Private Act for John Crouch

Private Act George II to enable John Crouch to change his name to Pyke

Soit fait comme il est Desire

Sot baille aux Seigneurs Avesto Bille les Seigneurs sont Assentus

Whereas John Pyke late of Birdbrook in the County of Essex Gentleman made his last Will and Testament in writing bearing date on or about the one and thirtieth day of July one thousand seven hundred and thirty one and thereby gave and devised All his Manors messuages lands tenements and hereditaments with their Appurtenances in the County of Essex therein particularly described and also all that Annuity or yearly Rent Charge of twenty pounds payable out of certain Manors and Lands within the Parishes of Packingham Sandringham and snoring or some or one of them in the County of Norfolk And also all other his Manors Messuages Lands and Tenements Rents and hereditaments whatsoever and wheresoever in the Counties of Essex Cambridge Suffolk and Norfolk ever or any of them or elsewhere in the Kingdom of Great Britain in possession Reversion Remainder or Expectancy to his Nephew Bromsall Crouch for life Remainder to John Crouch Eldest son of the said Bromsall Crouch for life Remainder to the first and every other son and sons of the Body of the said John Crouch successively in Tail Male Remainder to the second third Fourth fifth and all and every other the son and sons of the body of the said Bromsall Crouch begottem

or

to be begotten in Tail male successively and in Remainder one after another as they should be in Seniority of Age and priority of Birth Remainder to John Crouch by the Description of his (the said Testators) Nephew John Crouch Eldest son of his Brother Pyke Crouch for life without impeachment of Wast Remainder to Trustees to preserve contingent Remainders Remainder to the first and every other son and sons of the said Pyke Crouch in Tail male successively and in Remainder one after another as they shall be in Seniority of Age and Priority of Birth with several other Remainders over

in which said will is a proviso that the said Bromsall Crouch and all and every other person or persons in Remainder who shall take any Estate for his or their own benefit by virtue of his will shall when and as he and they respectively shall come to and be in possession of his Manors Lands hereditaments and premisses by vertue of his Will take upon him and themselves and use in all Deeds and writings the name of Pyke only for his and their Sirname and in case his said Nephew Bromsall Crouch or any other of the person or persons in remainder who should take any Estate for his or their own benefits by virtue of his Will shall refuse or wilfully neglect to take upon him or themselves or to use the Sirname of Pyke then the Wills that such person or persons so refusing or neglecting shall not from thenceforth take any benefit by his Will and in such case he Wills and Directs that the next person in Remainder who will comply with the condition aforesaid shall immediately enter and take possession of the said Manors Lands hereditaments and premises ^and^ have hold and Enjoy the same according to the limitations in his said Will

And Whereas the said John Crouch the son of the said Bromsall Crouch died before the said John Pyke the Testator and also before the said Bromsall Crouch without leaving any issue him surviving

And Whereas the said Bromsall Crouch afterwards also departed this life leaving the said Testator John Pyke to survive him ^and^ without leaving any Issue behind him

And Whereas the said John Pyke the Testator died on or about the third day of December One thousand Seven hundred and thirty eight without revoking his said Will

And Whereas the said John Crouch the Eldest son of the said Pyke Crouch in compliance with the Proviso or Condition contained in the said part recited Will hath ever since the death of the said Testator taken upon himself and used the Sirname of Pyke and is desirous that the said Sirname may be continued to and confirmed on him and the heirs Male of his body by authority of Parliament

Wherefore your Majestys Most Dutiful Subject the said John Crouch last named Doth most humbly beseech your Most Excellent Majesty that it may be Enacted And Be it Enacted by the Kings Most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same that the said John Crouch last named Eldest son of the said Pyke Crouch and the Heirs Male of his body shall from henceforth and at all times hereafter take upon him and them and every of them and be called and known by the Sirname of Pyke instead and in lieu of the Sirname of Crouch and shall in all Deeds Writings Letters and other Instruments of writing be called and stiled by the Sirname of Pyke and Set Subscribe and write his and their Sirname and Sirnames Pyke only to all and every such Deeds Writings Letters and Instruments

Provided always And it is hereby Enacted and Declared that the alteration or change of the Sirname of any of the persons authorized and required by this Act to take and use the Sirname of Pyke shall not in any wise defeat prevent prejudice or interrupt the descent of any Lands Tenements or hereditaments which they or any of them are shall or may be intitled to or defeat prevent prejudice or interrupt any Right or Title to them or any of them accrued or to accrue in or to any real or personal Estate by any Purchase Limitation Devise gift bequest or by vertue of any present or future Act of Parliament or operation of Law in or by any other name Title or Designation whatsoever But that they and every of them shall and may have and take all such Estates Rights Interests benefit and advantage by such Descent Purchase Limitation Gift bequest or otherwise as aforesaid as they every or any of them respectively could or might have done in case this Act had not been made any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding

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