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In the name of God Amen I Christopher May of Basing in the County of Southampton, yeoman, being sick and weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory thanks be therefore given to Almighty God do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following thereby revoking all former and other wills by me at any time heretofore made. I commit my soul to Almighty God my creator and redeemer faithfully trusting that through the merits and passion of my Blessed Saviour Christ Jesus I shall be saved and receive free pardon of all my sins and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named and as for that worldly estate which it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I give bequeath and dispose of the same I manner following In the first place I give twenty shillings to be disposed of about the church of Basing aforesaid and forty shillings more I give to the poor of Basing aforesaid to be distributed by the churchwardens and overseers of the poor for the time there being Item I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas May the sum of one hundred pounds of lawful English money And also I give and bequeath unto my said son Thomas May all that copyhold estate he now lives in situate and being in Nately Scures in the said County of Southampton which is held by the life of the said Thomas my son and the life of Christopher May my son to have and to hold unto my said son Thomas May his heirs executors and administrators during the lives of them the said Thomas May and Christopher May my sons Item I give unto my said son Christopher May the sum of one hundred pounds of lawful English money to be paid him within one month next after he the said Christopher shall surrender his life in the copyhold estate aforesaid unto my said son Thomas and my will is that if the said Christopher my son shall refuse to surrender and resign his life and interest in the said copyhold estate aforesaid unto my said son Thomas then the one hundred pounds to him the said Christopher my son before by this my will given shall be paid And I do hereby devise and give the same one hundred pounds to my said son Thomas May Item I give to my daughter Elizabeth Foliott five pounds of like money which said legacies given unto my said son Thomas and daughter Elizabeth I order and appoint shall be paid within three months next after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my said son Christopher May the house in Basingstoke in the said County of Southampton I lately bought of one James Potter and Richard Woodroffe the Younger together with all outhouses backsides orchards gardens and appurtenances thereunto belonging to have and to hold the same unto my said son Christopher May and his assigns for and during the time of the natural life of Mary my daughter the now wife of the said Richard Woodroffe the Younger my trust for the said Mary my daughter and for my said son Christopher to pay unto her yearly and every year the rents issued and profits thereof to her own separate use And after the decease of my said daughter Mary I give and bequeath the same house and premises and every part thereof with appurtenances unto my said son Daniel May to have and to hold the said house and premises with the appurtenances unto my said son Daniel May his heirs and assigns forever Item I give and bequeath unto my son Charles May all that my messuage or tenement with the outhouses orchards gardens backsides lands and premises with the appurtenances lying and being in Basing aforesaid which I lately bought of James Acton of Basingstoke aforesaid and Richard Woodroffe the Younger aforesaid to have and to hold the same premises unto my said son Charles May three hundred of lawful money of England and to my daughter Dorothy May I give two hundred pounds of like money also I give unto my daughter Sarah May two hundred and fifty pounds of like money Item I give and bequeath unto my son Daniel May the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds of like money also I give and bequeath unto my son William May the sum of two hundred pounds of like money all which said several legacies given by this my said last Will  to my said sons and daughters Charles May Dorothy May Sarah May Daniel May and William May my will is hall be paid unto them respectively at their respective ages of one and twenty years or day or days of his her or their respective marriage which shall first happen after my decease but my will is that such of them as shall be one and twenty years of age at the time of my decease shall be paid his her or their portion or portions within three months next after my decease and my mind and will is that if any or either of my said children Charles Dorothy Sarah Daniel and William May shall happen to die before he has or they shall attain the full age of one and twenty years or be married that then his her or their portion or portions hereby bequeathed to them as aforesaid so dying shall be equally divided to and amongst the survivor and survivors of them my said children Charles Dorothy Sarah Daniel and William May share and share alike Item I give and bequeath unto my son John May the messuage or tenement with the orchard garden land and appurtenances thereunto belonging in Basing aforesaid which I bought of George Smith and called by the