In the name of God Amen the xxii daye of January in the year of our Lord God one thousand fyve hundrethe, fower score and one (1581) I Thomas Browne of Westhothligh in the county of Sussex and in the diocese of Chichester being sick of bodey but in good remembrance thanks be to God doe ordaine and make this my present testament and last will in manner and forme followynge First I gyve and bequeth my soule unto Almightie God trustinge to be saved through the deserving of Jesus Christ my redemer / my bodey to be buried in the churchyard of Westhothligh aforesayd or els where it shall please God to call me and touching my temporall goods first my will is to be bestowed at my buriall in bread and drink and other charitable deeds Xs Also I gyve my seven younger children that is to saye Thomas, Edward and George my sonnes Bridgett, Elizabeth, Jane and Agnes my daughters to ech of them Xiij li vj s viij d (£13, 6 shillings, 8 pence) a pece as of good and lawfull money of England to be payd unto them within one yere next after my decease / Also I gyve and bequeth unto Joane Marten my daughter Xls (40 shillings) and unto her sonne and daughter iijs iiijd a pece. I gyve unto Abell, Thomas and William Browne my sonne Abells sonnes iij s iiij d a pece. Item I gyve to ____ Christy iij s iiij d Also I gyve unto John my sonne my best chest my best bedstead my cubberd my presse and the plate in my chimys (?) and ij payre of sheets one table cloth ij napkins Item the residewe of my linen I gyve unto Elizabeth my wife also my will and minde is that Elizabeth my wife and John my sonne shall have hold and occupy joyntly and severally by even porcions and to their severall asignes all my tenements lands rents services and tythes (except the tythes of Coome Land and being the lands late of John Mascall and of my owne lands) for and during the naturall life of the same Elizabeth my wife doing noe strip or wast in and upon the same by the sayd Elizabeth or her assignes and yelding paying and doing all and over chardges and reparacions that shall rise growe be due and payable out of the same for and during the life of the same Elizabeth Provided alwayes that if Elizabeth my wife doe clayme or recover any dower or third part of John my sonnes moietie aforesayd that then this grant last abovesayd to be utterly voyd and had for naught anything therin not withstanding Also I gyve unto Abell my sonne all my tythes of corne haye and grayne that shall rise growe be dewe and payable in and upon that tenement and lands called the Coome in Westhothligh aforesayd to have and to hold unto the sayd Abell Browne my sonne and to his heirs and assignes for ever imediatly after my decease Also I gyve and bequeth unto Thomas Browne, Edward Browne and George Browne my sonnes all my tythes of corne haye and grayne that I have or of right ought to have in the parish of Westhothligh aforesayd except the tythes of Coome land before gyven unto Abell my sonne and the tythes of my owne lands alwayes reserved to have and to hold unto the same Thomas, Edward and George and to their heirs forever by equall porcions from and imediatly after the decease of Elizabeth my wife and not before yelding and paying the vickars porcion yerely out of the same if it must needs be payd after they shall have and enjoye the same also after the decease of Elizabeth my wife my will is that John Browne my sonne shall have all my tenements lands rents services and tythes only of my owne lands with th’appurtances to him and to his heirs forever Item I gyve unto George my sonne one chest Provided also and my will is that Elizabeth my wife and John my sonne shall pay out of my tythes unto Thomas, Edward and George my sonnes towards their findinge ech of them yerely xxv s viij d during the life of Elizabeth my wife and bring up Agnes and George my two younger children have George’s xxv s viij d towards the bringinge up of them duringe their nonage or otherwise provided for them any thinge herein not withstanding provided alwayes that if John my sonne dye without heirs of his bodey lawfully begotten that then my will is that George my sonne shall have my land called Whitestone, Webbs mead and Church ____ with th’appurtances to him and his heirs forever any thinge herein to the contrary notwithstanding The residewe of all my goods chattels credits and debts unbequethed my debts first payd my will fulfilled and my legaces dischardged I wholly leave and gyve unto Elizabeth my wife and John my sonne to be devided between them by equall porcions also I ordayne the same Elizabeth and John my only executors to see it executed accordingly Item I make William Browne my Brother and Edward Browne my overseers to see that my executors execute the same accordingly as my trust is in them they will soe doe and they to have for their paynes iij s iiij d a pece and all their reasonable espenses in that behalf expended. These being witnesses here unto Robert Taylor, John Newnam, Andrew Browne, John Smyth, shomaker and John Browne sonne of Andrew Browne and of me, Thomas Browne.