In the Name of God Amen this three and Twentieth day of August Anno Domino 1697 and in the ninth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord William the Third by the grace of God of England Scotland ffrance and Ireland King Defender of the ffaith I Joseph Knibb citizen and clockmaker of London being in good health in body and of perfect mind and memory do make this my last Will and Testament in the manner following ffirst I commend my Soul unto Almighty God my Creator fully trusting and assuredly believing that through the merits of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ he will receive me into his Everlasting Kingdom and my Body  I commit to the Earth therein to be decently buried according to the discretion of my Executors hereafter named And as to my worldly estate with which It have pleased God to bless me I Give devise and bequeath in manner and form following   Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my loving Wife Elizabeth Knibb the sum of ffifty pounds to be paid her by my Executors hereafter named within three months next after my Decease   Item I give and bequeath unto my said loving Wife the ffurniture of my best bed Chamber with the Bed and all thing thereto belonging   Item I give devise and bequeath unto my said loving Wife the sum of Thirty Pounds per annum during her natural life issuing and payable out of  my said Lands Tenements and Hereditaments in the Parish of Hanslap in the County Two equal half yearly payments (that is to say) at the ffeast of the Birth of our Lord Christ and the Nativity of St John the Baptist in every yeare free and clear of and from all Taxes or Impositions whatsoever the ffirst payment to be on the ffirst of the said ffeast Days of which shall ffirst happen next after my decease And my Will and mind is that in case the said Annuity or Rent charge of Thirty Pounds per annum so given and bequeathed unto my said Wife as aforesaid be not paid according to the devise aforesaid or within Twenty days always next after the same shall be demanded on the said charged premises that then my said Wife or her Assigns shall and may from time to time and at all times after such default of payment enter into and upon the said premises or any part thereof  and then and there distresse or distresses for the same to take drive and carry away the same to dispose of for and towards her satisfying for such Arrears of the said annuity together with all costs and charges whatsoever which she or her Assigns shall or may pay sustain or be put unto for or by reason or in respect of the same but if no distress shall be on the premises found to make satisfaction for such said Annuity of Thirty Pounds per annum or the Arrears thereof that then it shall and may be lawful unto and for my said Wife to enter and come into and upon the said premises and every part thereof and the same to hold and enjoy and the rents issues and profits thereof to have receive and take to her own proper use untill she shall be fully satisfied of all arrears of the said Annuity and all costs and charges occasioned by any such entry or entries and the proceedings thereon to be had And which said several Legacies and bequests unto my said Wife so given and bequeathed as aforesaid shall be and are hereby declared to be in full recompense and satisfaction of her Dower at the Comon Law and also in full satisfaction of her Customary part by the Custom of London or otherwise Item I give and bequeath unto my Brother John Knibb the sume of Twenty Pounds   Item I give and bequeath unto my Brother George Knibb the sume of Tenn Pounds   Item I give and bequeath unto all and every the Child and  Children of my Three Sisters Mary Martha and Hanna which they now have and shall be living at the time of my decease the sume of Tenn Pounds apiece to be paid them respectively within one year after my decease   Item I give and bequeath unto the three Daughters of my Brother John Knibb the sum of Ten Pounds apiece to be paid them respectively within Twelve Months after my decease Item I give devise and bequeath unto my Son Thomas Knibb all and Singular my Mesuages Lands Tenements and Hereditaments with their and every of their Appurtenances  situate lying and being in Hanslapp aforesaid in the said County of Bucks and all my Lands Tenements and Hereditaments in ffarnborough in the County of Warwick or elsewhere within the Kingdom of England To have and to hold all and Singular the said Mesuages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises unto my said Son Thomas Knibb during the Term of his natural life and imediately after the determination of that Estate unto my Cozens Isaiah Knibb Clerke and Richard Wyse of ffoskett in the County of Bucks Yeoman and their Heirs and assigns for and during the life of my said Son Thomas Knibb Intrust to make entries as occasion shall require to preserve the contingent remainders herein after limitted but in Trust nevertheless that they shall permitt and suffer my said Son to receive the rents issues and profits of the same