Dated at Combs April 24 1714 and Codicil October 20 1717
In the Name of God Amen. I Thomas Denny of Combs in County of Suffolk Worsted weaver revoking all other wills and testaments heretofore made doe make and ordaine this to be my last will and testament as concerning all that worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased Almighty God to bless me in this transitory life in manner and form following.
Imprimis I doe give and devise unto Edmond Denny my eldest sonn all my messuage and lands in Combs aforesaid late the estate of Edmond Denny my brother and now in the sevorall occupations of myselfe my sonn Thomas Denny and William Southgat to hold the said Messuage and Lands and their appurtenances unto the said Edmond Denny my sonn and his assigns immediately from and after the decease of Samuel Denny my brother for and during all the term of the natural life of him the said Edmond Denny my son and immediately from and after his decease I do give and devise the said messuage and lands with their appurtenances unto Grace Denny and Susannah Denny his daughters and the heirs of their body to be begotten as tenants in common and not as joint tenants I do give and devise unto Thomas Denny my second son all my messuage and lands in Combs aforesaid which were given to in and by the will of Edmond Denny my Father deceased one piece of land called Church Close in Combs aforesaid was settled upon me by the said Edmond Denny my Father his lifetime and now in the occupation of myself and Denny my son to hold to the said Thomas Denny my son his heirs forever upon condition nevertheless that he the Thomas Denny my son and his heirs shall without any deductions defalcations or abatements whatsoever well and pay unto Grace my loving wife or her Assigns yearly and year for and during the term of her natural life the sum Sixteen pounds of lawful money of Great Britain at the most usual feasts or days of payment in the year that is say St John the Baptist St Michael the Archangel Nativity of Our Lord Christ and the Annnciation of Blessed Virgin Mary by even and equal portions the first the said payments to be made at the first of the said feasts days of payment which shall happen next after my decease and also upon this further condition that he the said Denny my son and his heirs shall permit and suffer the Grace Denny my wife to possess and enjoy any such three in the said messuage to him and them given as aforesaid as shall think fit to choose to dwell in and also the Orchard thereunto belonging called the new Orchard together with full free liberty of ingress egress and regress unto and from said three rooms and Orchard aforesaid at all times and upon occasions whatsoever for and during all the said term of natural life and upon this further condition also that he said Thomas Denny my son and his heirs shall find and for the said Grace my wife two loads of good wood for and lay the same into one of the yards belonging to the messuage to him and them given as aforesaid for the proper of the said Grace my wife yearly and every year during all said term of her natural life and at the proper times and of the year for the doing thereof and upon this further condition likewise that he the said Thomas Denny my son shall well truly pay or cause to be paid unto Sarah my daughter now the wife of William Green the sum of fifty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain within one year next after the decease of the said Grace my wife and unto Daniel Denny my son and Deborah Denny my daughter the sum of thirty seven pounds and ten shillings apiece of like money within two years next after the decease of the said Grace my wife And unto the said Daniel Denny and Deborah Denny my son and daughter the further sum of thirty seven pounds and ten shillings apiece of like money within three years next after the decease of the said Grace my wife And my will and meaning is that in case any shall happen to be made of or in any of the conditions aforesaid that then and in such case it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Grace my wife Sarah Daniel & Deborah my children or any of them against whom such breach shall happen to be made their Exors or Admrs to enter into and upon all or any part of the said messuage lands and premises given to the said Thomas Denny my son and his heirs aforesaid to hold and enjoy the same until she or they shall be fully satisfied and paid all and every their several and respective gifts legacies bequests and sums of money aforesaid and all arrears thereof together with all such costs and charges as he she or they shall be at in or about the obtaining thereof or any parts thereof I give and devise unto the said Sarah my daughter now the wife of the said William Green all my two pieces of Free-hold & Copy-hold land called Quicksands in Combs aforesaid now in the occupation of the said Thomas Denny my son which descended and came to me by and after the death of John Denny my brother deceased to hold the said two pieces of land called Quicksands with their appurtenances unto the said Sarah my daughter and the heirs of her body lawfully to be begotten and for default of such issue I do give and devise the said two pieces of land called Quicksands with their appurtenances unto the said William Green my son in law and his assigns for and during the term of his natural life and from and after his decease I do give and bequeath the said two pieces of land called Quicksands with their appurtenances unto the said Deborah Denny my daughter and to her heirs forever I do give and bequeath unto the said Deborah Denny my daughter all my messuage or tenement with the meadow and lands