Title
Will of Sir John Francklin of St Giles in the Fields, Middlesex, knight [copy]: 'First I willingly render up my soul ... my body to be decently inhumated without much pomp in the parish church of Bolnhurst.' [Details of many personal bequests] To trustees Edward Byde and Henry Penton: the manor and farm of Newtonbury or Chamberlains Bury in Dunton; the manor of Veseys alias Barford; a close called Smithey Field in Roxton, 50 acres, divided into two, and in occupation of Thomas Wotton; all other lands in Dunton, Barford, Roxton and Renhold mentioned in marriage settlement with Dorothy Clarke, 1 December 1690; except 3 acres in the common fields of Renhold and Barford, 1 acre meadow in Gadsey mead in Renhold and Barford; charged with estate of wife for life, and subject to uses of father's settlement, and subject to payment of late brother William's debts; to wife Dorothy for life; then to cousin John Francklin of Mileham, Norfolk, clerk; reversion to his sons John, Edward, Philip. Witnesses: Graves Martyn, Samuel Grave senior, John Thorold
Scope and Content
[Details of many personal bequests]
- To churchwardens of St Giles and of Bolnhurst, £10 each to distribute among the aged and infirm poor.
- To those of Great Barford, Thurleigh, Ravensden and Dunton, £5 each.
- To Lincoln's Inn, £100, of which £50 is to buy gilt plate for the communion table in Lincoln's Inn chapel, with such inscription as the Bench think fit; and £50 for books.
- To sister Anne Daston, widow of Richard Daston of Wormington, Gloucestershire, £500.
- To niece Dorothy, only daughter of Anne, £500; to nephew Richard, £10; to nephew William, £200 and plot of land in Windsor near castle.
- To cousin Frances Carter, widow of John Carter, daughter of uncle John Franklin, late of Ampthill, gentleman, £20 to buy a piece of plate.
- To godson William Carter, £100, and to Frances Carter's other children, £10 each.
- To dear cousin Thomas Halsey of Great Gaddesden, esquire, and wife Anne, only daughter of Thomas Hensham, £10 each for mourning.
- To godson Thomas Halsey, 2nd son of above, £100.
- To cousin Dame Katherine Lawrence, relict of Sir [-] Lawrence of Putney, £10 for mourning.
- To cousin Charles Gery of Bushmead, esquire, £30 to buy plate.
- To cousin Dartiquenance, aunt of said Charles, £10.
- To kinsman John Francklin of Mileham, Norfolk, esquire, £20 and all books and manuscripts, except such as wife Dorothy shall think fit to take; also £80 towards education of children John, Edward, and Philip.
- To brothers-in-law Sir William Craven, knight, William Beecher, esquire, Thomas Hanbury, esquire, sisters Mary Craven, Jane Beecher, Elizabeth Hanbury (daughters and 3 of the coheirs of George Clerke of Watford, deceased), £10 each for mourning.
- To nephew Godfrey Clerke, eldest son of Sir Gilbert Clerke of Derbyshire, knight, and his brother Gilbert Clerke of the Inner Temple, and Thomas Kinnersley of Staffordshire, esquire, and nieces Barbara Kinnersley and her sister Mary Clerke, 40s each for
mourning ring.
- To Thomas Lockington of London, Sir Thomas Powys the queen's 1st sergeant-at-law, Nicholas Martin, Edward Byde, Henry Penton, William Dobbins of Lincoln's Inn, esquires, John Harvey of Thurleigh, esquire, Francis Brace of Astwood, gentleman, small sums.
- To his clerk, Oliver Ainge, £10, Edward Lloyd, £5; to his coachman, Thomas Elson 'who hath lived with me sometime', £10; and 'to all my servants', 40s apiece.
- For a tomb for father, mother, brother and self, £100.
- To wife Dorothy, executrix, rings, jewels, silver and gold watches, clocks, gold cup and cover, and all other gilt and silver plate and
linen, coach, chariot, horses and harness, household stuff in the house in Great Lincoln's Inn Fields where he dwells; and residue of estate.