In the name of God Amen. I WILLIAM PETYT late Treasurer of the Inner Temple, London Esq., and Keeper of Her Majesty's records in the Tower of London do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following.

First I bequeath my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Heavenly Father trusting through the merits of Jesus Christ my Blessed Lord and Saviour to obtain full pardon and remission of all my sins and everlasting life in the world to come.

And as to the estate which it hath pleased God of his great mercy to give me I dispose of it as follows.

First I will that all such debts which I shall owe at the time of my death be firstly and truly paid.

ITEM, I give to Sir William Craven, William Denn, my cousins Thomas and William Petyt of Colkins, Joseph Offley, Richard Webb, Humphry Heatherington, John Anstis, John Chamberlayne, James Tyrell, William Attwood, Edward Cooke Esq., and to Mr. John Farkman, Mr. Francis Mills, Mr. John Butts, Mr. Robert Dale and Mr. William Baxter every of them a ring of the value of twenty shillings desiring my said friends that they would wear them for my sake with this inscription, Wl. Petyt.

Now I give two hundred pounds to be disposed of and laid out by my dear brother Mr. Sylvester Petyt with the advice of the Master and Fellows of Christ College in Cambridge in such manner as shall be thought best for the augmentation of the maintenance of such poor scholars as shall be entered of that college. And I will that any such poor scholars of the Free Grammar School of Skipton in Craven in the County of York shall from time to time have the benefit of this gift or charity and this to be done in remembrance of me in that College of which I was admitted.

ITEM, I give to the honourable Society of the Inner Temple fifty pounds to be laid out for buying books towards a library there to be erected.

ITEM, I give fifty pounds to be laid out for the benefit of the Free Grammar School of Skipton aforesaid according to the direction and order of my brother as a testimony of my kindness to the said town.

ITEM, I give fifty pounds which I will by my executor to be paid towards the education or preferrment of Christoper Petyt son of my deceased cousin Christopher Petyt of Orton in Westmoreland, Gent. as my brother shall from time to time think fit.

ITEM, I give to Madame Venables seven pounds to buy mourning and also a ring of the value of one and twenty shillings and sixpence.

ITEM, I give to my niece Mrs. Betty Wright the sum of two hundred pounds and a ring.

ITEM, I give to Mr. George Holmes my clerk and deputy at the Tower he having lived with me above fourteen years two hundred pounds.

ITEM, I give to Mrs. Flora Butts, widow, for the great care she has had of me two hundred pounds.

And as for and concerning my manuscripts and printed books of Law, History, Antiquity and Parliamentary Proceedings which cost me many years pain and study and stood me in much charge in collecting I give and devise them to Joseph Offley Esq., Richard Webb Esq., Humphrey Heatherington Esq., John Chamberlaine Esq., and my brother Mr. Sylvester Petyt my trustees in trust and to the intent and purpose that they would use their utmost endeavours for preserving and keeping them safe and entire for public use in such place or places as they or the major part of them or the survivor or survivors of them from time to time shall appoint and not suffer them to be lent, embezzled or sold for which purpose I do give one hundred and fifty pounds to buy or build a place and making it convenient for preserving and keeping them which is to be settled upon my Trustees or the survivor or survivors of them or the heirs of the survivor of them in fee simple in trust for the purpose aforesaid and for my said Trustees pains and care which they may have I give to each of them five pounds and five shillings and to the intent that the said John Chamberlaine may have a most particular care of my said collections I do give him a further legacy of one hundred pounds. And I do hereby earnestly desire my said Trustees that such special care may be taken by them of my manuscript collections and tracts as that they or the major part of them or the survivors or survivor of them would in convenient time after my decease ( in justice to Truth and my memory ) procure such of my manuscripts as I shall appoint under my hand as they shall think fit to be printed to remain for public use to Posterity and for that end and purpose do hereby give, devise and consign out of my estate unto my Trustees four hundred pounds to be laid out by my dear brother and executor in and about the perusing, printing and publishing of them. If less will not do, though I hope they will pay for printing themselves, desiring him to take care of securing the said sum in case of his own death and the benefit of such printing and publishing to go to himself.

Furthermore, it is my will and desire that when it shall please God to call me out of this troublesome world my body may be buried in the grounds of the Temple church and that a monument may be made and put up for me in a convenient place by my brother. To defray the charge of which I do hereby give and assign one hundred pounds.

ITEM, As touching the disposition of all the rest and residue of my estate as well as all personal which I may have by way of mortgages or otherwise I will and devise it to my said dear brother, his heirs, executors and assigns subject nevertheless and charged with the Trusts and payments of all such sum and sums of money as I shall hereafter declare or appoint by any writing under my hand from time to time to be made.

Lastly I do hereby make and ordain my said dear brother Sylvester Petyt the whole and sole executor of this my last will and testament revoking and renouncing all former wills and testaments by me in any wise heretofore made and declared. In witness whereof I the said William Petyt have to this my last will and testament ( contained in these sheets of paper ) set my hand and seal the twelfe day of July in the fourth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Anne by the Grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland. Queen, Defender of the Faith, Anno Domini one thousand, seven hundred and five.

Signed and sealed by the above named William Petyt and by him published and declared to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who being witness of the same have at his request and in his presence subscribed our names.

A private memorial or codicil for my brother Mr. Sylvester Petyt as he is my sole executor to pay the following legacies over and above those I have mentioned in my Will made this twelth day of July 1705.

I give to Mrs. Conningsby, Mrs. Fabiana Rycroft and Mr. Philips, son and daughters of Fabian Philips Esq. ten pounds apiece.

To the children of Mr. Fabian Philips their brother ten pounds to be equally divided amongst them to their mother for their use.

To the poor of Skipton and Bolton to each five pounds.

I give to Mr. Jenkinson, my old clerk, £10.

To Joyce my laundress, £20.

To Mr. William Pritchard, my clerk, £5.

I give to Mrs. Eleanor Smith, £10.

To Mr. Sylvester Clarke of the Temple, £1-1-6d.

I give to Mrs. Flora Butt, widow, for to buy her mourning, twenty pounds.

I give to Mary Petyt, daughter of my cousin Mr. Christopher Petyt, late of Orton Hall in Westmoreland, deceased, five pounds.

Rob. Dale, witness.

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