In the Name of God Amen.
I Henry Sterry the Elder Citizen and Tinplate Worker of London being at present weak in Body but of a sound and disposing mind and memory thanks be given to Almighty God for the same and wholly submitting myself to his Blessed Will and with heavy sorrow for my sins recommending my Soul to the hands of my Glorious God trusting for Salvation by and through the meritts of the Death and Passion of my Lord and only Saviour Jesus Christ And as touching my Worldy Estate which has pleased God to Bless me withall Do make this my last Will and Testament as followeth. I do in the first place revoke all former Wills and Wills whatsoever heretofore made by me And I do hereby give and bequeath all and every my messuages or tenements herein after more particularly mentioned and also all my ready money plate jewells bonds notes South Sea Stock Book debts household furniture and stock in trade linnen and waring apparell of all sorts and personal estate wtsoever and wheresoever I shall dye possessed of interested in or Intituted unto unto my loving brother Benjamin Sterry and my loving friend John Miers Citizen and Tinplate Worker of London whom I make executors of this my Will (until my dear and loving son Henry Sterry shall arrive at the age of twenty one years or day or marriage) upon this special trust and confidence that they my said executors shall sell and dispose of the lease of the two messuages or tenements on Snowhill one now in my own possession and the other empty and also convert my stock in trade household furniture and plate into ready cash to be immediately laid out in South Sea stock And also I do desire my said executors will from time to time lay out the rents and profitts of my leasehold premises And also any other moneys they shall receive by Notes Bonds and Book Debts in South Sea stock when the same will amount to sufficient sum to purchase one hundred pounds stock in the said fund for the benefit of my said son Henry Sterry until he shall arrive at such age or marriage and when my said son Henry Sterry shall so arrive at such age or marriage then my said trustees or the survivor of them and the executors and admtors of such survivor shall deliver up peaceable and quiet possession of all my personal estate herein before and herein after more particularly mentioned to my said son Henry Sterry he making all just allowances to my said executors for their trouble in the execution of this my Will according to a provise herein after mentioned for that purpose But in case my said son Henry Sterry shall happen to dye before he arrive at the age of twenty one years or day of marriage as afroesaid then and in such case I give and bequeath all that my leasehold messuage or tenement situate in Dyers Buildings in Holborn now in the occupation of John Pinder Esquire to my loving brother Joseph Sterry for and during the term to come in the lease of the said premises (he paying thereout the sum of three pounds per annum ground rent for the same) in case he shall so long live But in case my said brother Joseph shall dye before the expiration of the said lease then I give the said messuage or tenement to my loving brother Benjamin Sterry his executors Admtors and assigns for the remainder of the term to come in the said lease of the said premises (but subject to the payment of the said sum of three pounds per annum ground rent as aforesaid) Item I give and bequeath all that my moiety or half part of another messuage or tenement situate in Dyers Buildings aforesaid now in the occupation of Andrew Phillips to my said loving brother Benjamin Sterry his executors admtors and Assigns for all the remainder of the term to come in the said lease of the said premises Item I give and bequeath all these my three several messuages or tenements situate in Spittle Fields to my said loving brother Benjamin Sterry his executors admtors and Assigns for the remainder of the term to come in the lease of the said premises Now for the letter ascertaining my intention that my said son Henry Sterry shall not be deprived of any part of my personal estate except the payment of my just debts legacies and funeral charges as hereafter are more particularly mentioned that is to say I give and bequeath to my good and loving friend John Miers Citizen and Tinplate Worker ten Guineas for the trouble he shall have in the execution of this my Will not doubting but be and my said brother Benjamin will behave kind and well in the education of my said son Henry and I do will and direct that a sum not exceeding one hundred and five pounds shall be given to put him out as an apprentice Item I give to my maid servant Ann Beckett five guineas to be paid her immediately after my decease provided she live with me at that time Item I give and bequeath to the peel monthly meeting the sum of ten pounds to be disposed of for the use of that meeting Item I give and bequeath one hundred pounds apiece to every male child of my brother Benjamin Sterry which shall arrive at the age of twenty one years and do also give and bequeath the sum of one hundred pounds apiece to every female child of my said brother Benjamin Sterry which shall arrive at thei respective ages of twenty one years or day of marriage which shall first happen all the rest residue and remainder of my personal estate in case my said son Henry Sterry shall dye before he arrives of such age of twenty one years or day of marriage as aforesaid I give and bequeath unto my said loving brother Benjamin Sterry his executors and Admtors And I do hereby will and direct that my said executors above named do pay my just debts legacies and funeral charges which funeral I leave to the discretion of my said executors And it is my express will that my said execotors and the survivor of them or the executors or Admtors of the survivor of them shall not be charged or chargeable with or accountable for the rents issues or profitts of my estate hereby given and bequeathed or any part thereof or any money arising by or out of the same other than for such money as they shall respectively and separately receive and not the one for the other of them nor with or for the receipts or disbursments of the other of them and also shall from time to time keep and detain to their respective use and uses by and out of the rents issues and profitts of my personal estate so much as they or either of them shall respectively bear pay sustain expend or be put unto in or by reason of or for any costs charges damages or expenses touching the trust herein reposed or in the execution of this my will or in any wise touching or concerning the same In witness I have to this my last Will and Testament sett my hand and seal this tenth day of December in the seventeenth year of the reign of Our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so forth And in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty three. Henry Sterry. Signed sealed published and declared by the said testator Henry Sterry to be his last Will and Testament in our presence and at his request. Nath: Poole. Carpenters-Hall London Wall. Andw Hudson his Clerk.

A Codicil to be taken as and for part of the Will of Henry Sterry the Testator above named.

Whereas I have by my last Will and Testament above written and dtaed the tenth day of December last omitted to give to my brother Benjamin Sterry any pecuniary legacy for the trouble he shall have in the execution of this my Will Therefore I do hereby give and bequeath the sum of ten guineas to my said brother Benjamin Sterry for such his trouble. Also I give and bequeath to my new apprentice Daniel Vandewall two guineas if he shall be living with me at the time of my decease In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal this tenth day of January one thousand seven hundred and forty three. Henry Sterry his mark. Signed sealed and published by the said Henry Sterry as a codicill to the above Will in the presence of Nath: Poole Andw Hudson his Clerk

This Will was proved at London with a Codicil annexed before the Worshipfull Robert Jenner Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipfull John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted the twenty third day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty three By the solemn and sincere declaration or affirmation of Benjamin Sterry and John Miers the executors named in the said Will according to the tenor thereof etc whom admton was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattells and credits of the said deceased having first made the declaration or affirmation aforesaid according to Act of Parliament duly to administer.

Note: Henry Sterry belongs to the Southwark Sterry Branch.