In the name of God Amen the eight day of May Anno R R Dom ini [Year of Our Lord] Caroli Dei gratia [by the grace of God Charles II] secundo et vicesimo nono Annoque Dni 1677
I John Stirrup of Lowton in the County of Lancaster Chapman being sick in Body but of perfect memory thanks be to God for the same doe make and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner following viz!
And calling to mind the uncertain Estate of this transitory life and that all men must yield unto death
I doe therefore first and principally commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator hoping that through the merit of Jesus Christ my Redeemer I shall be made one of his Elect at the last day And my body to christian buriall at the parish Church of Winwick in the buryall belonging to the Crowtons house purchased by me from Mr Blackburne
And as for such temporall Estate as it hath pleased God far above my merit or desert to bestow upon me I doe order settle and dispose the same in manner following.
And first I doe by these presents revoke and annull all former or other Wills heretofore by me made or declared in any wise.
And I doe first give and bequeath unto my first Grandchildren vid: John Heskir and Anne Johnson the Sum of one hundred pounds equally to be divided amongst them Sixty pounds whereof of the same is already lying in the hands of Mr Marsh the Attorney liveing in Preston
Item I give and bequeath the sum of fifty pounds for and towards the maintenance of a Schoolmaster at
my Schoole in Newton the Interest whereof I doe order and appoint to be paid yearly unto the Master there and the Stock to remaine for ever And further my will and mind is
And I doe order and appoint that the said Schoole shall be regulated and limited concerning the Building thereof with moneys taken out of my personall Estate
Item I give and bequeath unto Thomas Stirrup the Scholler liveing with me ye Sum of thirty pounds ten pounds whereof of the same I doe order and appoint that he shall receive it from Enoch Ainsworth of Newton it being a former debt owing unto me by him And my will and mind is that this said Thomas Stirrup shall be Master at my Schoole if it shall please God to spare him life and that he shall be found capable of it
So this which purpose I desire my Executor hereafter named to allow him them attend and assistance too for as is reasonable and modest
Item I give unto unto every one of the Sons of Thomas Stirrup (father of the said Thomas the Schollar) I say to every one of his sons (excepting the aforesaid Thomas the Schollar) the sum of fifty shillings a peece
Item I give more unto my maid Servant Margret Cartwright the sum of fifty shillings
Item I give more unto my two men Servants viz Ralph Wood and peter Younge to eache of them the Sum of twenty shillings a peece
Item I give more unto every God child which I have been Surety for the Sum of five shillings And as for the rest residue and remainder of my personall Estate I doe order and dispose of the same in manner following vid:
I doe order and appoint that the same shall be divided into three equall third parts
One third part whereof I doe reserve for my self. Another third part I give to Hannah my now Wife and the last third part I give unto my little son John Stirrup
And as for that third part soe reserved for my self my will and mind is that first my debts and funerall Expenses shall be paid out of it
And afterwards my will is that the remainder of ye same shall be equally devided betwixt Hannah my said Wife and my said son John
And as for my Real Estate vid: Lands and Tenements I doe order and dispose of them in manner following vid:
My close order and appoint and my will and mind is that Hannah my said Wife shall have use and enjoy the House at the Bridge in Newton where Randulph Fair did live and Every House at the Bridge end in Newton for and during the terme of her naturall life if the same granted in ye originall Lease thereof being and for to be shall happen soe long to endure
And I doe also give unto Hannah my said Wife the House at ye Isle House in Newton wherein Hanna Ben liveth for her to enjoy soe long as she shall keepe her self sole chast and unmarryed but in case of marriage or miscarriage by her I doe then order that the said House shall descend unto my said son or his heirs lawfully begotten and for want of Issue and his heirs Then to my Grandchild John Johnson And I myself declare unto his heirs lawfully begotten
Item further my will and mind is and I doe give and bequeath unto my son John Stirrup and to his heirs lawfully to be begotten all the rest residue and remainder of my Lands and Tenements whatsoever and wheresoever lying and being
And if it happen that my said son John shall depart this naturall life without heirs lawfully begotten then my will and mind is that all the said Lands and Tenements formerly by me given and bequeathed unto my said Son John and his heirs shall descend unto my Grandchild John Johnson and his heirs lawfully begotten if any such there be
And for want of him and his heirs then to ye first second or third Brother of the said John Johnson (being lawfully begotten on ye Body of Hester Johnson Mother of the said John Johnson) and to their heirs lawfully begotten always preferring the elder and his heirs before ye younger and his heirs And for want of such heirs then of and in all the said Lands and Tenements as my will and mind is that they shall descend and come unto ye Daughter or Daughters of ye said Hester Johnson lawfully begotten and to their heirs lawfully begotten, always preferring the elder and her heirs lawfully begotten before the younger and her heirs
And for want of such heirs then to the heirs and Assigns of me the said John Stirrup for ever provided and nevertheless my will and mind is
And I doe order and appoint that if John Stirrup my said son shall chance to depart this naturall life having no heirs lawfully begotten and if Hannah
Hannah my said Wife shall then be liveing and shall have kept her self chast and unmarryed
Then I say my will and mind is that Hannah my said Wife shall me hold and enjoy all the Houseing and Land situate standing lying and being in Toad [row/Lane?] in Newton aforesaid commonly called by the name of Cowtons House and formerly by the purchased from Mr. Blackburne for and dureing the terme of her naturall life she keeping her self sole chast and unmarryed
Any thing contained to ye contrary hereof heretofore in this my last Will in any wise notwithstanding Item further my mind and will is
And I give and bequeath the sum of ten pounds unto ye poor in Newton the Interest yearly to be dealt amongst them and ye Stock to remaine for them a weekly [?] deed ord’t nominate and appoint Mr Edward Eccleston of ye Broad Oak in Parro, Mr Richard Morris now of Bold, Mr Ralph Beale of Croft Town and Ralph Taylor of Newton my true and lawfull Executors (as my trust is in them) to execute performe fulfill and accomplish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form aforesaid
In Witness whereof and for ye further confirmation hereof I have hereunto put my hand and seal the day and year first above written John [seal: Sigilli] Stirrup
Sealed and delivered and for my last Will and Testament published and declared in ye presence of us:
George Sorocow, John Ashton, Thomas Taylor
Vera copia huc copia Originalis manu bas Guilum Latham te Storbish gen et Johnis [?] gen de est gen hoc 24th Junij 1686 testibus et deliberat sub cancene gen ffecti relevanci sueth in vot extra pd Suffic gen
Testator Guiliel: Roger Wilson. C. ellis Pub Dep.
Mrs William Latham and John Stirrup both of Standish in ye County of Chester doe acknowledge this to be a true Copy of the Originall last Will and Testament of John Stirrup deceased delivered into our hands out of ye publick Registry of ye Pbt Act of Chester upon occasion to be produced at ye next Assizes at Lancaster in a Suit at Law there depending, was haveing seen the same examined and compared with ye the Originall Wittness our hands this 24th day of June Anno Dni 1686
Wittnesshoc hereof: Jo Cullen, Will Sharp
[Signatures:] William Latham, John Stirrup
This final page appears to be the attestation and probate documentation, confirming that this is a true copy of John Stirrup’s original will, dated June 24, 1686, about 9 years after the will was written in 1677. The document includes witness signatures and official notations in Latin regarding the probate process.
@copy Steven Dowd 2025
