Bundle 2, Doc 6. 32 cm x 21 cm. Some damp staining and a small tear at edge. This can only be a copy of the will as there are no real signatures and no seals. Thomas DAVISON was the grandfather of John DAVISON, who married Mary MUSGRAVE, daughter of Sir Richard MUSGRAVE (3rd Bart.)
In the Greate Name And with ye good Will of God who is sole proprietor of all to whom only belongs ye Direct Dominion & whose Care usu fructuarie I am; I Thomas DAVISON of Blaikstone in ye County of Durham Kt. doe thus dispose of what ye world calls myne, & make this my last will & Testiment, I comend my soule into his hands who created it, & who I hope will save it, by & through ye meritts of my Blessed Soviour Jesus; I doe make my deare & truly worthy Wife my sole Executrix of this my last will & Testimt. to whom I give my part of my Collirie at Lumley Parke & all my personall Estate being assured shee will dipose of all ye advantages Git to ye poorest & worthiest of my Children of whom none alive is for sure & proper a Judge; I doe give her alsoe my House at Blaikstone I now live in the Read house all the Stables Barnes and Orchards togeher with ye Gardens, & all ye Household Stuff in it for ye full tearme of her Naturall life, And then to goe along with ye House I doe make my Son~e Alexander DAVISON Ten~ant for life (and noe more) to all my Lands my wifes Joynture excepted till her death & such things as I doe afterwards except & then the remainders of them to come to his sonne John DAVISON & the heirs males of his body; & he faileing then to any Sonne of my son~e Alexander of his body lawfully begotten, And I doe give liberty to my sonne Alexander to make a Joynture of all his my Lands at Winyard for a second wifes Joynture & for ye heirs Males of his & her body, & if his sonne John dye without children & my sone Alexander have noe heire Male living of his body then I doe Order that his Lawfull Daughters shall come into equall share with my owne Daughters & have every one of them one thousand pounds portion out of Winyard & Full throp & Thorp Thuleys wch. are all to be sold; And after the 1000£: a peece paid to his Daughters, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ then my daughters Children & my son~es daughters to have ye remainder of ye sum~es equally divided amongst them my son~e Will~ BELLASIS daughter if she be then living having as much as any single son~e or daughter of theirs & noe more neither shall any of my son~es in Law or their Wives have any of these funds themselves but only my Daughters shall have ye interest of ye sum~e or the profitts of ye land till they be sold for their lives Naturalls; And then it shall all come intire to their children as I have ordered before; I doe give all that farme now in ye possession of Marmaduke DAVISON known & called by ye name of Sheney field Rimbanks [?] & the Wayls [?] to my Dear Daughter Katherin & her heirs unless it be redeemed by my son~e in two years by me by paying her 1200£: And if my Son~e dye without heirs males then shee is to come to her equall share of ye Divident of ye land wch: is to be sold, I doe give 20£: per Anum to my dear daughter Pudsey for her Naturall life & to her daughter etc If my sone Alexander dye without any child male of his body & his wife be not with child a male or if yt dye before age then I give my Lordship of Blaikstone with all things in or belonging to it to my Brother Ralph DAVISON & the heires males of his body or for w[ant of] them to my Brother Samuell DAVISON & ye heires Males of his body Lawfully begotten & they faileing then to my owne heires; And as a smale token of a great deale of love I give to my Brother Ralph DAVISON my Brother Sam~ DAVISON & my sister the Lady LIDDELL five pounds a peece, I doe make my Brother Ralph & Sam: DAVISON supervisors of this my last will; Feb: 3d: 1666 / My son~e by this my will hath noe power to Lease [?] or dispose of one foote of my Land to wch. he is only Tenant for Life & he may only dispose of it for yt tearme & noe longer I doe affe** by my hand & seale this to be my last will, & I doe revoake all other wills whatsoever; Witness Alex~: DAVISON Tho~: DAVISON & John EDEN