1811 Will - Joseph Reeve
Introduction
Dated: 1 Jun 1811, Woodham Ferrers, EssexProbated: Commissary of Bishop of London, 28 Feb 1812
Transcript
In the Name of God Amen I Joseph Reeve of Champions in the parish of Woodham Ferris in the County of Essex Gentleman Do make this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) I Give and bequeath unto William Bingham now living with me as looker the sum of Twenty pounds to be paid within Three Months after my decease And I direct that my executrix and Executor hereinafter appointed Do and shall as soon as conveniently may be after my decease make sale and disposal of the lease of the farm of Woodham Ferris now in my own occupation (provided the landlord will give license and consent thereto) And also of all and every my live and dead farming stock utensils and implements of Husbandry Household furniture plate linen and china (except so much of my household furniture plate linen and china as my dear wife may wish to retain an account and valuation whereof I direct be taken and the value accounted for to my estate for her decease ? allowed for on her receiving her share of the property after bequeathed) and of all and every other my personal estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever whereof I may be possessed interested in or intitled unto at the time of my decease and after payment of the expences attendant upon such sale the before mentioned legacy and of my just debts funeral and testamentary expences I give and bequeath the clear net remaining produce to arise by such sale and also all my ready money in the publick stocks or funds debts due and owing unto me upon mortgage bond bill or otherwise unto my dear wife Amy and Henry Stanley of Billericay in the County of Essex Gentleman their executors and Administrators upon the trusts nevertheless and to and for the several ends intents and purposes after mentioned expressed and declared of or concerning the same (that is to say) upon trust that they my said dear wife and Henry Stanley do and shall forthwith call in and convert into money such of my said property as shall not consist of money and thereupon immediately afterwards lay out and invest all such monies which may come to their hands in manner before mentioned in the public stocks or funds upon Government or real securities at interest in their own names with power of altering or transposing such stocks funds or securities and re-investing the same from time to time as they may think proper And upon further that my said dear wife do and shall be permitted to have receive and take the interest dividends and proceeds to arise from such stocks funds or securities for and towards her own maintenance and support and the maintenance bringing up and education of my two children Sarah and Joseph and of any after born child or children of the body of my said wife by me begotten or to be begotten during the minority of such children and until the youngest whether male or female shall attain his or her age of twenty one years and when and so soon as the youngest of my children before named or any after born child or children as aforesaid shall attain the age of twenty one years then I direct that my said trustees or the survivor of them her or his executors or Administrators do and shall divide distribute or transfer such stocks funds or securities upon which the monies to arise as aforesaid may be laid out or invested in manner before directed between unto and among my said wife and all and every my children as aforesaid in equal parts shares and properties and if but one child shall live to attain the age of twenty one years then between and among my said wife and such one child equally and in case my said wife shall happen to die before my youngest child shall attain the age of twenty one years then I direct the same stocks funds or securities be equally divided between all and every my child and children if more than one share and share alike and if but one the whole to such one child And I do give and bequeath the same accordingly and in case all my children shall happen to die under the age of twenty one years leaving my said dear wife surviving then I do give and bequeath the said stocks funds or securities unto my said dear wife to and for her own sole and absolute use and benefit Nevertheless it is my will and I direct that the share and shares of my children shall become vested and transmissible interests in such of them respectively being sons upon their severally attaining the age of twenty one years and in such of them being daughters upon their severally attaining that age or being married whichever shall first happen notwithstanding the postponing the payment of such portions by reason of the minority of younger children. I direct that the rent of my farm and lands containing about two hundred acres situate and being at High Garrett in the parish of Bocking in the County of Essex aforesaid and now in the occupation of William Michael Reeve under lease by me granted be received by my executrix and executor after appointed and paid and applied in the same manner as the interest of the stocks funds or securities before mentioned are hereinbefore directed to be disposed