APPENDIX A.
WILL of Sir JOHN MORDEN, Baronet.
IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I Sir John Morden of Ricklemarsh in
the County of Kent Baronett being well in health of Body and of sound
and perfect minde and memory (thanks be to God) but knowing the uncertainty
of this life and being desirous to settle my Estate doe make and declare this to
be my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following (that is to say)
ffirst I recomend my soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator and
Redeemer And I committ my Body to the Earth to be interred in the Chappell I have now built in my College hereinafter mentioned at the discretion of
my dear Wife Dame Susan Morden and my Trustees hereinafter named without any pomp or singing Boys but decently and as concerning that Estate
both reall and personall which it hath pleased God to bless me with in this
world I give and dispose of the same as hereinafter is mentioned expressed
and declared (that is to say) Imprimis My Will is and I doe hereby give and
devise unto my dear and loveing wife Dame Susan Morden Six Hundred pounds
per annum clear of all charges repairs Parliament taxes and all other taxes deductions and abatements whatsoever during her natural life to be retained by
her or paid to her by my Trustees hereinafter named out of all my Reall Copyhold
and personnall Estate whatsoever Quarterly at the ffour most usueall ffeasts
or daies of payment in the year (that is to say) on the ffeast of the birth of
our Lord God The Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary The Nativity of
St. John Baptist and Saint Michaell the Archangell by even and equall portions The first payment thereof to begin and be retained or paid to her at
such of the said ffeasts or daies of payment which shall first happen after my
decease And for the true payment thereof I doe hereby charge All my Estate
Reall Coppyhold and Personall during her natural life And my Will is that
the same is and shall be taken by her in lieu and in full satisfaction and discharge of all Contracts of Marriage Dower Thirds Customary parts and all other
claimes and demands whatsoever which she shall or may have or claime to my
Estate Reall Coppyhold or Personall whatsoever except what is hereby further
devised unto her Item I give and bequeath to my said loveing Wife for her
Life (over and above what I have already given) All that the Mansion House
or seate called Ricklemarsh in the County of Kent wherein I now dwell together
with all and every the Gardens Orchards Vineyards ffishponds Yards Stables and
Barns Outhouses and the Avenue or Close leading up to the same from the
Road and the Close adjoining thereto wherein the Horsepond is and the Close
and Walke called Mount Ecco Walke and all other the appurtenances thereto
belonging together with soe many acres of land meadow and pasture next adjoyning to the said House as will amount unto the yearly value of one hundred
pounds at the least to be set out and alloted to her by Sir Edmund Harrison Daniel Morse and Pelatia Barnardiston Merchants of the City of London
Trustees herein-after mentioned or the survivors or survivor of them according
to their discretions Item I give and bequeath unto my said loveing Wife Dame
Susan Morden one hundred pounds to buy her Mourning Item I give and
bequeath to my said Dear wife my best Coach and Chariott and ffour of my best
Horses and the furniture thereof and all my cowes and Dairy and alsoe one moity
or halfe part (the same in two equall parts to be divided) of all my household
stuffe Furniture utensills Plate Jewells China ware Cabbinetts Linnen Woollen
Hangings Bedding Pewter Copper and Brass and all other my Furniture and
ornaments of household whatsoever as well in the Countrey as in London to dispose of at her will and pleasure and alsoe I give unto her dureing her life the
use and wearing of all the other moiety of the said Household Stuffe Furniture Utensills Plate Jewells China Ware Cabinets Linnen Woollen Hangings
Bedding and other Furniture and Ornaments of Household whatsoever And
my Will is that an Inventary and Valuation of all the said Household goods
plate and jewells the better to ascertaine the same be made and delivered to the
said Trustees Sir Edmund Harrison Daniel Morse and Peletia Barnardiston
some or one of them to preserve the same for the uses hereinafter mentioned
Item I give and bequeath to the sister of my late deceased godson Morden
Hodder Fifty pounds To cosin Peake's three children Forty pounds equally
to be devided amongst them which last mentioned legacies my Will is that
my Executrix hereinafter named doe putt out and place the same at interest
according to her discretion for the said severall Infants best advantage untill
they shall severally and respectively attaine their severall and respective ages
of one and twenty years or daies of marriage which shall first happen But
my Will and meaning nevertheless is that my Executrix upon any loss or
miscarriage thereof shall not be answerable for the same out of her own Estate
And my Will and meaning alsoe further is that if my said Executrix shall finde
it most for the advantage of any of my said Legatees to dispose of any of their
said Legacies or any part thereof during their Infancy for the preferrment or
well doeing of any of the said Legatees to putt or place them in the world for
their advancment or benefit or to make them a stock for the better carrying on
of their Imployments or Trades then my Will is that my said Executrix may
at her discretion pay and dispose thereof accordingly and that such of the said
Legatees acquittances shall be sufficient discharges for the same (thô dureing
their infancy).
