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Will of Mary Bigg, widow, 1713/14
Herts RO 151AW2
In the Name of God Amen I Mary Bigg of Winslowe in the County of Bucks Widd(ow) being somewhat indisposed in Body but of sound and perfect Mind and Memory for which I blesse God and considering the certainty of death and the uncertain time thereof Doe make and declare this my last Will and Testament First and principally I recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it in hopes of a joyfull Resurrection through the Meritts of my blessed Saviour Jesus Christ my Body I desire may be buried under the same stone where my late dear Husband deceased was buried in the Church yard of Winslow aforesaid as for my Worldly Estate I dispose thereof as followeth Impri(m)is I give and bequeath unto Richard Bigg my Eldest Sonn my Escritore and my great Bible and all the Dressers and Shelves now or hereafter to be affixt in my now dwelling house Item I give and bequeath unto my two Grandchildren Thomas Spratley and Richard Spratley Five pounds apeice to [be] paid them respectively by my Executrix herein after named towards placing them forth Apprentice att such time and times as Richard Bigg my Sonn and Robert Gibbs my Brother and \Robert/ Gibbs my Nephew and the Survivors and Survivor of them shall thinke fitt to have them put Apprentice respectively And in Case either of them Thomas and Richard Spratley shall dye before that time or before they attain the age of one and twenty yeares then I give devise and bequeath unto the survivor of them his share soe dyeing And whereas my late Husband did bequeath unto me and unto Ann Spratley my Granddaughter the sume of Fifty pounds to be equally divided between us Now I doe hereby declare That I have rec(eiv)ed the sume of Fifty pounds principall Money and all Interest for the same and have deposited the sume of Fifty pounds in a Friends hands whereof I have rec(eiv)ed part and my desire is that the Five and twenty pounds of the said Fifty pounds belonging to my said Granddaughter may be placed out at Interest in her own name or in the name of some Friend in Trust for her together with the further sume of Five pound which I doe hereby bequeath unto the said Ann Spratley And I doe hereby discharge her of any Money that may be challenged or pretended to be due to me for her board or otherwise Item all the residue of my personall Estate I bequeath unto the said Ann my Granddaughter whome I doe hereby appoint sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament And Lastly I do hereby revoke all former Wills by me heretofore made and doe declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witnesse whereof I have herewith set my hand and seal this Eleventh day of January Anno Domini 1713
Mary [ ] Bigg her m(ar)ke
Item I give and Bequeath unto Mary Spratley my Granddaughter the Sume of Five pounds to be paid out of my Personall Estate And I Doe alsoe Discharge her of my money that may be Challenged or p(re)tended to be due to me for her board or otherwise
Mary [ ] Bigg her m(ar)ke
Signed Sealed published and declared in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names in the p(re)sence of the Testratrix
Rob(er)t Gibbs Eliz(abeth) Merwin Nicho(las) Merwin
[Reverse]
26 Maij 1714
Anne Spratley neptis ex filia et Executrix Iurata fuit Coram me Johann: Croft Cur Sur:
Notes
Mary (nee Gibbs) was the widow of Stephen Bigg, postmaster, d.1704, and mother of Benjamin Bigg, postmaster at Yardley Gobion, d.1709. She was baptised at Winslow on 21 Jan 1647/8, daughter of Robert and Jane Gibbs, and buried at Winslow on 16 Feb 1713/14. Her grandchildren, who must have lived with her, were the children of John Spratley (d.1708) and Joan Bigg. Anne, the eldest, was baptised on 17 Sep 1697, which makes it strange that she should be named executrix. Thomas Spratley was apprenticed to John Toe/Tow, cordwainer, in 1718