Home › Peter Paggen › William Paggen’s will, 1688
Last modified: 5 October 2026
William Paggen, a London merchant, was the brother of Peter Paggen of the Manor House, Wandsworth. He made his will on 27 April 1688, and it was proved on 14 February 1690, so he died in the winter of 1689–90. He asked to be buried in the vault of St Dunstan in the East, where his daughter Elizabeth had lately been buried — the church where Peter, too, would later ask to be buried.
This transcription is made from the registered copy of the will (The National Archives, PROB 11/398/296). See also the will of William Paggen, brewer, 1636 (probably his grandfather), the will of Peter Paggen, 1717, the will of Katherine Paggen, 1724, and Peter Paggen, Humphry Morice and the slave trade.
The Paggen family. The will names Peter Paggen as William’s brother and sole executor; Peter’s wife Katherine; their daughter Katherine (later Katherine Hale, then Katherine Morice), then under 21; and a sister, Sarah Symonds, widow, with her daughter Elizabeth Symonds. Sarah Symonds is the “Sister” remembered in the wills of both Peter (1717) and Katherine Paggen (1724).
William’s own daughters. He had daughters Katherine and Sarah, both under 21 — the same names as Peter’s daughters — and a daughter Elizabeth who had recently died. The residue of his estate, “moneys plate debts … goods Merchandizes Adventures Shipping”, went to the two surviving girls, with Peter to invest their portions “at interest or in Trade”.
“Adventures” and “Shipping”. William was a merchant with shares in ships and trading ventures. The SlaveVoyages database records a “William Paggen” as captain and owner of two small shipments of enslaved people from the Caribbean to Virginia in 1684 and 1685 (voyages 103972 and 103973). This will makes it more likely that the man in the database really was William, Peter’s brother, rather than Peter himself; but the database’s own entry is uncertain, and the will does not mention the slave trade.
The debtors’ prisons. He left £50 each to Ludgate, the Poultry Compter and the Wood Street Compter, to free poor prisoners held for their fees or for debts of less than £5.
‖1‖ [margin: Test[amentum] Will[iel]mi Paggen] In the Name of God Amen the Seaven and Twentieth day of Aprill Anno Dni 1688 And in the fourth yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord James the Second by the grace of God King of England Scotland ffrance and Ireland Defender of the ffaith &c I William Paggen of London Merchant being in good health of body and perfect remembrance (praised be God therefore) Yet considering with my Selfe the certainty of Death and the uncerteinty of the time and houre thereof and being desirous to settle my estate in such manner that it may bee disposed of after my decease without any Suite or contention of or in Law Doe make and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner ‖2‖
following that is to say ffirst and principally I commend my Soule into the most mercifull hands of Allmighty God my Creator assuredly trusting and by a lively faith beleiving to bee saved by and through the pretious death merritts and bloodshedding of Jesus Christ my blessed and alone Saviour and Redeemer And my body I committ to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executor hereafter named in the Vault of the Parish Church of St Dunstan in the East London where my deceased Daughter Elizabeth was lately buried
And as touching such Worldly estate as it hath or shall please God to blesse me withall I give and dispose thereof as followeth (Vizt)
Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my brother Peter Paggen the Sume of Two hundred pounds
Item I give unto Katherine the Wife of my said brother the Sume of One hundred pounds
Item I give unto Katherine the daughter of my said brother and Sister the Sume of Two hundred pounds when shee shall attaine unto the Age of One and Twenty yeares or day of marriage first happening
Item I give unto my Sister Sarah Symonds Widdow the Sume of One hundred pounds Item I give to her Daughter Elizabeth Symonds the Sume of One hundred pounds when shee shall attaine unto the Age of One and Twenty yeares or day of marriage first happening
Item I give unto William [Harris?] Sonne of my late Mr John [Harris?] deced the Sume of One hundred pounds in case the said William shall be living at my decease and shall come in his owne person to my Executor to receive the same Item I give to Elizabeth Stevens the Sume of ffifty pounds
Item I give to the three Prisons (Vizt) Ludgate the Poultry Compter and Woodstreete Compter the Sume of ffifty pounds apeece to bee distributed by my Executor according to his owne discretion for the releife of such poor people as shall bee in there for their fees and whose respective debts shall bee lesse then ffive Pounds
