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The will of William Drage, dated 10/01/1725

People mentioned are:
William Drage (his son)
Thomas Drage (his son)
John Drage (his son)
Austin Drage (his son)
Lydia Drage (his daughter)
Elizabeth Johnson (his wife)
Elizabeth Drage (the child that his wife is now big with)
Austin Johnson (his wife's husband)
William Drage (his father)
Lydia Gallaway (his sister's daughter)
William Gallaway (his sister's son)
Roberta Gallaway (his sister's daughter)
John Gallaway (his sister's son)
John Gallaway (his sister's husband)

Thank you to Carolyn Noon for the transcription below.



Both Old English grammar and spelling have been maintained throughout. Punctuation as such does not appear in the original text except for brackets and capitals.
Paragraphs have been added and family names made bold for clarity. Where a word is unrecognizable a (-) is used.
Probatum (Probate) at end of document is written in Latin so not translated here.


William Drage of Wickin in the County of Cambridge Gent being in good
health and of perfect mind memory and understanding thanks be to God I doe
make and Ordain. This is my last will and Testament in manner following - 

In primus I devise give and bequeath all and singular my Copyhold Messuages Lands Tenements Pasture Grounds and Herreditaments Situate lyeing and being in Wickin aforesaid and late purchased by me of (-) Charles Wager and alsoe thirteen Acres and one Rood of adventures Grounds (parcell of eightie three acres) lyeing next to late Bridgemans Adventures and alsoe three pieces more of Adventures Grounds (other parcell thereof) one of the said pieces abutting upon the said thirteen Acres and one Rood aforementioned with their and every of their Rights Members and appurtenances unto William Drage my son his Heirs and assigns forever to be enjoyed by him at the age of one and twenty years
I devise give and bequeath all land singular my Freehold and Copyhold Messuages Grounds Tenements Pasture Grounds and Herreditaments Situate lying and being in Wickin aforesaid and late purchased by me of John Wilkin Gent and also all that Freehold Messuage or Tenement with the pasture Grounds thereunto adjoining containing ten Acres more or less together with the Lodge form part to the same belonging Situate lying and being in Wickin aforesaid and late purchased by me of Robert Cavraham and also the Remainder of the above said Eightie three Acres of adventures Grounds late Bridgemans called by the Name of the bant with the two grounds abutting upon the Corporation Bant with their and every of their arights members and appurtenances unto Thomas Drage my son his heirs and assigns forever to be enjoyed by him at the age of one and twenty years
I devise give and bequeath unto Thomas Emmons of Wickin all that my Copyhold Messuage or Tenement with the yard and orchard there unto belonging wherein now dwelleth to hold to him the said Thomas Emmons his heirs and assigns forever and I devise give and bequeath all that my Freehold half acre of arable land lying in Bernham Fields in Soham unto William Mayse of Soham aforesaid Gent his heirs and assigns forever and I devise give and bequeath all that my Leasehold close of pasture containing two acres (more or less) with the Appurtenances lying in the after way in Wickin aforesaid and late purchased by me of the Trustees of Mrs Elizabeth Grimmer and also all other my Leasehold lands lying in Wickin aforesaid with their all and every of their appurtenances unto John Drage my eldest son his Executors Administrators and Assigns forever to be Enjoyed by him at the age of one and twenty years then all Singular the rest Residue all my Freehold and Copyhold Messuages Lands Tenements Pasture Grounds and Hereditaments whatsoever hereunto lying and being in Wickin aforesaid or elsewhere within the Kingdom of Great Brittain and not herein before bequeathing I do hereby devise give and bequeath unto John Drage my eldest son his heirs and assigns forever to be enjoyed by him at the age of one and twenty years then all singular the rest and residue all my Freehold and Copyhold Messuages Lands Tenements Pasture Grounds and Hereditaments whatsovever here unto lying and being in Wickin aforesaid or elsewhere within the Kingdom of Great Brittain and not herein before bequeathing I do hereby devise give and bequeath unto John Drage my eldest son his heirs and assigns forever to be enjoyed by him at the age of one and twenty years
I give devise and bequeath unto Austin Drage my son the sume of five hundred pounds of Lawfull money of Great Brittain to be paid to him by my Executors or Trustee hereinafter named as soon as he shall arrive at the age of one and twenty years
I give and bequeath unto Lydia Drage my daughter the sum of five hundred pounds of like Lawfull money of Great Brittain to be paid to her by my Executors or Trustee hereinafter named as soon as she shall arrive to the age of one and twenty years
I give and bequeath unto the child that Elizabeth my wife is now bigg with (be the same male or female) the same of five hundred pounds of Lawfull money of Great Brittain to be paid as soon as it shall arrive to the age of one and twenty years by my Executor or Trustee hereinafter named
