The Document Chest
1807 will of Mary Bright
Spinster
This is the last Will and Testam[en]t
of me Mary
Bright of Yeovil
in the County of
Somerset
Spinster I give
& bequeath unto
my Relation Mr
John Mott Att[orney]
at Law of
Birmingham in
the County of
Warwick the Sum
of three hundred
pounds Stock
part of the
Stock now
standing in my
name in the five
per[cen]t {annum
?] upon Trust
nevertheless for
and for the only
use & benefit of
all the children
of the said John
Mott that shall
be living at my
decease to be
equally divided
between them
share and share
alike Also I
give & bequeath
unto my Relation
Mrs Ann Horner
of Whitchurch in
Shropshire Widow
of Anthony
Horner formerly
Ann Spencer two
hundred pounds
Stock further
part of my
aforesaid Stock
Also I give &
bequeath unto
Mrs Eliz Beckett
Wife of Mr
Thomas Beckett
of Whitchurch
aforesaid
Surgeon two
hundred pounds
Stock further
part of my
afores[ai]d
Stock Also I
give & bequeath
unto Frances
Mott & Elizabeth
Mott Dau[ghte]rs
of Thomas Mott
late of Stafford
Clerk dec[ease]d
and of Frances
his Wife two
hundred pounds
Stock apiece
further part of
my aforesaid
Stock Also I
give & bequeath
unto my God Dau[ghte]r
Elizabeth Cooke
late Eliz[abe]th
Baker Sp[inste]r
Dau[ghte]r of
Thomas [Chunley
?] Baker late of
the City of
Bristol dec[eas]ed
and of Elizabeth
his Wife two
hundred pounds
Stock further
part of my
aforesaid Stock
for her own
separate &
distinct use and
to be at her own
disposal
notwithstanding
her Coverture
All which
Legacies I
direct to be
paid assigned or
transferred at
the End of
twelve Calendar
Months next
after my decease
Also I give &
bequeath unto
Richard Wilkes
Mott of the
Royal Artillery
Woolwich his Ex[ecut]ors
& adm[initrat]ors
& assigns three
hundred pounds
Stock further
part of my
afores[ai]d
Stock to be paid
assigned and
transferred him
or them also at
the End of
twelve Calendar
Months next
after my decease
Upon Trust
nevertheless
that he the said
Richard Wilkes
Mott his Ex[ecut]ors
& adm[initrat]ors
or assigns shall
and do continue
the same in the
five per Cents
for the use of
three surviving
Children of the
late Captain
Frazer of the
Artillery by Ann
his Wife
formerly Ann
Mott of Stafford
aforesaid
Spinster to be
equally divided
between them and
to be paid
assigned or
transferred them
respectively as
they shall
attain their
ages of twenty
one years and I
do hereby direct
that the
dividends of the
said three
hundred pounds
Stock shall be
paid & applied
in equal
proportions to &
for the use &
benefit of such
three Children
during their
respective
Minorities and
if any or either
of them shall
happen to die
before their
respective
proportions
shall become
payable then I
give & bequeath
the shares or
share of such as
shall die as
aforesaid to the
Survivor or
Survivors of
them in equal
proportions if
more than one
Also I give &
bequeath unto my
Friends John
Ashby of Yeovil
aforesaid
Gent[leman] and
Eleanor Hopley
of Stafford two
hundred pounds
Stock further
part of my
aforesaid Stock
upon Trust to
pay the
Dividends
arising
therefrom unto
Elizabeth the
Wife of Lewis
Gasohlin of
Woolwich
aforesaid
Engineer during
the term of her
natural Life for
her own sole &
separate use
with which her
Husband is to
have nothing to
do nor is the
same to be
subject to his
Debts or
Engagements and
from and after
her decease then
in Trust to pay
the Dividends
arising from the
said last
mentioned two
hundred pounds
of Stock unto
the s[ai]d Lewis
Gasohlin in Case
he shall survive
his said Wife
during the term
of his natural
Life and from &
after the Death
of the Survivor
of them In Trust
to pay assign or
transfer the
said last mentioned
Two hundred
pounds of Stock
unto Thomas
Thompson Son of
[blank] Thompson
of Woolwich
aforesaid by Ann
his Wife his
Executors & adm[initrat]ors
or assigns Also
I give &
bequeath unto
William Lambert
White of Yeovil
afores[ai]d
Gent[leman] his
Ex[ecut]ors adm[initrat]ors
& assigns the
Sum of one
hundred pounds
of lawful Money
of Great Britain
to be paid him
in twelve months
next after my
decease In Trust
for his daughter
Letitia Messiter
White to be paid
her on her
attaining the
Age of twenty
one years Also I
give and
bequeath to John
