Will of Israel Reeves (died 1828) of Dibden.

Introduction

Will of Israel Reeves of Dibden, Hants, yeoman, made 1824, proved 1828, Winchester Bishopric Court.

Transcript or Summary

This is the last will and testament of me Israel Reeves of Dibden in the county of Southampton, yeoman, made whilst I am of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding in manner following that is to say:
First I will that all my just debts funeral expenses and the costs and charges of proving this my will be duly paid and satisfied, I give and bequeath unto my wife Jane Reeves one annuity or clear yearly sum of twenty pounds of lawful money of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland current in Great Britain to be paid to her by my executors herein after named out of my freehold estates by two equal half yearly payments for and during the term of her natural life, and I will and declare that the same be to her my said wife in lieu and satisfaction of all dower and thirds to which she may be entitled in or out of any lands tenements or hereditaments of which I may be seized or possessed during my life, and from immediately after the decease of my said wife I give devise and bequeath all my said freehold estate whatsoever and wheresoever unto my two sons James and Samuel and the survivor of them and the executors or administrators of such survivor upon trust that they my said sons or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor shall and do absolutely sell and dispose of all my said freehold estate by public auction and after paying all charges and expenses attending such sale or sales, I give and bequeath the net produce thereof unto and amongst my seven children herein after named that is to say James, Samuel, William, Charles, Elizabeth, Mary and Jane and my Grand Daughter Jane Veal Reeves equally to be divided between them share and share alike as tenants in common and not as joint tenants, and as to all the rest residue and remainder of my estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kind soever the same shall or may at my decease I give devise and bequeath to the same and every part thereof unto my two sons James and Samuel and the survivor of them and the executors or administrators of such survivor upon trust that they my said sons or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor shall and do immediately after my decease absolutely sell and dispose of all my said rest residue and remainder of my estate and effects by public auction and after paying all charges and expenses attending such sale or sales I give and bequeath the net produce thereof unto and amongst my before named seven children and my said grand daughter equally to be divided between them share and share alike as tenants in common and not as joint tenants and it is my will and I do hereby direct that the part or share of my said estate and effects herein before by me given and bequeathed to my grand daughter Jane Veal Reeves be paid to her by my executors herein after named on her attaining the age of twenty one years and that the interest arising therefrom be from time to time applied towards her support and maintenance as my executors in their discretion shall judge best, and in case my said grand daughter shall happen to die before she shall attain the said age of twenty one years then I give the before mentioned part or share of all my estates and effects unto and amongst my seven children herein before named equally to be divided between them share and share alike, and it is my further will and I do hereby direct that the parts or shares of my said estate and effects herein before by me given and bequeathed to my daughters Elizabeth, Mary and Jane shall not be subject or liable to the control, debts or engagements of any present husband they now have or that either of them may hereafter happen to marry and that the receipt or receipts of my said daughters alone notwithstanding my present or future coverture shall be a good and sufficient discharge and discharges to my said executors for the same and in case my or either of my said children shall depart this life before he she or they shall have received the part or parts share or shares of my said estate and effects herein before by my given and bequeathed them I give the part or share or parts or shares of my said estate and effects of him her or them so dying as aforesaid unto and amongst the survivors or survivor of them but in case such child or children so dying as aforesaid have lawful issue then I give the part or share or parts or shares or him her or them so dying as aforesaid unto such issue respectively to be equally divided between them if more than one share and shares alike and if but one then to such one issue only provided always that it is my will and I do hereby direct that before any distribution of my effects shall take place the sum of thirty pounds each be deducted from the shares of my son Charles and my daughter Elizabeth so much having been advanced them by me or that they be charged the said sums respectively as debts due to my estate, and it is my further will and I do hereby direct that when any sale or disposition of my said estate or effects or any part thereof shall take place the purchaser or purchasers thereof or of any part thereof shall not be obliged to see to the application of the purchase money to be paid by such purchaser or purchasers thereof or in any wise answerable or accountable for the misapplication or non-application of such purchase money but that the receipt or receipts of my said executors or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor under their or his hands or hand shall be a full clear and absolute discharge and discharges to such purchaser or purchasers respectively to whom such receipt or receipts shall be given for so much of such purchase money as shall be mentioned or expressed in such receipts or receipts, and it shall and may be lawful to and for them my said executors and each of them in the first place to deduct retain to and reimburse themselves respectively out of my said estate all such loss costs charges damages and expenses as they or either of them shall or may sustain expend or be put unto in or about the execution of the trusts hereby in them reposed or in any thing in any wise relating thereto, and I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said two sons James and Samuel joint executors of this my will, I revoke and make void all former and other will and wills by me at anytime heretofore made and do declare this only to be my last will and testament, in witness whereof the said Israel Reeves the testator have to this may last will and testament contained in four sheets of paper set my hand and seal (that is to say) my hand only to the three sheets hereunto annexed and my hand and seal to this the fourth and last sheet thereof this seventh day of October and in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty four.
The mark of
X
Israel Reeves

Signed, sealed, published and declared by Israel Reeves the testator as and for his last will and testament on the day of the date above written in the presence of us who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other of us have subscribed our names as witness hereto the word twenty in the first sheet having been first written on an erasure.