if it shall happen that Austin Drage Lydia Drage or the Child my said Wife Elizabeth is now bigg with all should either of them depart this life before that they arrive to the age of one and twenty years then my Will and mind is that the portion or Legacie of him or her dyeing shall be and Remains to and amongst the two survivors of them share and share alike and in the case of that of such two survivors depart this life and not having attained to the age aforesaid I do soe hereby direct that the portion or Legacie of the survivor of such two soe dyeing (of and in the sume of seven hundred and fifty pounds) shall be and remain Equally to such last survivor and my other three Children (Namely) John William and Thomas share and share alike how my will and mind is and I do hereby order and direct that Elizabeth my Loving wife and Austin Johnson of Ely Gent my Brother in Law shall receive and take the Rents Issues and Profitts of all and singular the aforementioned Freehold Copyhold and Leasehold Estates (devised to my aforesaid Children) untill such time as they shall severally arrive to the age of one and twenty years upon this Especiall Repose Trust and Confidence that they shall apply the same to the severall used intents and purposes hereinafter mentioned (that is to say) in the first place for the Maintenance Educating and bringing my all and every aforementioned Children and for the binding them into good and usefull Trades being left to the Discretion and Management of the said Elizabeth my Wife and the said Austin Johnson and for the Raising money to discharge the several Legacies devised to my said children
According to the discretion of this my will and for the discharging of all Fines Fees and Court Charges upon the admission of my children to their several Copyhold Estates and for the discharging of several Legacies given and devised by William Drage my late father in and by his last will and Testament unto Lydia Gallaway William Gallaway Roberta Gallaway and John Gallaway his grandchildren and for the further discharging all just and reasonable expenses which the said Elizabeth my wife and Austin Johnson shall reimburse in the trust and management of this my will and after such trust in them reposed as aforesaid is only paid discharged and performed according to the true intent and purpose of this my will the Overplus which shall remain (out of the rents and profits of the aforementioned estates) shall be and remain to the sole proper use and benefit of all my said children equally to be divided between them and if either of them dye before they arrive to the age of one and twenty years the survivor to enjoy his her or their part so dyeing then
I give and bequeath unto the poor people of the towne of Wickin the sum of five pounds of lawfull money of Great Brittain to be paid and distributed to them by my Executors or Trustee hereinafter named in manner following viz fifty shillings part thereof the first Christmas Day which shall happen after my decease and fifty shillings residue thereof upon the next Christmas Day following it
in all and singular my moveable goods chattels stock moneys mortgages securities and personall estate whatsoever or whosoever I doe devise give and bequeath unto the said Elizabeth my Wife and the said Austin Johnson my Brother in Law upon this further trust confidence that they shall apply the same to the severall uses intents and purposes herein before expressed and hereinafter more particularly trained (that is to say) for the Maintenance Educating and bringing up of all and every my aforesaid children and binding them out to good and usefull grades for the raising moneys to discharge the severall legacies devised to them by this my will together with the payment of my just and funeral expenses and in order to their one performance thereof hereby I nominate constitute and appoint the said Elizabeth my wife and Austin Johnson full and sole executors of this my will with this further repose and confidence that after their trust is punctually discharged and performed according to the direction given them in this my will the Overplus which shall remain (out of my goods chattels stock moneys and personall estate) shall be and I remain to and amongst all and every of my said children equally and if either of them dye before that they attain to the age aforesaid the survivors to enjoy
lastly if it happen that the said Austin Johnson my Brother in law depart this life before that my said children shall severally arrive to the age aforesaid (and she Elizabeth my wife having contracted matrimony as aforesaid) then in such case I do hereby further order and direct that the sole and absolute trust of this my will shall be committed unto John Gallaway of Ely aforesaid Gent my Brother in law and I doo hereby give and grant unto him the said John Gallaway full power and absolute authority to execute the same in every respect whatsoever upon this further trust and confidence that he performe the same according to the true intention of this my will and not other wise
In witness whereof I the said William Drage to this my last will and Testament in writing contained in four sheets of paper have to each sheet thereon setting my hand and seale this the Tenth day of January in the twelfth year of the Reigne of our Sovereign Lord George by the Grace of God Great Brittain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty Five William Drage signed sealed published and declared by the Testator to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us whose names are hereunder written who likewise subscribed in the presence of the Testator Elizabeth Blowes the marke of Elizabeth Cork Wm Blowes

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