COPY OF THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF EDMUND DENNY Dated Nov 14 1676 and Codicil dated May 13 1679 Copied from the original manuscript by Thomas Reeve Denny April 1874.
In the Name of God Amen the Fourteenth day of November in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord Charles the second by the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King defender of the faith &c the three and twentieth And in the year of our Lord Christ One Thousand six hundred and seventy & six I Edmund Denny of Combs in the County of Suffolk Yeoman being of sound mind and memory thanks be given to Almighty God therefore renouncing and disannulling all former Wills and bequests by me heretofore made do make devise and ordain this to be my last will and Testament in manner and form following Impris I give devise and bequeath all that my Messuage and Tenement called Quicksands with all the Houses Buildings Yards Gardens and Orchards thereunto belonging with their appurtenances situate in Combs aforesaid together with the several pieces and parcels of Land meadows and pastures next and immediately mentioned and abuttled That is to say one piece of ground and an orchard containing by estimation an acre one head abutting upon the King's highway leading to Stowmarket one side abutts upon a pightle containing two acres called Quicksands sometimes Joseph Beamis on the North East and the other head upon Brooks meadows towards the South East And one piece of land called Great Langstakes containing by estimation seven acres one head thereof abutteth on the King's highway aforesaid towards the West and the other head upon Little Langstakes towards the South West And one piece of land called Weavers containing by estimation four acres one head thereof abutteth upon a little meadow on the part of the East and one piece of land called Brook meadow containing by estimation six acres and abutteth upon Weavers both South and North And one piece of Land called Peaseclose containing by estimation three acres one head thereof abutteth upon the driftway towards the East and one side thereof upon Church close towards the North And one piece of Land called the Quicksands containing by estimation two acres heretofore bought of Joseph Beamish one head thereof abutteth upon the King's Highway towards the West and one side thereof abutteth upon the aforesaid Messuage called Quicksands North West And one piece of Land called Great Quicksands containing by estimation three acres one head thereof abutteth upon the King's Highway aforesaid on the part of the North and the other head upon Brook Meadow towards the South And also one little meadow called Motes tie meadow containing one acre one head thereof abutteth upon Wood Field towards the North and one side thereof abutts upon Weavers towards the West To Edmund Denny my eldest son for and during the term of his natural life and after his decease to the heirs males of his body lawfully begotten and for want of such heirs then to the heirs sons also of his body lawfully begotten & for want of such heirs females Then I will devise and bequeath the said messuage & tenement and all the said lands & premises given and bequeathed to the said Edmund Denny to my other three sons Thomas John and Samuel & their heirs forever Always provided that if my said son Edmund Denny shall molest and trouble Susan my wife or any of my other sons Thomas Denny John Denny or Samuel by commencing any suits against them either in law or equity concerning any gifts bequeathed to them in this my said Will that then my said gift of my said Messuage & Lands to him the said Edmund shall be void and then I give the same to my other three sons Thomas Denny John Denny & Samuel Denny & to their heirs forever tcm I give bequeath and devise unto Thomas Denny my eldest son by my second wife & to his heirs forever all that my Manor or dwelling house which I live in situate in Combs aforesaid and all the Houses Edifices Buildings Yards Gardens Orchards & appurtenances thereunto belonging together with the several pieces of land Meadows & pastures next and immediately mentioned and abuttled That is to say one orchard and one meadow adjoining containing by estimation six acres more or less One piece of Land called the Shore containing by estimation two acres & a half one side thereof abutteth upon hithermost Quicksands on the South West and the upper end thereof abutteth upon Feaseclose And one piece of Land called hither Church close & a piece of Land called Morris Piece containing together four acres And one piece of Land called further Church Close containing by estimation five acres And also two pieces of Land called Coles close containing by estimation together Eight acres And also one Field or Grove called Coles Close Wood Grove containing by estimation five acres And one piece of Land being one Ground Wood containing two acres be it more or less And one little pytle called the Drift being at the end of Peaseclose being at the end of the Ground Wood containing by estimation six Roods as it is ditched and [ ] out. And one pytle of Land called Woodcroft containing by estimation one acre and abutteth upon the King's highway leading to Stowmarket towards the South and upon the lands of Mr Beaumont upon the Northwest And also one Grove called Edgar's Grove containing by estimation two and a half and abutteth upon the lands of Robert Barker the South and upon Ground Wood Grove towards the North. To have and to hold the said Messuages lands tenements premises to the said Thomas Denny my son his heirs and forever. Provided always & upon condition that he the said Thomas Denny his heirs & assigns shall pay cause to be paid unto my two daughters Susan Denny Deborah Denny the sum of Three score & fifteen pounds a of lawful English money in manner and form following that to say seven & thirty pounds and ten shillings unto Denny within one year after my decease and seven & pounds & ten shillings unto the said Deborah Denny within years next after my decease and seven & thirty pounds and shillings more to Susan my said daughter within three next after my decease & the like sum of seven & thirty & ten shillings more unto the said Deborah Denny within years next after my decease the several payments to be made the South Porch of the Parish Church at Combs And if said son Thomas Denny shall make default in payment of of the said sums of money to either of my said daughters in part or in whole that then it may and shall be lawful for said Susan and Deborah or either of them their or cither their executors administrators or assigns to whom the legacy or legacies shall be behind unpaid to enter into and upon these messuages or tenements & premises & all & singular the several pieces & parcels of Land & Meadow & Pasture & Wood herein & hereby given & bequeathed to the said Thomas & them have use occupy possess & enjoy & the rents & profits thereof receive & take until she or they be fully & paid their several respective legacies and any part thereof together with all such charges & expenses as they shall be unto for recovering the same. Item. I give devise and bequeath unto John Denny my second son by my second wife & to his for ever all that Messuage & Tenement where Thomas Cornish lately dwelt and one meadow containing by estimation two acres with a Barn in it & two fields of Copy hold land which are called Quicksands & Gleasons Netherfield & Francis Meadow bought of Joseph Cook of Hintlesham containing about seven acres & one piece of Freehold land which I bought of John Sowgate of Battisford containing two acres and one piece of land called the Widow's way containing by estimation six acres one side thereof abutteth upon little Langstakes towards the East and one end thereof abutteth upon the Lands of John Cutberd towards the South East and also one of the meadows in the occupation of Giles Sparke containing three Roods one end thereof abutteth upon the said piece of land called the Widows way towards the Southeast and one side thereof abutteth upon the Lands of the said John Cutberd towards the West. Upon condition notwithstanding that he the said John Denny shall pay out of the said Lands & tenements to my daughters Susan and Deborah Denny Ten Founds a piece within one year next after the decease of Susan Denny my wife the payment thereof to be made in the south Porch of the Parish church of Combs aforesaid & if my said son John Denny his heirs or assigns shall make default in payment of the said sum of ten pounds a piece to either of my said daughters in manner and form aforesaid that then it shall and may be lawful to & for the said Susan & Deborah Denny my daughters or either of them their or of their executors administrators or assigns to whom the said legacies shall be behind & unpaid to enter into & upon the said Messuage or tenement & all & singular the several pieces & parcels of Land herein & hereby given & bequeathed to the said John Denny & them have use occupy possess & enjoy & the rents & profits thereof take & receive until she or they be fully satisfied and paid their several legacies together with all such charges & expenses as they shall be put unto for recovering the same. Item. I will give devise & bequeath unto Samuel Denny my youngest son & unto his heirs forever all that my messuage and tenement buildings yards gardens & appurtenances situate and being at Combs aforesaid wherein Giles Spark now dwelleth together with the several pieces and parcels of Freehold & Copy hold Land next and immediately mentioned as followeth that is to say one orchard and a piece of Land lying by the said Messuage containing two acres more or less & a driftway that I changed with John Cutberd leading to certain lands belonging to the said Messuage and one piece of land called by the name of Two Pytles containing by estimation three acres more or less and one pytle called Snelling Pytle containing one acre which I bought of Edward Everston lying by the side of the two pytles towards the North East and one Field called Gate Close containing three acres & a half one side abutteth upon Snelling Pytle towards the south and one end upon the lands of Robert Barker towards the East And one piece land called Wood Field containing three acres & a half which bought of Edward Everston one side thereof abutteth upon Close towards the South & one end thereof upon Edgars towards the East And one little meadow lying at the end Gate Close containing by estimation three Roods & upon Gate Close towards the East & upon Weavers towards West And one other piece of land called by the name of Wood Field containing three acres one end thereof abutteth upon Ground Wood Grove towards the East & the one side Pease Close towards the North and the nether end upon Meadow towards the West.
Upon Condition notwithstanding that he the said Samuel Denny his heirs or assigns shall pay out of the said messuage & tenements to my two daughters Susan Denny and Deborah Denny fifteen pounds apiece within two years next after my decease payment thereof to be made at the South Porch of the Parish Church of Combs aforesaid and if my said son Samuel Denny his heirs or assigns shall make default in payment of the said sum of Fifteen Pounds apiece to either of my said daughters in manner and form aforesaid that then it shall and may be lawful to & for the said Susan Denny & Deborah Denny or either of them their or either of their executors & administrators to whom the said legacy shall be behind & unpaid to enter into and upon the said messuage & tenement & all & singular the several pieces & parcels of land herein & hereby given & bequeathed to the said Samuel Denny & them have use occupy possess & enjoy & the rents & profits thereof receive & take until she or they be fully satisfied and paid their several legacies together with all such charges & expenses shall be put unto for recovering the same.
