I Richard Ballard of Lamberhurst in the countie of Kent being weake in body but of good and perfect memorie doe upon this sixteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred fiftie and two do make and ordain this my last will in manner following ffirst I commit my soule to God that gave it hopeing for eternall life onelie through ye merritts of Christ my Saviour and my body to be buried at ye discretion of my extrix hereinafter named Item I give ye sum of ffive pounds to ye poor people of the parish of Lamberhurst to be distributed among them at ye discretion of my extrix within one month after my decease Item I give to my loving ffather Mr Alexander Thomas to my loving mother Mrs Ann Ballard to my loving brothers Mr Richard Thomas Mr William Thomas Mr Samuel Maplisden Mr Peter Brocklesby and Mr William Rideout and to my loving sisters Mrs Elizabeth Ofley and Mrs Martha Ofley ye sum of twenty shillings a peece to buy any of them a ring Item I give unto Mary my loving wife those halfe of all my houshold stuff except such as is made either of wood iron or brasse I doe allso give unto her my said loving wife the sum off fifty pounds to be paid unto my said loving mother during her naturall life the summ of ten pounds a year quarterlie fiftie shillings at any of ye foure most usuall feasts upoon conditon that she doe dischardge my lands neare Lamberhurst towne of the like sum of tenn pounds a year the said thereon for her use by Mr Richard Ballard my father doe I but in case my mother shall refuse to discharge the said land of the ten pounds a yeare charged in this case then my will is myne extrix shall pay unto my wife the said ten pounds a yeare hereby given during my mothers life Item I give to my loving sister Mrs Ann Rideout the sum of twenty pounds to be paid within six months after my decease Item I give to my nephew Richard Maplisden the sum of ffiftie pounds to be paid within two years after my decease Item I give to my nephew Samuel Maplisden the sum of five pounds to be paid within two years of my decease Item give to my niece Ellen Maplisden the sum of thirtie pounds to be paid to her at her age of four and twenty years yf she soe survive or else at her day of marriage yf it happen before that tyme in case she marry with the consent of mine extrix Item I give to my niece Ann Maplisden the sum of twenty pounds to be paid to her at her age of four and twenty years if she be then living or if she marry before that tyme then at her day of marriage in case she marry with the consent of myne executrix Item I give to my nephew Robert Brocklesby the sum of fiftie pounds to be paid to him at ye end of two yeares after my decease if he be then living Item I give to my nephew William Rideout the sum of thirtie pounds twenty pounds thereof to be paid to find persons as Mr William Rideout his ffather shall arrange to take him as an apprentice at sometime as ye indentures of his apprenticeship ye shall be sealed and the other ten pounds to be paid to my said nephew William Rideout when he shall have passed out his apprenticeship Item I give to my nephew Richard Rideout the sum of twenty pounds to be paid to find persons as his ffather shall arrange to take him an apprentice at ye seal for of his indentures of apprenticeship Item I give to my nephew John Rideout the like sum of twentie pounds to be paid to him or his ffather shall indenture him to take him as apprentice Item I give to my three nieces Ellen Rideout Anne Rideout and Mary Rideout the sum of twenty pounds a piece when they come to their severall and each twenty four years if they shall live for as long or to so many of them as shall for long on their respective days of marriage if they marry before they come to that age in case they marrie without the consent of my extrix Item I give to my servant Elizabeth Wickam the sum of twenty shillings if she continue to be my servant until the time of my death to be paid within six months after my decease Item I give that halfe of all my house hold stuffe unto Anne my daughter Item I doe entrust and appoint my said loving brothers Mr Richr Thomas and Samuel Maplisden to be overseers of this my will and to be assistant to myne extrix in the execution ffor of and I doe give unto either of them for their pains to be taken therein the sum of twentie shillings costs twenty shillings a piece given to buy them rings Item I give and bequeath to my loving sister Mes Ellen Ballard the sum of one hundred poundes I do allsoe make her my said sister Ellen the sole extrix of this my will and doe give unto her all ye residues my goods and chattels ready money and moveables whatsoever toward ye payment of my debts and legacies and discharging my funeral expenses

