Christ whom I embrace through the Faith as my only Redeemer, beseeching Him to assist me with His good spirit the rest of my days that by a sincere repentance of my passed faults, the weight of which my conscience abhors, I may find forgiveness at the Throne of Grace, to which my Saviour has given me through Faith an access, hopeing that my soul at its parting from my mortall body may be received and committed into His hands being washed by the blood of that happy Saviour, giving me the strength to declare to Him at my last moment, 'Into thy hands I surrender my soul.' Secondly, the duty of all good Christians being to do at the end of his (sic) life some acts of charity which are agreeable to the form of all lawful Testaments, I desire my executors hereafternamed to distribute amongst the poor of the French Church of London in Threadneedle Street for once the sum of Ten Pounds stg. one year after my decease as also to distribute among the poor French families of Mauvezin Twenty Shillings to each family once for all six months after my death, my mind being that the pious Legacyes be taken out of the Interest of what I have at the Bank of England; and as to the manner of my Buriall I desire it may be done in the plainest manner my Executors may think fitt. Thirdly, as to the Temporall Estate wherewith God hath been pleased to favour me which consists in Household Goods of all sorts, in Money at Interest in the Bank of England, in some orders upon Ticketts of Two Lotterys in one Annuity, and other effects which will be found in my box or trunk and which are mentioned in a paper Book intituled Book of Accompts begun the 5th March, 1681, my meaning is to dispose of them in manner following. Firstly, I wish that Magdelain de Bonafous, my beloved wife, be put into possession of all the Household Goods and Utensills which are found in the house in Whistler's Court the day of my decease upon condition that she shall give a certain share to Susanna de Rouffignac, my daughter, for her own private use as well in society as apart, and when Providence shall call the said Susanna de Rouffignac to change her condition her mother shall dispose of the same as she thinks fitt and as a good and tender mother towards a submissive and obedient daughter, and if on the other hand it should happen that her alterations should be made without the consent of her mother and brothers I leave in that case to my beloved wife the power to debarr her not only of this share of all the goods but also of her third part of the Inheritance and to dispose of it in behalf of whom she pleases of the three sons, and in case it should please God to call Magdalen de Bonafous after the division of the Inheritance, my Will is that those goods which she has enjoyed be parted between the four children with this difference that the three brothers shall give Susanna sufficient to furnish a room with all necessarys, either goods, Bedsted, Coverlet, Pewter or such other Utensills as they shall think fitt and that by the advice and Counsell of the Executors here

after-named as to the maintenance of Magdalen de Bonafous my wife, my design is to allow and settle on her the sum of Thirty Pounds stg. per annum during her Life payable as followeth. Firstly, one annuity order of One-Hundred Pounds sterling at nine per cent Interest which annuity I Will she shall be put in actuall possession of the day after my decease that she may receive the Interest of it upon condition nevertheless that she shall dispose thereof in favour of Susanna de Rouffignac before her decease that she may enjoy the same after the death of her mother as being part of the portion which may come to her in her share of the Inheritance with her Brothers and to compleat to my said wife the overplus of the said Annuity I Will that she receive it out of the sums which is (sic) in the Bank of England or if she think fitt to receive it from a private hand I Will that he of my sons to whom the greatest part of that fund in the Bank shall devolve by the advice of my Executors in the shareing of it, shall undertake to pay her quarterly and every three months the sum of Five pounds five shillings amounting in the whole to Twenty-one Pounds per annum which being added to the Nine pounds Interest of the annuity makes in the whole exactly Thirty pounds sterling. Secondly, as to my four children, Susanna, Peter, Guy and James de Rouffignac, I advise them to agree peaceably and with a true Brotherly friendship the division that shall be made of the effects which I leave after my decease, paying their mother all the respect and Charitable cares which Nature, Piety, their duty and calling oblidg'd them to, my Will being that each of them have an equall share of the said effects but with this previous condition to be observed and executed touching Peter and James de Rouffignac that neither of them shall receive his share equall to the two others but by deducting what they have borrowed of me and for which they have given me their notes except they shall have discharged them before my death for which they shall produce their Receipts, and as the Affairs between Peter de Rouffignac and me are not settled concerning the Bond I gave for Mr Smith, the said Peter de Rouffignac shall not claim anything above his legall right equall with his other brothers and to their disadvantage under any pretence from my Bond. And I order the same as to James de Rouffignac, viz: that he shall be oblidg'd to refund to the Bulk of the Inheritance or at least to deduct as received, the Funds I shall have lent him since the expiration of his apprentiship or what I shall have paid for him such as they are mentioned in the settled accompt signed with his own hand the twentieth day of January, 1713, touching which the Receipts and Letters may be found in my Box of Gilt Leather with the Receipts of the said James's creditors or of those that have discharged their Bonds and also what hath been lent to him or paid upon his accompt since the said 20th of January shall be deducted, for which there are memorandums both at the bottom of the said accompt and in my Book which my

