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| Christopher Boone, of London and Lee Place: |
On his death, the property passed to a nephew, Charles Boone (who married Mary Garth), as Christopher and Mary appear to have no children. On Charles' death it passed to his son Thomas Boone, former Governor of South Carolina. On his death it passed to his brother Charles (who marriet Harriet Wright), and to Charles' daughter Harriet, who married Sir William Drummond. Her husband traveled a great deal and she lived at Lee until about 1824, when she sold the property at auction. According to Hasted, the manor house was pulled down about 1825. I tried to find the home and "Lee Green" in 2005, but was unable to discern it, driving the busy, winding streets of the London suburb of Lewisham. Next time, I plan to take my GPS !!
In his will, Christopher Boone left money in trust of the Merchant Taylors guild, to support an almshouse at Lee. That charity still exists today, still managed by the Merchant Taylors. A chapel he had built before his death still stands in Lee, and is currently being restored by the charity. |
| Christopher Boone's Will: (Spelling and punctuation as per document; since there is practically no punctuation in the original documents, I have started "items" that originally ran continuously, on a new line, each.) In the name of God Amen, The eighteenth day of March in the second year of the reigne of our soverigne Lord James the second by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland king defender of the faith xr. Anno Dui 1687. I Christopher Boone of London Merchant being in - - good health of body and of sound and perfect mind and memory praise be therefore given to Almighty God but considering the frailty and uncertainty of this mortall life doe therefore make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner ad forme following that is to say first and principally I commend my soule into the hands of Almighty God my most mercifull father assuredly ___yling and beliving that through his mercy and the death and merits of Jesus Christ my only Savior and Redeemer I shall have full and free pardion and remission of all my sins and transgressions and after – this life ended be made partaker and inheritor of those everlasting joys which are prepared for the _____ in the kingdom of heaven And my body I commit to the earth whereof it was framed to be – decently buried in Christian buryall in hopes of a joyfull resurrection And _ourhing such goods chattels moneys debts and estate as it hath pleased God to blesse me with all in this life I dispose thereof as followith Ffirst my will and mind is that all and every such Debts as shall be by me oweing at the time of my decease be truly satisfied and paid with all convenient speed next after my decease after the payment whereof I give and bequeath unto the poore of the parish of St.Mary Magdalen in the Towne of Taunton in the County of Somersett where I was borne the sume of ffifty pounds to be distributed amongst the poore of the said Towne at the discression of the Minister and Churchwardens thereof desiring that their parochiall allowance may not be lessened thereby Item I will that the sume of ffifty pounds be given and distributed to and among the poore of All Saints in the Towne of Lee in the County of Kent where I now live and other adjacent parishes insuch manner and proportions as Mrs. Mary Boone my loving wife shall think fitt and appoint Item I give and bequeath unto the poore of the parish of St. Stephen Coleman Street London the sume of ffifty pounds to be distributed amongst them in such a manner likewise as my said Wife shall think fitt Item I give and bequeath to the Governors of Christs Hospital the sume of one hundred pounds to be disposed of at their discretion of the good and benefit of such poore children as are or shall be kept there Item I give and bequeath unto the Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indyes the sume of ffifty pounds to be disposed of as they shall think fitt for the use and benefit of the poore of their Amlshouse at Poplar (** NOTE: This item became the basis of Christopher Boone's Charity, operated by the Merchant Tailors Guild, which continues to this day !) Item I give and bequeath to the corporation for the propagation of the Gospell in New England and parts of America fifty pounds Item I give and bequeath to my cozon Anne Whatford the daughter of John Whatford and my cozon Mary Whatford deceased the sume of one thousand pounds if shee shall live to attaine the age of one and twenty years or be married the same to be paid her at such of the times as shall first happen And my will is that shee be allowed interest for the same after the rate of six pounds p cent. By the years towards her maintenance and duration in the meantime Item to my cozon Thomas Boone of London – Merchant the sume of