Yeovil's Virtual Museum

James Male

Wine & Spirits Merchant

 

James Male was born in Somerset, probably Yeovil, in 1782. However nothing is known of his early life. On 23 October 1804, at Yeovil, he married Frances Arundell Hanne (c1782-1871, Curry Rivel), the daughter of John Arundell Hanne (d1791) and Frances née Saunders of Corscombe, Dorset. Frances had an older brother, John Arundell Hanne (1779-1840). This John married Anne Pope (1782-1835) in 1801 and in 1816 they had a son, James Arundell Hanne (1816-1884).

James and Frances were to have two daughters, both born in Yeovil; Jane Arundel, also recorded as Jane Anne (1808-1877), baptised 18 November 1808 at St John's church, who married Samuel Sparks (1798-1851) on 15 December 1830 at Winterbourne, Gloucestershire, and Louisa (1815-1876), baptised at St John's church who married her  farmer cousin James Arundell Hanne (see above) at St James, Westminster, London, on 6 February 1841.

Jane and Samuel Sparks, living chiefly in Huish Episcopi, had three sons and two daughters.

Louisa and James Hanne had four sons and five daughters. They initially lived in Yeovil but then moved to Weymouth, Hillfield, Frome St Quentin and Dorchester - all Dorset - then briefly in London before moving back to Yeovil. Louisa died at Preston, Sussex, on 25 October 1876.

James Male was a wine & spirits merchant in the building known, both then and now, as the Wine Vaults in Wine Street. He is first recorded as the licensee there in the 1827 Jury List and again in the1829 Land Tax Returns. Pigot's Directory of 1830 listed him at the Wine Vaults twice; as the licensee and as a wine & spirits merchant. The Somerset Gazette Directory of 1840 also listed him twice; as the licensee and as a wine & spirits merchant and its edition of 1842 listed him simply as the licensee of the Wine Vaults.

The 1841 census listed James and Frances at the Wine Vaults, together with a young female domestic servant. He gave his occupation as a 'Wine Merchant'.

James Male wrote his will (see below) on 30 August 1844 and died shortly thereafter, on 1 October 1844. He was 62 years old.

since the Wine Vaults was put up for sale on 15 October 1844 and auctioned on 8 November 1844. James' will was proved on 25 November 1844.

James Foan bought the Wine Vaults and stock-in-trade and took over the license in 1846.

 

The notice of James' death in the 12 October 1844 edition of the Western Flying Press.

 

Notice of the sale of the Wine Vaults following the death of James Male, from the 19 October 1844 edition of the Western Flying Press.

 

 

This is the last Will and Testament of me James Male of Yeovil in the County of Somerset Wine and Spirits Merchant I give to my wife Frances Male the sum of ten pounds to be paid to her immediately after my decease for her absolute use I give devise and bequeath unto my two sons in law Samuel Sparks and James Hanne their heirs executors administrators and assigns according to the nature and quality thereof respectively All my real and Personal Estate and Effects of every description Upon trust to convert at their direction such parts thereof as do not already consist of money into money and thereout to pay all my just debts funeral and testamentary expences and do and shall lay out and invest the residue of the said monies in their or his names or name in the parliamentary stocks or public funds of Great Britain or in government or real securities in England or Wales and do and shall from time to time at their or his direction alter vary transpose the said stocks funds and securities [inserted = into other stocks funds and securities] of the like nature And I do hereby declare that the said Samuel Sparks and James Hanne and the survivor of them his heirs executors administrators or assigns shall stand and be possessed of and interested in the trust monies so to be laid out and invested as lastly is hereinbefore directed and the stocks funds and securities in or upon which the same shall for the time being be laid out and invested and the interest dividends and annual produce thereof Upon trust to pay to my said Wife Frances Male one clear annuity or yearly sum of fifty pounds to commence from my decease and to be payable half yearly for her life for her sole and separate use and benefit exclusively of any future husband whom she may marry and without being in anywise subject to his or their debts control or engagements and her receipts alone shall notwithstanding any future coverture be effectual discharges for the said annuity And I direct that in case my said Wife shall in anywise assign or anticipate the said annuity then the same shall cease to be payable and [sink ?] into and form part of my residuary estate upon further trust to stand possessed of the residue of my said real and personal estates and the stocks funds and securities in or upon which the same shall for the time being be invested and the interest dividends and annual produce thereof In trust for my two daughters Jane Sparks the wife of the said Samuel Sparks and Louisa Hanne the wife of the said James Hanne their heirs executors administrators and assigns for their own separate and exclusive use and benefit absolutely as tenants in common And I direct that my trustees permit my said wife to have the use and enjoyment of such part of the household furniture as they shall think proper during her life And also that my said trustees may sell or let at their discretion my house and business of a Wine and Spirit Merchant at Yeovil aforesaid And I also direct that purchasers and others taking the receipt of my trustees on the payment or transfer to them of any money or effects shall be thereby exonerated from all liability in respect of the application thereof And I do hereby declare that my said trustees and the survivor of them his executors or administrators and each and every of them shall be charged and chargeable respectively for such monies only as they respectively shall actually receive by virtue of the trust hereby in them reposed notwithstanding their or any of their giving or signing or joining in giving or signing any receipt or receipts for the sake of conformity and any one or more of them shall not be answerable or accountable for the other or others of them nor for involuntary losses And also that it shall be lawful for them with and out of the monies which shall by virtue of the trusts aforesaid to retain and reimburse themselves respectively And also to allow to their respective co trustee or co trustees all costs charges damages and expences which they are any of them shall or may suffer sustain expend disburse be at or be put unto in or about the execution of the aforesaid trusts or in relation thereunto And I appoint the said Samuel Sparks and James Hanne Executors of this my Will In witness whereof I have to this my will contained in two sheets of paper subscribed my hand to the first sheet and my hand and seal to the second and last sheet thereof this thirtieth day of August one thousand eight hundred and forty four

James Male

Signed sealed published and declared by the said James Male the testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence at the same time at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses

Henry George Crocker       James Crocker

 

Proved at London 25th Nov[embe]r before the Judge by the oaths of Samuel Sparks and James Hanne the Executors to whom Adm[inistrati]on was granted having been first sworn by Com[missi]on duly to administer

 

 

Transcribed by Bob Osborn