1624 Will of William Boyd of Dunluce

In the name off God, I Wm. Boyd being sick off body and good and perfect memorie and understandinge, do make this my last will and testament. First, I comitt my sowle to almightie God, maker off heaven and earthe and all y^t y^r in is, on true holy eternall and infinit god yxistinge off three persins — the Father, Sone, and Holy Ghoste, my creator off nothinge, my redeemer, when for my owne sine I was deservedly lost, and my yternall preserver since my conception w^t ot whose helpe and providence every minute off ane hoare I should be readie to fall in utter destruction of Bodie and soal. In wch holy God and Blessed Trinitie I stedfastly beleive, hopinge assuredly y^t he will receave back againe in his mercie this my soale to Glorifie him in His heaveins for ever. As to my Body, I bequeath itt to the earth from whence it came, to be buried in ane Christian Buriall y^r (where) itt shall please God.

As to my goods and chatteles, I bequeathe them as followeth — First, I do appoynt and ordaine my weil beloved wyffe Catharine Mcgdmartine and my faithfull and trustie freinds Wm. Dunlapp laird off Crage, and Thomas Boyd off Carncogie, and Mr. Wm. Wallace to be exeacutors off this my will underwryten and intromettary w^t my wyff jioyntlie and severally w^t all my goods and chattelis rightis and creditis whatsoever (to the performinge my will as heireunder is expressed).

Inprimis, my will is y^t all the debt w^ch I do justly owe shall be payed w^t the reste of my creditis :

Item, my will is y^t my wyffe shall have during her mortal lyfe my houses and gardens in the towne off Dunluce w^t the furnitewre and land y^r unto belonginge, beinge the aqual halfe off the ffeild called Macheranecrossie and Dollnabrade; and after her decease I leave the same to the eldest off my sones then livinge, ther heirs exrs or assignais w^ch failinge to be devyded amongst my dauchters and ther heirs.

Item, my will is, and I ordaine y^t my wyfe shall have all the plenishinge insighte and goods whatsoever w^ch shall be w^h in my hoase the tyme of my decease, reservinge money and plate and other reservationis under wrytten, and y^t be ffull satisfaction off all dower joynter and thirds w^ch she may clame; as also I leave unto her ffowre off my best kowis, and she to injoy the same by the sighte off the overseers, and advise off them whom I do appoynte as after followeth.

Item, my will is y^t my son Adam shall have and injoy the qrterland off Ballebreill, the Salmon fishinge off Portnein and Lands; the Towne land of Carvelly w^t all the titles and ryghts q^ch I leave to him, his heirs, ex^rs and assignais; and I do appoynte and ordaine my faithfull and weilbeloved friends Mr. Andrew Monypenny, Archdeacon of Coner, and Mr. Wm. fentwine, preacher off God his word att Carn Castle, to be curators to him and possess the profits off the s^d land and fishinge duringe his minoritie, to be pute and qⁿverted towards the honest aducãoine off him, and in w^ch tym I will and desyre y^t the s^d Mr. Monypenny (iff not being burdensome unto him), and Mr. Wm Fentwine jointlie and severallie shall keip him att schooles and to breed him according as they schall in y^r discretion think fitt, to quhome jointlie and severallie (Mr. Fentown being less distracted by uther occasions yⁿ the ryt worschipfull Mr. Monypenny) I comitt him and his portione.

Item I do leave all my plate to my sone Adam, togither w^t on furnisched fether bedd w^t the apportunances necessarilie belonginge, my brewinge kettill, my aquavitæ pott, always reserving the use of them to his mother until he shall come to perfect age, or be married, iff she shall live so longe, prayinge the s^d Mr. Monypenny and Mr. Fentowine to acceptt off this charge jointlie and severally to direct my s^d sone as they schall think wreite (and iff the s^d Mr. Monypenny be promoted to greater dignities or remove himself hence) I recommend him and his portion to the care and fidelitie of Mr. Fentowne, desyring my saide sone to doe nothing w^tot the direction and advyse off them the s^d Mr. Monypenny or Mr. Fentowne.

