William and Mary, 1692: An Act [for] that the Inhabitants of the p[ro]vince of York may dispose of their personal Estates [by their Wills] notwithstanding the Custom of that p[ro]vince [Chapter II. Rat. Parl. pt. 2. nu.1.]

Persons within the Province of York may dispose by Will of all their Personal Estate.

Whereas by custom within the Province of Yorke or other Usage the Widdows and younger Children of p[er]sons dying Inhabitants of that Province are intituled to a part of the Goods and Chattells of their late Husbands and Fathers (called her and their reasonable part) notwithstanding any disposic[i]on of the same by their Husbands and Fathers last Wills and Testaments and notwithanding any Joyntures made for the livelyhood of the said Widdows by their Husbands in their life time which are competent and according to agreement whereby many Persons are disabled from makeing sufficient Provision for [their (fn. 2) ] younger Children. For remedy whereof be it enacted by the King and Queens most excellent Majesties by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Co[m]mons in this p[re]sent Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That from and after the Six and twentieth day of March One thousand six hundred ninety and three it shall and may be lawfull for any p[er]son or persons inhabiting or residing or who shall have any Goods or Chattells within the p[ro]vince of Yorke by their last Wills and Testaments to give bequeath and dispose of all and singuler their Goods Chattells Debts and other p[er]sonall Estate to their Executor or Executors or to such other p[er]son or p[er]sons as the said Testator or Testators shall think fitt in as large and ample manner as by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm any Person or Persons may give and dispose of the same within the Province of Canterbury or elsewhere And that from and after the said Six and twentieth day of March One thousand six hundred ninety and three the Widows Children and other the Kindred of such Testator or Testators shall be barred to claime or demand any part of the Goods Chattels or other p[er]sonal Estate of such Testators or Testators in any other manner then as by the said last Wills and Testaments is limitted and appointed Any Law Statute or Usage to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding

II. Proviso for Widows and Children of Freemen of York and Chester.

Provided always That nothing in this Act conteyned shall extend or be construed to extend to the Citizens of the Cities of York and Chester who are or shall be Freemen of the said respective Cities inhabiting therein or within the Suburbs thereof at the time of their Death but that every such Citizens Widdow and Children shall and may have and enjoy such reasonable part and p[ro]portion of the Testators p[er]sonal Estate as she or they might or ought to have had by the Custom of the p[ro]vince of York before the makeing of this Act