Item I give and bequeath to my cousin George Austen the sume of fforty
pounds which he owes me and I doe hereby release and discharge him thereof
which with the Two hundred pounds I formerly gave to putt his two sons
out is Two hundred and fforty pounds Item I give to my cousin John
Morden of Bradly in Cambridgeshire the sume of ffive pounds and to Cosin
Rathbone daughter of my cosin Rathbone Twenty pounds and to Cosin
Adams Ten pounds and to my Cosin Dickenson all the money she or her husband oweth me and which I have at any time lent them or either of them and
I doe hereby release and discharge them thereof being above Two Hundred
pounds And my neece Mary Brand the daughter of my brother Thomas Brand
one hundred pounds and to my Godson Thomas Brand son of my said Brother
Thomas Brand ffifty pounds and to my Godson John Bennett one hundred
pounds and to my Goddaughter Elizabeth Brand daughter of Brother John
Brand ffifty pounds and to my Godson John Peers the son of Cosin Peers
ffifty pounds and to my cosin John ffrancis the seventy pounds I have
already lent him and which he now owes me and I do hereby release and discharge him thereof And to Samuel Soames Esquire only son of Sir Thomas
Soames deceased One Hundred Pounds And my Will is that the Acquittance of such of the said Legatees as are under age or the Acquittances of
their ffathers or Mothers respectively shall be sufficient Discharges to my said
Executrix for the payment thereof Item I give and bequeath to each of my
Servants living with me at the time of my decease ffive pounds apeece to buy them
mourning And to the poor of Saint Martin's Outwich Three pounds And to
the poor of the parish of Charlton in the County of Kent ffive Pounds And
Whereas I have already Lent to Christchurch Hospitall Two Hundred pounds
I doe hereby give the same to the said Hospitall and I doe hereby Release and
Discharge them hereof And whereas I did subscribe and since paid one Hundred pounds to Saint Thomas' Hospitall in Southwarke I doe hereby give the
same to the said Hospitall and hereby release and discharge the same.
And I doe hereby give and bequeath Two Hundred pounds to be laid out
and disposed of by my Executrix in dischargeing of poor Prisoners out of the
Kings Bench Prison Marshalsea prison the ffleet Ludgate and both the
Counteiss within the City of London not paying above Three pounds for the
dischargeing of any one And also One hundred pounds to be Distributed to
Poor Blinde persons to such as were borne blinde fforty shillings apeece and to
other blinde persons twenty shillings apeece And I doe hereby give to my
loveing Brother John Bennett for severall personall services done me the sume
of One Hundred pounds and Twenty guineas for mourning Item I give to
my cosin John Morden Calendar the sume of One Hundred pounds And I
doe hereby give unto Sir Edmund Harrison Daniel Morse and Pelatia Barnardiston Twenty guineas apeece to buy them Mourning And I make my said
loveing Wife Dame Susan Morden sole Executrix of this my last Will.
