In the Name of God Almighty Father Son and holy Ghost(?) three persons but one infinite inconceivable eternal unchangeable and ever blessed God through(?) whose goodness mercy and favefavr I am at this present time in a quiet mind free from any disorder of distraction and clear and of good understanding and my heart and conscience free from any hatred malice or prejudice to any person and love and goodwill to all persons tho by reason of some fits which am often visited with by the hand of God who I trust in Christ is my heavenly father my body is weakened thereby and not knowing what is his good towards me with respect to the issue as to life or death and being willing to settle and order the disposal of my worldly estate personal and real according to my will and pleasure after my decease to prevent any difference or controversy between my friends and relations I therefore for these and other reasons after I have sought the Lord for direction and assistance and being helped to trust him to doe he having given me a willing mind unto now which it has been averse to many years past but now is by grace bestowed on me which will and pleasure of mine is as followeth Item First I humbly and thankfully offer and surrender my body and soul as my reasonable service not only as to my creator but as to my Redeemer who not only as God created me but as a Saviour in Christ bought me with the price of his own blood who not only died for my sins but rose again for my justification therefore in hopees that I shall not only for Christs sake be cast into hell so I hope for his sake I shall be raised up to heaven and therefore it most reasonable to give as well as offer my body or soul to him that and unto my eternal happiness and his eternal glory. And as to my worldly estate goods and chattells my will and pleasure is as followeth. Item Imprimis I do give and bequeath unto my beloved brother George Sterry all that my estate which have in the county of Glocestershire and all that my estate which I have in the county of Surry but that only which I have in the parish of Oxted in the said ? he paying to Jno Hutt senr all that money due upon mortgage unto him which is freehold and no more in that county I likewise give him five pounds to buy him mourning and a guinea to buy a ring. Item I give unto his wife Frances five pounds to buy her mourning and a guinea to buy a ring Item I give unto my beloved Elizabeth Sterry oldest daughter of my brother the front house in Grays Inn Lane next adjoyning unto Fox(?) court which part of my estate there and to her not only but heires for ever and three pounds to buy mourning and fifteen shillings to buy a ring and her picture at my house Item I give unto my beloved Mary Sterry daughter of my brother that house which an alehouse known by the name of the Hatt(?) and for there which also is a part of my estate there that is the county of Middlesex I give to her and heirs for ever and forty shillings to ___ mourning and 20 shillings ___ Item I give unto my beloved Ann ___ daughter of my said brother that ___ house which joins unto the first house in the same place and county which also I give to her and heirs for ever and fifty shillings to buy mourning and a ring __ my will is that if my ____ __ shall die before (?) his wife ___ he shall not give and bequeath unto his said wife any part of my estate which I give and bequeath to him but may and shall give to his children or any one of them and their heires as shall be most pleasing __ to him so to do __ their more my will and pleasure that all the estate in particular(?) which I give them my self __ and all which my will and pleasure is that their father shall give them at or before his death and to none other Item(?) ___ my will and pleasure that if any of the three children Elizabeth Mary or Anne aforesaid shall happen to dye before orafter age or marriage that then the other two living shall be heirs unto that part of my estate allotted by ___ or by their father hereafter according to this my will and if a second shall dye then that one living shall be the heir of all and every part of my estate thus given them in this my will or shall be given unto them by their ___ before his death and no one part shall be sold of my estate so given while any one of the three children Elizabeth Mary or Anne or the heirs of their own bodies nor shall my brothers wife who is their mother ever be heir and so possess or enjoy any part of my estate give to the father or children by me in this my will And further it is my will and pleasure that if at time any difference or controversy shall arise among and between that parsons unto whom and amongst whom I have do divided this my estate as aforesaid that its my will that if so that then such controversys and differences shall be by two or four able councells at law or neighbours or friends each chosing one or two to arbitrate such matter touching and concerning my estate so given unto the father or the three children and if it shall happen that the two or four friends neighbours or counsells at law shall not determine that matter so referred unto them that then a third or fifth as an umpire shall determine and put it unto a final issue(?) furthermore it is my will and pleasure that if my brother or his children or ant one of them more or less or any for them or any person on their behalf shall molest or interupt my beloved friends which I have nominated to be my executors from or in executeing my will or molest or disturb any of my friends in the possession or enjoyment of what I give and bequeath unto them that then they shall give such satisfaction as they and every of them shall demand according to the rule of reason that is my beloved brother or children or his wife who is their mother shall give to my executors or my friends Item I give and bequeath to my beloved kinsman Jno Graves five founds to buy him mourning and to his sister Sarah a further ten pounds in money Item I give unto Mr Collings twenty pounds and to Mr Bragg a guinea to buy a ring and forty shillings to the poor of that church to be distributed at the discretion of my executors Item I give unto my servant Tho: Chamber five pounds to buy him mourning and ten shillings to buy him a ring and five pounds and besides his wages which my executors shall give for his service so at their discretion they shall give unto him such a reward as they shall think fit besides his wages for his diligence faithfulness and carefulness in the performance of his duty while he is in their service Item I give unto my servant Mary Wynyard four pounds to buy her mourning and 10 shills to buy her a ring and twenty pounds in money and be her wages my executors shall give at their discretion for her carefulness faithfulness and diligence such a reward as they shall think fit after she has ended her service unto them Item I give unto my servant Elizabth Wynyard three poundsd to buy her mourning and ten shilling to buy her mourning and five pounds in money Item I give unto my poor neighbours in Nine Elmes only twenty shills to be distributed at the discretion of my executors Item I give unto the poor pf the parish 10 shills to be given in _ead at the discretion of the officers Item I do bequeath as well as give all before mentioned and because I do not justly whether I shall leave give and bequeath into the hands of my executors with respect to moneys due to me or with respect to the value those goods and chattells which now or the shall be mine at death therefore if it doe fall out that it shall not amount unto the full value of my legacies that then __ shall be such reductions out of those legacies as my executors shall think fit and if more then they also shall __ __ such moneys shall be disposed at their discretion Item I give unto Robert George and Abram and Sarah Sterry and her husband a gold ring unto each value about ten shills each but with the preceeding exception Item I make this my last will pleasure in __ __ not before I shall see just occasion to make any other and herefore I renounce all others whatsoever before made and doe make Jno Hutt Carpr and Citizen of London and Robert Tanner Grocer and Citizen of London my full and whole executors of this my last will and testament and so give and bequeath unto each one of them for their loving service twenty pounds each except as before excepted In witness thereof I have set my hand sealed with my own court of ___ this 21 day of Octobr 1713 in the (blank) year of our sovereign Lady Ann of Great Britain and Ireland and Queen ___ Wm Sterry Signed and sealed in the presence of us Tho: Chamber(?) Servt and Mary Wynyard Servt E. Wynyard Servt

