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Will of Thomas Blake, gentleman, 1780 (proved 1784)
Herts RO 220AW3
In the name of God Amen I Thomas Blake of Winslow in the county of Bucks Gentleman being in good health of body and of sound mind memory and understanding (praised be God for the same) Do make and Ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) First I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Elizabeth Blake and her Assigns for and during the term of her natural life One Annuity clear Yearly rent or sum of twenty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain Free of taxes and all other deductions whatsoever parliamentary or otherwise to be issuing and payable out of all and every my Messuages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premisses lying and being in the parishes of Winslow aforesaid and Grandborough in the said county of Bucks by me in this my will hereinafter given and devised and to be paid and payable by equal half yearly payments at the two most usual feasts or days of payment in the year (that is to say) the Feasts of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Michael the Archangel the first payment thereof to be made on such of the same feasts as shall first and next happen after my decease And I do hereby charge and Subject all and every the same Messuages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premisses with and to the payment of the said annuity yearly rent or sum of twenty pounds accordingly And my will \is/ that in Case the same Annuity Yearly Rent or Sum of Twenty Pounds or any part thereof shall be behind or unpaid by the space of twenty eight days next over or after either of the aforesaid Feasts whereon the same is herein directed to be paid as aforesaid Then and so often it shall and may be lawful to and for my said wife Elizabeth Blake and her assigns to enter upon all and every or any part of the said Premisses charged with the said annuity as aforesaid and distrain for the same or for so much thereof as shall be so in arrear and all costs and charges occasioned by non payment thereof \and my Will is and I do hereby declare that the said annuity herein before given to my said wife are so given in full lieu and satisfaction of the dower and thirds which she can anyways claim or demand out of my estate/ Also I give and devise unto my brother William Blake and to my brother in law Thomas Bradbury all and every my copyhold inclosed closes of pasture ground lying and being in the parish of Great Horwood in the said county of Bucks now in the occupation of Richard Bradbury together with all the Hedges Ditches Trees Mounds Fences Freeboards commons profits and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining To hold the same unto and to the use of them my said brother William Blake and my brother in law Thomas Bradbury their heirs and assign them forever Upon this special trust and confidence and to the intent and purpose \that/ they my said brothers William Blake and Thomas Bradbury and the survivor of them and the Executors and Administrators of such survivor do and shall as soon as conveniently may be after my decease sell and dispose of and convert into ready money all and every my said inclosed closes lying in the parish of Great Horwood aforesaid with the appurtenances and when and so soon as the same shall be sold and converted into ready money as aforesaid I do hereby will order direct and appoint that they my said brothers William Blake and Thomas Bradbury my trustees and the survivor of them and the Executors and Administrators of such survivor do and shall in the first place pay satisfy and discharge all such just debts which I shall owe or be indebted to any person or persons whatsoever at the time of my decease And also my Legacies and Funeral expences Also I give and divide unto my said two brothers William Blake and Thomas Bradbury and to the survivor
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of them and the Executors and Administrators of such survivor All and every my Mortgages Tenements Lands Closes Hereditaments and Premisses with the appurtenances whether freehold or copyhold situate lying and being in the parishes of Winslow aforesaid and Grandborough in the said county of Bucks (Subject nevertheless to the said annuity of twenty pounds a year herein before by me bequeathed to my said wife for her life) And also my ready money and securities for money Also all my stock of cattle of what nature or kind soever And also all my Waggons Carts and Implements of Husbandry and all my corn and hay that I shall have by me at my Decease and also all my crops of corn and hay that shall be growing upon all my lands in the parish of Winslow aforesaid that shall be in my possession at the time of my decease And my will and mind further in that they my said trustees their Heirs Executors and Administrators do and shall as soon as conveniently may be after my decease sell and dispose of all my said personal estate \before mentioned/ for the best price that can or may be got for the same and call in and receive all such debts which shall be due unto me at the time of my decease upon Book Bond Bill or other securities whatsoever and from time to time as soon as the same shall be converted into ready money as aforesaid I do hereby Will Order direct and appoint that my said Trustees their Executors Administrators and assigns do and shall out of all such sum and sums of money as shall be by them so raised made and received out of my said personal estate pay and apply such part and so much thereof as my said Inclosed Closes in the parish of Great Horwood aforesaid shall fall short and be insufficient to pay for discharging the expenses of my funeral my just debts which I shall in any ways owe at the time of my decease And the legacies hereinafter mentioned (that is to say) I give and bequeath unto my brother George Blake and also to my nephews Robert Dancer son