And my further Will and Minde is and I doe hereby give and devise unto
Sir Edmund Harrison Daniel Morse and Pelatia Barnardiston and the survivor of them his Heirs and Assigns for ever All other my Reall and Copyhold Estate of Inheritance of which I now am or may be seized during my
Life and which is not hereinbefore otherwise devised or disposed of subject
nevertheless to the payment of the said Annuity of Six Hundred pounds per
Annum to my said dear wife Susan Morden dureing her life. To Have and
to Hold the same unto the said Sir Edmund Harrison Daniel Morse and
Pelatia Barnardiston their Heirs and Assigns In Trust and for the uses Intents
and purposes following (that is to say) I will and order that there to be placed
in the Colledge now ffinished by me and scituate in a certaine ffield called
Greatstone in the parish of Charlton near Blackheath in Kent as many poor
honest sober and discreet Merchants as the clear yearly Rent and Revenue of
my said Reall or Coppyhold Estate of Inheritance will Maintaine according to
the Allotments and provisions hereunder appointed which said poor Merchants
I direct may be of the age of ffifty years apeece at the least and such as have
lost their Estates by accidents dangers and perills of the seas or by any other
accidents ways or means in their honest endeavours to gett their Liveing by
way of Merchandizing And I doe hereby declare my Will to be that each of
the said poor Merchants be allowed and accordingly I doe give and allow
each of them a Pension of Twenty Pounds a year to be paid and laid out to
and for them in such manner as is hereinafter directed and appointed And
my Will is that there shall be with and out of their said Pensions of Twenty
pounds apeece a constant Table and Commons kept in the Hall of the said
Colledge for the provision and sustenance of the said poor Merchants to Dyne
and supp together (such as are able to come out of their Chambers every Day
in the year And for such as are not able to come out of their Chambers such
provision shall be made and sent to them as is necessary and convenient for
them in their conditions.
And my Will is that the said decayed Merchants shall allwaies in the said
Colledge wear Gownes all alike And that out of the said Twenty pounds per
Annum apeece shall yearly be allowed fforty shillings apeece to buy them new
Gowns And alsoe twenty shillings apeece to buy each of them a chaldron of
coales for ffireing in their chambers and the remaining seventeen pounds apeece
shall be applyed to the maintenance of their said table and Commons and for
the buying and dressing and prepareing of their provisions and for the buying of their Bread and Beer and alsoe Coales for their Kitchen and Hall and
all other necessaries whatsoever for their maintenance and provision And if
there shall be any overplus of the said Pensions of Twenty pound apeece left
after all their Commons and provisions Gownes Coales and other necessaryes
paid for that the same shall be equally amongst them as far as it will goe
towards providing them with Cloathes and other necessaries And my Will
is that each one of them shall have a Lodging appointed for him in the said
Colledge and shall be constantly resident in the said Colledge And my Will
is that there shall be a person appointed to be Treasurer to take collect and
receive for the use of the said Colledge all the Rents revenues sume and sumes
of money belonging to the said Colledge and shall pay and disburse all the
said pensions and all other charges and Expences of the said Colledge for the
provisions Repaires Wages and other Expenses whatsoever in such manner
as is hereby ordered and directed and shall prepare and keep Books fairely
written of all his Receipts and Disbursements to be perused and allowed of
and signed by the Visitors hereinafter named once a year at least and oftener
whenever the said visitors hereinafter named shall call for the same. And for
his pains and trouble therein shall have an Allowance either out of the said reall
or copyhold Estate or out of such other Estate as is hereby given or intended
to be given to and for the Endowment of the said Colledge the yearly Pension
or sum of fforty pounds per annum by the said Visitors upon their perusall
of his Accounts And my Will is that the Chappell in the said Colledge be
consecrated and that there be a sober devout and discreet person in Holy
Orders appointed to be Chaplin to the said Colledge to read Divine Service
there according to the present Liturgy of the Church of England as now by
Law established every day mourning and evening and also to preach sermons