Probatum fuit huius Testamentum apud London coram venti viro Berney(?) Branthwayt Legum Doctore Surrogato Ventis et Egregii viri Johannis Bettesworth Legum etiam Doctoris Curia Prerogativa Cantuar Magistri Custodis sive Comissarii legitime constituti octavo die mensis Septembris Anno Domini Millesimo Septingemno vicessimo Iuramento Johannis Hutt cuius Executorum in dicto Testamento nominat cui commissa fuit administratio omnium et singulorum bonorum jurium et creditorum dicti defuncti de bono et fideliter admintrando eadem ad ___ ___ jurat _____ _____ ____ comissionem faciendi Roberto Tanner alteri Executori ___ Testamento etiam nominat. cum venerit eandem petiturus

This will was proved at London before the Worshipful Berney Branthwayt Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Venerable and Distinguished John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws Master Keeper Commisary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted on the eighth day of September in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty by the oath of John Hutt Executor named in the said will to whom administration was granted of all and singular goods chattels and credits he having been first sworn duly to administer .... Robert Tanner the other executor named in the same will .....

Note: William Sterry, to whom this will is attributed, is currently not placed within any major Sterry line but is almost certainly connected to the Ruardean Sterry line. What is known of William Sterry and his family is elaborated in Walter Smith's book, The Sterry Family, page 201.