of my late sister Elizabeth Dancer Deceased John Carpenter son of my sister Ann Carpenter and to Thomas Blake (son of my brother Edward Blake) the sum of five pounds each of lawful money of Great Britain and after payment thereof Upon Trust that my said trustees their Heirs Executors and Administrators shall and do in their own names or in \the names of/ themselves and of such other powers or persons as they shall think fit from time to time put and place the residue or overplus money as shall be by them so raised made and received out of my said personal estate and the rents and profits of my real estate upon the best security or securities that can or may be gotten for the same And out of the same as they shall from time to time receive it (Except what I have herein bequeathed to my said wife for her life) pay or cause to be paid unto my two daughters Mary Blake and Elizabeth Blake until they shall respectively attain their full age or ages of twenty one years All \such/ sums of money towards their maintenance support and education as they in their discrection shall think most meet and necessary and from and immediately after they shall attain their respective age or ages of twenty one years then I give will and devise unto my said daughters Mary Blake and Elizabeth Blake their heirs and assign all my said Messuages Tenements Lands Closes Hereditaments and Premises with the
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Appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining Situate and being in the parishes of Winslow and Grandborough aforesaid To hold the same unto and to the two of my two daughters Mary Blake and Elizabeth Blake their heirs and assigns forever (Subject nevertheless to the said annuity to my wife Elizabeth Blake as aforesaid) Also I give and bequeath unto my said two daughters Mary Blake and Elizabeth Blake at their respective ages of twenty one years All \such/ sum and sums of money so raised and made out of my personal estate and the interest thereof and the rents and profits of my real estate which shall then be placed out at interest upon any security as aforesaid or in the hands of my said trustees their Heirs Executors or Administrators and then shall remain unapplyed to be equally divided between them share and share alike But in case either of my said daughters shall happen to depart this life before she attain her age of twenty one years then and in such case the share or moiety of my real estate and also of and in the money arising by such sale and to be raised and made out of my personal estate and the rent and profits of my real estate as aforesaid of her so dying shall go unto the child or children of her so dying share and share alike his her or their heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns for ever But if either of my said daughters should die without leaving any child or children then my will and meaning is that her share or moiety of my real estate together with her share of my personal estate shall go and remain to the use of the surviving sister And my will is and I do hereby expressly declare that my said Trustees and Executors or either of them their or either of their Executors or Administrators shall not be charged or chargeable with or accountable for more of the money or estate than he or they shall actually receive or shall come to his or their respective hands by virtue of this my will so as such loss happen without their willful neglect or default nor the one of them for the other of them or for the acts deeds receipts defaults or disbursements the one of the other. And also that it shall be and may be lawful for them my said trustees and each of them their and each of their Executors and Administrators in the first place by and out of the premisses respectively to deduct and reimburse him and themselves respectively all such Loss Costs Charges and Expences as he or they or either of them shall sustain expend or be so put unto for or by reason of the Performance of this my will or the Trusts hereby in them reposed or the management and execution thereof respectively or any other thing in any wise relating thereunto And as to and for and concerning all the rest residue and remainder of my personal estate as all my houshold goods and Furniture and all other my goods chattels rights credits and personal estate whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kindsoever the same may be (and not otherwise by this my will given and disposed of) whereof or wherein I shall be any ways possessed of, interested in, or intitled unto at the time of my decease I do hereby give and bequeath the same and every part thereof unto my said wife Elizabeth Blake and unto my said two daughters Mary Blake and Elizabeth Blake to be equally divided
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Among them share and share alike And lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said brothers William Blake and Thomas Bradbury joint Executors and trustees of this my will hereby revoking disannulling and making void all former and other will and wills by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this only to be and contain my last will and testament and none other In witness whereof I have to this my will contained in four sheets of paper to the first three sheets theresofore my hand only and to this fourth and last my hand and seal this eleventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty.
Signed sealed and witnessed by the said testator Thomas Blake as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names and witnesses in the presence of the said testator and at his request and also in the presence of each other. The interlination in the first sheet being first made
[signed] Thos Blake
[signed]
John Mayne
John Cox
Joseph Hunt
Notes
Thomas Blake was born in 1715. For full details of his family, see the Blake family page (he is no.8). See also the will of his widow Elizabeth (proved in 1824).