Mesuages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises during his natural life and also in Trust that my said Son shall and may be capable to settle and make a Jointure of all or any of the Mesuages Lands Tenements and Premises or any part thereof upon any Wife or Wives as he shall intermarry and imediately after the decease of my said Son Thomas and such his said Wife on whom he my said Son shall settle or make a Joynture of the said Messuage Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises as aforesaid I give and bequeath all and Singular the said Mesuages Land Tenements Hereditaments and Premises unto the ffirst Son of the Body of the said Thomas lawfully begotten or to be begotten and to the Heirs of the Body of such ffirst Son and for default of such Issue unto the second Son of the Body of the said Thomas lawfully begotten or to be begotten and to the Heirs of the Body of such second Son and for default of such Issue to the Third Fourth ffifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth and Tenth and every other Son and Sons of the Body of the said Thomas lawfully begotten or to be begotten successively and to the Heirs of the respective bodies of such Son and Sons the Elder and the Heirs of his Body being always preferred before the Younger and the Heirs of his Body and for want of such Issue to all and every the Daughters of the said Thomas my Son lawfully begotten or to be begotten and to the Heirs of their Bodies and for default of such Issue unto my said Brother John Knibb for and during his natural life and then and from ---immediately after his decease unto the Eldest Son of my Brother John as shall be then living at the time of my said Brother Johns decease such said Eldest Son of my said Brother John within Two years next after my said Brother Johns decease paying out of the said Messuages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises the sume of Two Hundred Pounds apiece unto such other of the Sons of my said Brother John as he shall have living at the time of his decease and in case my Brother John shall have no son living at the time of his death then I give devise and bequeath the same Messuages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises unto all and every his Daughters and for want of such Issue to the right Heirs of my Brother John for ever but my Will and mind is that in case such Eldest Son of my said Brother John which shall be living at the time of my said Brother Johns death do not nor shall within the said Two years after my said Brother Johns decease as aforesaid pay unto such other of the said Sonns of my said Brother John as shall be living at the time of his decease the same summe of Two Hundred Pounds apiece then I give and bequeath the same  said Messages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises unto the said Isaiah Knibb and Richard`Wise and their Heirs in Trust only to sell the same and with the money thereby arising to pay the said Two Hundred Pounds apiece unto the said Younger Sons of my said Brother John as he shall have living at the time of his death and as to all the rest residue and remainder of such money as shall arise by such sale after the costs and charges in and about such sale shall be deducted to be rendered and paid to such eldest Son of my said Brother John as shall be living at the time of his death as aforesaid provided always and my mind is that my said Wife shall and may have and enjoy her said Annuity of Thirty Pounds per annum hereinbefore devised for and during her natural life out of the said Messuages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises before charged or chargeable with the payment of the same any thing herein contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding And as to all the rest and residue of my Estate whatsoever I give and bequeath unto my said Brothers John and George Knibb in trust to and for my said Son untill he arrives to the age of One and Twenty years and then to be delivered rendered and paid unto him And I do hereby make my said Brothers John Knibb and George Knibb Jointly full Executors of this my last Will and Testament in Trust for my said Son untill he arrives to the age of One and Twenty years at which time and from thence I ordain and appoint my said Son to be full and Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former and other Wills by me formerly made declaring this to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said Joseph Knibb have to this my last Will and Testament contained in Three sheets of paper set my hand and Seal to each and every of the said sheets the day and year first above written Joseph Knibb  Signed Sealed published and declared in the presence of us (after the words years Hereditaments Hereditaments John John) were interlined by the said Testator Joseph Knibb as his last Will and Testament in whose presence we the persons hereunder named have subscribed our names as witnesses hereto all the said Three sheets of paper being ffirst stampt John Westoby Will Besley Jo Kitson

Proved 24/05/1712