thereunto belonging in Combs aforesaid and now in the several occupation of myself and Robert Smyth which descended and came to me also by and after the death of the said John Denny my brother to hold to her the said Deborah Denny and her heirs forever immediately from and after the decease of Samuel Denny my brother and Amy his wife but in case the said Deborah my daughter shall happen to depart this life before she attains to the age of one and twenty years and without issue of her body lawfully begotten then and in such case I will that the last mentioned messuages meadow land and premises shall be sold by my Ex TM hereafter named or the survivor of them or by the Exors or Admrs or such survivor as soon after the decease of the said Deborah my daughter as conveniently may be and for the best price that can be gotten for the same and the money arising from such sale I will shall be paid to and equally divided amongst all the brothers and sisters of the said Deborah which shall be then living And further in case the said Deborah my daughter shall happen to depart this life before she attains the age of one and twenty years and without issue of her lawful body as aforesaid then and in snch case also my will and meaning is that all and every personal legacies and bequests to her given and bequeathed as aforesaid shall be paid to and equally divided between all the said brothers and sisters of the said Deborah which shall be then living and that the said personal legacies and bequests shall remain in the hands of my Exors for that purpose until the said Deborah my daughter shall attain to her said age of one and twenty years I give and devise unto Daniel my youngest son all my two portions of land called Mid House Way and both Free hold and Copy hold in Combs aforesaid now in the occupation of Thomas Denny my son which descended and came to me by and after the death of the said John Denny my brother to hold unto him the said Daniel Denny my son and to his heirs forever I do give and bequeath all my trading stock and monies to be due to me at the time of my decease for or upon the account of goods sold or otherwise upon the account of my trade excepting the remnants of goods hereinafter mentioned to my Ex0 hereinafter named for the payment of my debts funeral expenses the charges of the probate of my will and their own charges and expenses in and about the execution thereof I do give and bequeath unto the said Grace my wife all my household goods and furniture linen woolen plate pewter glass books and all my stock upon my lands whatsoever and all rents and arrears of rents to be due to me at the time of my decease together with all my remnants whatsoever to be at her absolute disposal to enable her to maintain and educate my younger children until they shall attain those respective ages of one and twenty years and my will and desire is that the said Grace my wife shall accept and take the said annuity of sixteen pounds per annum for her life and other the legacies given to her and bequeathed in her recompense and full satisfaction of all the dowry and thirds which she may or otherwise might have claimed or challenged in all or any of my lands tenements or rereditaments whatsoever and in case the said Grace my wife shall happen to depart this life before the time of my decease then and in such case my will and meaning is that all that part of my said personal estate to her given and bequeathed as aforesaid shall be sold and converted into ready money by my surviving Executor his Exor or Admr as soon after my decease as conveniently may be and the money thereby arising I will shall be put out and continued at interest by my said surviving Executor his Exors or Admrs until the said Deborah my daughter shall attain unto the age of one and twenty years and that the interest thereof in the meantime shall be employed for and towards her maintenance and education and after the said Deborah my daughter shall have attained to the said age of one and twenty years then I will that the said interest shall be paid to Samuel Denny my son until he comes to the possession of all or the greatest part of the real estate of Samuel Denny his Uncle and I will that the principal money shall be equally parted and divided between all the brothers and sisters of the said Samuel Denny my son which shall be then living but in case the said Samuel Denny my son shall not come to the possession of all or the greatest part of the said real estate of the said Samuel Denny his Uncle before or after his decease by virtue of his said Uncle's will or otherwise then and in such case I will that the said principal money so to be put out and continued at interest as aforesaid shall be paid to the said Samuel Denny my son his Exors or Admrs to and for his and their own proper use and benefit I do give and bequeath all the rest residue and remainder of my goods and chattels and personal effects whatsoever and wheresoever to my Exors hereafter named to be converted into ready money and to be put out and continued at interest by my Exors or the survivor of them or by the Exors or Admrs of such survivor and the interest of one hundred pounds part thereof to be paid to the said Edmond Denny my eldest son until he come to the possession of all or the greatest part of the said real estate late of the said Edmond Denny my brother and then the said payment of the said interest last mentioned to cease and the said one hundred pounds principal money to be paid to and equally divided between the said Thomas Sarah Daniel & Deborah my children share and share alike and I will that one hundred pounds more of the said overplus shall be paid to the said Thomas