Ashby the
younger Son of
the first named
John Ashby the
Sum of two
hundred pounds
of like lawful
Money to be paid
him on his
attaining the
Age of twenty
one years Also I
give & bequeath
unto Frances
Bate Dau[ghte]r
of the first
named John Ashby
the Sum of two
hundred pounds
of like lawful
money to be paid
him in twelve
months next
after my decease
Also I give and
bequeath unto
Elizabeth Jacob
my late Maid
Servant the Sum
of twenty pounds
of like money to
buy her mourning
Also I give &
bequeath unto my
own Maid Servant
that may be
living with me
at the time of
my decease
Servant the Sum
of ten pounds of
like money to
buy her mourning
Also I give &
bequeath unto
Grace Dark the
present Cook
Maid of the said
John Ashby the
Father the Sum
of twenty pounds
of like money to
buy her Mourning
Also I give &
bequeath unto
Benjamin Vincent
the present Man
Servant of the
said John Ashby
the Father the
Sum of ten
pounds of like
Money to buy her
Mourning which
said four last
mentioned
Legacies I
direct shall be
paid in twelve
Calendar months
next after my
decease Also I
give and
bequeath to the
said Eleanor
Hopley all my
wearing Apparel
my Gold Rings
Gold Watch and
Gold Case with
the Trinkets and
Chain thereto
belonging Also I
give & devise
unto the said
John Ashby the
Father my
Dwelling House
Garden & heredit[ament]s
with their
appurt[enance]s
situate in
Yeovil afores[ai]d
To hold to him
and his assigns
for & during the
term of his
natural Life &
from &
immediately
after his
decease I give &
devise my said
Dwell[in]g House
Garden & heredit[ament]s
with the appurt[enance]s
unto the said
John Ashby the
younger To hold
to him the said
John Ashby the
younger his
Heirs & assigns
for ever
belonging Also I
give & devise
unto the said
John Ashby the
Father & his
Assigns for his
Life the pew in
the Church of
Yeovil aforesaid
which I
purchased of the
late John
Broucher Hodges
& also the two
Servants
Sittings which I
have purchased
since & from and
after the
decease of the
said John Ashby
the Father I
give and devise
the said Pew &
Sittings to the
said John Ashby
the younger his
Heirs & assigns
Also I give &
bequeath to the
said John Ashby
the Father his
Ex[ecut]ors Adm[initrat]ors
& Assigns all
such part of the
Furniture in my
aforesaid
Dwelling House
as belongs
solely to me and
is my property
Also I give &
bequeath unto
Mrs Sarah
Parsons of
Yeovil afores[ai]d
Widow the use of
my Sedan Chair
for her Life and
after her
decease I give
the same her
[abbreviation
illegible] Mrs
Hooper Also I
give & bequeath
the Sum of five
pounds & five
shillings to be
laid out in the
purchase of
bread to be
distributed
amongst the poor
of the Town of
Yeovil aforesaid
in the
discretion of my
Ex[ecut]or & Ex[ecu]trix
hereinafter
named all the
rest Residue &
Remainder of my
real & personal
Estate
whatsoever &
wheresoever I
give devise &
bequeath unto
the said John
Ashby the Father
& Eleanor Hopley
To hold to them
their Heirs Ex[ecut]ors
Adm[initrat]ors
& Assigns for
ever as Tenants
in Common & not
as joint Tenants
and it is my
Will & desire
and I do
particularly
request that I
may be buried in
Linen And lastly
I appoint said
John Ashby the
Father & Eleanor
Hopley joint Ex[ecut]or
& Ex[ecu]trix of
this my Will &
do revoke all
others by me at
any time
heretofore made
In Witness
whereof I have
to this my last
Will and
Testament
contained in two
sheets of paper
set my Hand to
the first sheet
& my Hand and
Seal to this
second and last
sheet this
twenty second
Day of December
in the year of
our Lord 1807
M[ary] Bright
Signed sealed
published and
declared by the
said testatrix
Mary Bright as
and for her last
Will & Testament
in the presence
of us who at her
request in her
presence and in
the presence of
each other have
hereunto
subscribed our
Names as
Witnesses as we
have likewise
done to a
duplicate of the
same Will at the
same time
Thomas Pomkins
FFA
Steels
Fred
Leigh
Proved at London the 5th May 1810 before the Worshipful Thomas
Edwards D[octo]r
of Laws & Sur[rogate]
by the oaths of
John Ashby the
Elder & Eleanor
Hopley Spinster
the Ex[ecut]ors
to whom adm[inistrati]on
was granted
having been
first sworn duly
to adm[inister]
Transcribed by Bob Osborn