William Frances of Harby 1780 Will
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Archives PR/T/1780/79
This is the last Will and Testament of me William Frances of Harby in the County of Leicester farmer
I Give and devise all and every my Messuages Cottages farms Closes Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises whatsoever situate and being in Harby and Scalford in the said County of Leicester and Hickling in the County of Nottingham and all other my real Estate whatsoever unto my Wife Alice Frances for and during the term of her natural life
And after her decease I give and devise all and every the aforesaid Premises situate lying and being at Harby and Scalford aforesaid unto my Grandson William Barns for and during the term of his natural Life And from and immediately after the determination of that Estate I Give and devise the same unto my Son in Law George Girton and my friend John Watts of Kinoulton in the County of Nottingham farmer and their heirs during the Life of the said William Barns upon Trust to support and preserve the contingent uses and Estates hereafter limited thereof from being defeated and for that purpose to make entries and bring Actions as occasion shall require But nevertheless to permit and suffer the said William Barns and his Assigns to receive and take the Rents issues and profits thereof to his and their own use during his Life
And from and after his decease I give and devise the said last mentioned Premises with their Appurtenances unto and amongst all and every the issue Child or Children of the Body of the said William Barns lawfully to be begotten to be equally divided amongst them share and share alike (if more than one) to take as Tenants in Common and not as joint Tenants and to the respective heirs of the respective Body and Bodies of all and every such Children lawfully issuing And in Case any one or more of such Children shall happen to die without issue of him her or their Body or Bodies lawfully begotten then and in such Case I Give and devise the share or shares of him her or them so dying without issue as aforesaid unto the Survivors and Survivor of such Children equally to be divided between them if more than one to take as Tenants in Common and the respective heirs of the respective Body and Bodies of such surviving Child or Children lawfully issuing And in Case all such Children but one shall happen to die without issue Then I Give and devise the same unto such only Child and the heirs of his or her Body lawfully issuing And for default of all such issue Then I Give and devise the same unto my said Son in Law George Girton his heirs and Assigns for Ever And to and for no other use intent or purpose whatsoever
And after the decease of my said Wife Alice Frances I Give and devise all the aforesaid Premises in Hickling aforesaid unto my Grandson John Girton his heirs and Assigns for Ever Subject nevertheless to and I do hereby charge the same with the payment of the Sum of one hundred pounds to be paid to my Grandaughter Ann Girton when she attains her age of twenty one years And in Case of her death before that time Then I do hereby direct the same to sink into my said Estate for the benefit of my said Grandson John Girton and his heirs
And as to for and concerning all and singular my household Goods and furniture Silver plate Linnen and China Ready money and Securities for money and all my Estate and Interest in the Premises comprised in such Securities Goods Cattle Chattles personal Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever (subject to the payment of all my just Debts and funeral Expences) I do by this my Will give and bequeath the use but not the property unto my said Wife Alice Frances for her natural Life And after her decease I Give to my three Grandaughters Mary Elizabeth and Sarah Girton the Sum of one hundred pounds apiece to be paid to them respectively at the age of twenty one years And in Case any of my said three Grandaughters Mary Elizabeth and Sarah Girton shall happen to die before they attain twenty one years of age then I Give the part or share parts or shares of him her or them so dying unto the Survivor or Survivors of them and my said Grandaughter Ann Girton share and share alike if more than one and if but one to such surviving or only Grandaughter to be paid to her or them when and as her or their original portions shall become payable
And all the residue and remainder of my said personal Estate and Effects I give and bequeath the same unto the said William Barns his Executors Administrators and Assigns
And Lastly I do appoint the said George Girton the elder and the said John Watts Executors of this my Will jointly hereby revoking all former Wills by me made
In Witness whereof I the said William Frances the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand and seal the twenty Fifth Day of May one thousand seven hundred and Eighty
William Frances his Mark
Signed sealed published and declared by the said William Frances 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 subscribed our Names as Witnesses thereto And who first observed the seven last Lines of the first page and the two first Lines of the second page of this Will to be written upon Erazure before the execution thereof and also the interlineation between the fifth and sixth Lines of the second page of this Will and the word John being wrote upon Erazure
A Illingworth
Ann Pilgrim
JL Story
I William Frances of Harby in the County of Leicester farmer Do hereby make this Codicil to my last Will and Testament
Whereas since the making my Will my Wife Alice Frances has departed this life And Whereas I have by my Will given and devised my Cottage or Tenement and Premises situate and being in Scalford in the County of Leicester to my Grandson William Barns as in my said Will is mentioned Now I do hereby revoke annul and make void such devise respecting my said real Estate at Scalford And I do hereby give and devise the same Cottage or Tenement Hereditaments and Premises in Scalford aforesaid unto my Grandson George Girton his heirs and Assigns for Ever
And Whereas I have by my said Will after my Wife’s Death given and bequeathed the residue and remainder of my personal Estate and Effects unto my said Grandson William Barns Now I do hereby also revoke such bequest And I do by this my Codicil give my Silver Tankard unto my Grandaughter Mary Girton And I give my best bed with the bedstead hangings and appurtenances unto my daughter Mary Girton And I give my bed in the Middle Chamber with the bedstead hangings and appurtenances unto my Grandaughter Elizabeth Girton And I give all the remainder of my personal Estate and Effects (except my ready money and securities for money) unto my said Grandson William Barns And all my ready money and securities for money I give unto my said Son in Law George Girton
And I do in all other respects ratify and confirm my said last Will and Testament
In Witness whereof I the said William Frances have to this Codicil to my last Will and Testament set my hand and Seal the twenty fifth Day of October In the twentieth year of the reign of our sovereign Lord George the third by the grace of God of great Brittain France and Ireland king defender of the faith &c And in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and Eighty
William Frances his Mark
Signed sealed published and declared by the said William Frances as and for a Codicil to his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as Witnesses hereto
John Harby
Sauel [sic] Morley
Robert Mann
On the 7th day of November 1780 George Girton one of the Executors named in the within written Will was sworn to the due Execution thereof & at the same time made Oath that the value of the Deceased’s personal Estate did [“not” missing] amount to three hundred pounds
At the same time power for John Watts the other Executor within named
Before me Tho. Ford Surrogate