I do give them full power and authority to hear and determine any cause or question that shall or may arise or grow in about or concerning this my last will and testament or about anything therein contained And for their pains I do give them twenty shillings apiece in witness that this is my last will and testament I have to each sheet hereof set my hand and to the last sheet thereof my seal in name of the whole the day and year above written in the presence of John Noyes Richard Turner William Mortimer and John Angell his apprentice Whereas Thomas Noyes my brother of Frilsham by good and lawful conveyance has assigned and set anew his lease and term of years to come of and in the tenement and lands in Frilsham called Bowers John Noyes of Trunckwell of which I may dispose at my pleasure now it is my will and meaning that the said Thomas Noyes should hold and enjoy the said tenement and lands during the term of years therein yet to come (if the said Thomas Noyes for so long shall live) and after his decease the residue of the term then to come shall be to the use of the said John Noyes my executors and assigns to give and dispose at my will and pleasure By me John Noyes
Probate granted 11th February 1606