Executors shall regulate at their discretion so that the said James shall not pretend to anything about his legall right common and equall to his other Brothers under any pretence to their disadvantage to which must be added the particulars M' Cabibell shall have paid for him. As to the Books that shall be found in my two closets my mind is that they be divided between Peter and Guy de Rouffignac with this exception that those that Guy' has sent for from Holland and that are in the closet in the room next to mine shall be to the proper use of the said Guy de Rouffignac without being parted, as also I Will that the writings, memorandums and sermons which are in my trunk and in my closetts shall be to the use of Peter de Rouffignac as a minister, and as to the other little household goods as the two watches, some Linnen and other little Rarities which will be found in my boxes that shall be parted between the three Brothers friendly with the advice nevertheless of their Mother and I do not remember that I have signed any Bond of Passive debt for the Benefitt of my family in Generall I desire my Executors to examine nicely the demands that may be made thereof upon them or my Heirs after my death and to take notice of the date of them except only some accompts that may be found between Mr Cabibel and me on behalf of James which shall be discounted out of his share. I declare that all that is above written is my last Will enjoining my Heirs to approve it and for the validity of these presents I name Executor M' Peter Bonafous, Captaine, nephew to my wife, and M' John Lacostes-Barjeau, born at Mauvezin in France, to whom I give the power to proceed as well to the Inventory, if necessary, as to shareing the effects desiring them to do it charitably according to their prudence and honesty which is known to me, declaring that this my closed Testament is signed in the presence of three Witnesses at London this 3rd August, 1714, under the reign of George, Prince of Brunswick and Lunebourg, lately proclaimed King of Great Britain and Ireland.

(sd.) Jacob de Rouffignac.

Wee, the under written, do declare that M' Jacob de Rouffignac, French Minister, hath desired us to be Witnesses to the signing of the above written Act assuring us that it is his Testament. At London the 3rd August, 1714.

John Deguebère, born at Mauvezin,
Daniel De Lessars,

Helie (Elie) Marvault, of Angoumois.

A Codicil dated 3rd March, 1718-19, is annexed to the Pasteur's Will by which the Legacy to the poor of the French Church of London is reduced to five pounds, whilst that to the poor of his Church in France is left in its first state,' except as concerning the family of Mr Aiguebère which he recommends to his Executors.

1 A student at Leyden.

'As to the nature of the effects mentioned in my Will I think it right to let my Heirs know that with the advice of my friends and for the conveniency of my age I have transferred the orders and classes in the Government (Stock) to the amount of eight hundred and fourscore pounds or thereabouts, as appears by the certificates and Receipts of the Bank, dated 30th November, 1717, Nos. 8116 and 8117. As to the two articles concerning the sums lent to my children upon occation since their settlement, and separated from those I had willingly employed for their education and for the apprenticing of James, my Will is that those sums shall be charged to each of them as so much the less to be by them received out of my estate in the equall division that I propose shall be made of it between them four afore-named, and in case they have received beyond their contingent share the others shall have power to demand the same but without Interest from the Time they have received it. Upon that article I find that Peter de Rouffignac has received something above Forty six pounds besides the note of Thirteen Pounds which I hope he will discount himself out of his share, his receipt written in his own hand will be found in my box.'

