Martin Stables of Knottingley (b. 1655 Kippax, d. 1716 Knottingley)

Martin Stables, a gentleman from Knottingley, was the brother of Henry Stables of Barnburgh and was born at Allerton Bywater in 1655.

This will and inventory were very kindly transcribed by Michael Chance.

The Will of Martin Stables (dated April 18th, 1716)

In the name of God Amen I Martin Stables of Knottingley in the County of Yorke Yeoman being weak in body but of good & perfect memory (praised be God for the same) do make & ordain this my last will & Testament in manner & forme following, first & principally I Comend my Soule into the hands of Almighty God & my body I Comitt to the Earth & the same to be decently buried in Xtian Buriall at the discrecon of my Executor hereafter named Now as concerning such worldly Estate as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I do give devise & dispose the same as followeth And first it is my will & mind that all my true & lawfull debts together with my Funerall Expences shall be first paid & discharged And then I do hereby give devise & bequeath unto Henry Stables my Son his heires & Assignes for Ever All my Messuages Cottages Lands Tenements & hereditaments whatsoever Scituate lying & being in Knottingley aforesd or Elsewhere in the County of Yorke Itm I do give & bequeath unto Mary my daughter the wife of Stephen Allan the sume of Fifty pounds of lawfull money of great Brittain to be paid unto her at the end of four years next after my decease if she be then living on Condicon that the sd Stephen Allan her husband do give bond to my Executor to pay to & amongst the Children of my sd daughter the like sume of Fifty pounds in case he survive the said Mary my daughter & not otherwise, but if my sd daughter shall happen to dye before the End of Four years next after my decease, then it is my will & mind that my Executor hereafter named do putt out the sd Sume of Fifty pounds to Interest to & for the benefit & advantage of such of my said daughters Children as shall then be living the interest to be paid unto their Father towards their maintenance & Education & the principall Sume to be equally divided amongst them & paid unto them severally & respectively as they attain their severall & respective ages of one & twenty yeares or upon the day of their severall & respective marriages or wch shall first happen. Item it is my will & mind that my Executor hereafter named shall find & provide to & for Anne my loving wife sufficient & competent subsistence & maintenance during her naturall life or so long as she pleases to dwell & Inhabit with my sd Executor But if my sd wife shall at any time be minded to dwell elsewhere then my sd Executor shall pay unto her or her assignes the yearly Sume of six pounds of lawfull money of Great Brittaine by four equall payments in the year during the terme of her naturall life or of such her seperate dwelling And I make my Reall & personall Estate subject to & chargeable with the payment of the same accordingly. Item All the rest of my personall Estate whatsoever I give & bequeath the same unto the said Henry Stables my Son whome I do hereby make Sole Executor of this my last will & Testament hereby revokeing & making void all former wills & Testaments by me made In Witness whereof I the sd Martin Stables to this my present Last will & Testament in writing have sett my hand & seale the Eighteenth day of Aprill in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seaven hundred & Sixteen.

Martin Stables.

Signed Sealed published & declared in the presence of us who have subscribed our names as Witnesses in the Sight & presence of the Testator.

William Stables, Joseph Atkinson, Nathaniel Atkinson.

The Inventory for Martin Stables's Will