In the name of God Amen this twentieth day of March in the nine and twentieth years of the reign of our Sovereign Lord Charles the Second of England &c King Defender of the faith and in the year of our Lord God 1677 I Mathew Van Rayning of the Parish of Corringham in the County of Essex Yeoman being weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be to Almighty God for it and calling to mind the uncertainty of this transitory life knowing that all flesh must yield unto death when it pleaseth God to call them do make constitute and appoint this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following revoking and annulling by these presents all and every Testament Will and Wills heretofore by me made either by word or writing and this is to be taken only for my Last Will and Testament and no other Imprimis being penitent from the bottom of my heart I do give and bequeath and commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God my creator and redeemer in whom and by the merits of Jesus Christ I trust and believe assuredly to be saved and my body I bequeath to the ground to be decently interred according to the discretion of my executor hereafter named and now for the settling of my temporal estate and such goods and chattels as it hath pleased God far above my desert to bestow upon me I do order give and bestow the same in manner and form following

Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my loving son John Van Rayning one hundred and twenty pounds to be paid unto him by my executors when he shall have attained to the age of one and twenty years but my will further is that if my said son John should die before he come to the age of one and twenty years the said one hundred and twenty pounds of lawful money of England to be given to my loving daughter Mary Prim and her heirs

Item I give and bequeath unto my loving brother Stephen Van Rayning the sum of ten pounds of lawful money of England to be paid unto him one twelve months after my decease

Item I give and bequeath unto the poor of Canvey Island the sum of five pounds of lawful money of England

Item I give and bequeath unto my loving son in law Moses Prim the sum of ten pounds of lawful money of England whom I constitute and appoint the executor of this my Last Will and Testament and when these legacies above mentioned shall be paid my will further is that the overplus of my estate should equally be divided between my loving son John Van Rayning and my loving son in law Moses Prim

And my will further is that if my said son John Van Rayning and my loving daughter Mary Prim should both die without heirs lawfully begotten of their bodies that then Moses Prim my executor provided? he quietly and peaceably enjoys my farm called and commonly known by the name of Swillnesh (sic. Swillness) alias Swillins Marish (sic. Marsh) and doth not lose it by the suite now commenced against me about it by the King to pay or cause to be paid five hundred pounds of lawful money of England in manner and form following Imprimis three hundred pounds to be equally divided between my loving brothers and sister viz. my loving brother Stephen Van Rayning my loving brother John Van Rayning and my loving brother Peter Van Rayning and my loving sister Mary Skelder and two hundred pounds to my late wife’s relations to be equally divided betwixt the children of her three sisters and it is my will further is that if my executor Moses Prim should lose the said farm known by the name of Swillness alias Swillins Marsh by the suite or any other suite commenced in his Majesties name Then not to pay the five hundred pounds before mentioned my will further is that my loving brother John Van Rayning should be overseer of this my Will and Testament to see it put in execution according to the true intent and meaning of it

In witness whereof I have set my hand and seal to this my Last Will and Testament the day and year above written
Mathew Van Rayning his mark

Signed and sealed in the presence of  Samuel ?mond, Peter Malstaffe

The following documents from the Essex Record Office records :-

D/DHt/T78/1 - 1 May 1710 - Sale Deed

John Van Raining, sen., of Coningdon, alias Coundon, gent, and John Van Raining, jun.
And Peter Prim, of Eastwood

Moiety of a messuage called 'Swillness' or 'Swillens', and the moiety of 120 ac. of marshland in Corringham, with the fishing thereto belonging, adjoining 'Bradford Marsh', N. and the salt creek, S. [One signet seal]

D/DHt/T78/2 - 2 May 1710 - Receipt

John Van Raining, sen., of Conningdon
Peter Prim, of Eastwood

£60, for 'Swillness' and 120 ac. of marshland, Comingham [Paper]

D/DHt/T78/3 - 10 August 1710 - Receipt

John Freeman, of Orsett
Christopher Parsons of SouthChurch

£163.8s. by appointment of John Van Raining, late of Fobbing, for 'Swillness' and marshland, comingham [Paper]

[Coningdon, Conningdon & Comingham in the above docs are probably misreadings of Corringham.]

Wills at the Essex Record Office Chelmsford :- Essex Record Office ref - D/AER/23/117

Acknowledgment to the Essex Record Office