Then follow some remarks as to the misconduct of his son James, which had resulted in demands on his own purse, in consequence of which he states that he has paid £280 on behalf of this son to Mr Cabibel; and he finds besides that he has lent this son the sum of £106, as shewn by an accountwith other smaller sums duly catalogued. In respect of these deduction is to be made as having lessened the share of his brothers and deprived the father of the interest thereon for several years.

'As to Susanna besides her equall share with her brothers my Will is that with the common consent of her brothers my Executors should give her the furniture of a room, viz., a bedd with curtains and coverlett, a looking-glass and square Table in the Parlour with six cane chairs and an elbow chair and couch which she has herself worked.'

This to be disposed of by her brothers if dying unmarried. The Pasteur's expenses for cleaning and reparing his houses at Croydon

'Are to be paid by him that shall have them to his profitt of the two others. As to the purchase of the two houses at Croydon I acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr Middleton for £30 stg., which he advanced me towards the two last purchases, to Guy de Rouffignac for Ten Guineas he lent me on the rent of the houses until they reckon'd, and because Guy has not only taken a great

deal of pains in the last purchase and laid out a good deal of his own (money) in severall Law Suits I advise my other children to consent that the houses and gardens at Croydon should be allowed to Guy and be accounted for in his share at the purchase price which with the charge amounts to £240 stg., as being but Justice.'

(sd.) Jacob de Rouffignac, aged 79 years. Witnesses: 3rd March, 1718, Daniel De Lassars, J. Daiguebère, Elie Marvault.

On the 24th Dec., 1720, a second Codicil was signed by Jacob de Rouffignac, by which:

'In consideration of the fatigues she has undergone during the sickness of her deceased mother, and the pains she takes of her father I think in conscience I may fairly allow my daughter Susanna not only the property of the furniture of a room but of all the goods which may be found after my decease on condition that she shall dispose of them only in favour of one or both her brothers in default of her own issue.'

On 3rd March, 1721-2, appeared personally Peter Rouffignac, Rector of Stanford-le-Hope, in the county of Essex, Master of Arts, and Peter Cabibel, of the parish of St Stephens, Walbrook, merchant, who, having been duly sworn depose that they severally knew and were well acquainted with Jacob de Rouffignac, late of the parish of St Swithin, Master of Arts, for several years before his death which happened on or about the fifth day of December last, and they depose as to knowledge of his handwriting and further as to their belief in the genuine character of the Codicils. At the death of Jacob de Rouffignac we find therefore that only four of his children had survived. These were Susanne, Pierre, Guy, and James.

From his Will we learn also that Jacob de Rouffignac resided in Whistler's Court, in the parish of St Swithin,?

1 Whistler's Court has disappeared from the Directory, but there are still some remains of it. One house, which might from its appearance date from the last century, still remains; there is also a small court-yard, but it is a cul de sac. The property now belongs to the Salters' Company. The Court is situated to the north-west of the Church and small Churchyard.

2 The Parish Church of the united parishes of St. Swithin and St. Mary, Bothaw. Bothaw-Boat Haw, a yard or enclosure where boats were brought for repair. The Church of St. Mary Bothaw, was not rebuilt after the fire of 1666, but the Churchyard existed until the erection of Cannon Street Railway Station, some thirty years since, when the burial ground was acquired and the remains removed. In 1693 Mrs. Henry Whistler rebuilt the parsonage house of St. Swithin, which had been left in ruins since the Great Fire, and presented a forty years' lease of the parsonage to the Churchwardens and parish. The family to which this Benefactress belonged presumably gave their name to Whistler's Court. See Newcourt's Repertorium.