The last will and testament of Mary EKINS the elder of Rushden in the County of Northampton Widow First I commend my soul into the Hands of Almighty God my Creator trusting to be saved by his Mercy Thro’ the alone merits of my Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ and my Body I Commit to the earth to be decently buried in the Chancel at Rushden as near to the Grave of my Deceased husband as may be without opening his grave and that within one years time I may have a Grave Stone like to that upon my Husbands grave laid upon mine with such Words written upon his and mine as will signify who both he and I were when deceased and our ages And my Desire is to be buried privately with a few friends Neighbours & Servants and the Minister of the said parish of Rushden to preach a sermon & for his pains to have a Guinea And for my Temporal Estate I dispose of the same as followeth Imprimis my Mind & Will is that all my just Debts be duly paid Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary EKINS the Bed Bedding & bedstead which she now lyeth upon with two pair of flaxen sheets two pair of pillow Drawers six towels and my best suite of Laced Child bed linen And whereas there was left me by my sister Dorothy Ashby the sum of Two hundred pounds for the payment of which sum part of my late Husbands Estate stands Charged with the interest to me for and during the Term of my life and from and after my Decease with the payment of the said Two hundred pounds to be divided amongst my Children And whereas sometime after the Death of my said Husband I had a Bargain & Sold made to me by my son John EKINS of Household Goods & other goods & Chattels of my said Husbands to the value of four Hundred pounds or thereabouts and having paid and Discharged the Whole sum (Except two hundred pounds) It was agreed between me and my said son John EKINS that the said Two Hundred pounds my said sister Dorothy ASHBYs which was charged upon my said Husbands Estate as before mentioned should remain in the Hands of my said son John EKINS as an Equivalent for the said two Hundred pounds (before Excepted) And whereas since the Bargain and Sale I did let my said son John EKINS have the sum of fifty pounds which said sum of fifty pounds he did promise me to accept of as his share and part of the said two hundred pounds given by my said sister Dorothy ASHBY and I did then and doe account the said fifty pounds to be his share in case he and the rest of Children now living shall survive me Item I give & bequeath unto my son John EKINS to be fixed and to belong to my now dwelling House in Rushden aforesaid as heires Loomes (*heirlooms) for ever the furniture of my best Room Containing in it (that is to say) one Bed Stead Curtains & Valence feather Bed & quilt under it three blankets two quilts window Curtains cushions two looking Glasses Chest of drawers Chairs Table fire shovel Tongues fender Bellows & Brush belonging to the said Room And also my Chariot & Harness Item I give unto my Grandson Thomas EKINS one Broad piece of Gold valued at Twenty five shillings Item I give & bequeath unto my Brother William BOOTHBY Esq. James SEAMER Goldsmith my sons George & Thomas EKINS the sum of three Hundred pounds Upon this Special Trust and confidence that they or the Survivor of them doe pay unto my three Granddaughters (that is to say) unto my Granddaughters Mary EKINS Elizabeth EKINS & Jane EKINS the sum of one hundred pounds apiece when they shall attain to their several ages of Twenty one years And my mind and Will is that if any of my said Granddaughters shall be married by & with the Consent & approbation of the Major part of the said Trustees before she shall attain to her age of Twenty one years that then the aforesaid Trustees shall & may pay such her Legacy at the Day of Marriage of any or either of them They being indemnified by the payment thereof And my mind and Will is further that the Interest as shall be made of the said Three Hundred pounds be applied for the benefit of my said Grand Children in such manner as shall be thought most proper by the said Trustees Item I give & bequeath unto my said two Granddaughters Mary & Elizabeth EKINS all my four Rows of my small Pearl Necklace And all my China in the best Room to be equally divided between them And also two pair of flaxen sheets apiece one of Ell wide and the other of Yard wide and to each of them a Dozen of Diaper Napkins with Diaper Table Cloths Item I give & bequeath unto my said granddaughter Elizabeth EKINS my Worked Cabinet standing in an oaken Case in my own Chamber with fifty half Broad pieces of Gold in it to the Value of Twenty Eight pounds fifteen shillings so accounted with my Gold watch Case Chain & Seal Diamond Ring with seven stones and Wedding Ring two silver salts two of my best silver spoons and two tea spoons and my piece of Needle work in a Case to be delivered to her within one year after my Decease And in Case any of my said Granddaughters shall happen to dye before they shall attain to that age of Twenty one years the said Legacy or Legacies of one Hundred pounds to be Equally divided between the survivor & survivors of them and my mind & Will further is that the Long Table in the Hall and the Dressers and Cupboard in the Kitchen Chimney be left in my said House as standards Item I give unto all my servants that shall be living in my house with me at the time of my Death having lived with me above one year Twenty shillings apiece and to my own Maid one entire suite of Clothes of Linen & wearing apparel from Head to Foot Item I give to the poor of the parish of Rushden aforesaid the sum of four pounds to be Disposed of as a Dole at the discretion of Executors the Day after my Burial Item I give to my Daughter EKINS the wife of my son John EKINS a Gold Ring of Twenty shillings value and to my sister ASHBY the wife of my Brother George ASHBY to my Lady JOHNSON to my Brother & Sister SEAMER to my sister GRAVES to my Brother William BOOTHBY Esq and my sister BOOTHBY Cousin Susanna EKINS of Chester & Cousin Elizabeth FREEMAN of Wellingboro widow to each of them a Gold Ring of fifteen shillings Value Item I give unto my son Thomas EKINS the sum of one Hundred pounds All the rest of my Goods Chattels Debts Bonds Mortgages ready Moneys Jewels plate and all other my personal Estate whatsoever I give and Devise unto my sons George EKINS and Thomas EKINS whom I make Executors of this my last Will & Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the eighteenth Day of December in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred and Twenty two

Signed sealed published and Declared as the last
Will and Testament of the above named Mary EKINS
in the presence of us Thos EKINS

Robert ACHURCH
John MOTT