In the name of God amen the nineteenth day of October in the year of our Lord God one thousand five hundred ninety and six and in the eight and thirtieth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth I William Margettes of Rushden in the County of Northampton yeoman being somewhat diseased in body and yet of very good memory and perfect remembrance for the which I do praise honour and most dutifully thank the most high omnipotent and eternal God have thought it very convenient for the better disposing as well of my freehold lands tenements and hereditaments And for the most manifest declaration of my full and resolute intention how and in what sort my copyhold and bondhold lands tenements and hereditaments shall be disposed  As also for the disposing of such goods and chattels as it hath pleased God of his great favour and bounty to bless and imbue me with to make this my testament and therein to contain and declare my full perfect absolute and last will intent and meaning touching all the said mentioned premises and therefore recommending first my soul into the hands of Almighty God and my body to Christian burial where it shall happen to be deprived of this terrestrial life I do then give and bequeath towards the maintenance of the church in Rushden aforesaid twenty shillings And I give will and bequeath unto Thomas Margettes my son and to his heirs and assigns forever all my freehold lands tenements and hereditaments with the appurtenances within the town fields limits and bounds of Rushden aforesaid except two swathes of meadow the which I lately purchased of my brother William Hughes Esquire And I do give will and bequeath the said two swathes of meadow before excepted unto Robert Margettes one other of my sons and to his heirs and assigns forever And though I am certain and well assured that my copyhold and bondhold lands tenements and hereditaments in Rushden aforesaid are not testamentary and disposable by testament and last will yet to the end that my full intent purpose plain and true meaning touching the ordering and particular disposition of the same by surrenders meant and intended may the better and more certainly appear I do hereby manifestly declare that my said son Thomas Margettes shall have and enjoy to him and his heirs all my copyhold lands and tenements within the said town fields limits and bounds of Rushden aforesaid with the appurtenances except the copyhold lands and tenements and one bondhold there which I lately purchased of Christopher Gobby And except a messuage or tenement and a close thereto belonging set and being in the north end of Rushden aforesaid sometime William Mannes And except also thirty acres of my copyhold land late being in the tenure or occupation of Thomas Page and now being in the tenure or occupation of one John Butcher And I do further declare and my will is that my said son Thomas Margettes shall likewise have and enjoy the bondhold which is next adjoining to my now dwelling house in Rushden aforesaid and all the lands and grounds thereto belonging with the appurtenances to him and his assigns according to the Custom of the Manor of Rushden aforesaid And as to the messuage or tenement and close before excepted with the appurtenances late William Mannes as is aforesaid my will and full intention is that Elizabeth Eyre my daughter late the wife of one Henry Eyre shall have the same messuage or tenement and close for and during her natural life upon condition that she or her assigns shall from time to time when and as often as need shall require or within some convenient time after well and sufficiently repair the same messuage or tenement And that the same messuage or tenement and close with the appurtenances after the decease of the said Elizabeth shall remain and be to my said son Thomas Margettes his heirs and assigns forever and as to all my said copyhold lands and tenements in Rushden aforesaid with the appurtenances late the said Christopher Gobbys and the said thirty acres of my copyhold lands with the appurtenances late in the tenure or occupation of the said Thomas Page and now being in the tenure or occupation of the said John Butcher before mentioned and expressed my will full intention and resolution is that my said son Robert Margettes shall have the same to him his heirs and assigns forever And that he the same Robert shall likewise have my bondhold and all the land and grounds thereto belonging with the appurtenances in Rushden aforesaid which late was the said Christopher Gobbys to him and his assigns according to the custom of the said manor Item I give will and bequeath unto my said son Robert Margettes my best shod cart with all the furniture for three horses and also three horses namely one dark grey horse one white grey horse and one bright bay horse with plough and plough gears necessary for the said three horses Item I do give and bequeath unto my said son Thomas Margettes my crop of all my corn grain and hay which shall remain at the time of my decease provided always