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In the name of God Amen I Charles May of Basingstoke in the County of Southampton maltster being in good health of body and of sound mind and understanding yet considering the uncertainty of events that attend life and health and being (in case of mortality) willing to take care about such estate as it hath pleased God to bless me with all do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in writing and in the first place I recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping through the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ to obtain remission and pardon for my sins and as to my body I direct it to be interred at the discretion of my dear wife and Executors hereinafter named and as touching my said worldly estate I do hereby give and dispose thereof as followeth and in the first place I will devise and direct that the articles made upon my marriage with my said dear wife shall in every respect be fulfilled and performed and all the just debts that I owe at the time of my death be satisfied and paid and do to that end purpose charge all my estate both real and personal in the first place with the performance of the said articles and afterwards with the payment of my debts and the legacies hereby by me bequeathed and subject to the other uses in this my Will Item I give five pounds for the use of the church of Basingstoke where I now dwell and ten pounds to the poor of the said parish of Basingstoke to be distributed amongst them by the church wardens and overseers of the said parish within twelve months after my decease and I likewise give the sum of one hundred pounds to be distributed to and amongst my poor relations at the discretion of my executors or the survivors of them shall think fit I give devise and bequeath to my dear wife all my freehold and leasehold estate (except my mills with their utensils and appurtenances) situate lying and being in Basingstoke aforesaid and the use of all my household goods there at the time of my decease during the term of her natural life and after her decease I give my said household goods with the said freehold and leasehold estates in Basingstoke to my youngest son then living his heirs executors and assigns forever Item I give to my brother Daniel May all my mills whatsoever and wheresoever and profits thereof together with the millstones and other utensils and implements belonging to the same for such part and time of the terms as there shall respectively be to come there in at the time of my decease until such time or times as any or either of my sons I now have or my wife shall be enceinte with at the time of my decease shall attain unto his or their age or ages of twenty-one years he the said Daniel May paying the rents and performing all and singular the covenants and agreements on the lessees part to be performed and done and keeping the same in good and sufficient repair during the term and time the same are hereby to him bequeathed and given but when any son of the body of me and my said wife shall attain his age of twenty-one years then I give and devise the said mills and the profits thereof together with the millstones and other utensils thereunto belonging during the residue and remainder of the respective terms therein then to come to such son as shall first attain his age of twenty-one years Item I give unto my said brother Daniel May the sum of two thousand pounds in money or stock to be immediately delivered or paid to him after my decease to the uses intents and purposes hereinafter mentioned that is to say to retain and keep in his hands during such time and term and until all my children shall attain his or their age or ages of one and twenty years he paying to my said wife to and for the education and bringing up my children (I shall leave at the time of my decease or my wife shall be then enceinte with) the sum of one hundred pounds yearly the first payment to be made within six months after my decease and when all my said children shall attain his or their age or ages of one and twenty years I will my said brother Daniel May shall then pay the said two thousand pounds to and amongst my son or sons and daughter or daughters then living in such manner and by such share and shares proportion and proportions as my said dear wife by any deed or writing under her hand and seal to be duly signed and executed in the presence of two or more credible witnesses shall direct and appoint the same and for want of such direction and appointment then to be paid to and amongst such son or sons and daughter or daughters share and share alike and for the due performance of this my Will and bequests hereby given and the rusts hereby reposed in him my said brother Daniel May I direct he shall become bound to my executors and trustees hereinafter appointed in the penal sum of four thousand pounds Item I give to all and every of my younger son and sons the sum of two thousand pounds apiece to be paid to him and them respectively if he and they shall attain his or their respective age or ages of one and twenty years and I also give and bequeath to all and every of my daughter and daughters now living or which my said wife shall have by me or be enceinte with at the time of my decease the sum of one thousand pounds apiece to be paid to her and them respectively if she and they shall respectively attain to her and their respective age or ages of one and twenty years Item I give and bequeath or the residue rest and remainder of my estate real and personal of what nature kind or quality soever not herein before or herein after given (subject to all my legacies herein before and herein after given) to my loving brother Thomas May John May and my brother-in-law William Noake and cousin John May of Worting their heirs executors and administrators in trust to put out and dispose of the same at interest or in purchasing of lands as in their discretion they shall think fit during the minority of my children and subject to the charges herein before devised and bequeathed and then to and for the benefit of my oldest son then living his heirs executors administrators and assigns but however I do empower them my said trustees and the survivors and survivor of them (whom I do likewise appoint executors of this my last Will and Testament) out of any part of my estate hereby to them bequeath to pay such further part and parts thereof for the apprenticing schooling or improvement of my said children in their education as to them my said executors to take upon them the execution of the trust hereby in them reposed and do direct that they shall be reimbursed all the costs charges and expenses they shall be put unto by virtue of the trust hereby in them reposed and also further I do hereby give and bequeath unto them for their loss of time and pains the sum of five pounds per annum each during the continuance of the trust hereby in them respectively reposed and I do hereby  devise that they shall not be answerable for each others acts or defaults but for their own acts or defaults only nor for any loss in any the monies or estate hereby to them devised that shall happen by accident or other means without his or their wilful default or neglect to be lost Item I give unto my said dear wife the sum of two hundred pounds to buy her mourning due otherwise to do with as she shall thin k fit Item I give to my father-in-law Robert Noake and my said trustees and executors five pounds apiece to buy them mourning and to all my brothers and sisters and brothers and sisters-in-law to whom I have not already given mourning five pounds apiece to buy them mourning and I do give five to my cousin Charles May of Houndsditch London to buy him mourning and lastly I do hereby revoke all former wills by me made and do declare this to be my only last Will and Testament in witness thereof I have set my hand and seal to every sheet of this my will (being seven) this two and twentieth day of August in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fourteen

Charles May

Signed sealed published and declared by the before-mentioned Charles May as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request and by his direction have subscribed our names as witness in his presence the words (my said household goods with) being first interlined in the second sheet of this will

Robert Barfoot
Henry Woodroffe
T Widmore

Proved in the Court of London by John Bettesworth, Doctor of Law, 7th October 1714
Probate granted to Thomas May & John May, brothers of the deceased, and William Noake & John May of Worting, his executors.