Innkeeper, Buntingford
Created 22nd Sep 1779
Proven 14th Nov 1789
This is the last Will and testament of me Francis Thompson of Buntingford in the County of Hertford Innkeeper which I being of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding praised be ^Almighty^ God for the same do make publish and declare in the manner following that is to say
In the first place I order and direct all my just Debts and ffuneral Expenses to be fully paid and satisfied as soon as conveniently may be after my decease And
I give and bequeath to my dear wife Elizabeth Thompson and her assigns for and during the term of her natural Life one annuity or yearly sum of Twenty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid clear of all Deductions and Abatements whatsoever by even half Yearly payments And in order that a ffund may be provided and set apart for the due payment thereof
I do hereby order and direct my Executors herein after named to lay out and invest in their names so much of my personal Estate on Govermn’t *eal or other good Securities the yearly Interest Dividends and proceed whereof will produce the said clear annuity or yearly sum of Twenty pounds for my said wife and her assigns during her natural Life as aforesaid and to whom I hereby order and direct such Interest Dividends and Proceed to be paid accordingly
And after the decease of my said Wife Then my will is that my said Executors and the Survivor of them his Executors and Administrators shall stand and be possessed of my said Personal Estate so to be laid out and invested as aforesaid upon the Trusts and for the several Intents and purposes herein after expressed and declared concerning the same (that is to say) In Trust to permit and authorize my dear Daughter Elizabeth Eling Widow and her assigns to receive and take the Dividends Interest and Proceed thereof for her and their own use for and during the Term of her natural Life to whom I hereby give and bequeath the same and after her decease
Then In Trust to pay and apply the Interest Dividends and Proceed thereof and so much of the principal money as my said Trustees shall think proper for the maintenance and Education of my four Grand Children ffrancis Eling William Eling Edward Eling and Mary Eling (the Sons and Daughter of my said Daughter by Daniel Eling her late husband deceased) until they shall severally attain their respective ages of one and twenty years or for putting them or any of them out apprentice to any Trade which my said Trustees shall think them fit for and Then? In Trust to pay assign or transfer all my said Personal Estate so to be laid out and invested as aforesaid or so much thereof as shall remain unapplied for the purposes aforesaid unto my said four Grand Children equally between them share and share alike at their respective ages of one and twenty years and if any one or more of my said Grand Children shall happen to die under the age of one and twenty years then my will is that the part or share parts or shares of him her or them so dying or so much hereof as shall remain unapplied for the purposes aforesaid shall go and belong to the Survivors of them in equal shares and be paid to them respectively at their respective ages of one and twenty years and if all my said Grand Children but one shall happen to die under the age of one and twenty years then the whole of my said personal Estate so to be laid out and invested as aforesaid or so much thereof as shall remain unapplied for the purposes aforesaid shall go and belong to such my only surviving Grand Child and be paid to him or her at his or her age of one and twenty years and if all my said Grand Children shall happen to die under the age of one and twenty years
Then In Trust to pay assign or transfer all my said Personal Estate so to be laid our and invested as aforesaid and all securities whereon the same shall be then placed to my said Daughter Elizabeth Eling if she shall be living when the Survivor of my said four Grand Children shall die under age as aforesaid for her own proper Use and Benefit but if she shall be then dead
Then In Trust to pay assign or transfer the same to my said Wife Elizabeth Thompson for her own proper use if she shall be then living But if my said Wife and Daughter shall both be dead when the survivor of my said four Grand Children shall die under age as aforesaid
Then In Trust to pay assign or transfer the whole of my said personal Estate so to be placed out as aforesaid and all Securities wherein the same shall be then vested or so much thereof as shall remain unapplied for the purposes aforesaid to my next of kin in equal Degree according to the Statutes for Distribution of Intestates Estates and to for upon no other Trust Intent or Purpose whatsoever
Also I give to my said Wife the ffurniture of one Room which she shall chuse for her own proper Use and Benefit
Also I give to my good ffriends William Drage of Buntingford aforesaid Grocer and Lockey Eldridge of the same place Draper whom I hereby nominate constitute and appoint joint Executors of this my Will the sum of one Guinea apiece (in case they shall prove the same) as a satisfaction for their trouble in the Execution of the Trusts aforesaid over and besides all their travelling and other incidental charges And as to all my ready money and securities for money Debts Goods Chattels Effects and Personal Estate not herein before disposed of/ after payment of all my just Debts and ffuneral Expences and the Charges of my said Executors and Trustees in proving and executing this my Will
I give and bequeath the same and every part thereof to my said Daughter Elizabeth Eling for her own proper Use and Benefit And my Will and meaning is that my said Executors and Trustees and the survivor of them his Executors and Administrators shall and may reimburse themselves respectively out of any monies which by virtue of this my Will shall come to their or either or any of their hands all such Costs Charges Damages and Expenses as they may incur sustain or be put unto in or about the Execution and performance of this my Will and the Trusts hereby reposed in them that they or either or any of them shall not be answerable or accountable for any more Monies than what shall actually come to their respective hands nor shall any of them be answerable or accountable for the Acts Deeds Receipts or Payments of the others or other of them but each of them for his own separate Acts Deeds Receipts and Payments only nor shall any one of them be answerable or accountable for any Loss which may happen to the Trust Premises or any part thereof by reason of his intrusting the other with any sum of Money nor shall my said Trustees or either or any of them be answerable or accountable for any Loss which may happen to the Trust Premises or any other part thereof with^out^ his or their wilful neglect or default nor for depos^it^ing the same or any part thereof in the hands of any Banker or other person for safe custody
And my Will further is that it shall be lawful for my said Executors and Trustees from time to time with the Consent of my said Wife and Daughter or such of them who for the time being shall be entitled to the Interest Dividends and Proceed of the said Trust Monies testified by any Writing under her hand to alter change and transpose the securities or ffunds wherein the Trust Monies aforesaid shall be from time to time invested but subject and without prejudice to the Trusts herein before declared concerning the same and the Dividends Interest and proceed thereof and hereby revoking all former Wills by me made
I do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said ffrancis Thompson have hereunto set my hand and Seal this twenty second day of September ^in the year of our Lord^ One thousand seven hundred and seventy nine
F Thompson
Signed sealed and published by the said ffrancis Thompson the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses in his presence and at his request the word ‘respectively’ being first interlined and the word ‘second’ being also first interlined Tho’s Dunham Tho’s Nicholl Jun’r Clerk to Mr Mott
This Will was proved at London the fourteenth day of November in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine before the Worshipful James Henry Arnold Doctor of Laws and Surrogate of the Right Honourable Sir William Wynne Knight also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by William Drage and Lockey Edridge & the Executors named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the deceased the said William Drage having been first sworn and the said Lockey Edridge having first made a solemn and sincere Declaration or Affirmation according to Act of Parliament duly to administer.
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