Will of: William Sakett, of St Peter in Thanet, Kent.
Date: 7 March 1497/98.
Proved: Archdeaconry Court of Canterbury, 24 April 1498.
Source: Kent Archives Office, PRC 17-7-24.
Beneficiaries:
Wife Margaret, tenement & lands during widowhood.
Son Henry, tenement & lands at 21 if mother Margaret deceased or remarried.
Reversion to brother Martyn, then brother John.
Henry to pay Martyn and John 5 marks.
Executors: Robert Sakett, & two others.
Transcript:

[First 17 lines, the testament, are in Latin. The date in the Latin section is 'Mill-imo CCCCLxxxxvij', i.e. 1497 and in the English section 'xiijth yere of the reigne of Kyng Henry the Vij', i.e. 1497|98 (Henry VII's accession 22 Aug 1485).]

[Latin section]
"In dei nomine Amen septo die Marcij Anno d-m Mill-imo CCCCLXXXXvijmo Ego Will-ms Sakett de parochia sancti petri in Insula de Thaneto compo mentes et sane memorie condo test-m mea- in huic mod- Inpremis do et lego anima meam omnipotenti deo beate marie et omibus sancte Corpus p meu- sepeliend in cinicterio eccl-ie sancti petri p'dict Item lego sum-o attari [dict] [eccl-ie p decimis … obites iiijor denarios Item lego [cmlibet] lumini [cums sim frater] in dict ecc-lia [vn-a] mod-m ordei Item lego [cmlibet consilial?] meore iiijor d Item lego Margareta uxori mei aliam ptem [mea- utensilia mea camere aute et coquine meo] It-m volo p omia grana et catulla mea dividentr in tres ptes viz vnam ptem Int Margarete uxori mea aliam ptem Martino Henrica et Joh-n filys meos inter eos dividend p aequales portio- nes et tercia ptem execut meos [huius autem] test- meo orduno facie et constituo Robertus Sakett et Laurenc-m et [Mershe ques] meos p p'sentes ut p'sens test-m mea fidelit [exemantr et co-plea-t] [c-m effectu jmbr cmlibet vllus] do et lego p laboribi [sins] viginti dj"

[Translation of Latin section]
"In the name of God Amen the 7th day of March in the year of our Lord 1497, I William Sakett of the parish of St Peter in the Isle of Thanet being of sound mind and healthy memory write my testament in this manner Firstly I give and leave my soul to almighty God blessed Mary and all the saints my body to be buried in the churchyard of the chrch of St Peter aforesaid item I leave to the high altar [of the said] [church for tythes … forgotten 4 pence Item I leave [freely?] to the lights [of which I am a brother] in the said church […] manner appoint Item I leave [freely? council?] I bequeath 4d Item I leave Margaret my wife another part [my utensils my room pots and cooking mine] Item I will by all grain and chattels mine divide in three parts to wit one part between Margaret my wife another part Martin Henry and John my sons between them divided by equal portions and the third part my executors [of this thing however] my testament ordain make and appoint Robert Sakett and Laurence and [Mershe …] mine by […] that […] my testament faithfully examine and [as performing therein freely anyone] I give and leave for their labour [each?] 20d"

[English section]
"This is the last will of me the said William Sakett made the day and yere above Wrytten and the xiijth yere of the reigne of Kyng Henry the vij of and appon all my landes and With thappurtn-nce in Whiche landes and tenementes Richard [Goosey?] and the said Laurence [at] Marshe [ ] I will my seid feoffees [ ] after my decesse shall sell [a moity] [of] my lands furthest from my tenements [as] shall pforme my dettes and bequests Also I will that my seid feoffee shall feoff the seid Margaret my Wyff to have hold and occupy all my other lande and ten- as long as she is sole woman keping sufficie reparation and pay the lord of the fee and other charges belongyng to the seid [ ] and landes Also I will that [my] seid feffeis shall enffeffe Henry my son when he shall come to theye of xxj yer of and in all my landes and ten-tes having and holdyng to hym his heires and assignes for ev-more if that then the seid Margarete [be] [married or decessed] And I Will that the seid Henry shal pay or do pay to Martyn and John his [bredrie] v marke betwene them too evynly be devyded and if any of the seid Martyn and John decesse er they shal come to lawfull [age] then I will the one to be that others heire of the seid v marke And if it so [fortune] the seid Henry my sonne decesse er he shall come to the seid [age] havyng no Issue of his body lawfully begotten That then I will that the seid Martyn my son-e [shal have] my seid landes and ten-tes in forme above Wrytten payng John my son v marke And if it happe my seid iij sonnes Herry Martyn and Joh-n decesse [ ] the age of xxj yer havyng no issue of their bodies lawfully begotten Then I will my seid feffes shall sell all my seid landes and Te-n- wt thapputn-nce to hym that will gyve moest therfor and I will it shalbe dispo- sed in this forme First [to an] honest prest for to pray and sing for the helth of my soule for my freindes and all [Prystey] soules in the sayde cherche by the space and terme of half a yer v marke and to the seid churcheworke xx s and all the residue of the money to be disposed to power peple fowle Weyes and to other charytable [dedys] as my seid executors and feffes se moost expedieus god to please and my soule to prevayle Furthermor I will that the seid Herry my son shall occupie v [yed] hys landes and hys ten- or he pay or do pay the seid v marke to his ij brothers Item I bequethe to Iche of my feffes for their labor xij d This Wyttnessith Sir Hugh Hoth vicar of the seid churche Richard [Goosey?] Willm [Nullect] and other etc"

"Probatum sunt … xxiiijto Aplis [g] adm-istracio execut in testamente …"