one thousand pounds and to Sarah his wife tenne pounds for mourning Item to my great Neice Sarah Crocker the sume of one thousand pounds desiring and hopeing that my said Cozon Anne Whatford and my said great Neice Sarah Crocker dispose of them selves in marrying during the life of Mary my Wife without her consent and approbaron Item I give to my honoured Mother in Law Mrs. Dorothy Brewer – Widow tenne pounds to buy her mourning And to my loving Sister in Law Mrs. Dorothy Brewer one hundred pounds Item to my loving Brother in Law Mr. John Brewer, Gent. One hundred pounds to be paid to him in such manner and as such times as my wife shall think fitt Item I give and bequeath unto my loving friend Mr. Gilbert Upton of London Merchant the sume of one hundred pounds Item to my cozons John Boone now at Florida and Charles Boone, Robert Bodington and Dorothy his wife , Thomas Martin and Jane his wife, Sr.Ffrancis Drake of Buckland in the County of Devon Barronett my cozons John Oldberry and William __att (could be Bratt) and Elizabeth his wife Charles Barksdall and Mary his wife Susanna Hurst (guess, not clear) Richard Goodall and Abigail his wife Elizabeth Lloyd my Goddaughter my loving ffriend Mr Edward Watts of London Merchant and his daughter Mrs. Dorothy Turner my Goddaughter, my Godsonne Henry Boone sonne of Henry Boone of London Chirurgion my loving friends Sr. Benjamin Bathurst of London knt! Mr. Benjamin Rookby of London Merchant my loving friend Mr Robert (H)ubbold of London Merchant the Right Worshipful Sr. John Matthews of London Knight Mr. John Paige to my cozon Henry Wagstaffe and Elizabeth his wife my Brother in Law Richard Bowater To every of them tenne pounds apiece to buy them mourning or rings if they please Item I give and bequeath to my cozon Elizabeth (H)onslow Spinster fifty pounds Item to my cozon Samuel (H)andraslle (? hard to read) fifty pounds Item I give and bequeath unto my loving friends Mr. Joseph Sibley serv. Of London Tallow handler Mr. William Constin (??) of Lee aforesaid Gent. James Bowen Marriner Edward Chapman Marriner and Richard Watts in the Indyes five pounds apiece to buy them rings Item I give and bequeath unto each of my men and maidservants that shall be living with me at the time of my decease the sume of ffive pounds apiece all which legaries herein before by me given and bequeathed my will is shall be paid within one year after my decease or sooner if so much of my estate as eill extend to pay the same as alsoe the legaric hereinafter given to my wife (which is in the ffirst place to be paid) shall be gotten in Item I give and bequeath unto my unto my said deare wife Mrs. Mary Boone in respect of the great love and affection I have and beare towards her and of a considerable porrow. Which I received with her in marriage the sume of Tenn Thousand pounds of lawful money of England to be paid unto her in the manner following that is to say One Moiety or halfe parte thereof within four months of my decease my will and mind being and soe it is hereby declared that this is my Legarie of Ten Thousand pounds to my said deare wife shall in the first place be fully paid and satisfied before any other of my Legaries hereby bequeathed And whereas thence is Two hundred pounds capital in the stock of the East India Company which is entered and standeth in her name in the Books of the said Company my meaning is that shee shall have that two hundred pounds and all the proceeds of it over and above the the said Ten Thousand pounds I having given it to her in my lifetime Item I give unto my said deare wife All my plate jewels rings cabinets bedding lynnen woolen burasse pewter and all other of my households _usse and implements of household whatsoever As alsoe my coaches and horses with their furniture and harnesses thereunto belonging and all such money gold or silver as shall be in her hands at the time of my decease And all my cowes hoggs sheep beasts and cattle whatsoever that I shall be possessed of or shall belong unto me at the time of my death And I further give and devise unto my said deare wife Mrs. Mary Boone her heires and Assignes All that my capitall Messuages or Mansion house of Lee Place in the said County of Kent where I now dwell And all those sixteen acres of Land be the same more or less with their and every of their appurtenances And all Messuages Lands Tenements and hereditainments whatso which I lately or at ant time heretofore purchased of George Thompson late of the parish of Lee in the said County of Kent and now of Clerkenwell in the County of Middlesex Esq. And alsoe all that my new built Messuage or Tenement in Lee at Leight want Blackheath in the said County of Kent with the gardens orchards and appurtenances thereunto belonging or therewith now used And all those my ffive acres of pasture ground be the same more or less in Lee aforesaid called or known by the