John Hodgkin of Ab Kettleby 1879 Will

Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Archives DE 462/22

This is the last Will and Testament of me John Hodgkin of Ab Kettleby in the County of Leicester Grazier as follows

I direct the payment of my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses as soon as conveniently may be after my decease by my Executrix hereinafter appointed out of my personal estate and subject to such payment I give and bequeath all my personal estate  of which I shall be possessed or to which I shall be entitled at the time of my decease Unto my dear Wife Elizabeth Hodgkin her executors administrators and assigns absolutely for her and their own absolute use and benefit And I do also hereby give and devise all the real Estate (if any) of or to which I shall be seised possessed or entitled at the time of my decease Unto my said Wife her heirs and assigns for her and their own absolute use and benefit and I declare it to be my wish that if my said Wife shall at the time of her decease be possessed of any of the real or personal estate hereinbefore devised and bequeathed to her she shall will and leave the same to and amongst such of my child or children as shall then be living if only one to such one absolutely and if more than one in equal shares

But I declare it also to be my Will and intent that the expression of my wish hereinbefore contained shall not in anyway be considered as a condition annexed to the devise and bequest of my real and personal estates hereinbefore contained nor shall the same devise and bequest be prejudiced or affected thereby and this my Will shall so far as regards the absoluteness of such devise and bequest be read as if no further expression of my will or wish had been herein contained

I appoint my said Wife Elizabeth Hodgkin Sole Executrix of this my Will and I revoke all Wills and Testamentary dispositions by me at anytime heretofore made

In Witness whereof I have hereunder set my hand this Thirty first day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy five

                                                                                                         John Hodgkin

Signed by the said John Hodgkin the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us both present at the same time and who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses thereto the words “and their” having been first inserted in two places thereinto that is to say between the eleventh and twelfth and the fifteenth and sixteenth lines counting from the top

Thomas Shipton Jr

Joshua Greatorex

Proved at Leicester on the Twenty seventh day of January 1879 by the Oath of Elizabeth Hodgkin Widow the Relict the Sole Executrix to whom Administration was granted

The Testator John Hodgkin was late of Ab Kettleby in the County of Leicester Grazier and died on the Fourteenth day of October 1878 at Ab Kettleby aforesaid

Under £200