Item, I do leave my sone Johne the Townelande off Carmoohen and the qrterland off Bellihemlein, togither w^h the somme off Fowrtie pownde ster., and if it can be so acquired by the advyse of my ex^rs nott hurting the portions off the rest off my children, I leave him twenty pownde ster. more to make up three score pownds ster. in whole off my goods, and do comitt the educãoine, Tutorship, and Curatorship, until he be auchtein yeirs owld, to my weilbeloved and fatfull friend, Ard Stewart off Ballelache, whom I pray to bring him up att schoolis and cawse breed honestlïe w^t the profites off the s^d land and the use off the three score pownds abovementioned as he shall think fitt, and att the auchteenth year off the s^d Johne his age, the s^d Archibald is to pay unto the s^d Johne the s^d Three score pownds, and to this effect the s^d Ard is ather to give in surties for the re-delyverie off the s^d thrie score pownds, or put it in sufficient men ther hands att the sicht, discretion, and advyse off the overseers undernamed.

Item, I ordaine and will y^t my sone Wm. schall have three score pownd ster. off my goods, and my silver signett, and do comitt him and his portion to my weilbeloved and faithffull freind, Wm. Dunlap, off Creig, in the Realm off Scotland, qⁿ he is readie to putt to schoole, and till then I ordaine my wyfe his mother to keip him upon the use off his portion, alwayes provyded y^t surties sufficient be given for his breeding and aduca°ine, as weil as for the payment off the portion when he schall come to the age of auchtein yeir old, and this to be done be the sight and advyce off the undernamed overseers.

Item, my will is, y^t my daughter Katharin schall have the thrie score pownds w^ch is in Anthonie Dobbine his hand, for w^ch I have ane howse in morgage, w^ch payeth ten pownde per anum w^t twentie pounds more besyd the remaner of the whol goods being caste up, provyded sche do bestow her selfe in mariage be the advyce off my ex^rs or any two off them, q^r off Thomas Boyd, off Carncogie, to be on, and I leave the s^d Katharin, w^t her portion forsdt to the s^d Thomas Boyd to be aducatt and bred, he the s^d Thomas giving in sufficient surties, as weill for her aduca°ine as for the re-delyverie off her portion att the day of her mariage, and this to be done by the advyse and direction off the afternamed overseers.

Item, I leave to my dawghter Issobel thrie score pownd ster. wheroff fowrtie pownde is owinge me in larne, and the other twentie of the rediest off my goods quhom w^t her portion I putt in trust (to her good educa°ine) to my beloved and trustie freinds as curators for her, Archibald Boyd oft Carncualagh, and Johne logan, off the Bosth milnes, jointlie and severallie, provyded y^t they give in surties for her educa°ine and re-delyverie off her portion att the day off her mariage, and all y^t afors^d to be done att the discretion off the overseers after specified.

Item, I will y^t my daughter Margaret schall have thrie score pownde ster. off my goods for her portion and for her educa°ine; I recomend the charge of her to my weilbeloved sone-in-lawe, Walter Kennedie, w^h her portion, the use q^r off is to be bestowed upon her aduca°in and for her better breding; the s^d Walter is to give surteis both for her upbringing and also for re-delyverie off her portion at the day off her mariage as it schall be thocht fit by the undernamed overseers.

Item, my will is, y^t the childrens portionis schall be putt in honest men ther hands, to bring good surteis for the same, and the yearly use for y^r aduca°in in the fear off God as shall be thocht fitt by the overseers.

Item, my will is, y^t iff any off my children schall departe this naturall lyff before they have issue off their owne Bodies, y^t yⁿ the portion off the deceased schall be devyded equally amongst my survivinge children and ther heirs, exrs, and assignais.

Item, I ordaine, and will y^t my sone-in-law, Walter Kenidie, schall have ten pownde ster. over and above his mariag goods, behind unpayed as yett, ot off yt lease w^ch I have off the tythes off Magherafopa, att the expyring off the sd lease, as also y^t the s^d Walter schall have his mariage goods, unpayed as yett, ot off the first paymentis off those tythes and q^t is superpaid, my s^d sone, Walter, is to be anserable for itt to my ex^rs, his mariag goods being first payed, and this to be don be the advyse off the overseers; as also I leave to him ane cleashoch or harpe qche I have.

Ite, my will is, that iff my goods schall amounte to more then to pay my debtis and suche portionis as I have alreadie nominated to my s^d children, then I ordain the superplus to be equallie devyded amongste my thrie youngest Dauchters and thrie sones, saving the reserva°nis followinge.

Item, I leave to the Ryt honorable the Earl off Antrym my gray stoned horse as ane herriot, praying his L^sp for God his sake to be kind to my wyff and children.

