Richard Guy Wells of Plungar 1895 Will
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Archives DE 462/38
This is the last Will of me Richard Guy Wells of The Manor House Plungar in the County of Leicester Gentleman
I appoint my wife Elizabeth Wells my brother Joseph Barnett Wells and my friend William Shipman of Hose Grange in the said County Gentleman Executors and Trustees of this my Will
I give to my said Wife a Legacy of Fifty pounds to be paid to her as soon as possible after my death to meet her immediate wants
I give to the said Joseph Barnett Wells and William Shipman a Legacy of Twenty five pounds each as an acknowledgement for their trouble in executing my Will the same to be free from Legacy duty
I give to my said Wife the personal use and enjoyment so long as she shall continue my widow of all my household furniture plate linen china glass books pictures prints musical instruments and other household effects of a like nature which shall at my decease be in or about my dwellinghouse
And I direct my Executors (other than my Wife) to deliver the same to her within one calendar month after my decease on her signing an acknowledgement and Inventory thereof, such acknowledgement and Inventory to be prepared and kept by my other Executors who shall at the same time deliver to her a duplicate of such Inventory signed by them
I exonerate the said Joseph Barnett Wells and William Shipman from all responsibility in respect of the effects included in the same Inventory after such delivery thereof as aforesaid until they shall receive actual notice of the death or marriage again of my said Wife And after her death or marriage again I direct the same effects to be disposed of as part of my residuary personal estate
I devise all my Real Estate and I bequeath the residue of my personal estate to which I shall be then entitled Unto and to the use of the said Elizabeth Wells Joseph Barnett Wells and William Shipman their heirs executors administrators and assigns Upon trust to sell call in and convert the same into money and to invest the proceeds (after payment of all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses) in or upon any of the securities authorised by law and to pay the annual income of such investments to my said wife during her life if she shall so long continue my widow and without power of anticipation
And from and after her death or marriage again As to as well the capital and income of the said trust moneys In trust for all my children who being Sons or a son shall attain the age of Twenty one years or being daughters or a daughter shall attain that age or marry under that age the same to be divided in such manner as that the share of each son shall be half as much again as the share of each daughter that is to say in the proportion of three to two And if there shall be but one such child the whole to be in trust for that child
I empower my trustees or trustee for the time being notwithstanding the trusts aforesaid to postpone for such period as to them him or her may seem expedient the sale calling in and conversion of my said real and residuary personal estate and in the meantime to let manage and deal with the same in such manner as may seem advantageous and to permit my said wife to occupy during her widowhood my residence and the whole or such portion of the land which at my death may be occupied with my said residence and in case my said wife shall elect to occupy my said residence and land or any part thereof to permit her to use such dead farming stock and implements of husbandry as may be used by me thereon immediately before my death without being in any way responsible for any loss or depreciation And I declare that until sale my real estate shall be regarded as personal estate and be subject to the trusts aforesaid concerning the proceeds of sale thereof and shall be transmissible as personal estate
I empower my Trustees with the consent of my said Wife during her widowhood and after her decease or marriage in their discretion and notwithstanding any of the trusts aforesaid to apply any part or parts not exceeding in the whole one moiety of the capital of the fund or share to which each or any child of mine shall be entitled or contingently entitled in or towards the advancement in life or otherwise for the benefit of the same child whether a son or daughter or under the age of Twenty one years or not
I appoint my said wife during her life Guardian and after her death the said Joseph Barnett Wells and William Shipman Guardians of my children during their respective minorities
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this Fifth day of December One thousand eight hundred and ninety four
Richard Guy Well
Signed and acknowledged by the said Richard Guy Wells the Testator as and for his last Will in the presence of us both being present together who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses
Marian Johnson, Plungar
W Maurice Williams, Solicitor, Leicester
On the twentieth day of September 1895 Probate of this Will was granted at Leicester to Elizabeth Wells, Widow the Relict, Joseph Barnett Wells the Brother, and William Shipman, the Executors