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Will of Thomas Rye,
of Canterbury, Kent, Gentleman, 1814

The following Will has been transcribed and contributed by the kind courtesy of Ros Dunning.
The National Archives; Kew, England; Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers; Class: PCC Prob 11/1555.

This is the last Will and Testament of me Thomas Rye of the City of Canterbury Gentleman made this twenty fourth day of January in the Year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred & fourteen in manner and form following that is to say

ffirst I desire to be decently Interred in a Yellow deal Coffin at the discretion of my Ex[ecut]ors hereinafter named And as to my Worldly Estate I dispose thereof as follows

I give & bequeath unto the Treasurer for the time being of the General Kent & Canterbury Hospital near the said City of Canterbury my large Silver Cup with two handles marked with the letters T.R. and one large inlaid Chest standing in my bed Room And I direct that the same may be delivered immediately after my decease to the said Treasurer for the Charitable purposes of the said Hospital whose Receipt alone shall be a sufficient discharge to my Ex[ecut]ors for the same

Also I give & bequeath the sum of ffifty Pounds Stock of three Per Cent Consolidated Annuities of the Bank of England unto the Minister & Churchwardens of the Parish of Holy Cross Westgate & their Successors for ever upon trust to pay the Interest Dividends & Proceeds arising therefrom in manner following one third part thereof to the said Kent & Canterbury Hospital to be paid by them Yearly to the said Treasurer for the time being in aid of the Charitable purposes of the said Hospital & his Receipt alone to be a sufficient discharge from time to time for the same one other third part thereof to be laid out in the purchase of Sixpenny Loaves and distributed to the poor of the Parish of St. Peter in the said City Yearly on St. Thomas’s day and the remaining third part thereof to be laid out & distributed in like manner Yearly on St Thomas’s day to the poor of the Parish of Holy Cross Westgate in the same City and Suburbs thereof

Also I give and bequeath to the Child and Children of my late Sister Mary the Wife of Jens Arbo of Drauming in Norway the Sum of ninety Pounds due and owing to me from Richard Borton secured by Mortgage on an Estate in the Parish of Petham in the County of Kent equally between them Share and Share alike

Also I give and bequeath to my Nephew James John Rye one Moiety or half part of the Sum of Three hundred Pounds due & owing to me from John Stubberfield of Chartham Hatch secured to me on Mortgage and the Interest of the other Moiety or half part thereof I give unto my Nephew William Rye for his life & after his decease

I give the last mentioned Moiety or half part unto the Daughter of my said Nephew William Rye by his first Wife whose Christian name I do not recollect Nevertheless it is my Will and I direct that the said Monies shall not be called in until three Years after my decease unless the said John Stubberfield shall choose and be desirous to pay the same sooner

Also I give & bequeath my Brother & Sister Abraham Rye & Elizabeth Stokes the Sum of ffive hundred Pounds due & owing to me from John Sanders of Whitstable secured to me on Mortgage to be equally divided between them Share & share alike

I give my Pint Silver Pot to my Nephew William the Youngest Son of the said Jens Arbo & my Silver Coral to my Niece Sarah Daughter of the said Jens Arbo And also my Silver Shoe and Knee Buckles with my Watch Chain and Trinkets thereto to my Nephew John Son of the said Jens Arbo

I give one Moiety of my Wearing Apparel of all sorts to my said Brother Abraham Rye and the other Moiety thereof to my said Nephew James John Rye and William Rye equally between them

Also I give & bequeath the Sum of One hundred & seventy five Pounds Stock of four per Cent reduced Annuities in manner following

ffifty pounds Stock part thereof unto all and every the Children of the said Jens Arbo equally between them Share & Share alike

ffifty Pounds Stock further part thereof unto my said Brother & Sister Abraham Rye & Elizabeth Stokes equally between them share & share alike

ffifty Pounds Stock further part thereof unto my said unto my said Nephew James John Rye and the remaining twenty five pounds Stock other part thereof unto my said Nephew William Rye

all which Legacies I direct shall be paid & transferred to the respective Legatees by my Ex[ecut]ors hereinafter named as soon as they can conveniently do the same

And as to all the rest residue and remainder of my Monies Securities for Money & all other my Goods Chattels & Personal Estate & Effects whatsoever & wheresoever Subject to the payment thereout of all my Just Debts ffuneral & other Expences I give & bequeath the same & every part thereof unto my said Brother & Sister Abraham Rye & Elizabeth Stokes equally between them Share & Share alike

And I appoint Thomas Tilbe the Elder Grocer and Edward Homersham the Elder Carpenter both of Holy Cross Westgate aforesaid Executors of this my Will to each of whom I give ffive Pounds for the trouble they may have in the Ex[ecuti]on thereof And I direct that they shall retain to themselves all reasonable Charges & Expences attending the Ex[ecuti]on of this my Will and that they shall be answerable for only such Monies and things as may come to their respective hands and not one for the other or for the Acts Deeds Receipts or Disbursements the one of the other

and revoking all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made I do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament

In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Rye the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained in two Sheets of Paper together annexed set my hand to the first Sheet thereof and my hand and Seal to this the Second and last Sheet thereof the day & year aforesaid

Tho[ma]s Rye

(Attestation Clause)

Samuel Goulden, William Cullen

Proved at London 18 April 1814