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Lord James, by the grace of God Kinge of Englande, Scotlande, ffraunce and Irelande, Defender of the faith, &c.; that is to saie, of Englande, ffraunce and Irelande the seavententh, and of Scotlande the three and fyfticth; I Dorothie Reddish widowe, late wyfe of George Reddish late of Reddish in the countie of Lancaster gent. deceased, beinge in good health and perfect remembrance, God therefore bee praised, and knowinge death to bee most certaine to all people, do make and devise this my last will and testament, in manner and forme followinge: ffirst and principally I doe comitt my soule to God Almightie my Maker, trustinge to bee saved by the precious bloodsheedinge of His deere sonne Jhesus Christe my Redeemer, and my bodie to be buried and entombed in the parish church where it shall please God I shall depart, and that a hearse to bec sett over mec accordinge to my birth and callinge. And I doc revoke and recall all former wills and testaments heretofore made by mee the said Dorothie. And for the disposinge and leavinge of such worldlic goodes, jewells and chattells as I shall have or die possessed of at the tyme of my death, my will, entente and minde is as followeth: Item I do geve and bequeath to my sonne Oates Reddish one hundreth pounds and my signet ringe. Item I do geve to my graundchild Margret Hardman fourtie pounds to be paied unto her at her mariage, and in the meane tyme my said sonne Oates Redish to ymploie the same to and for her use and behoofe, yeeldinge and paying yearlic to the said Margret upon the feast daie of St. Thomas the apostle duringe so longe tyme as she shall lyve unmaried the some of foure pounds of lawfull English money. And yf it please God shee die before shee be maried, then my will and mynd is that my said sonne Oates Redish shall have the same some of foure pounds to his owne proper usc and benefitte. Item

I do gyve to my sonne Edward Redish the some of foure score pounds; and I do geve to the children of the same Edward my sonne twentie poundes to be equally divided amongst them. Item, Whereas I have alreadye geven to my sonne in lawe Thomas Pigott foure score pounds yet nev'thelesse I do geve to the said Thomas

my bedd and furniture belonginge unto it and twelve pence in money in full satisfaccōn of such portion of goods as he the said Thomas might at my death clame in right of Jane his wife and my daughter. Item I do geve to the children of the same Thomas Pygott twentye pounds to be equally divided amongst them. Item I doe geve to my sonne in lawe John Porter fourtie pounds wch I already have lent him, and I geve to Alice his wyfe and my daughter twentie pounds. Item I doe geve to my nephewe William Brereton off Hanford Esquier a double sovereigne to make him a ringe. Item I geve to my brother Urian Brereton one angell in gold to make him a ringe. Item I do geve to the poore in the parish where I shall die twentie shillings to be devided at my funerall. Item I doc geve to the Churchwardens of the parish church of Chedle in the county of Chester and theire successors fyve pounds of lawfull money of England to bee imployed yearelie towardes the relcif of the poore in that parish by the said Churchwardens at the oversight of whomsoever shall bee the lord and owner of the Hall of Honford; and that the profitte of the said fyve pounds to be geven yearely upon every Good fridaie to twentie the most impotent and distressed people in the said parish by sixpence a pecce. Item I do geve and bequeth to the Churchwardens of the parish of Wilmeslow in the said county and theire successors fyve pounds of lawfull English money to be imployed and put forthe yearlie towardes the releif of the poore within the said parish of Wilmeslow by the said Churchwardens at the oversight of whomsoever shall be the lord and owner of the Hall of Honford, &c. Item I do geve to my cozen Elizabeth Leycester of Tabley the some of foure markes in money to buy her a ringe withall. Item my will and mynd is that after my debtes, legacies and funerall expenses beinge paied and satisfied, I do geve and bequeth all the rest and residue of my goodes, jewells, cattells, chattells and moveables whatsoever to my three daughters, Margret, Alice and Jane, to be equally devided amongst them of the free gifte of mee the said Dorothie Reddish theire mother. And I do constitute, ordaine and make my sonne Edward Reddish and

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my sonne in lawe Thomas Pygott executors of this my last will and testament to execute and p'forme the same accordinge to the true intent and meaninge of this my last will. And I do nominate, require and praie my loving sonne Oates Reddish to be an overseer of this my last will and testament, entreatinge him to be an assistant to see the same well p'formed accordinge to the true meaninge thereof. And in witnes whereof I the said Dorothic Reddish have hereunto put my hand and seale as my last will the daie and yeare first within written, Anno Dñi 1619. Witnesses, Matthew Couksone, Peter Deane, William Johnson. Her inventory is dated January 21, 1623; her goods and chattels are valued at £560 15s. 6d.

To return to the elder brother John Reddish, heir to his grandfather in the first year of Queen Elizabeth's reign. He was yet a minor when he succeeded to the estates. He married Margaret, daughter and coheiress of Sir Robert Langley of Agecroft Knt., and dying in 1569 left two sons, Edward, who died s.p. and Alexander his successor, the last heir male of the family seated at Reddish, whose daughters and coheiresses, Sarah and Grace, married, the one Clement, sixth son of Sir Edward Coke Knt., Chief Justice of England, and the other Sir Robert D'Arci of Dertford in the county of Kent Knt., Great Usher of the Privy Chamber to Henry Prince of Wales. Alexander Reddish Esq. died in 1613.

On the death of Alexander Reddish Esq. the lands of the township, together with other estates in the county, passed into the possession of Clement Coke Esq. in right of Sarah his wife, daughter and coheiress of the said Alexander. Their descendants continued in the enjoyment of them until the close of the last century, when Thomas William Coke Esq. the then owner, wishing to concentrate his property by adding to his Norfolk estates, disposed of Reddish Hall and demesne, together with other lands in the township, to James Harrison of Cheadle Esq., by whose representatives it was sold June 23, 1808, under authority of an Act of Parliament obtained for the purpose, to Messrs. Greg of Manchester, in whom

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