Provided also & I do hereby further declare that my will & mind is that my three sons Thomas Denny John Denny & Samuel Denny shall out of the several messuages lands & tenements hereunto given and bequeathed unto them pay unto Susan Denny my loving wife and their mother the sum of Twelve Pounds yearly and every year during her natural life That is to say every of them respectively the sum of four pounds apiece a year to be paid half year and half year namely upon the Five & twentieth day of March and the nine and twentieth day of September in every of the said years by even and equal proportions The first payment thereof to be made upon the first of said days which shall happen to be next after my decease & if any of my three sons shall make default in payment of the said yearly sums of four pounds apiece to the said Susan Denny my wife which they are and ought to pay according to the true intent and meaning of this my will that then it shall and may be lawful to & for the said Susan Denny my wife & her assigns to enter into & upon all and singular the said messuages lands & tenements given & bequeathed unto my said three sons Thomas John & Samuel who shall be in arrear & behind in the said yearly payment of the said sums of four pounds apiece to my said wife as aforesaid & them have use occupy & enjoy & the rents & profits thereof receive & take until she or they be fully satisfied & paid the said yearly sums of pounds & the thereof together with all such charges and expenses as she or they shall be put unto for recovering the same
Item. I give and bequeath unto Susan Denny my wife all my linen half my Brass & half my Pewter three coombs of wheat three coombs malt half a weigh of cheese and half a firkin of butter Also I give and bequeath unto the said Susan Denny my wife the Bedstead standing in the Parlour Chamber with the feather bed upon it & all things that belong to it as it now standeth together with all the furniture now standing and being in the Parlour chamber.
Item. I give & bequeath unto my said loving wife the said Parlour Chamber during her natural life for her to have the use thereof together with the use of the kitchen fire or any other room in my said dwelling house and liberty to fetch water at the Pond or elsewhere & to get wood in the yard all this for her & her assigns during her natural life I do also give unto her four loads of wood yearly & every year during the term of her natural life to be delivered in the month of March only of the said year at my said now dwelling house if she shall live there or at such other house where she shall please to dwell two of the said loads of wood to be delivered by my son Thomas yearly & one apiece by my said sons John and Samuel and for want of delivery thereof I do hereby will & devise that my said wife or her assigns shall take double the quantity of and upon the lands & tenements hereby given & bequeathed to them respectively that shall make default in the delivery of the said wood as aforesaid
Item. I give & bequeath unto Edmund Denny my son the Bedstead standing in the Hall Chamber with the feather bed upon it and all other things belonging to it as it now standeth in the said chamber & one pair of sheets together with one great chest standing by the said Bed.
Item. I give & bequeath unto my daughter Susan Denny forty shillings to be paid her by my executors hereinafter named within two years next after my decease.
Item. I give & bequeath unto my daughter Deborah Denny the sum of four pounds to be paid unto her by my executors Forty shillings to be paid within one year next after my decease & other forty shillings thereof within two years next after my decease Also I do hereby declare that my will & mind is that if either of my said daughters shall depart this life being unmarried before any legacy or legacies given & bequeathed unto them or either of them shall become due & payable that then her part that shall be due and unpaid shall remain due and be paid unto her that shall survive And I do nominate constitute and appoint my three sons Thomas Denny John Denny & Samuel Denny to be executors of this my will charging & requiring them as they expect the blessing of Almighty God to see this my will in all things well & truly observed performed fulfilled & kept & to see my body decently buried & lastly I do make my loving Brother in law John Syer to be survisor of this my will desiring him to be aiding & assisting to my said executors in the execution of the same & I do give him for his pains & care therein as a token of my love Ten Shillings. In Witness whereof I have to this my will consisting of five sheets of paper set my hand the first four and my hand & seal to the last the day & first above written EDMUND DENNY
Signed sealed published & declared by the said Edmund Denny for & as his last Will & testament in the presence of these witnesses Daniel Wright John Peake Elizabeth Peake
Memorandum That the 13th day of May in the year our Lord God One Thousand Six hundred & Seventy Nine I Edmund Denny of Combes in the County of Suffolk Yeoman being of sound & disposing mind & memory thanks be to Almighty God for the same do make this my codicil to last will annexed & do hereby declare & ordain the same to part of my said last will & testament
Imprimis Whereas I had in my last will & testament equeathed unto Edmund Denny my son amongst other & tenements one piece of land called little Langstakes by estimation three acres one head whereof abutteth upon meadows towards the North East & one side thereof upon Longstakes towards the North West which said gift is out of my said Will contrary to my mind & meaning I do again give & bequeath the said piece of Land called Longstakes unto my said son Edmund Denny for & during natural life & after his decease I give and bequeath the same the heirs males of his body lawfully begotten and for want such issue male then to the heirs females of his body begotten & for want of such issue female then I give bequeath the same to my other three sons Thomas John Samuel and to their heirs forever.
