By his last will, which is in the Prerogative Office, dated August 26, 1642, he bequeathed to his well beloved wife, Elizabeth Nash, and her assigns, for her life (in lieu of jointure and thirds), one messuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, situate in the Chapel Street in Stratford, then in the tenure and occupation of Joan Norman, widow ; one meadow, known by the name of the Square Meadow with the appurtenances, in the parish of old Stratford, lying near unto the great stone bridge of Stratford ; one other meadow with the appurtenances, known by the name of the Wash Meadow ; one little meadow, with the appurtenances, adjoining to the said Wash meadow ; and also all the
/ p.313 / tythes of the manor or lordship of Shottery. He devises to his kinsman Edward Nash, the son of his uncle George Nash of London, his heirs and assigns,
inter alia, the messuage or tenement then in his own occupation, called the New Place, situate in the Chapel Street, in Stratford, together with all and singular houses, outhouses, barns, stables, orchards, gardens, easements, profits, or commodities, to the same belonging ; and also four-yard land of arable land, meadow, and pasture, with the appurtenances, lying and being in the common fields of old Stratford, with all the easements, profits, commons, commodities and hereditaments, of the same four-yard lands belonging, then in the tenure, use, and occupation of him the said Thomas Nash ; and one other messuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, situate in the parish of . . . . in London, and called or known by the name of the Wardrobe, and then in the tenure, use and occupation of . . . . Dickes. And from and after the death of his said wife, he bequeaths the meadows above named, and devised to her for life, to his said cousin Edward Nash, his heirs and assigns for ever. After various other bequests, he directs that one hundred pounds, at the least, be laid out in mourning gowns, cloaks and apparel, to be distributed among his kindred and friends, in such manner as his executrix shall think fit. He appoints his wife Elizabeth Nash his residuary legatee, and sole executrix, and ordains Edmund Rawlins, William Smith, and John Easton overseers of his will, to which the witnesses are John Such, Michael Jonson, and Samuel Rawlins.
By a nuncupative codicil dated on the day of his death, April 4th, 1647, he bequeaths,
inter alia, "to his mother Mrs. Hall fifty pounds ; to Elizabeth Hathaway fifty pounds ; to Thomas Hathaway fifty pounds ; to Judith Hathaway ten pounds ; to his uncle Nash and his aunt, his cousin Sadler and his wife, his cousin Richard Quiney and his wife, his cousin Thomas Quiney and his wife, twenty shillings each, to buy them rings." The meadows which by his will he had devised to his wife for life, he by this codicil devises to her, her heirs and assigns, for ever, to the end that they may not be severed from her own land, and he "appoints and declares that the inheritance of his land given to his cousin Edward Nash should be by him settled, after his decease, upon his son Thomas Nash, and his heirs, and for want of such heirs, then to remain and descend to his own right heirs.*
