The Will Of John Mercer of Coulden 1669
Lancashire Record Office
WCW/Mercer, John/1669

In the name of God Amen I John Marcer of Coulden in Great Harwood in the County of Lancaster husbandman being sicke of body and of sound and perfect memory praise bee therefore given to god doe make and ordayne this my last will and testament in maner and forme following that is to say, first and principally I commend my soule unto the hands of Almighty god hoping through the merciful death and passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life. And my body I commit to the earth to bee decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named. And as touching the disposition of all such temporall estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon mee I give and dispose thereof as followeth:
First my will is that all my debts and funeral expenses bee paid and discharged out of my whole goods. Then my will is that all the rest of my personall estate bee devided into three equall parts, that is to say, one parte thereof my will is to have for the use of my selfe the second parte of the said goods I give and dispose to Margery my welbeloved wife and the third parte I give and dispose unto William Marcer Thomas Marcer Edward Marcer Elizabeth Marcer Alice Marcer and Cycely Marcer my sons and daughters to be equally devided amongst them. And further my will is that my third parte of goods I give and dispose unto Thomas Marcer Edward Marcer Elizabeth marcer Alice Marcer and Cicely Marcer my said sons and daughters to bee equally devided amongst them. And lastly I ordaine and appoint Thomas Marcer and Edward Marcer my said sonnes full and whole executors of this my last will and testament hoping they will see it performed. And I desire that my body may bee buried in harwood Church and I doo hereby revoke disanull and make voyd all former wills and testaments by mee heretofore made in witness whereof I the said John Marcer have put my seale to the first lease and subscribed my marke to the second lease to this my last will and testament contained in one sheete of paper the 20th day of August Anno Domini Caroli Secondi Anglio 1669.

Sealed Signed and delivered by the said John into the hands of Edward his said sonn to keepe in presence of us

Thomas Mercer

 John Mercer
Thomas Mercer his marke

(The repetition of the disposal of the third part of goods is as it appears in the original document.)

An Inventorie of all the late goodes cattelles and chattelles of John Marcer of Coulden in great Harwood in the County of Lancaster husbandman lately deceased taken [ ] and prised by Thomas Cockeshott John Prockter Thomas Marceer de Tanehouse and Thomas Marcer de Billington the twentieth fifth day of September 1669 as followeth

  L S D  
Impremis Eight Oxen 37 00 00  
Item Fouer twinters 09 00 00  
Item six sterkes 09 00 00  
Item Eight kine 25 0 00  
Item Five calves 04 00 00  
Item thirtie eight sheepe 00 10 00  
Item One (C?)rome 00 13 00  
Item thirteene geese 00 06 06  
Item six henes and a cocke 00 02 00  
Item two waines and two paire of wheeles and old wood 01 10 00  
Item in Corne 15 00 00  
Item in hay 02 00 00  
Item in husbandries geares 01 00 00  
Goods in the lower Chamber
        
Item of pair of bedstockes one feather bed three blanketts 01 00 00  
and one coverlett        
Good in the Upper Chamber
        
Item two paire of bedstockes fower paire of blanketts two        
caddowes one feather bed two chaffe bedes one feather 03 10 00  
boulster three little pillows        
Item three chistes 00 06 00  
Item one tubb and one shelfe 00 02 00  
Goods in the loft
        
Item in Leather 03 00 00  
Item in woole 02 00 00  
Item in weightes and scales 00 00 06  
Item an old arke and two old wheeles 00 02 00  
Item lead weights 00 00 06  
Goods in the milkhouse
        
Item two cockes 01 06 00  
Item one little table and one board and one tubb 00 02 04  
Item in peuder 00 06 00  
Item in meale 06 00 00  
Goodes in the fire house
        
Item in brasse and six pannes 02 00 00  
Item one table and one forme 00 06 00  
Item fower chares and one forme 00 02 00  
Item six Cushions 00 02 00  
Item one little board 00 00 04  
Item one chinley a paire of tongesone [damaged] pan a        
chaffing dish one paire of brigges a frinpan one toasting iron 00 ? 00  
a spittle a girdle a chopping knife and a spitt        
Item in salt beefe and bacon` 00 10 00  
Goodes in the butterie
        
Item one old cheese presse 00 01 00  
Item one beefe tubb 00 05 00  
Item one old salt tubb 00 01 00  
Item woode vessell 01 00 00  
Item in butter and pottes 00 05 00  
Item in sheets and other linnen 01 00 00  
Item seaven old seckes 00 03 06  
Item in linnen yearne 00 09 00  
Item the decedant apparell 02 10 00  
The totall
140 05 00  
Debts oweing by the Decedant        
Item To Thomas Hesketh Esquire for ground rent 04 00 00  
Item house rents and boons 00 13 00  
Item for gist oxen 01 00 0/  
Item to Richard Waddington 00 02 00  
Item to John Clarke for iron work 00 16 00  
Item to his sonne Edward Marcer 01 07 00  
Item to Thomas Marcer de Bankes 00 10 00  
Item to Thomas Mercer de Deans 00 09 00  
Item for coales 00 01 00  
funerall expenses
       
Item to John Taylor 00 09 00  
Item to Henrie Feilden 01 10 07  
Thomas Cockeshott 02 02 00  
John Rishton 00 07 00  
Richard Waddington 00 02 01  
Sexton 00 04 06  
Item to Richard Alston for wheat 00 03 03  
Item pennie dole 01 09 00  
which said debts and funerall expences being deducted out of        
the whole there remaineth 122 02 00  

WILLS