Will of James Acton, gentleman 1690

Acton was the son of Edward (d. 1686) and Joane (d. 1686) and held property in St Mary Bourne, Baughurst and Flaxpool Lane in Basingstoke which he bequeathed to his three brothers. He left two volumes of the Book of Martyrs to Basingstoke parish church with instructions that they should be secured with chains but available for everyone’s use and inscribed with his name. This was a popular critical account of the sufferings of Protestants under the Catholic church. He formerly owned a brick kiln in Old Basing which he had sold for £80. In a codicil he made arrangements for his brother and subsequently his nephew to remain in the parsonage of Bentworth.