Yeovil's Virtual Museum

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