In the name of God Amen the twentieth day of January in the third yeare of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord James the Second by the grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland King Defender of the faith &c Anno Dni one thousand six hundred eighty seaven I Robert Merefield of Woolminston within the parish of Crewkerne in the county of Somerset. Gent, being both in health and perfect mind and memory thanks bee to God and being desirous to prevent any differences that might otherwise arise between my children concerning my goods and estate which I intend to leave them after my decease doe therefore make my last will and testament in manner and forme following that is to say first I commend my soule unto Almighty God hopeing for pardon of my sinns and everlasting salvation through the merritts of my only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and my body to the earth to bee buried in decent and Christian manner and as touching such worldly estate as the Lord in mercy hath lent mee my will is the same shall bee imployed and bestowed as hereafter is expressed & hereby revoking and makeing void all former wills whatsoever and alsoe all and every deed and deeds writing and writings by mee made executed or declared to bee for the settleing of my estate according as by any former will I have appointed and doe declare and appoint this to bee my last will and testament not withstanding any such former deed or will by mee made first whereas I now stand lawfully possessed and interessed of and all that capitall messuage and tenement with its appurtenances in Woolminston aforesaid called or knowne by the name of the I-Tome Tenement containing by estimation thirty acres or thereabout for the residue of the terme of three thousand yeares I give and bequeath the same and all my estate and terme of yeares therein unto my sonne Robert Merefield, his executors, administrators and assignees And alsoe whereas I stand lawfully possessed and interessed for the residue of the like terme of three thousand yeares of and in all those two fourth partes and two eighth panes of all that messuage and tenement in Woolminston aforesaid heretofore in the possession of one Adam Greenway deced and now called or known by the name of Greenways tenement containeing in the whole by estimation six and twenty acres or thereabout I give and bequeath the same with the appurenances and all my estate and terme of yeares therein unto my said sonn Robert Merefield, his executors, administrators and assignes (parcell of which said last mentioned tenement being granted to some persons in trust for Ann my now wife for fourscore and nineteene yeares determinable on her death And alsoe whereas I now stand lawfully possessed and intereessed of and in one fourth parte of one other tenement in Woolmiston aforesaid late in the possession of one Andrew Goold deceased for the residue of the like term of three thousand years I give and bequeath the same with its appurtenances and all my estate and terme therein unto my said sonne Robert, his executors, administrators and assignes which said two messuages and tenements and the said fourth pane I doe by this my will charge with the summe of one thousand pounds to bee paid by my said sonne Robert as is hereafter limitted and expressed Alsoe I give devise and bequeath unto my said son Robert Merefield all the estate which I have in a centaine tenement in Merriot in the said County of Somerset containeing in the whole eighteene acres or thereabout and called or knowne by the name of Simonds tenement which lately fell to mee by the death of my brother William Merefield parte whereof is now held on lease by the widdow Hallett which last mentioned tenement I doe hereby charge with the sum of three hundred pounds to bee paid by my said sonne Robert as hereafler is expressed And whereas alsoe I now stand lawfully possessed and interessed of and in all that close now devided and made into severall closes called and knowne by the name of Hewood lyeing within the tything of Drempton in the parish of Broadwindsor in the County of Dorset for the residue of a long terme of one thousand yeares and alsoe by some persons in trust for me am seized of the reversion in fee thereof to mee and my heires for ever. I give, devise and bequeath the same with the appurtenances and all my said terme and estate therein unto unto my second son William Merefield his heires, ext’rs and assignes for ever which I hereby charge with the summe of one hundred pounds to bee paid by my said sonn William unto my sonne John when my said son John shall attain his full age of one and twenty yeares And if my said sonn William shall happen to dye before such time as he my said soon William shall attaine his age of one and twenty yeares then I give, devise and bequeath my said grounds and lands called Hewood with the appurtenances unto my said sonn John, his heirs executors and assignes forever And alsoe whereas I now stand Iawfully possessed and interressed of and in Rovelese tenement with the appurtenances in Woolmiston aforesaid being four closes of land called or known by the name or names of Legoore? and Wilclose containing in the whole by estimation eighteen acres or thereabout for the residue of a long terme of three thousand yeares I give and bequeath the same and every parte thereof with the appurtenances and all my estate and terme therein unto my third sonn John Merefield, his executors, administrators and assignes And if said sonne John shall happen to die before such time as he shall attaine his age of one and twenty yeares then I doe hereby give and bequeath the said Rovelese tenement called Leggoore and Wilclosse and all my estate and termes therein unto my said sonne William together with the said summe of one hundred pounds herein before mentioned to bee paid to my said sonne John by my said sonn William And if both my said sonns William and John shall happen to dye before they attain theire severall and respective ages of one and twenty yeares then I doe give and bequeath the said severall closes called Hewood and the said Rovelesse tenement called Leggoore and Wilclose and all my estate and estates terme and termes of yeares therein unto my sonns Robert. Thomas and George and to the survivors and survivor of them equally to bee devided betweene them and whereas by the death of my late brother William Merefield I am justly entitled to certain leasehold estates in Merriot Shepton Beauchamp and Goatehurst