name of Groves or my whatsoever other name or names the same are called or known and also I give and bequeath unto my said son John May all those my several lands and premises with the appurtenances lying and being in Basing aforesaid called Ruetts or by whatever other name or names the same are called or known by which I bought of one James Lee deceased together with the leases and writings touching and concerning the same lands and premises and every of them thereby before bequeath unto my said son John May to have and to hold the said messuage or tenement lands and premises and every of them unto the said John May my son his heirs and assigns forever to his and their own use and uses Item I also give and bequeath unto my said son John May and to his heirs and assigns forever all that my messuage or tenement and several lands and premises thereunto belonging with appurtenances lying in Basing aforesaid which purchased of Francis Hautrell he the said John May my son paying to my said son Daniel May out of the same premises the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds of lawful money so soon as my said son Daniel May shall attain to his age of one and twenty years or be married which shall first happen next after my decease which said two hundred and fifty pounds is and shall be the said two hundred and fifty pounds before by this my said will bequeathed unto my said son Daniel May and whereas there was by my late father’s last Will and Testament given unto my said children Charles Dorothy Sarah and Daniel May fifty pounds apiece which said fifty pounds apiece I have now by this my Will made up the legacies before to them bequeathed by this my Will and now it is my will and meaning that they the said Charles Dorothy Sarah and Daniel May before they be paid their respective legacies hereby bequeathed unto them shall give releases respectively unto the Executors of this my last Will and Testament and to my kinsman John May of Worting in the said County of Southampton in full discharge of the said legacies of fifty pounds apiece given unto them by my said father deceased and if any or either of them the said Charles Dorothy Sarah and Daniel refuse to give such release or releases that then they and every of them do refusing shall have and receive for their legacies hereby bequeathed unto them only fifty pounds apiece and the residue of the said legacies hereby before bequeathed unto them shall go and be equally divided between such of my said children Charles Dorothy Sarah and Daniel as shall give such release or releases to my Executors and the said John May according to the intent of this my last Will and my will and meaning is that if it shall happen that my said sons John and Charles May or either of them shall die before they attain to their age of one and twenty years or days of marriage as aforesaid that then the lands and premises to them devised as aforesaid either lease lands or lands of inheritance shall remain and be to my other sons Daniel and William their heirs and assigns forever equally to be divided between them at their respective ages of one and twenty years or days of marriage which shall first happen Lastly I make and ordain my loving wife Anne May and my said son John May full and sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament appointing and desiring them to see all the legacies by this my Will bequeathed duly paid and discharged to the several legacies to whom the sum are hereby bequeathed according to the true intent and meaning of this my Will out of my personal estate which I hereby bequeath unto my Executors for that purpose and the remainder thereof to my said Executors and my further will is that until the several legacies hereby bequeathed unto my respective children now under age be paid then that the interest thereof shall go and be towards their maintenance and education and whereas I formerly gave a bond of four hundred pounds penalty to Edward Ackland and Robert Hellier for the payment of two hundred pounds to the use of my said wife Ann May my will is that if my said wife Anne May shall think fit to take the benefit of the said bond and refuse to be joint Executor of this my Will that then she shall have the benefit of the said bond and then I do thereby nominate and appoint my said son John May sole Executor or this my Will and to pay the said two hundred pounds due by the said bond to my said wife Anne May and if my said wife shall continue joint Executor of this my last Will with my said son John May that then the said bond shall be delivered up and cancelled And I do hereby nominate and appoint my brother Thomas May and my said kinsman John May to be overseers of this my last Will and Testament and do give to both of them ten shillings apiece and desire them to assist my said Executors in the due execution of this my Will In witness whereof I the said Christopher May the testator have to this my last Will and Testament containing two sheets and am half or paper set my hand and seal this fourth day of January in the year of Our Lord one thousand six hundred and ninety three

Christopher May

Signed sealed published and declared by the said Christopher May the testator to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of

Richard Hall
The mark of William Ivall
James Chudleigh

Proved London 2nd February 1697 to Anne May and John May