twice a day every Sunday in the yeare and duely to administer the Holy
Sacrament and to visit the sick and to bury the dead and doe all other matters
and things according to the duty of his function and place and for his soe
doeing shall have alsoe out of the said Reall or Copyhold Estate as is hereby
given or intended to be given for the endowing of the said Colledge allowed to
him Thirty Pounds a year And the said Chaplin and alsoe the said Treasurer shall have their dyet with the said Merchants in the Hall of the said
Colledge and alsoe their lodginge in the said Colledge and the same shall be
answered out of the Estate hereby alloted for the endowing the Colledge
aforesaid and my Will is that the said Chaplin be allwaies resident to doe his
duty in the said Colledge And that all the said Merchants doe constantly goe
to Chappell and divine service twice every day without faile if they are able
And my Will is that the Merchants themselves within the said Colledge for
the time being by a majority of votes shall choose one or more at a time and as
often as they please out of their own number to buy in all the provisions and
other necessaries for the said College and to take care thereof and deliver out
the same to the cocke and others of the said College as occasion shall require
without any reward or advantage thereof to be made for his or their paines
(believing since I give the money to buy in all Things they will not think it a
burthen to buy in their owne provisions and necessaries) And my Will is that
there be a cooke appointed to dress all the provisions of the said Colledge
who shall have out of the Rents of the said Reall and Coppyhold Estate or
such other Estate as is hereby given for the purpose aforesaid not only Ten
Pounds a yeare Wages but alsoe his Lodgeing and Dyet in the said Colledge
And that there be alsoe a person appointed to be a Butler to take care of all
the Bread and Beer and Cheese to lay the cloath and look after the Table
Linnen And that he be Clerke of the Chappell for the time being and keep
the same cleane and alsoe the Hall and all the Publick Roomes and the Buttery
and Cellars and doe all other duties of a Butler and for his paines shall have
out of the Estate before or hereafter given not only Ten Pounds a year Wages
but alsoe his Lodgeing and Dyet in the said Colledge.
And my Will is that the Butler doe allwaies wait upon the said merchants
at their Table Dinners and Suppers And I doe give and appoint Ten Pounds
per annum issuing or to issue out of the Estate hereinbefore or hereinafter
devised to be expended or laid up for the Repaires of the said Colledge and
premises and the utensills and household stuffe thereof in the Kitchin Hall
and Publick Rooms of the said Colledge And my will is that my Executrix
and Trustees shall out of the same Estate furnish the Chapel of the said
Colledge with all things decent and necessary for the same and alsoe shall
furnish the Hall Kitchen Pantrys Butterys Washouses and all the public
rooms of the said Colledge with fitt and convenient furniture for the severall
and respective uses and purposes there requisite and necessary And in aid or
as an addition to my said Reall and Copyhold Estate and that the number of
the said poor Merchants may be increased and inlarged my will and desire is
and I doe hereby order and direct That my said Executrix with the assistance
of the Trustees above mentioned doe with all convenient speed collect and
gett in all my personal Estate whatsoever or wheresoever, and that she doe
with as much haste as may consist with reason make sale thereof and invest
and lay out the money ariseing from the sale of the said Personall Estate and
which shall remaine after my Debts particular Legacies and Funerall expenses
first satisfied and paid in a purchase of some Lands or Heraditaments of
Inheritance in Fee Simple And I will and direct that the Rents Issues and
Profitts thereof be added to the Rents and Revennues of the Reall Estate of
which I shall or may dye seized and that the said Estate of Inheritance soe to
be purchased by the produce of my Personall Estate as aforesaid be conveyed
to and vested in the said Sir Edmund Harrison Daniel Morse and Pelatia
Barnardiston their Heirs and Assignes and that the Rents and Profitts thereof
be applyed to the same uses intents and purposes as the Rents and Profitts of
the Real Estate of which I shall dye seized are above limited and appointed
and shall be a supply to the same And I doe hereby direct that such further
number of poor Merchants be received and admitted into the said Colledge as
the Rents and proffitts of such Estate soe to be purchased can maintaine and