All the rest and residue of all such moneys plate debts to me owing goods Merchandizes Adventures Shipping Chattells and estate whatsoever as I shall dye possessed of or that shall in any wise belong unto me at the time of my decease (after my debts and legacies first thereout paid and my funerall expences discharged) I give unto my Two Daughters Katherine Paggen and Sarah Paggen equally betweene them when they shall severally attaine unto the Age of One and Twenty yeares or day of marriage which shall first happen And in case either of my said Daughters shall happen to dye or depart this Mortall life before shee shall attaine unto the said Age of One and Twenty yeares or bee married That then the part and share of my estate of her so dying shall bee and remaine unto the Survivor of them
And my Will and Mind is That if either of my said Daughters shall marry without the consent and good liking of my Executor hereafter named That then the Sume of ffive hundred pounds shall be forfeited and paid out of the estate or legacy of her so marrying unto the other of my said Daughters
And my further Will and mind is That my Executor hereafter named shall from time to time untill my said Daughters shall severally attaine unto Age or marriage as aforesaid dispose of their portions or legacies hereby given them either at interest or in Trade or otherwise as hee shall thinke fitt for their best ‖3‖ advantage
And if any losse or losses shall happen by the disposall or manageing thereof That then such losse or losses shall bee borne and susteined by my said Daughters and my Executor not to be obliged to make good the same
And my further will and mind is That all charges and disbursements That my Executor shall susteine or bee put unto for or by reason of the Execution of this my Will or touching the Trust reposed in him shall be defrayed and allowed out of my estate
And I doe hereby make and ordeine my said brother Peter Paggen Sole and lawfull Executor of this my last Will and Testament desiring him duly and truly in all respects to performe the same
Lastly I doe hereby revoake and make void all former Wills Legacies and bequests by me at any time heretofore made or given and doe declare this only to be my last Will and Testament
In witnesse whereof to this my last Will and Testament conteining ffive Sheetes of Paper and this part of a Sheete to every one of which I have subscribed my name and to the Topp and bottome of this my Will have sett my Seale the day and yeare first herein written Wm Paggen
Signed sealed published and declared on the day of the date within written by the said Testator for and as his last Will and Testament in the presence of John Chambers Jno Poultney Richd Goodwin his Servt
Probatum fuit hujusmodi Testamentum apud London coram ven[erabi]li viro Georgio Bramston Legum Doctore Surrogato Ven[erabi]lis et egregij viri Dni Richardi Raines Militis Legum etiam Doctoris Curiae Prerogativae Cant[uariensis] Mag[ist]ri Custodis sive Comissarij l[egi]time constituti Decimo quarto die Mensis ffebruarij Anno Dni (Stilo Angliae) Millesimo Sexcentesimo Octogesimo Nono Juramento Petri Paggen fratris dicti def[unc]ti et Executoris in dicto Testamento nominat[i] Cui Comissa fuit Administratio omnium et singulorum bonorum jurium et Creditorum dict[i] defunct[i] De bene et fideliter Administrand[o] eadem ad Sancta Dei Evangelia Jurat[i] Exa[minatur]
In English (summary): This will was proved at London before George Bramston, Doctor of Laws, surrogate of Sir Richard Raines, Knight, also Doctor of Laws, Master, Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, on 14 February 1689 (English style, that is, 1690 by the modern calendar), on the oath of Peter Paggen, brother of the deceased and executor named in the will. He was granted administration of all the goods, rights and credits of the deceased, having sworn on the Holy Gospels to administer them faithfully.
1. The will begins at the foot of image 1, below the end of the previous will in the register, which is not transcribed. The margin heading reads Test[amentum] Will[iel]mi Paggen. Folio 226 is marked at the top of image 2.
2. William [Harris?]. The legacy of £100 is to “William [Harris?] Sonne of my late Mr John [Harris?]”. The surname could also be read Davis. “My late Mr” probably means “my late master”: John Harris (or Davis) may have been the merchant to whom William Paggen was apprenticed. A John Davis invested with Peter Paggen in slaving voyages in 1698–99, and a “Harris” in 1702–03 (see the register). The legacy was to be paid only if William came to the executor “in his owne person”, which suggests he was abroad.
3. The will is written in a secretary hand. The marks at the line ends are the clerk’s line-fillers and are not transcribed.
4. The year of probate is written “Millesimo Sexcentesimo Octogesimo Nono” (1689), “Stilo Angliae”: in the English calendar of the time the year began on 25 March, so 14 February 1689 was 14 February 1690 by the modern reckoning.
Transcribed from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury register copy by Philip Boys, with Claude, October 2026. Build 2.