The disposition of my lands and wealth is as follows the first whereas I have covenanted with ye said Mr Alexander Thomas my ffather that upon his payment of five hundred poundes remainder of the portion given to me with that I will set the ffiftie pounds a yeare upon her my said wife during her naturall life and after her decease upon ye heirs male of our two bodies now my will is yf my said ffather doe pay my said estate or doe pay ye said five hundred poundes unto my wife and if he my said ffather and free my said wife doe and discharge myne executrix of my covenants that I have entered unto for settling of the said ffiftie poundes a yeare then my extrix shall discharge him my said ffather from his engagement for payment of ye said ffive hundred poundes but if my said ffather or my wife shall refuse to discharge myne extrix of my said covenant that then upon my said father's payment of the said sum of ffive hundred poundes unto mine extrix she myne extrix shall according to ye my covenant settle upon my wife during her naturall life and after her decease upon ye heir male of our two bodies if I shall leave any for myne of my copiehold landes late surrendered to ye use of my last will as shall be of value of ffiftie poundes by the yeere for afor moniy whereof I doe give hereby to her my said extrix as full power and ask how it is as I myselfe have or might have to doe it if I should live until ye time that ye said sum of ffive hundred  poundes should be paid Item my will and minde is that any proffit of my lands wich might become due to mine heirs in case I had incide nor with shall be taken up and received by mine extrix untill Anne my daughter doe as might come to the age of one and twenty yeeres and that fiftie poundes a year then or shall be imployed in the maintenance of my said daughter after she shall come to ye age of ffour twenty yeeres until she come to ye age of one and twenty yeeres I my will and mind is that so much of the said proffit as shall be necessary in the discharge and ye payment of my debts and legacies and that she my said extrix shall when my said daughter Anne shall come to ye age of one and twenty yeeres give unto her an account of all ye money with my goods and chattels shall amount unto as all she of all ye proffits of lands whereby part of this my will she shall have attained and that she my said extrix shall pay unto my said daughter Anne within six months after she shall come to her age of one and twenty yeeres if she so long live all such money made of my lands and proffits of my lands as shall be mayne in her handes after payment of my debts and legacies and dischargeing my funeral expenses and if my said daughter Anne doe live untill she comes to her full age of one and twentie yeeres and I have noe more issue of my bodie I doe then give unto my said daughter Ann and her heirs all my landes and tenements whatsoever except those lands lyeing in Wadhurst --- I have in Redcon after ye death of my said sister Ellen myne extrix to whom my said sister Ellen and her ---- I ---- ye said land which I have in Redcon with all my rights and titles therein Item it is my wish if I have any issue of my body beside my said daughter Ann that myne extrix shall according to her direction make allowance out of the money received for ye assistance of my lands to and ye ---- of such issue and that whatsoever shall by her dis---- in such allowance shall be accepted by my daughter Anne in ye ----- to be made unto her by mine extrix But in case my said daughter Anne shall happen to die before she come to ye age of one and twenty years and I have no other issue of my body then I give unto my said nephew Richard Maplisden and his heirs my house ---- adjoining to Lamberhurst dawne with all lands ---- to belonging with ine cottage upon ye said land I do also give unto him my said nephew Richard Maplisden and his heirs my house in Wadhurst neere Lamberhurst Glade wherein John Eastland liveth with ye lands thereto belonging Item I give unto my said nephew Samuel Maxlisden my tenant and copyhold land called Lower Gallows lying in Thesshurst to have and to hold to him and his heirs Item I give and unto my nephew Robert Brocklesby and his heirs my other two tenements called Great Haslehurst and like Haslehurst and ye coppiehold lands to them belonging lyeing Thesehurst aforesaid Item I give and bequeath to my said nephew William Rideout and his heirs ye house where I live all ye parsonage house with lands thereto belonging lyeing in Lamberhurst aforesaid Item I give to my nephew Richard Rideout and his heirs my house and land in Marden unto my said nephew John Rideout my house and lands in ye occupation of William Russell and allso all my lands called Wisholte lyeing in Wadhurst aforesaid to have and to hold to ye said John Rideout and his heirs In witness that this is my last will and testament being signed being signed in two sheets I have for the first ----- my hand and to this sheete sett my hand and seale Richard Ballard In ye presence of Sa. Maplisden

 This will was proved the sixth day of June 1653 before ye Judge for probate of wills and granting admon appointed by an act of parliament entitle an Act for probate of wills and granting admons, by the oath and in the name of Ellen Ballard ye sol extrix of ye said will to whom admon was granted she being first sworn by comission faithfullie to administer ye said will being pronounced fit by a diss--- ---- date thirtieth of May 1653