HENRY BEZANT and his wife MARY lived at Laxfield, a large and pleasant village in the county of Suffolk, England. HENRY was a yoeman, or farmer who owned his land, and, judging from items in his will, must have also made sieves. Life was comfortable, and Henry and MARY had many years together. Most of their children, born in the late 1600's, lived to marry and have children of their own, children which HENRY and MARY watched grow to adulthood too.
MARY died in 1745. Eighteen years later, in May of 1763, though he was very old, HENRY dictated his last will and testament, being of "sound and perfect mind and memory." He gave a house and land in Laxfield to his grandson JOHN BEZANT, son of his son JOHN; a house and land in Saxtead, a few miles away, to his daughter SARAH CURTIS; and to his son ENOCH a house and land in Laxfield "together with the Shop at the West End of the Swelling House." He names some grandchildren, including HENRY "son of HENRY BEZANT my son;" also mentioned is "MARY BARKER my Daughter in Law." His son JAMES was to receive money in the amount of two pounds. His son ENOCH was given "all my working Tools belonging to my trade, and also all the Tools in Husbandry." His "Linnen (Shirts only Excepted)" were to be "enjoy'd" by his daughter MARY HUGGINS. BENJAMIN BEZANT, his son, was bequeathed "all my Household Goods and Bedding that is in the Low Rooms and Chamber (the Old Brewing Tub, and the Table in the Kitchen Excepted)." He gave to "EDWARD HUGGINS my Grandson, all my Stock in Trade whatsoever, viz.: Sieves and Sieve Rims &c."
HENRY directed that grave stones "for me an MARY my Wife be "Handsomly Engraved and Decently fixed at our places of Interment." He also desired that his sons, daughters, and grandchildren should keep the properties given to them in "Good and Tenantable Repair." He appointed ROBERT SMITH of Wilby, Cooper, and SAMEUL ALDOUS of Fressingfield, Blacksmith (his grandson-in-law), as the executors of his will.
HENRY died 27 June 1763, according to his tombstone, which gives his age as 102 years. His burial entry in the Laxfield registers, 30 June 1763, states that he was aged 101 years 6 months.
Text of Will
IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. I Henry bezant of Laxfield in the county of Suffolk, yeoman, Considering the Certainty of Death and the uncertainty of this Mortal Life, and being of sound and perfect mind and memory, Blessed be Almighty God for the same, Do hereby make and publish this my last Will and Testament in the manner and form Following. First and principally I recommend my soul into the Hands of Almighty God who gave it me, and my Body to the Earth to be decently Buried in Christian Burial by my Executors hereinafter named, and as touching that Worldly Estate God hath pleased to Bless me with. I dispose of the same as herein after mention’d. ITEM I give and devise unto John Bezant my Grandson, Son of John Bezant my Son all that my coppyhold, Messuage Lands and premises, with all the Appurtenances thereunto belonging Situate and Lying and being in Laxfield in the County afores’d and now in the use and occupation of Edward Huggins and John Starkey, and to his Heirs and Assigns forever, Subject and Lyable, and to pay out thereof unto Ann Bezant his Mother the wife of John Bezant my Son the Sum of Fourty Shillings a year, yearly, and every year During ye Term of her Natural Life, by two Even Equal payments in the year, the first payment to be made within one half year next after my Decease, and so to continue as herein specified. AND Also the sum of two pounds two shillings of Lawful money of Great Britain to Each of my Executors herein after named for and towards their trouble and stisfaction in the Fulfilling Executing and Performing of this my will. ITEM I give and devise unto Sarah Curtis my daughter and to her disposing all that my Coppyhold, Messuage Lands and premises with their Appurtenances Situate Lying and Being in Saxtead in ye County afores’d now in ye use and Occupation of Robt. Read, and if ye said sarah Curtis my Daughter shall have departed this Life before my deceas, the I Giv ye afores’d Coppyhold, Messuage Lands and premises, with their Appurtenances Situate in Saxtead in ye County afores’d to be sold Immediately, or as soon as conveniently may be, after my decease, by my Executors herein after named, and the money arising there from to be equally Divided Between so many of ye Children of ye afores’d Sarah Curtis as shall then be Living. ITEM I Give and Devise unto Enoch Bezant my Son all that my part Freehold Messuage Lands and premises together with the Shop I work in, and also the Yard below the Shop with all the Appurtenances thereunto belonging Situate lying and being in Laxfield in the County afores’d now in the use and Occupation of myself and James Hearken, to hold to him the said Enoch Bezant my Son during the Term of his ntural Life and from and immediately after ye decease of said Enoch Bezant my Son I Give and Devise all the afores’d Freehold Messuages