in the County of Somerset I give and bequeath the same and all the estate and terme which I now have or of right or —engeth to mee either in law or equity in the same or any parte thereof unto my said five sonns Robert, William, John, Thomas and George and to my next child which shall bee borne of the body of my now wife bee it sonn or daughter and to the survivors and survivor of them share and share alike. Item I give and bequeath unto my said son Robert my great silver tankard and my gold seale ring which were my fathers. Item I give and bequeath unto my loveing wife three twenty shillings peices of gold And I doe alsoe give my said wife full power to live in my now dwelling house in Woolmiston aforesaid untill my said sonn Robert shall attaine the age of one and twenty yeares without paying any rent for the same. Item I give and bequeath unto my two youngest sonns Thomas and George the sumnie of one thousand pounds of lawfull English money (that is to say) to each and either of them five hundred pounds to bee paid unto them by my said son Robert of the aforesaid two messuages and tenements called the home tenement and Greenwayes tenement and the said fourth pane herein before given and bequeath unto him within the space of one yeare next after the decease of my said wife if they the said Thomas and George my sonns shall then have attained theire severall and respective ages of one and twenty yeares and if it happen that either of my said sonns Thomas and George shall dye before bee shall attaine his said age of one and twenty yeares then it is will that the legacy of five hundred pounds of him soe dyeing shall remaine to bee paid to the survivor of them And if both my said sonns Thomas and George shall happen to dye before they attaine theme severall and respective ages of one and twenty yeares then the said one thousand pounds shall remaine and bee unto my sonns Robert, William and John and the said child which shall bee borne next of my said wife and the survivors and survivor of them equally to bee devided betweene them. Item I give and bequeath unto such my said child as shall bee next borne of the body of my said wife the said summe of three hundred pounds of lawfull English money to bee paid unto such my said child by my said son Robert out of Simonds tenement before mentioned when such my said child shall attaine the age of one and twenty yeares And if such my said child shall dye before bee or she shall attaine the age of one and twenty yeares then my will is that the said legacy of three hundred pounds shall bee equally devided amongst the rest of my children and the survivors and survivor of them All the rest of my goods of what nature or kind soever as well within doore as without not herein or hereby before given and bequeathed except a certaine summe of money due unto mee on a mortgage from Thomas Colebert deceased which I give to my executor hereafter named I doe give and bequeath unto my said five sonns and such my said child as shall bee next borne of my said wifes body equally to bee devided betweene them by my overseers and executors in trust hereafter named or by the survivors or survivor of them Arid I doe hereby constitute and appoint my said son Robert whole and sale executor of this my last will and testament and if my said son Robert shall happen to die before hee shall attaine the age of one and twenty yeares then I doe appoint my son William to bee my executor And if both of them dye before that age then I doe appointe my some John to bee my executor and ill all three dye before that age then I doe appoiute my sonn Thomas to bee my executor And if all four dye before that age then I doe appointe my sonn George to bee my executor And I doe appointe my good friends Hugh Dawbeny Gibbs of Wayford Esqr, John Minterne of Beminster Esq and Hugh -?ysing of Hey in the Parish of Winsham. Gent to bee my Overseers and executors in trust of this my last Will and testament and to see the same performed in all things and to sue forth letters of administration with this my will annexed during the minority of my said executor and to allow themselves out of the profits of my estate all costs and disbursements whatsoever which they or either of them shall expend or be put to in or about the executing of this my last will and testament and it is my further will and meaning that four of my said sons Robert, John. Thomas and George and the said child which shall bee next born of the body of my said wife shall dureing their minority bee maintained and educated out of the yearly rents and profits of all and singular my said lands and tenements according to the discretion allow--? and approbation of my said overseers the survivors or survivor of them my said son William being otherwise provided for his maintenance and education out of a tenement in Allenshay and also my will is that if my said wife shall be living at the time when my said sons Thomas and George or the survivor of them shall have attained his or their respective age of one and twenty yeares by meanes whereof their said legacies before by mee given unto them shall not bee then paid that then my said sons Thomas and George and the survivor of them shall have his and their maintenance out of all and singular my aforesaid lands and tenements to bee limited and proportioned by my said overseers the survivors and survivor of them according to his and theme discretion and appointment untill such time as theire legacies of five hundred pounds apeice shall bee due and payable. Item I give to the poore of the Towne of Crewkerne twenty shillings,unto the poore of the tything of Woolmiston twenty shillings, unto the poore of the tything of Hewish tenn shillings, unto the poore of the tything of Clapton feint shillings to bee distributed amongst them alt the discretion of my said overseers. Item I give unto all such servants of mine as shall bee liveing with mee in house at the time of my death five shillings apeece. In wittiness whereof I have here unto set my hand and seale the day and yeare first above written. Robert Merefield.

Signed, sealed, published and declared in the presence of John Sandys. the marke of John Shepheard alias Gate, Henry Minterne. Hugh Bagge

(Latin) Probate London 19 Oct 1689 to Hugh Dawbeny Gihbs. John Minterne. Hugh Physing?

(Latin - margin note) Probate London 9 Mar 1699 to William Merefield, son & executor

Transcribed from a photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales. NP20 6LB Tel 01633 858359 25 May 2000