Scope and Content
Whereas:-
William Gery late of Over, Cambs., gentleman, deceased, was seised in demesne as of fee in his house called Bushmead and known as the late dissolved priory of Bushmead, Eaton, with messuages and lands in Eaton, Roxton, Colmworth, Barford, Keysoe and Bolnhurst; he on 20 June 1585 demised to son William for 300 years for rent 40s. per annum, charged also with fee-farm rent of £20 5s, and with an annual rent of £80 to heirs of Anthony Cokett esquire deceased;
William Gery junior afterwards assigned to son Richard; Richard assigned to Sir Robert Carr[e] & others property charged as aforesaid, and also charged with payment of several great sums, e.g. £250 per annum to Anne, still living; the said term and remaining interest is by several mesne conveyances come to Richard March of London, merchant, for securing payment of £5,100 and interest (this sum being borrowed by William Gery of [from] Richard March for discharging several sums other than the said yearly payments, and by which the term had been charged by Richard (grandfather of present William), and "several other sums which were grown due by reason of the non-payment of the original sums wherewith the same was charged by the said Richard Gery";
Farman Poole of Derby esquire & Robert Beale of Grays Inn, gentleman, are seised in fee of the manor of Bushmead and site of the dissolved priory and messuages and lands, and they on 12 July 1661 assigned to John Parker of Chilverscoton, Warwickshire, for 99 years; this by several mesne conveyances has come to John Currance of Middlesex & William Sherman of London in trust for Richard March and for the further securing £5,100;
the £80 per annum to heirs of Anthony Cockett is by several mesne conveyances come to John Foster of London esquire & John Wright, citizen & merchant tailor of London, in trust for said Richard March, and for the further securing £5,100;
Anne Gery, mother of William Gery, 23 October last sold to James Cooke, citizen & waxchandler of London, and Robert Bedingfield, citizen & merchant tailor, her rights in the manor and site of the late dissolved priory for 99 yrs., which term is for said Richard March, or for her life;
and whereas 19 July 1661 William Gery junior of Bushmead esq. made his marriage settlement with Mary Salmon (now deceased), trustees being William Gery senior, of Grays Inn, Sir Thomas Gery of Middlesex, Thomas Jekill of Cliffords Inn, and Nicholas Sprague of Cliffords Inn: reversion and inheritance of said manor and premises on determination of said respective estates and terms;
property is now vested in William Gery for life, with remainder to only son Charles, which Charles is less than 12 years old; with remainder to trustees for raising portion of £2000 for only daughter Elizabeth, Elizabeth being under 8 years; the money due on the estate cannot be raised with sale;
Be it therefore enacted:
the manor and site of the late dissolved priory of Bushmead and all lands and tenements of William Gery of Bushmead in Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire settled in remainder to said Charles be vested in Sir William Francklyn of Mavorn, knight, Thomas Raymond of Grays Inn, esq., and Paul Cobb of Barnards Inn, gentleman,
to be sold and the proceeds used, first for discharging debt to Richard March, then £200 to John Combes's executors, then any other charges; residue of proceeds to be employed in buying an estate in fee simple to be settled on William Gery, subject to £160 per annum to mother Anne; then to Charles, subject to £2000 for Elizabeth.
Endorsed: "Cousin Farrer, when you have done with this, if one Mr. John Medcalfe comes for it, my Mother would desire you to deliver it to him."