Will of James Bannister 1674

Vol. 1. Fol. 134
James Bannister, Port Royal Merchant-Planter (see also his probate inventory)
Entered November 30, 1674

In the name of God Amen This one and twentyeth of August In the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred Seventy four I James Bannister In being in perfect health of body and soundness of mind, but knowing the frailty and mortality of all men Doe make and declare this my last will and Testament in manners and forme following Impressed I bequeath my soule into the hands of Almighty God my maker being fully Apeesed that through the will of my Savior Jesus Christ his Sone I shall bee saved and make partake with the Saints in Glory everlasting And for my body I commit it to the Earth from whence it came to be decently buried according to the discrecon of my Executriz hereafter named (last if possible) according to the orders of ye Church of England And for such worldly goods as it hath pleased God to bless me with I give and bequeath here as followes Item I give and bequeath my whole Estate both reall and personall as well heare in Jamaica as elswhere, excepting such Legacyes as are hereafter mentioned (my Debts being first paid) unto my only sonne James Bannister and to his heires forever with all the rents proffitts Anvantages whatever that shall thereof arise be made or thereunto my wages belonge or appertoyne Item I give and bequeath unto my deare and well beloved wife Mrs Dorothy Bannister one third parte of all the deare produce of ye said Estate reall and personall all charges being defrayed to bee revised and enjoyed by her during her life. Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne in Law Lt. Leury Mafros in full of his marriage porcon with my daughter Margarett the some of ffive pounds sterling Item in case my said daughter Margarett Mafsye shall survive her husband Leury Massie, That there and in such case I give and bequeath unto her the full quantity of One hundred thousand pounds of good merchantable muscavadoes Sugar to be paid to her or her assignees at ye Old Harbour in the said Island are halfe within one yeare and the other halfe within two years if possible and without predudice to ye Estate, else at three equall fragments in the next three years after her husband Mafsyes death allwayes provided and my Will and meaning is That it shall not bee in her power during his life to make my Deed of swifte saile assingnmt or any other disposall of this Legacy and that in any such case of her disposall as aforesaid This swifte I bequeath shall imediately Cease be voyd and of none effects Item I give and bequeath unto my Sone in Law Mr Samuel Lewis as a marriage porcon with my daughter Mary the full quantity of One hundred thousand pounds of good Merchantable muscavadoe Sugar to be paid to the said Samuel or his assignes at ye Old harbour aforsaid at three equal payments the first to bee at or about ye middle of the yeare of our Lord One Thousand Six hundred seventy five, the other third part within twelve months after, And ye last third part to bee paid Twelve months after ye time of ye Second payment. Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Dorothy to bee paid her within two years at two equall payments if possible without predjudice to the Estate, else at three equall payments within three years next after she comes to the age of Eighteen yeares, or bee sooner marryed with the consent of her mother and the main part of my Overseers hereafter named the full quantity of One hundred thousand pounds of good Merchantable Muscavadoe sugar, to be paid as aforesaid att the Old harbour Item my will and meaning is that my daughter Dorothy and sonne James be mayntayned and the charges of their Education be borne and paid out of my Estate at the discrecon of my Executrix and Overseers hereafter named or the major part of them, untill they respectively come of Age are married or have their porcons paid them as aforesaid Item my will and meaning is that if it should please God my Sonne James should dye before hee comes to the Age of one and twenty yeares That then and in such case I give and bequeath my whole Estate reall and personall to my deare and loving wife Mrs Dorothy Bannister and to her heirs and assignes forever, provided that she doth not marry, But in case she shall marry then and from thence Imediately my said Estate shall be and remayne equally to and amongst my said three daughters or the survivor and or Survivors of them, Always excepted the Thirds as above is expressed Provided likewise that my said wife if she shall come to the whole Estate, shee doe pay or cause to be paid these legacyes hereafter menconed that is today to the Child or Children lawfully to be begotten uppon the body of my daughter Mary the quantity of ffifty thousand of good Muscavadoe sugar, And to ye Child or Children of my daughter Dorothy lawfully to be given begotten as aforesaid the like quantity of ffifty thousand pounds of good muscavadoe Sugar

James Bannister

Signed Sealed published and declared the day and yeare abovesaid in the peace of Thomas Glasbrooke Edward Newton George Meakings: To be paid at the old Harbour after the death of my said Sone in manner and forme following That is to say to the Child or Children of my daughter Mary if she shall have space first the quantity of fifty thousand of good merchantable muscavadoe Sugar to her paid at ye old harbour within two years after his death And to the heir of my daughter Dorothy as aforesaid the like quantity of ffifty thousand pounds of good merchantable Muscavadoes Sugar to bee paid the third yeare after his death, And in Case either of them shall want space then the said Sugars to bee paid as abovesaid to their respective husbands of living or themselves in want of husbands which respectable quantityes of sugar my will and meaning is if either of them have find living shall be paid out and disposed of for the most Advantage of the Children according to ye Advise Counsell and discrecon of my Executrix And the Overseer of this my Will hereafter named or the major part of them And after it is layed out ye Pesants to have the managmt of it But shall not bee in their power to give grant will or dispose of it or any part thereof during the life of any of their Children __________________________________________ [unreadable] which shall not be till ye boyes are one and Twenty yeares olde and the Girles of Eighteen or marryed Item I doe make constitute and appoint my deare and well beloved wife Mrs Dorothy Bannister to bee my whole and sole Executrix of the my last will and Testam Item I doe make and appoint my good freinds Lt. Collonell Robert Bryndlosse, Mr Charles Attkinson, Mr Samuel Lewis, and Mr Francis Man Overseers of this my last will and Testam Earnestly desiring there to assist my Executrix in the fully Executing this my will giving and bequeathing to each of them one thousand pounds of good Muscavadoe Sugar to buy them mourning which I desire them to accept of and weare in rememberence of me Lastly I doe revoake and make null and voyd all former wills by me made And do publish and Declare this to be my last Will and Testament In Testamony whereof I have hearunto att my hand and sealed this day and yeare first above meantioned

James Bannister

Signed sealed published and declared in ye presence of Thomas Glasbrook Edward Newton Geroge Mekinges Ye thirtyeth of November 1674
Appeared then before one George Mekinges and made oath beesides this signed and sealed by Major Generall James Banister

Tho. Lynch