my son and fifty pounds more to the said Samuel my son and the remainder of the said overplus to be equally parted and divided between the said Thomas Daniel and Deborah my children within two years next after my decease And lastly I do nominate constitute and appoint the said Grace my wife and Thomas Denny my son and William Green my son in law Ex TM of this my last will and testament and the said Samuel Denny my brother supervisor and I do give and bequeath to my said Ex0TM the sum of forty shillings apiece for their trouble and pains to be taken in the execution thereof in witness whereof I have to this my last will and testament contained in four sheets of paper set my hand and senl to every sheet thereof the four and twentieth day of April in the thirteenth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Anne now Queen of Great Britain &c Anno Domini 1714 THO DENNY
Signed sealed published and declared by the said Thomas Denny the testator to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who did set our hands as witnesses to the said in the said testators presence
Memorandum that the 20th day of October in the 4th year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George now being King of Great Britain and in the year of our Lord God One thousand seven hundred and seventeen 1717 I Thomas Denny of Combs in the County of Suffolk Worsted Weaver being weak in body but of disposing mind and memory thanks be to Almighty God for the same do make this my Codicil to my last will annexed and do hereby declare and ordain the same to be part of my said last will and testament unto whereof I have in my said last will given and devised unto Daniel Denny my youngest son my two pieces of land called Mid House Way and to hold to him the said Daniel Denny my son and to his heirs forever and whereas I have in my lifetime given to my said son Daniel several parcels of goods to the value of the said two pieces of land I do hereby declare will and devise that my former gift and devise of the said two pieces of land to my said son Daniel shall cease determine and become utterly void And I do hereby give and devise my said two pieces of land called Mid House Way and unto Grace my loving wife and to her heirs forever I do hereby give and bequeath unto Sarah Green my daughter all that my messuage with all the lands thereunto belonging lyiug and being in Battisford which I purchased from the Ex0TM of William Green my son in law deceased to hold to the said Sarah Green and to her heirs forever upon condition that she the said Sarah Green pay or cause to be paid unto Grace my wife the sum of forty pounds within one year next after my decease Whereas I have in my said Will given to Thomas Denny my son one hundred pounds to be paid to him the said Thomas Denny my son out of my trading stocks and whereas I have in my lifetime given to my said son Thomas stock and assistance to plant a tanyard to the value of that sum of one hundred pounds I do hereby declare will and devise that my former gift and bequest of the said sum of one hundred pounds to my said son Thomas Denny shall cease determine and become utterly void Whereas I have in my said will given unto Samuel Denny my son fifty pounds to be paid to him the said Samuel Denny my son out of my trading stocks and whereas I have in my lifetime given to the said Samuel Denny my son stock to stock a farm to the said value of fifty pounds I do hereby declare will and devise that my former gift and bequest of the said sum of fifty pounds to my said son Samuel shall cease determine and become utterly void Whereas I have in my said will given and bequeathed unto Edmond Denny the interest of one hundred pounds to be paid to my said son Edmond yearly and every year until he comes to the possession of the estate which Edmond Denny my brother was possessed of in his lifetime Now the greatest part of the same amount when he came to the possession of the said estate and this gift of the interest of the said one hundred pounds to cease and the principal was then to be equally divided betwixt Thomas Sarah Daniel & Deborah my sons & daughters now forasmuch as some of those my children have had some part of this gift and bequest of the interest and principal of the above mentioned one hundred pounds and for other good causes and considerations I do hereby will and devise that my former gift and bequest of one hundred pounds interest and principal shall cease determine and become utterly void only I desire Grace my loving wife to make good to the penny Children viz Edmond Thomas Daniel Sarah and Deborah my sons and daughters all that remain unpaid of the aforesaid gift or such parts thereof as she shall think good or fit either by her lifetime or at her death as she shall think best and to enable her so to do I do give unto her all the overplus which shall remain of my personal estate after the payment of my just debts funeral charges probate of my will and legacies given to my Exors and their necessary charges as mentioned in my will And lastly I do hereby declare will and devise that my former gift and bequest of the overplus of my personal estate to Thomas Daniel & Deborah my children shall cease and determine and become utterly void.
In witness whereof I have to this my codicil forming part of my said will being part of my last will and testament set my hand and seal this day first abovewritten THOMAS DENNY
Signed sealed published and declared by the said Thomas Denny the testator to be his Codicil and part of his last will and testament in the presence of us who did set our hands in the presence of the testator as witness to the same
Robert Green
Martin Tideman
Samuel Koblo