In the name of God be it amen the 14th they of December the year of our Lord 1490 and the sixth year of the reign of King Henry the VIIth. I Robert Ballard of the County of Kent gentleman being of whole mind and in good memory laude and praising be unto our Lord Jesus Christ and remembering that in this <in??able> life there nothing more certain than is death and nothing is more <uncertain> than is the hour thereof and in intending in as much as in me is by the grace of our Lord not to depart out of this life intestate make and ordain this my present testament of my <moveable> goods the which our Lord God hath lent me containing therein my will of such <manors> lands, rents and <mills> with their appurtenances as our Lord God hath provided for me to have in manner and form following. First I bequeath and recommend my soul to our Lord Jesus Christ my maker and my redeemer and in the most glorious <virgin> his mother our Lady Saint Mary and to all the holy company of heaven. And if it fortune me to die within 50 miles of the city of London then I will that my body be buried in the Quire of the Hospital of Saint Katherine beside the Tower of London by the sepultures of mine ancestors there being interred. And if I die any distance further from the said city of London than 50 miles only then I will that my body be buried elsewhere in holy sepulture where it shall please our Lord to provide for my such sepulture. Item I bequeath to the <wardens> of the parish church of Greenwich in the county of Kent for my obligations and tithes with-holden or <innocently> forgotten if any so be in discharge of my conscience <13s 4d>. Item I bequeath to the <warden> of the Church being Within the Temple beside the Temple <house> in Fleet Street of London for like <cause> to the intent that it may please the maister there to pray for my soul <13s 8d>. Item I will that my executors hereunder written do spend of my goods about the charges and costs of my burying and of my <moneth> mind to be kept in the most meritorious ways that they can do it the sum of 60 pounds Whereof in especial I will that they lay out £4 3s 4d for an office to be done for my soul as speedily as they may be done after my decease as well by priests Secular as regular within the City of London and <Churches> of the same. I will also that they dispose £3 thereof at my months mind <peny> <mele> amongst poor people coming <thider>. Item I will that all my <current> <servants> by the year be kept together at my charge by the space of <All> <Angels> next <ensuing> after my decease. And within that space I will that they all be contented of such wages as shall then be owing unto them by me And above that I will that each of them have a full quart wages for a <relbarde> to pray the more especially for my soul. Item I will that mine executor within 3 months next ensuing after my decease deliver or cause to be delivered to the Church Warden of each of the Parish Churches of Depford, <Lewesham> and Charlton in the county of Kent for the time being. Also keen of mine <pris> the hede <??? ??? ??> of tho keen amounteth <by> hedes. <??> of the said pair of them amounteth in money <????> <?????> this condition that the names of Gregory Ballard my father Thomas and of me Robert Ballard anow after my decease may be put in the Bedesroll of each of the said parish churches by the means of the curate & warden of each of the same parish churches to the intent that the curates in any of the said parish churches shall any Sunday in the year from that time forthwards for <onward> when the bedes beth soles to be boden in each of the same parish churches<evermore> the said names afore the parishioners of the same churches than these being present among them devout prayers to be recommended by them unto almighty god as they will do for other souls specified in the said Bedesroll. In which prayers I put my singular confidence for the whole of our souls. And I will that mine executors before the said deliverance of my keen take such <senals> <surtees> in writing <senals> of the church wardens and parishioners of each of the said parish churches which shall receive the said keen as to my said executors it shall seem best to be done that the said keen as they hath above assigned to each of the said parish churches shall be kept as stocks with the increase from time to time coming of them for evermore to the use and behooft of the same parish church to the honour of almighty god and his saints and therefore to have mine intent afore<????> truly to be observed and kept by them for evermore. Item I bequeath and will that Elizabeth my wife have of my goods after my decease in full contentation of any portion that she may then thereof by any <????> <law> that is to say in stuff of household plate of gold smith work and in ready money the value of 200 marks beside her jointure. Item I will and ordain by that my present testament that Heleyne my daughter when she shall come to her lawfull age of 21 years or else be married have £40 worth of that plate of gold smith work the which her grandmother Johane Kent by her testament bequeathed unto her after the part of <3s 3d> <any> <some> And ones that I bequeath unto her in ready money to be delivered unto her when she shall come to her said age or be married £40. Item I will and ordain by this my present testament that each of mine other daughters except Margery my daughter have of that plate that was their said grandmothers when they shall come to their lawfull ages of 21 years or be married the value of £20 after the part of <3s 3d> any <???> according to the bequest thereof made unto them by their said grandmother by her testament. And <one> that I bequeath to each of my said daughters in ready money to be delivered unto them when they shall come to their said age or be married £20. Item I bequeath to the said Margery my daughter in ready money to be delivered unto her when that she shall come to the lawfull age of 21 years or else be married £20. Item I bequeath unto Clement my son in ready money <under> like manner and sum £20. And I will that all my said <ordernances> and bequests before made to my said children be good and <effectneff> unto them after the sum aforesaid with that that they be of virtuous disposition and also guided by my wife their mother and by my executors as well in their marriages as in all other behalfs <during> their <minor> ages aforesaid. Furthermore I will and ordain by this my present testament that if any of my children aforesaid when their said <minor> age be of <ill> disposition and will not be guided by their said mother and mine executors as well in their marriage as otherwise or else <seye> then I will that that portion or the portions belonging to that my child or  to those my children by virtue of mine ordernances and bequests aforesaid so being of evil disposition or misguided or else <seye> when their said <minor> age remain the other my children aforesaid being of <content> disposition and good guiding or of such among them so serving among them to be equally divided and departed unto them to be shared when they shall come to their said lawfull ages or married. Item I will that William my son and heir apparent if he have till he come to his lawfull age of 21 years all my store of cattle <quyk> and <lede> that I have at my manor of Horton he to let the same to remain shall in my said manor as implements of the same towards the improvement of the <needy> <farm> of the same <manor>. Item I bequeath to every of mine executors hereunder written taking <pain> from the charge of execution of this my present testament £10. Item I bequeath to 20 poor maidens of the parish of Greenwich Lewisham Charlton and Depford in the county of Kent being of good name and <fame> and having <fallen> friends and <Heoll> goody to take unto towards their marriages £20 that is to <meet> to each such  maid 20s. And the residue of all my goods chattels and debts what so ever they be and whose hands so one they may be found after my debts paid the which I <w??> to every manner <??> power of right or of conscience and after my funerally expense and the charge of my burying and of my <?????> mind be full done and after the legacies and odernances comprised in this my present testament be fully <performed> and after all other things <being> and <going> for me that of <right> <memory> to be born and done I give and bequeath unto all my children being of virtuous disposition and good guiding or else to such of them as shall be found of virtuous disposition and of good guiding amongst them to be evenly divided and disposed when they shall come to their said lawful ages or be married. And of this my present testament I make and ordain mine executors Sir Henry Colet knight Ric. Chat Gent. Of the middle Temple Humphrey Ballard my brother and Ric. Harte Gent. ….