name of hauscroft which I lately purchased of Francis Griffith of the Middle Temple London Gent. And Anne his wife To have and to hold the said Messauges Lands Tenements and houeditainments unto the said Mary Boone my deare Wife her heires and assignes to the only use and behoose of her the said Mary her heires and assignes forever Item I give and bequeath unto Mr Thomas Lucas Minister of St. Stephen Coleman Street London and Mr. John (Forson ?) Rector of All Saints Lee in the said County of Kent tenne pounds apiece Item I give and bequeath unto my cozen Christopher Boone the said sonne of the said Thomas Boone the sume of ffour Thousand pounds if he shall live to attain the age of one and twenty years or be marryed and in the mean time my will and meaning is that the same be paid by my executors hereafter named unto the same Gilbert Upton and my said cozon Richard Goodall to be by them improved by placing the same out at interest or otherwise as they shall thinj fitt with the concsent of my said Wife for the benefit of my said cozon Christopher And as well the said principall summe of ffour thousand poinds as the as the improvement thereof to be paid unto him when he shall attaine his said age of one and twenty years or be marryed which of them shall first happen except what thereof shall be expended in or towards his maintenance and education or placing him out to some calling I leave to the discretion of my said Wife Gilbert Upton and Richard Goodall desiring them in placing him out to have a respect both to his rapacity and inclination And if my said cozon Christopher shall happen to depart this life before he shall attaine his said age of one and twenty years or be marryed or marry without the consent and approbarrow of his ffather and my said Wife during their respective lives Then my will and meaning is that the said Gilber Upton and Richard Goodall shall repay and redeliver the said ffour thousand pounds and such improvement thereof as shall not have been laid out or expended in or towards the maintenance or education of my said cozen Christopher on in placing him out as aforesaid unto my executors hereafter named Provided always that the said Gilbert Upton and Richard Goodall or either of them shall not be charged or chargeable with any loss damage or casualty which shall befall the said ffour thousand pounds or any part thereof or of the improvement thereof without their willful default nor shall the one of them be charged with any default or misdoing of the other of them And moreover that they shall be allowed out thereof of all reasonable charges which they shall lay out or be put unto in or about the same And all the rest and residue of my Goods Lands Debts and Estate whatsoever as shall remaine after my Debts funeral charges and severall Legaries herein before specificed shall be paid and satisfied I give and bequeath unto my said cozen Thomas Boone of London Merchant if my said cozen Thomas Boone shall be living at the time of my decease And if he the said Thomas shall then be dead Then I give and bequeath all the said rest and residue of my estate unto my loving cozen Christopher Boone his sonn if he shall be then living And if the said Christopher shall be then deceased I give and bequeath all the said residue of my estate cozen John Boone an other sonn of my said cozen Thomas Boone And in case he shall then be dead then I give and bequeath the said residue of my estate unto my said deare Wife her executors and administrators forever And of this my last will and testament I do hereby nominate ordain and appoint Mrs. Mary Boone my said loving Wife and my said loving cozen Thomas Boone the sole and whole executors And I do hereby wholly and absolutely revoke and countermand all and every former and other Will and Wills by me made and do (derlant ? ) this present writing consisting of four sheets of paper to be and contain my last Will and Testament (And now return to thy everlasting rest O my soule Lord Jusus come quietly into thy hands I commit my spirite as into of a faithfull Creator and mercifull Redeemer) In witness whereof I have sett my hand to every of the said sheets at the bottom thereof and my hand and seale to a Lebell wherewith the same arefastened together at the top thereof the day and year first above written . (** NOTE: Owing to the diversity of his land holdings, there are at least three different copies of this will in different registries around the country, which greatly assisted the decoding of this documenr. What was illedgible in one version, due to handwriting or other differences, was ofter easily readable in another.) |
He is know as "Christopher Boone, of Lee Place, Kent". This describes the parcel just south of Greenwich and southeast of central London, near Lewisham, where he owned a manor house and surrounding greens. 
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