In the name of God Amen, in the year of our Lord god 1622 I Thomas Ballard of Pell in the parish of Wadhurst in the county of Sussex gent being now sick in body <and dying> in consideration of <the uncertainty> of mans life First and principally commending my soul unto Gods mercy which by the blessed mercies and <intercessions> of Jesus Christ only I hope assuredly to obtain <?> <har??> thoughtful <norot> in perfect rememberance by my last will to <s?ddet> and dispose of that estate which God hath blessed me withall. First I give unto Mary my well beloved wife one hundred pounds of current English money and all the <gold> in my house at the time of my death and half my plate and <household> stuff <?> cupboards tables beddings vessels and <fr?ntlynge> only excepted which I will shall remain in the house. Item I give to my daughter Martha six hundred pounds of lawful English money to be paid unto her at the day of her marriage or at her age of 1 and 20 years which shall first happen by my executors hereafter named. <Should> she marry without consent of her mother and my executors or the more <?ote> of them then <living> otherwise <she> shall have but three hundred pounds. Item I give unto Elizabeth my youngest daughter the like sum of six hundred pounds to be paid unto her at her day of marriage or at her age of 1 and 20 years which shall first happen so as she marry without consent of her mother and mine executors the more <sole> of them then living otherwise she shall have but three hundred pounds. Item I will that my wife have the custody and direction of my said two daughters until the time of the payment of their said monies and to be allowed for their maintenance (viz.) for either of them £20 a year apiece to be paid (quarterly) by my said executors. My other children to be educated <c???n?l??> <???> at the discretion of my said Executors and for the raising of the said <pornd> payment of my debts, and legacies and for the <duration> of my said children I will that my Executor hereafter named shall <o?ioy?> and <fa??> all my lands <p???atso??> <l?y?> <rapte> the lands <assurted> to my wife for her jointure and given her by this my will for <the enlargement> of her jointure during her life only until my son Thomas shall accomplish the age of 4 and 20 years and shall <l?st> and sell the same and the <?on> and <so> shall profits thereof shall <rocoisod> and shall <cut> down such reasonable underwoods from my said land for the raising of portions as by my executors or the more <sole> of them shall be thought fit and meet and <mor???d> my executors shall <t?roi??e> all my debts goods and chattles for and towards the <raising> of the said portions payment of my debts and funeral expenses <thother> <moytye> of my plate and household stuff before not bequeathed unto my said wife I will shall be divided between my three sons my oldest son to have the one half thereof and my two younger sons the other half. Item my will and meaning is that my wife shall have for increase of her jointure all the lands and tenaments which I brought of my kinsman Mr. John Whitfield of Worth esquire for and during her <praal> legacies woods and underwoods only excepted. Item I give unto my two younger sons Richard and William and their heirs all my houses and lands lying in Goudhurst in the county of Kent which I bought of Robert Austen my brother in law and the aforesaid lands and tenaments which I bought of my said <kinsman> Mr. John Whitfield and all the lands and tenaments in the possession of Edward Walters widow or her assigns and all the land and tenaments in the possession of Groombridge sometime devised by me unto <Joane> <Bate> widow to have and to hold all the foresaid lands to the said Richard and William my sons and their heirs forever and if any one of them die without issue of their body then the remainder to the other surviving and his heirs forever. All the residue of my lands and tenaments I give unto my son Thomas and his heirs forever to take the profit thereof when he shall attain to the age of 4 and 20 years he being allowed 50 pounds a year in the meantime for his maintenance to be paid quarterly and to <?h?e> one quarter in gold? And for likewise my wife for her daughters and I will that my executors <which> my <a?os???> or one of them shall take <at??e> inventory of all my said goods chattles debts and stock and the said inventory shall enter into a book and my said <ga???ood> shall make <yearly> an account to my executors or the survivor or survivors of his receipt expenses and payments by <virtue> of this my will. The <which> shall <yearly> be entered into the said book and I will that my executors shall allow such reasonable profits for the said debts goods and charges which they shall yearly also account for deducting for their own reasonable expense and I will that (after my debts funeral expenses and legacy payments) that the <o?a?rpl??s> arising of the profit of my said lands woods sales goods chattles debts and charges and the reasonable profits arising thereof shall by my executors and overseers the survivor and survivors of them paid and distributed unto such of my children or my children’s children as they or the most sole of them shall <in?ge> to be left <des???ing> and of both life and <corversacon> and they to be called by none of the rest to any account for the <part> but shall be thereof freely discharged by this my will from <?d??