that my said son Thomas his executor or administrator shall keep the said three horses given and bequeathed to my said son Robert Margettes as is aforesaid with one other as he or they shall keep his or their own horse until the next grass time. Item I give and bequeath to my said son Thomas all the residue of my horse carts and cart gears ploughs and plough gears not before given or bequeathed to my said son Robert Margettes. Item I do give and bequeath to my said son Thomas all the bedding and other furniture of the upper chamber in the new building and all such brass pewter iron implements and treen or wooden vessels which be in daily use and occupying except always all bedsteads cupboards portals tables and forms my cistern of lead and all my hovels with the timber and rafters belonging to the same hovels the which said bedsteads cupboards portals tables forms cistern and hovels with the timber and rafters to them and every of them belonging mine intent and meaning is and I do ordain and appoint by this my testament shall be continued from time to time so long as the same shall last and endure as heirlooms annexed to my now dwelling house and grounds where the same are now set and placed Item I give and bequeath unto my said son Robert Margettes all the bedding and curtains used in the chamber where I myself do lodge And the residue of all my implements of household not being before willed and bequeathed I do give and bequeath unto my said sons Thomas Margettes and Robert Margettes and to my daughters Ellen Peryn wife of Richard Peryn and Elizabeth Eyre widow to be equally divided between them And where my late brother John Margettes in and by his last will and testament appointed the sum of ten pounds to have a continuance forever to be yearly lent to such persons and in such manner and form as in and by his said testament is set forth and declared And where some parts of the said ten pounds are by lending out lost and decayed notwithstanding that such order hath been taken in the lending all the parts of the same as by the same testament is prescribed and appointed I do now will and ordain that the said ten pounds shall be made up again out of mine own goods and that the same ten pounds shall be delivered unto my son Thomas Margettes and by him and his heirs shall be from henceforth employed to such use and in such manner and form as my said brother hath ordained and appointed in and by his said testament and last will And I do hereby specially charge my said son Thomas and his heirs to be provident and careful that the trust and confidence reposed in me touching the employing of the said ten pounds be in no wise during their times frustrated or deceyved and to be always forseeing as much as in them lieth that from time to time for evermore the said ten pounds may be continually kept and preserved And from time to time employed according to the intent and true meaning of my said brother Item I do give and bequeath unto my son William Margettes twenty pounds and I do remit unto him twenty pounds more which he oweth me Item I do remit give and bequeath to my servant Alice Scott a cow bullock and to Robert Margettes my late servant a cow bullock and to my late servant William Broome a ewe and a lamb and where I do owe unto my brother William Hughes one hundred pounds which by mine appointment was lent to my son George Margettes I do will and ordain that the same hundred pounds shall be paid unto my said brother out of the value of my goods and chattels unbequeathed without delay after my decease Item I do bequeath unto my said brother William Hughes five pounds in money. Item I do give and bequeath unto my said daughter Elizabeth Eyre fifteen pounds and two milk kyne and also one acre of barley yearly ready sown and brought home by my said son Thomas Margettes or his heirs so long as she continueth widow Item I do give and bequeath to my daughter Ellen Peryn ten pounds of money the residue of my goods and chattels and debts unbequeathed after all my debts paid my legacies performed and my funeral expenses discharged I do give will and bequeath to my said sons Thomas Margettes and Robert Margettes by equal moieties the which said Thomas Margettes and Robert Margettes I do make ordain and constitute Executors of this my testament and last will not doubting but that they will carefully endeavour that all the parts thereof may be faithfully performed according to my trust reposed in them and of and concerning the due and true execution of my said testament I do heartily require and therewithal appoint and ordain my said brother William Hughes to be a faithful supervisor in witness whereof I the said William Margettes to this my testament and last will have put my seal and subscribed my name the day and year above written in the presence of the persons whose names be hereunder written by me William Margettes.

Witnesses

William Hughes
Nicholas Harrison
Thomas Margettes
Robert Margettes
Daniel Clarke

Probate granted in London 13 day of January 1596/7