Item, my will is, q^t so longe as the ryt reverend the Lord Bishop off Down and Coner schall suffer my servant, Ro^t. Thomson, to injoye my office off registerschip w^ch I have off his (Lp.) then my lord Bischop to keep the thirtie pownde ster. w^ch his (Lp.) stands indebted unto me, and qⁿ it please his (lop.) to putt another into the place, then I will my ex^rs to delyver to y^e s^d lord Buschop his band off thirtie pownde ster. he paying unto them twentie pownde ster. off the s^d Band due unto me.

Item, I leave to Mr. Andrew Monypenny my pasing naige qch I bocht from Mr. Arthur Monypenny.

Item, I leave to Rt. Thomson thirtie bolles off oates owing me in Larne, w^t all my waring apparell except my grogram suit, and my best blak cloak, and the next best cloak qch I leave to his father, David Thomson, w^t my rappier, and all the books off my office, to be used be him to extract all precedents and wrytt them in my great blak book off precedents, qch I ordaine to be keipt to my eldest sone, and the s^d Ro^t. Thomson to extract ane book for his owne uses and I ordaine the s^d Ro^t. so long as it pleaseth the lord off Downe to give him liciene to exercise my place off Registerschip under his (lop.), q^tsoever fees he getteth as due to the office to be cowntable to my ex^rs off the samin to my ex^rs, his charges being deducted for him selff, he beinge served w^t ane horse ; also I will the s^d Ro^t. Thomson to serve my wyffe so long as he is bownde by indentwr, sche furnishing him the mean quhyle w^t meat, drink, and apparell, as also I ordain the s^d Ro^t. to oversie the Salmon fischinge yearly, to the use of my son Adam, for w^ch I ordain him ane Barrell off Salmon yearly.

Item, I leave to Thomas Boyd off Carncogie, my best silver peice and my best saddell and Bryddell.

Ite, I leave to Wm. Dunlape, the lard of Craige, my grein worsted stokkingis, w^ch ar new, and ane paire off grein taffatie garters, w^t broad band lease upon them.

Ite, I leave to Mr. Wm. fentwne my best blak cloak.

Ite, I leave to Mr. Wm. Wallace my blak turbrie grogram suit, ane pair of russett worse stokkingis, ane paire off blak towris silk garters, w^t ane paire of schooes.

Ite, I leave to Johne Logan, my Brother in law, ane new cloak off browne Inglisch cloath, not mad w^t lease and Buttonis to itt, and ane schooting peac q^ch he hath off myne.

Ite, I leave Sr. Wm. Kennidie my best sword.

Ite, I leave to my sister Issobell, thrie milk kowes, and willes my heirs ex^rs to suffer her to possess and dwel still in Ballebred so long as sche liveth, nott paying any rent or dutie.

Ite, concerning Robt. Longmure his portion itt is on (one) Thowsand marck Scottische money, q^ch appeareth by billis, bookis, and Bonds, w^ch ar bunt togither into ane bunche w^t ane linninge rage in my quhyt (white) boxe.

As for my accomptes w^t the lard of Crage they will seim perfyt in my papers betwixt him and me, excepe the Salmon fisching for this year 1624, w^t duis amount to ane Tun of salmon, and ane Barrell, q^ch barrell was foysted and remaines unsowld, the particular accomptes appears amongst my papers.

Lastly, I will and appoynt my fatfull and well-loved ffreinds, Mr. Andrew Monypenny archdeacon off Coner, Wm. Dunlape the lard of Crage, Thomas Boyd off Carncogie, Archibald Boyd off Carncualagh, Archibald Stewart off Bellilachmore, and my son in law, Walter Kennidie, John Logane off the Bosthmilnes, Thomas Boyd off Bellihabrett, to be overseers y^t this my will and laste Testament shall duly be performed in all poynts reservinge the interpretaõne off itt to them or any fowre or more off, iff any question shall happen to arise, q^r off Thomas Boyd and Mr. Wm. Wallace shall be two.

Ite, moreover I leave Mr. Moore one silver goblett q^ch is in my howse.

Ite, I leave to Ard Stewart ane long fowling-peice, q^ch I brought ot of Knokffergy.

Ite, I leave Ard Boyd ane young browne cowlte, q^ch I have off the Earle off Antrim for his food.

Ite, I leave my sister Margaret y^t litell silver goblet q^ch sche hath in possession off.

Ite, I leave to John Wallace that schooting piece w^ch he hath of myne.

Witness, William Wallas. Thomas Boyd, Witness.