provide for according to the pentions limited and appointed to and over above
the allowances above made for the said Lodgeing and Dyett and the salaries
above given to the severall officers above mentioned which said additionall
or further numbers of Merchants shall have the same allowance and be on the
same foundation and under the same Rules and Government as is and are above
laid downe and appointed for the Merchants to be provided for out of my
present Reall and Coppyhold Estate And I doe further direct that from and
after the decease of my dear and loveing Wife the said Annuity of Six hundred
pounds together with all other the Estate herein and hereby devised and bequeathed unto my said loveing [wife] shall alsoe be an addition to the Estate
hereinbefore allotted for the Endowment of the said Colledge and shall be to
the same uses as I have before limited and appointed, the Rents and Revenues
of the Reall Estate of which I may or shall dye seized and of the other Estate
above directed to be purchased and I doe hereby declare my meaning to be
that the residue of all my Estate Reall or Personall after my Debts particular
Legacies and Funerall charges paid shall be for Endowing the said Colledge
and for answering the severall provisions and Pensions to such officers and
poor Merchants as the amount of such my Estate when all invested in land or
Hereditaments of Inheritance will provide for according to the allowances and
pensions hereby given or intended to be given togeather alsoe with the sumes
hereby directed to be spent in the entertaining the Visitors herein mentioned
and repaireing the Colledge and other things above and hereafter specifyed
And for further explanation of my meaning I doe will and direct that there be
that prudent care taken by my Executrix dureing her life and by the Trustees
herein appointed after her death that there be not any time admitted into the
said Colledge a greater number of poor Merchants than what the Revenue
appointed for the Endowment of the said Colledge is sufficient to maintaine
and provide for according to the Pensions above mentioned And I hereby
give power to my said Executrix and after her decease to my said Trustees to
reduce or increase the number of the said poor Merchants as they shall think
fitt haveing alwaies respect to the Incombe and Revenue of the Estates given
and appointed for the Endowment of the Colledge aforesaid and for the better
collecting in my Personall Estate abroade I doe hereby give my said Executrix
full power and authority to imploy any ship or ships in which I am interrested
and to fitt out and equipp the same and to make insurances thereon and generally
to doe such other act or acts for the better getting in my Estate as is befitting
a Merchant to doe and I doe hereby discharge my said Executrix from being
lyable to any miscarriage in case what was done by her was well intended and
I doe further will and direct my Executrix to make sale of any Ship or Ships
part or share of ships I am interested if she thinks fitt and press and desire
her to take the speediest course and methode for the sale or disposeall of my
Personall Estate that can consist with prudence That the produce thereof may
come in aid of my Reall Estate for the endowing of the said Colledge The Government of which said Colledge I will to be as followeth (That is to say) my
Will is that the sole Government and Management of the said Colledge shall
be in the Visitors hereinafter mentioned and their successors for ever And first
I doe hereby appoint my said dear wife Dame Susan Morden Sir Edmund
Harrison Daniel Morse and Pelatia Barnardiston to be the sole visitors
thereof and they and the survivors of them or the major part of them or the
survivors of them to have the sole Management and Government thereof to
place and displace the said Merchants Chaplain Treasurer and all other the said
officers and Persons within the said Colledge at their Wills and pleasures and
to make such orders and rules for the well Governing thereof as they or the
major part of them shall from time to time in their discretions think fitt, and my
will is that they or the major part of them shall visit the said Colledge once a year
at least and oftener if they think fitt and that they or the major part of them
shall then take and state the said Treasurer's Accounts and peruse and signe the
same if they shall approve thereof and if not to call the said Treasurer to an
Account for all such moneys as shall come to his hands and not be disposed
of according to this my Will and that then they shall examine into the well