 Last Will

The feoffee's of the manors of Combe and Spyttel in Greenwich and Charlton were to make a joint estate to himself and his wife Elizabeth with the remainder in tail male to his sons William, Clement and John in succession and his heirs general in default in fee simple. Also an estate in Stourmouth, Kent which he purchased. On his lands in Moreland, St Giles Without Cripplegate, London he amortised an annual rent charge of 10s for the performance of an obit in the church of St James Garlickhythe London on every 18^th July for the souls of Thomas Downton and Joan his wife afterwards wife to T[homas]. Kent, one even placebo  and dirige of mass requiem on the morrow by note. One other like rent for an obit in the Church of St. Catherine by the Tower on St.Manglynu's day in August for the souls of Thomas Ballard and Phillipe his wife and of Robert Ballard testator and Elizabeth his wife.

 And whereas I have enfeoffed Master Wylde, Hugh Stapleton, Richard Style of East Greenwich yeoman, and Wm. Pode and John Sulham, Jr. of Deptford yeom.. of and in my mills at Deptford of the profits which 6 marcs yearly are to be found an exhibition on an honest poor priest at Oxford Batchelor of Divinity at least and having no other exhibition until he be made D.D. or beneficed and so on, one like priest to succeed so long as the world shall endure to preach the word of God and to pray especially for the souls of me, my father and mother, friends, benefactors, etc.

36s 8d of said profit for an obit in Greenwich church on the anniversary of my death Placebo and Dirige at even note and Requiem by note on the morrow for the souls of Gregory, Thomas and me--- Robert Ballard, the church wardens to spend 36s 8d yearly thus -- 6s 8d among the priest, 16s 8d in black gowns especially for the obit and then to be given to the poor, and 6s 8d to the poor at Easter for their offering to God, the Vicar to have 3s 4d early to honour the names of Gregory, Thomas and me, Robert Ballard, in the bede roll before the parishioners present, 3s 4d to the church wardens to attend at the parish church at Greenwich and see my obit performed, i.e. 20s each the residue of the profits of the mill to go to the repair of the mill while the world shall endure, provisions were made for filling up the death vacancies amongst the feoffees forever.

 Signed 28 May, 8 Henry VII, 1493.

 Probate granted London 26 October 1498 to Richard Elliott, & Humphrey Ballard.