The 1790 Will of Sarah Holt

As can be seen from the above excerpt, the microfiche copy is not the easiest document in the world to read.

The full text is as follows:

This is the last Will and Testament of me Sarah Holt of Lexden in the County of Essex Widow made this Twenty Seventh day of February One Thousand Seven hundred and Ninety

I give to each of my Sons John Holt and Edward Holt the Sum of one hundred and fifty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid at their respective ages of twenty five years by my Executors hereinafter named

I give to my daughter Elizabeth Holt the Sum of two hundred and fifty pounds to be in like manner paid at her age of twenty five years with lawful interest for the same from six months next after my death to be paid half yearly

And all the rest and residue of my Estate and Effects whasoever and wheresoever both real and personal that I now am or shall be possessed of or entitled [must be 'to'] after payment of the aforesaid Legacies and of all my just debts and funeral charges I give devise and bequeath the same and every part [must be 'thereof'] unto my son Daniel Holt his Heir Ext?ors [i.e. Executors] and Adm?ors [i.e. Administrators] And I appoint my said son Daniel Holt and John [?Minter] of Colchester in Essex Merchant Executors to this my will and revoking all other wills I now declare this to be my last

In Witness whereof I have hereto [must be 'set my'] hand and seal the day and year first above written. The mark of Sarah Holt (Sd)

Signed sealed published and declared by the said Sarah Holt the Testatrix as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us [must be 'who'] have hereunto set our hands as witnesses in her presence and at her request and in the presence of each other the word one in the [?eighth] line being first struck through and the word two wrote over it, and the following words, to be paid half yearly being first interlined at the tenth line

Ann Taylor Saml Taylor Jno Wayman

Proved on the Twenty seventh day of May in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred and Ninety Before the Revered Robert [?Story] clerk Surrogate [?Cr] (pending the Episcopal Visitation [?Cr]) by the Oath of Daniel Holt Son of the deceased and one of the Executors to whom Administration was granted he being First Sworn duly to administer (power being reserved of making the like Grant to John [?Minter] the other Executor when he shall apply for the same).