governing of the said Colledge and into the manners and behaviour of everyone within the said Colledge and if they finde that the said Treasurer Chaplin
or any of the Officers of the said Colledge doe not behave themselves according to their duty then or at any other time to displace them and appoint
others in their rooms by a writing under their severall and respective hands
and seales or under the hands and seales of the major part of them And alsoe
then to examine into the manners and good behaviour of all the said Merchants
and whether they keep constantly to Chappell and are resident in the said
Colledge and if they finde them guilty of any sort of ill behaviour or not keeping strictly to the rules and orders of the Colledge or guilty of Swearing
Drunkness or any debauchery or not keeping constantly to Chappell or not
being resident That then or at any time after by any writing under their hands
and seales or under the hands and seales of the major part of them they shall
and may displace and turne them out and may putt in such other Merchants as
in their discretion they shall think fitt according to this my will And they
shall then veiw all the repaires done or to be done in the said Colledge or
utensils of household stuffe and give such orders therein as to them shall
seem meet And my Will is and I doe hereby give Ten Pounds per annum
for ever to be expended in a Dynner for the Visitors in the said Hall on the
day of their visitation and for provideing of Hay and Corn for their horses.
And after they have dyned all the provisions remaininge to be given to the
Merchants within the said Colledge And my Will is that there be rooms
prepared for their reception And my Will is that immediately after the decease of any two of them the said visitors above mentioned That Sir John
Buckwith Sir Humphrey Edwin John Morrice Esq. William Fawkenner and
Mr. Justice Otgher all of London Turkey Merchants shall be trustees and
Visitors of the said Colledge dureing their lives with the then surviveing
Visitor or Visitors of the said Colledge above named and that then all the said
Trustees and visitors doe visit the said Colledge and execute all the said
powers and authorityes above mentioned to be given to the said first named
above Trustees and visitors and that then when any one of all the said
Visitors shall happen to dye that then immediately all the surviving visitors
or the major part of them shall meet and under their hands and seales Constitute and appoint some one of the Turkey Company to supply the place of
such deceased Visitor and to be Visitor with them dureing his life or if more
than one happen to be dead then to constitute and appoint soe many of the
Turkey Company to be visitors for their lives in the place of those that are
deceased as will still keep up their number of seven Visitors to have allwaie
the sole Government and management of the said Colledge according to the
true intention of this my Last Will and Testament And my will is that soe
for ever as often as any of the said Visitors of the said Colledge shall dye the
surviveing Visitors shall from time to time constitute and appoint discreet
persons members of the said Turkey Company to supply their places and to
fill up their number of seven Visitors And if it shall soe happen that all the
Visitors of the said Colledge should dye without choosing others to succeed
them Then my Will is that the Turkey Company shall choose seven persons
members of their Company to be Visitors of the said Colledge for their lives
and they to choose their successors accordingly in manner and forme aforesaid
for ever And my Will is that if the said Turkey Company shall faile and there
be noe such Company as now trades to Turkey soe that there cannot be Visitors
chosen out of the members of the said Turkey Company that then the surviving Visitors or the major part of them shall constitute and appoint soe many
out of the East India Company as will fill up and compleate the number
seaven and if that Company faile and that there be noe such Company as
now trades to the East Indies Then out of the Court of Aldermen of the
City of London to be Visitors for their lives with them as will make up their
number Seven Visitors for ever and so thenceforward from time to time surviving Visitors as often as any shall dye shall choose fit and discreet persons
out of the said Court of Aldermen to be Visitors of the said Colledge And
if the said Court of Aldermen shall happen to faile and there be noe such
Court of Aldermen nor Turkey Company to choose out of Then my Will is
that the surviveing Visitors shall from time to time and at all times when one
