In his Testament dated 21 October 1521, George Emptiage leaves his soul to God the Father
Almighty, the Blessed Virign Mary and all the saints, his body to be buried in the church-yard of the church of St Peter in Thanet. He bequeathes 20d to the high altar for tithes forgotten and leaves to each light of which he is a brother, 4d.

To each of his godsons he leaves 4d. To his son Robert, he leaves 4 ewes and a calf; to Thomas Emptiage his son, 2 ewes and 1 calf. He leaves a cow to his daughter Helen and to his son John, he leaves 2 lambs. To William Childe he leaves two ewes when he shall reach the age of 10 years

The residue of his goods, his debts first having been paid, he leaves to his wife Eleanor (‘Helienora’), so that she may dispose of them for the salvation of his soul as shall seem to her best pleasing to God and for the profit of his soul.

He appoints as his executors, his wife Eleanor and Robert Emptiage his son.
It is witnessed by: Simon Emptiage his brother; Geoffrey Emptiage; Barnabas
Yockelett; George Graunt; ‘Dominus’ Hugh Hough, curate of the said church.

This is the last Will of me the said George
Emptiage of and upon all my lands and tenements in which
lands and tenements Robert Emptiage my son
and George Graunt are enfeoffed. First I will that
my said feoffees shall enfeoff Eleanor my wife to have
hold and occupy all my said lands and tenements as long as
she is a single woman keeping sufficient reparation and
paying the lord of the fee And after the death of
my said wife or else if she marry then I will
the said Robert my son shall have all my said
lands and tenements to himself and to his heirs and
his assigns in fee simple and the said Robert
to pay his brothers ₤8 of lawful money of
England and the older brother to be paid first ₤4 and
after that to the younger ₤4 and one of them to be
heir to the other if it so fortune and if it so be that the
said Robert dies without heirs of his body lawfully
begotten and within age then I will that Thomas
my son shall have all my said lands and tenements and to pay
to his younger brother the said ₤8 And if both my said
sons die without issue of their bodies lawfully
begotten then I will that my youngest son John shall
have all my said lands and tenements to him and to his heirs
and his assigns And if all my sons decease without
issue of their bodies lawfully begotten and within
lawful age then I will that my daughter Helen
shall have all my said lands and tenements in fee simple
And if it so fortune that all my children decease
without issue of their bodies lawfully begotten
and within age then I will that all my lands and
tenements shall be sold and the money thereof to be applied
in charitable deed some to the church work and
some in mass and dirge and other deed of church
at the sight of my feoffees.

Summary of Latin Testament and transcript of English Will: PRC17/15/110
held at the Kent History and Library Centre,Maidstone.

Notes:

1. The mention of a brother named Simon would indicate that their father is John Emptiach (d: 1501)
of St Peter, as both were named in his will as his sons. (Simon must have died shortly after his
brother’s will or perhaps moved away from the area because I have yet to find anything further
about him).

2. Geoffery Emptiage (witness) may be Jeffery Emptiach, son of George Emptiach (d: 1494).

3. It would seem that all of his children were of age. The William Childe he mentions, could be a
grandson by his daughter Helene, although the last seven lines of his will appears to preclude this.

4. I had initially thought that his daughter might be the Helene d: 1597 of St Peters but I think the
latter married into the Emptage family, so would not have been George’s daughter.

5. Sons Robert, Thomas & John see later notes…..in progress.