(Signed) Jas. Brown Notary Public Lymington
Chas. Browne
Sam Buckle

A codicil made by me Israel Reeves this sixth day of February one thousand eight hundred and twenty eight to be taken as and for a part of my last will and testament before written. First I reduce the sum of twenty pounds per annum given unto my wife to fourteen pounds per annum which I desire to be paid as in my said will mentioned and no more, I give unto my said wife the use of my tenement and premises now occupied by my son Samuel Reeves for her natural life and I give to my said wife absolutely all the household furniture beds and bedding and all other articles she brought on her marriage to me, I confirm my before written will in all other respects in testimony whereof I have to this codicil set my hand and seal the day and year before written.

The mark of
X
Israel Reeves

On the twentieth day of September in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty eight.
On which day James Reeves and Samuel Reeves the sole executors named in the as then written last will and testament of Israel Reeves proved the said will and the codicil thereunto annexed thereunder written in common form they being sworn on the Holy Evangelists well and faithfully to perform the same and that the personal estates of the testator deceased does not amount in the whole to sum of one thousand five hundred pounds.
Before me
Thos. Mears, Surrogate
Present
James Brown junior
Notary Public
Lymington

Probate paper seal to Hollis
20th Oct 1828.

Commentary

This is a transcript of the original will made from a feint photocopy. Proper names are given as in the original, otherwise spelling has been corrected or modernized.

The will was made on 7 Oct 1824, a codicil was added on 6 Feb 1828, it was proved on 20 Sept 1828.

The named individuals are:
Israel Reeves the testator
Jane Reeves the testator's wife, a beneficiary
James Reevesthe testator's son, an executor and a devisee
Samuel Reeves the testator's son, an executor and a devisee
William Reeves the testator's son, a devisee
Charles Reeves the testator's son, a devisee
Elizabeth Reeves the testator's daughter, a devisee
Mary Reeves the testator's daughter, a devisee
Jane Reeves the testator's daughter, a devisee
Jane Veal Reeves the testator's grand daughter, a devisee

James Brown junior, notary public as witness and for probate
Charles Browne, a witness
Sam. Buckle, a witness
Thomas Mears, surrogate
Hollis

Discussion

The will lists seven children, of these 6 can be positively identified in the Parish Registers; Jane cannot. There are two possible explanations, either that Jane wasn't baptised which seems unlikely or secondly that the entry of John (1782) in the Parish Registers is wrong and that the clerk copying notes into the register made a mistake, which also seems unlikely but a death for John has not been identified. Furthermore the settlement certificate for Israel made in 1782 state he then had 4 children, so unless John had died (which is certainly possible) Jane could not have been born c.1778/9 as surmised elsewhere. If Jane is an additional child then she was more likely born in the gap between Mary (1789) and Samuel (1796). In support of this is the fact that there is some loose ordering of names in respect of date, one list notes the seven children together, first the two executors: James (1787) and Samuel (1796), then the other sons: William (1775) and Charles (1784), followed by the daughters Elizabeth (1780), Mary (1789) and Jane, suggesting that Jane was the youngest daughter. If so John is clearly not an error for Jane.

So both John (1782) and Israel (1777) are missing from the will, nor can burials be identified for them, at least in Hampshire. If John is actually a mistake for Jane, only Israel is missing. If Israel had died it would account for the inclusion of a single grand-child for we know Israel the testator had other grandchildren by that date, so the naming of one in particular may be as she was heir of a deceased parent, i.e. she would inherit the share otherwise intended for her father. However, the name of that grand child Jane Veal Reeves raises some questions in a time when two christian names were uncommon. The Veal may represent some family connection as in the name Brooks used as a middle name amongst the descendants of Samuel Reeves and Mary Brooks. However it could also indicate bastardy, possibly she was the daughter of Jane Reeves on the body of Mr Veal. Veal is a common surname in the neighbourhood. We need to identify the deaths of Israel and John, but their exclusion from the will does not neccesaryil imply that they were then dead for they may have received money during the lifetime of the father and hence already been catered for in that respect. Charles and Elizabeth certainly had also received some prior financial assistance as indicated in the will.

Source

From the Bishopric records held at The Hampshire Record Office
HRO Finding Number 1828B63
http://calm.hants.gov.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=1828B%2f63&pos=1