or more of the said Visitors shall dye to constitute and appoint one or more
to make up their number seven of such discreet and grave persons—gentlemen
of the County of Kent—as the then Surviveing Visitors or the major part of
them in their discretion from time to time shall think fitt to be Visitors of the
said Colledge for their Lives and soe to choose Visitors successively out of
the Gentlemen of the County of Kent to make up their number Seven for ever
But so long as there shall be a Turkey Company and whensoever they shall
be restored my Will is that the Visitors shall from time to time upon the
Death of any of the said Visitors be chosen out of the said Turkey Company
and I Will and direct that the said Trustees and Visitors from time to time
and at all times hereafter when and soe often as or before they shall happen
to be reduced to two in number in whom the Inheritance of the Estate hereby
devised or to be purchased as aforesaid shall then be vested shall convey
and assure the Inheritance and ffee Simple of the said Estates To the use
of themselves and all other the then present Visitors for the time being and
of their Heirs and Assignes for the purposes aforesaid And my Will and
Meaning is that as well as the Charges of soe Conveying and Transferring the
said Estates as all other Charges and expences in or about makeing purchases
and ordering and manageing the Estate or Revenues wherewith the said
Colledge is hereby endowed or intended to be endowed as aforesaid other
than the expenses of the said Visitations which are hereby already provided
for shall be borne and sustained and in the first placed allowed and deducted
out of the Estates or Revenue aforesaid And my Will is that soe often as any
of my Name or my own or my Wives Relations shall be qualified to be Chaplain or otherwise qualified to performe any of the offices in the said Colledge
or be within the intention of this my Will to be put into receive the Charity of
the said Colledge that they shall be upon an Election preferred before others
and be putt into the said Offices of the said Colledge for which they are
qualified and putt in to receive the Charity thereof before any other persons
whatsoever.
And Lastly I do revoke annull and make void all former and other Wills
at any time heretofore by me made and I doe declare this to be My Last
Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and
seale the fifteenth day of October Anno Domini One Thousand seven hundred
and two and in the first year of the Raigne of Our Soveraigne Lady Anne
Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith &c.
JNO MORDEN.
Signed sealed published prounounced and declared by the said Sir John
Morden as his Last Will and Testament in the presence of Henry Radman
Jno Curryer Thos. Woodford Jo Studley.
CODICIL.
WHEREAS on the fifteenth day of October last past I made my Last
Will and Testament wherein mention is made that a Colledge was erected
by me at or near Blackheath in the County of Kent for the maintenance of
such poor Merchants as are therein described and Whereas in and by the
said Will amongst diverse other bequests I gave or allotted an yearly Pension
of Twenty Pounds to every poor Merchant that should be admitted into the
said Colledge as by the said Will to which I now referr may appear and
Whereas I have attended the Honourable The House of Commons in expectation of obtaining an exemption for the said Colledge from paying of Taxes
but could not prevaile I doe therefore think fitt to make these presents a
Codicil to my said Will and doe herein and hereby declare my minde to be that
the said Pension allowance or Salary of Twenty Pounds yearly to each of the
said Merchants shall be reduced and the same is hereby reduced to the yearly
Payment or Pension of Fifteen Pounds and I will that the same sumes doe
issue and be paid out of the said yearly Pension of Fifteen Pounds for buying
of Gownes and Coals as are directed to issue and be made payable out of the
yearly allowance of Twenty Pounds by the said Will allowed which said yearly
allowance of Twenty Pounds I think fitt to reduce as aforesaid to the yearly
sume of Fifteen Pounds In all other things whatsoever I confirme my said
Will In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale this nineth
day of March Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and two (fn. 1) and in the
second yeare of the Raigne of our Sovereigne Lady Queen Anne of England.
JNO MORDEN.
Sealed and delivered in the presence of Henry Radman Jno Curryer Jo
Studley Jno Potten.
Somerset House Register 64 (Barrett 213). Probate granted to Susannah Lady
Morden 6 October 1708.