404    Court and Testamentary Business, 1648.

            Liber A    remayner for the good of my children according to their best

                  discretion. Now for the disposall of my children I would not

                  haue them to liue wth any Papist. ffor my Eldest sonne Thomas,

                  if hee please to liue wth eyther of the Ouerseers of this will hee

                  may during his pleasure. I know he will yerne his uictualls &

                  cloaths: if not lett him take his course. And for the other

                  Two I would not haue them sold for slaues, or Morter-Boyes,

                  but according to their best discretion I meane, of my uery

                  louing ifreinds John Hatch & Rich: Banks. I haue an old

                  freind att Accomack called James Bruse, I could wish tht he

                  had my sonne Robert, if he haue none of his owne & tht

                  he would use him well, & nott sett him to the Mortar. or

                  eyther Vrmstrong ffoster. Phillip Conner of the Ile of Kent,

                  did desyre once to haue my Sonne William, as his child, & soe

                  he would use him. & I told him, if it pleased god to take me

                  to his mercy I would leaue him, to him, Soe I desyre you my

                  freinds to use yor discretion in it. And for yor paines &

                  labor in it, you may pay yor selfes, out of this estate. But I

                  beseech you my freinds, doe yor best for my children. And soe

                  I conclude desyring god to bring us to (in his good time) euer

                  lasting glory & mercy in Jesus Christ our Sauiour. Now to

                  him be thanks both now & euermore. Amen.

                    The words him, his, & god was enterlyned before the Signing

                  & Setting to of my hand. Now in wittnes of the truth I haue

                  sett my hand this Twenty third day of Aprill. An: Do: 1648

                                              Signd Thomas Allen.

                  on the backside of the will

                    I desyre that & if I should sodenly dye, & the cause how,

                  should not be directly knowne how, or where, or when. That

                  there bee speedy Enquiry made, how & where, & what was

                  the cause. And if it be not directly fownd tht then I would

                  have Nick: & Marks att Pyney-neck, Irish-men, questioned as

                  suspitious persons: for reasons to mee best knowne. This

                  more I desyre of you my freinds John Hatch, & Richard Banks,

                  & soe likewise of you my Sonnes Thomas, William, & Robert

                  Allen. This is my desyre. Wittnes my hand this Twenty

                  third of Aprill Ano Dni 1648. Signd Thomas Allen.

               p. 172 August ii. Whereas this day Jno Hatch, Rich: Banks, &

                  Willm Marshall, ouerseers of the last will & testamt of Tho:

                  Allen deceased, haue brought into the Registers office, the sayd

                  last will & testamt of the sd Tho: Allen. And whereas there is

                  noe prnt power to graunt lres of admistraon. It is therfore

                  Ordered by the Gour tht the sd Mr Hatch Rich: Banks, & Willm

                  Marshall shall receiue & collect the estate, wch otherwise would

                  fall to ruine, & cause it to be appraysed by the oaths of Walter

                  Beane, Walter Waterlin, & Robert Smith, & bring into the