> make and ordain my loving brother Mr. Richard Ballard of Lamberhurst and Mr. John Hattley of Wadhurst executors of this my last will and testament and I do give them £5 apiece for their pains and I do make overseers thereof my well beloved friend Mr. Nicholas Everfield of Hollington esq Mr. John Porter of Lamberhurst esq and Mr. John Fred??nth??? of Northiam clerk and I do give every one of them for their pains £3 a piece to be <buy> out of <a finger ring> I do give unto the poor of Wadhurst £5 to be paid by my executors after my decease and I do give unto my wife £10 to be distributed unto my servants as shall think fit and I will that she shall give a dwelling in my <g??s?> and quarter of a year after my death and reasonable provision of all <things> and <servants> wages to be provided and paid by my executors and afterwards she shall have <t???> quarters <wheat> and six quarters of barley <man?t?> if there be <then> so <many> remaining towards <her> own <possession> and <being> it were <convenient> that my <abato> should be in the disposition of <g?r?ang???> thereof I will that if my <brother?> die then I appoint Richard my second son executor then I do instruct my said overseers to be helpful and aiding unto him in disposing and ordering the same and that then my daughters portions shall be paid over unto my said overseers or the survivor or survivirs of them and they to have the providing and employing therewith for the benefit of my said daughters and my <son> Richard but my <desgcrivt?at>, <profit> all, <???vemints?ed> so same as the same <???> be paid, <feat>, I <barg??rge> of land or estate? Or <a??d?ife> at the discretion of my said executors or the greater number of them by same shall be sold? For the better premises and benefit of my said daughters and all other things <my> said son Richard to perform according to this my last will and testament the goods chattles debts charges and <osfabe?> and profits of lands and <????d?s> before mentioned not <provided> or taken by my said executors and that <published> <?r?to??> <////> <against> of <???> for and <against> nor any of them shall <this> <??ry> <f?rth??> <roc??nge> <thereof> <????> meddling <p??> my will. Item my will and meaning is that my said executors shall in six months after my decease enter into such reasonable bonds with my said overseers to pay and <deliver> unto the said Mr. Porter and my son Richard within one year after my death of the survivor of them all such sums of money goods chattles <starle>, as shall be in the hands of the said survivor at the time of his death by virtue of this my will and they the said executors take the like bonds one of another Item I give unto my brother Richard for to help <place> and bring up Edward <Austen> my sister’s son the sum of ten pounds. In witness whereof to every of the three sheets I have set my hand and seal this 14^th day of December 1622: Thomas Ballard <??ead>, published and sealed and subscribed the said 14^th day of September 1622 and in the 20^th year of the reign of our ….. in the presence of John Porter Henry Thompson Anthony Ward Thomas Bryan.

Added to this my last will the 19^th day of December as followeth Item my meaning is that none of my sons shall take any profit of the lands given him until he come to the age of 4 and 20 years but that my executors shall take the profit thereof in performance of my will and all <such> said several pages <moieties> out to enter into his or their profit. Also I will that if my said sons shall die without issue of their bodies then all my said lands shall go to my said two daughters and their heirs forever. Item I give unto my said brother Stephen in remembrance of my <love?> ten pounds and unto mother <Ffonole> forty shillings and her dwelling in the <h?n?fe> where that is for her lifetime: Thos Ballard this addition was made 19^th December 1622 in presence of Mr. Henry Thompson Anthony Ward Thomas Bryan. Item in the 2^nd page there is <strin??n> <?au?t> of this my will <???> <thing> and <fforoir> <???ole> lines and the most? Part of the fifth and after one whole line and <?> of two other lines, and in that leaf, <?> of two other lines. And I have given to my said two daughters Martha and Elizabeth six hundred pounds apiece. This alteration was made by the said Thomas Ballard the 30^th January 1623 signed Thos Ballard in the presence of John Porter Anthony Ward the mark of Richard Moate the master of John Sandy. Memorand that the aforesaid testator upon the 2^nd Feb 1623 <the foresaid> being of perfect memory in the presence of his executors willed unto Mr Anthony Ward schoolmaster in his house the sum of £5 and to <Death> Ward sister unto Anthony his <?> twenty shillings to be paid unto him by his executors. John Hatley Richd Ballard executors.

Probate London 4^th May 1624 to Richard Ballard and John Hatley executors.