Item. Whereas I have in my said last Will & given & bequeathed unto my son Edmund Denny one piece Land called the Quicksands which was no part of his jointure & also one little meadow called Motes tie Meadow I now hereby give & bequeath the said Meadow called Motes meadow with the appurtenances to Samuel Denny my son & his heirs forever And I do hereby declare that my will is if my said son Edmund his heirs or assigns shall disturb or molest my said son Samuel or his heirs in his or quiet & peaceable enjoying the said meadow called Motes meadow then I do hereby give and bequeath the said piece land called Quicksands containing by estimation two acres Samuel Denny my son & his heirs forever
Item. Whereas I have in my last will & testament given & bequeathed unto Susan Denny & Deborah Denny my daughters to each of them respectively Fifteen Pounds apiece to be paid unto them by Samuel Denny my son out of the Messuage Lands & Tenements given & bequeathed by me in my said will to my said son Samuel within two years next after my decease.
Item. Whereas I have since the making of my said Will surrendered the Copy hold lands & tenements to the said Samuel my son & his heirs out of which I had given & bequeathed the said Fifteen Founds apiece to my said daughters Susan & Deborah & he admitted to the same And whereas the said surrender & admittance of my said son Samuel to the said Copyhold lands I have reserved & secured the sum of Ten Pounds apiece to be paid by my son Samuel & his heirs out of the said Lands & Tenements unto my said daughters Susan & Deborah I do hereby declare Will & devise that my former gift & bequest of Fifteen Pounds apiece to my said daughters Susan & Deborah out of the said Copy hold Lands & Tenements given unto my said son Samuel shall cease determine & become utterly void.
Item. I give and bequeath unto Susan Denny my daughter the sum of Three Pounds to be added to the Forty Shillings formerly given her in my Will to make the same Five Pounds to be paid by my executors within one year next after my decease.
Item. I give & bequeath unto Deborah Denny my daughter the sum of Twenty Shillings to be added to the Four Pounds formerly given her in my will to make the same Five Pounds & to be paid by my executors within one year after my decease And I do hereby charge & require my said executors to be very careful in paying & discharging all such debts as I shall justly owe at the time of my decease.
In Witness whereof I have to this my Codicil part of my said last will & testament set my hand & seal the day & year first above written EDMUND DENNY his hand.
Signed sealed published & declared in the presence of us John Peake Elizabeth Peake George Townsend.
A true & perfect Inventory of all & singular the goods & chattels of Edmund Denny late of Combs in the County of Suffolk yeoman deceased Seen valued & appraised by Stephen Cutten Gent & Sam1 Lion yeoman the 5th day of April Anno Domini.
followeth
Imprimis in ready money & wearing apparel 2 0 0
In the Hall
It. three tables a form six stools six chairs 1 5 0
It.one small cupboard three spits two roast irons a pair of hand irons the firepan tongs two two candle sticks two Bibles with other small things 1 0 0
It.one table two chairs a carpet a bedstead two blankets a rug a press cupboard 2 5 0 with cupboard cloth & other things 2 5 0
In the two Butteries
It. Six beer vessels with other small things 1 0 0
In the Rillhouse
It. a saw & with other small utensils of husbandry 5 0
In the Dairy
It. The barrel churn an old milk tray a butter kellar two milk kellars three pails 10 0
It. Three brass kettles two brass pots three skilletts a boiler 2 5 0
It. Earthern pans & other small lumber 5 0
In the Dairy Chamber
It. Three combs Barley 1 0 0
It. A weigh of cheese 1 10 0
It. Two powdering tubs with other small things 2 0
In the parlour Chamber
It. One table 15 0
It. One chest four chairs a luxry cupboard and bed with the appurtenances four cushions & a pair of hand irons 2 14 0
In the Hall Chamber
It.One bed as it stands with the bedstead bolster & pillows 3 0 0
It. a table form & four small chairs 15 0
It. Three boxes & a pair of hand irons 8 0
It. On the entry chamber two beds with their appurtenances 3 0 0
It. Malt & wheat on the chamber & barrow 5 5 0
In the Backhouse
It. sheep press a brass copper three tubs a round screen with certain implements of husbandry 2 0 0
It. An old bed on the Backhouse chamber 5 0
It. A mare a horse fc harness 4 0 0
It. Two Bulls & a two year old heifer 4 15 0
It. Seven cows with two calves by them 18 5 0
It. A cart tumbrell a roller fc a pair of harrows 4 0 0
It. Hay in the barn & straw & a stack of hay 3 10 0
It. Six acres of wheat on the ground & rent of land 6 0 0
It. Seed for the said six acres of land 1 10 0
Signed Stephen Cutten Samuel Lion.
(Genealogy of the Denny family..., pg. 31)