of until my youngest child shall attain the age of twenty one years. And upon his or her attaining that age I will order and direct that my said trustees or the survivor of them or the executors or Administrators of such survivor do and shall thereupon make sale and conveyance of all that my said farm and lands situate lying and being in High Garrett in the County aforesaid and do give and devise the same estate to them for that purpose and after payment of the expences attendant upon such sale I will order and direct that the money thereby arising shall sink into and become part of my residuary personal estate and be disposed accordingly in the same manner as the stocks funds or securities upon which the monies to arise as aforesaid and hereinbefore directed to be invested are specifically bequeathed And in case my said wife shall happen to die during the minority of my said children and there shall not be any child or children of her body by me begotten or to be begotten who may live to become intitled to the monies before bequeathed in manner as aforesaid then I direct that my said trustees or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor do and shall as soon as conveniently may be after the last contingency happening make sale and disposal of the said stocks funds or securities and of my said estate at High Garritt and pay distribute and divide the money arising from the same respectively unto between and among all and every the child and children of my sister Elizabeth Moore wife of Samuel Moore in equal shares and proportions and if but one child then to such only child And I appoint my said dear wife the guardian of my children during their respective minorities and in case of her decease during the minority of any or either of my children I appoint Elizabeth Challis of Melton Mowbray in the County of Leicester widow, to be their Guardian in the place and stead of my said wife And for facilitating the sale of my said estate hereinbefore directed to be sold it is my will that the receipt and receipts of my said trustees or the survivor of them his executors or administrators shall be a good and sufficient discharge to the purchase or purchasers of my said estate and his her or their respective heirs executors and administrators for so much of such purchase money as shall therein be acknowledged to be received and that such purchaser or purchasers his her or their heirs executors or Administrators or any of them shall not be answerable or accountable afterwards for any loss or misapplication of such purchase monies or any part thereof And lastly I do make nominate constitute and appoint my said dear wife executrix and the said Henry Stanley executor of this my last Will and Testament and my will is that my said trustees and executors hereinbefore named and the survivor of them and the executors and Administrators of such survivor shall and may at all times reimburse and indemnify themselves herself and himself respectively all such costs charges damages and expences as they any or either of them shall or may at any time lay out expend or be put unto in about touching or by reason of the trusts hereby in them reposed and that they my said trustees shall not be answerable or accountable the one for the other of them but each of them for her and his own acts and deeds only nor for any loss that may happen in the execution of the said trusts without her his or their wilful neglects and defaults And I do hereby revoke and make void all former wills by me at any time heretofore made and declare this only to be and contain my last will and Testament In witness whereof I the said Joseph Reeve have to this my last Will and Testament contained in three sheets of paper set my seal to the label that fixeth them together my hand to the two first sheets thereof and my hand and seal to this third and last sheet thereof the first day of June one thousand Eight hundred and elevenJoseph Reeve
Signed Sealed published and declared by the said }
Joseph Reeve the testator as and for his last Will and }
Testament in the presence of us who in his presence at }
his request and in the presence of each other have }
hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses }
the interlineation between the ninth and tenth lines of the first }
sheet and the words "child or" in the same sheet being thrice wrote interlined
as well as the words "in the parish of Bocking" in the second sheet being
first interlined.
Martha Quilter
Joseph Watts
James Blakh? Clerk to Mr Stanley
25 Novr 1811
Amy Reeve the widow and Relict of the deceased and Henry Stanley the executors within named were sworn to the truth of this will and to the true performance thereof and that to the best of their knowledge and belief the Goods Chattels and credits of the deceased do ot amount to the sum of seven thousand five hundred pounds
The testator died in the Parish }Before me
within metioned the Oct }T Roberts Surrogate
last }
Proved on the 25th Day of Novr in the year of our Lord 1811 before the Revd Thomas Roberts Clerk surrogate &c by the oaths of Amey Reeve the widow of the deceased and Henry Stanley the executors to whom Administration was granted they being first sworn duly to Administer