The will of John Caswell

In the name of God Amen I John Caswell of Backonton in the Parish of Abury e County of Wiltshire being weak in body but of good and perfect mind and memory
praise be therefore given to Almighty God do make and ordain this my present last Will and Testament in manner and form following,
That is to say/ *** principally I command my soul into the hands of Almighty God, hoping through the mortal Death and passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life and my body I commit to ye Earth, to be decently buried at ye discretion of my executors herafter named.

And as touching the discretion of all such temporal estates Goods & Chattl as it hath pleased God far above my deserts, to bestow upon me I give & dispose thereof as follows-------
First I will that all **** & dues as I owe in right or******** to any
Manner of Person or Persons shall be well and truly paid or ordered to be paid within convenient time after my death by my executors herin after named and also I will that all my funeral charges shall be paid and discharged by my executors hereinafter named

Item I give my loving son Richard Caswell The sum of five shillings if demanded.

Item I give un to my loving Son Thomas Caswell the sum of five shillings if demanded

Item I give unto my Loving Son Michael Caswell the Sum of one hundred pounds of good and lawful money of Great Britain to be paid unto him when my Executors herinafter named shall think fit for him to have it,

Item I Give unto my Loving Son Edmund Caswell my freehold estate being and lying in ye Tythings of Borton Easton in ye parish of Bishops Cannans for him to have my said estate after ye decease of Elizabeth my loving wife and ***** forward to remain after ye decease of my loving wife to remain to my Son Edmund and his Heirs be it male or female to ye end of the World but if my son Edmond should chance to die before he is possessed of it or after he is possessed of ye W estate and leave no heir to inherit it then I give it to my loving son Richard & his heirs for ever and my son Richard if he do live to possess my W estate then he shall pay my son Michael Caswell the sum of one hundred & fifty pounds of good and lawful money of Great Britain, but if my son Richard Caswell do live and chance to be possessed of my freehold estate and my son Michael should die before my Son Richard is possess, and he my son Richard Caswell should chance to be possess after my son Michael is dead then I will that my son Richard Caswell shall pay the one hundred & fifty pounds as he was to pay to my Son Michael Caswell, to all my grandchildren to be equally divided among them all as each of my Grand Children may have his equal part of it,

Item I give unto my Loving Daughter Mary Baskifill the sum of five shillings if demanded,

Item I Give my son in law francis Baskifill the sume of five shillings if demanded,

Item I give my son in law John Pope if he be living ye sum of five shillings to be paid to him if demanded,

Item I Give my Grand Children my son Wm Caswells Children for each of them to have five shillings & paid by my executors

Item I give my grandchildren as born my Son Richard Caswells children for each of them to have five shillings & to be paid by my executors - -------
All that *** residue of my personal estate Goods and Chattels whatsoever I do give and bequeath unto Elizabeth my loving wife and I do make her my full & sole executor of this my last will andTestament and I ** *** that my body in a Decent Christian Manner at ye discretion of my Executors and I do here by revoke sid anul, and make void all former Wills & Testaments in word or writing by me here to sow made and this to be taken only for my last Will & testament and none other in Witness wherof I *** * John Caswell senior Do make this my Last will & Testament being contained in one Sheet of paper have set my hand at the bottom of it and set my seal this thirteen day of April 1735

Signed Sealed and published
and **lawed In ye presence John Caswell
of
Nickolis pope* At Marlborough the 9th Day of July 1735

Elizabeth Caswell the executor above named was duly sworn

Mark
The Mark of Joseph Chivers before me----------

John Downford Senior John Neurse Surrogate

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Entries in the Bishops Cannings register

# 136 John s of John & Eliz Cassell bap 6 April 1692
# 141 Thomas s of John Caswell yeoman bap 2 Sept 1698
# 143 Mary d of John Caswell yeoman b 26 Sept 1700
# 171 Elizabeth d of John Caswell yeoman (aff?) bur 4 July1693
# 176 Michaell s of John Caswell yeoman bap 26 Sept 1702
# 183 Edward s of John Caswell yeoman bap 29 Nov 1705