Lands and premises with their Appurtenances unto Sarah Bezant, the now Wife of him the said Enoch Bezant my Son for and during the Term of her Natural Life, and from and immediately after the decease of her the said Sarah Bezant I Give and Devise all the afores’d Freehold Messuage Lands and premises with their Appurtenances unto Thomas Bezant my Grandson, son of Enoch Bezant my Son and to his Heirs and Assignes forever. He paying out thereof unto so many Brothers and Sisters of his as shall then be Living, the full sum of Five pounds Each of lawful Money of Great Britain, within one year next after the decease of her the said Sarah Bezant my Daughter in Law. ITEM I Give and Devise unto Mary Huggins my Daughter all that Moiety and other part of Freehold Messuage lands and premises together with the Shop at the West End of the Dwelling House with all the Appurtenances, Situate Lying and being in Laxfield in the County afores’d now in the us and Occupation of John Pain to hold to her the said Mary Huggins my Daughter for and during the Term of her Natural Life and from and Immediatelythe decease of her the said mary Huggins my daughter, I Give and Devise all the afores’d Freehold Messuage Lands and premises with their Appurtenances to be sold by my Executors herein after named a soon as conveniently may be, and the Money arising therefrom to be Equally Divided Between so many of the Children of her the said Mary Huggins my daughter, a shall then be living share and share alike. ITEM I Give and Bequeath unto Mary Barker my Daughter in Law the sum of Two Pounds of Lawful Money of Great Britain. ITEM I Give and Bequeath unto Henry Bezant my Grandson, son of Henry Bezant my Son, the sum of Sixteen Pounds of Lawful Money of Great Britain. ITEM I Give and Bequeath unto Mary Rayner my Grandaughter the sum of Three Pounds of Lawful Money of Great Britain. ITEM I Give and Bequeath unto James Bezant my Son the sum of Two Pounds of Lawful Money of Great Britain. Which said four severalLegacies or sums of Money I will and order shall be paid to the four respective Legatees within Six Months next after my Decease by my Executors herein after named. ITEM I Give and Bequeath unto Enoch Bezant my Son, All my working Tools belonging to my trade and also all the Tools in Husbandry, freely to be enjoyed by him without any Obstruction Molestration Whatsoever. ITEM I Give unto mary Huggins my Daughter all my Linnen (Shirts only Excepted) by her freely to be enjoyed. ITEM I Give and Bequeath unto Benjamin Bezant my Son, all my Household Goods and Bedding that is in the Low Room and Chamber, (the Old Brewing Tub and the Table in the Kitchen only Excepted) by him freely to be Enjoyed. ITEM I Give and Bequeath unto Edward Huggins my Grandson, all my Stock in trade whatsoever (viz.) Sieves and Sieve-Rims Etc freely to be enjoy’d by him. AND LASTLY all the rest, residue and remainder of my Goods Chattles and personal Estate whatsoever, I Give to be equally Divided among so many of my Sons and Daughters as shll then be Living. FIRST paying out thereof all my Just Debts Funereal Charge, probate of this my Will, and the charges of two Grave Stones for me and mary my Wife to be handsomely Engraved and Decently Fixed at our place of Interment. AND further my will and Desire is that all and every of my Sons, Daughters and Grand Children shall uphold Maintain and keep all and Singular the fores’d free and Coppyhold Messuages Lands and premises respectively given to them in Good and Tenable Repair during their respective Lives. AND I do hereby Nominate and Appoint Robert Smith of Wilby in the County of Suff___ Cooper and Samuel Aldous of Fresingfield in the County afores’d Blacksmith my Executors of this my last Will and Testament. Desiring them Faithfully and Carefully to perform the same, according to the true intent and meaning hereof and now revoking all former Wills by me heretofore made. AND ALSO I do declare this to be my Last Will and testament Contain’d in One Sheet of Writing Paper. IN Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this Fourteen Day of May in the third year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the faith and so forth and in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Three.
SIGNED Sealed Published and Declared by the above named Henry Bezant to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto inscribed our Names and Witnessed in the presence of the Testator.
John Girling
Jonathan Smythe
James Rumsey
the Mark of "Henry H * B Bezant"
The asterisk represents what was apparently a piece of wax. The H and B are printed shakily on either side of the wax. Henry and Bezant appear to have been written by a scribe with a fine hand.
9th of May 1763 -- Aged 102 years.
Laxfield, Suffolk, England, home of the Huggins family for generations. This view is taken from Bickers Hill, looking east.
In 1763 Edward Huggins was living in a dwelling in Laxfield owned by his grandfather Henry Bezant.
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