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Will of Elizabeth Foster, widow, 1734 (proved 1736)
National Archives, PROB 11/677/177
In the name of God Amen I Elizabeth Foster of Winslow in the County of Buckingham Widow being weak in Body but of sound and perfect Mind and Memory Praise be to Almighty God therefore do make and ordain this my present Last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) First and Principally I Commend my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God hoping through the Merits Death and Passion of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my Sins and to Inherit Everlasting Life My Body I Commit to the Earth to be decently buried at the Discretion of my Executors hereafter named and as touching the Disposition of \all/ my Temporal Estate I give and Dispose thereof as followeth Imprimis I Will that my Debts and Funeral Charges shall be paid and Discharged Item I give and bequeath unto my Nephew Thomas Harding Rowland of Aylesbury in the said County Clerke and my Brother in Law Thomas Seare of Quainton in the said County Yeoman (Whom I make Trustees of this my Will the Sum of Thirty Pounds of Lawful Money of Great Britain being due to Me on a Bond from William Stratford of the Parish of Waddesdon in the said County Grasier and also the further sum of Forty Pounds of like lawful Money being due to Me on a Mortgage from One Mr Henly of Granborow in the said County Husbandman In Trust nevertheless and to and for the several Uses Intents and Purposes herein after mentioned and Expressed (that is to say) That They my said Trustees and the Survivor of them do and shall from time to time receive and take the Interest of the said Sum of Forty Pounds so due to Me on Mortgage as aforesaid until my Grandson Francis Woodcock shall attain to the Age of One and Twenty Years and do and shall apply the Same to and for his Use and Benefit in putting or placing Him out Apprentice to such Trade or Business as my said Trustees or the Survivor of Them shall think most beneficial and proper for Him and when my said Grandson Francis Woodcock shall attain to his Age of One and Twenty Years then I give and bequeath the said Sum of Forty Pounds so due to Me on Mortgage as aforesaid to my said Grandson Francis Woodcock and further that my said Trustees and the Survivor of Them do and shall from time to time receive and take the Interest of the said Sum of Thirty Pounds so due to Me on Bond as aforesaid until my Granddaughter Joannah Woodcock shall attain to the Age of One and Twenty Years and do and shall apply the same to and for her Use and Benefit in putting or placing her out to such Business or Employment as my said Trustees or the Survivor of Them shall think most suitable and proper for her and when my said Granddaughter Joannah Woodcock shall attain her Age of One and Twenty Years then I give and bequeath the said Sum of Thirty Pounds so due to Me on Bond as aforesaid to my said Granddaughter Joannah Woodcock and in case my said Grandson Francis Woodcock or my said Granddaughter Joannah Woodcock shall happen to die before He or She shall attain to the Age of One and Twenty Years then my Will is that such Sum or Legacy so given to Him or her so Dying as aforesaid shall be paid to the Survivor of Him or Her so Dying when He or She shall attain to the Age of One and Twenty Years as aforesaid and if it shall happen that both my said Grandchildren Francis Woodcock and Joannah Woodcock shall Dye before either of them shall attain to
[p.2] the Age of One and Twenty Years as aforesaid then my Will is and I do hereby give and bequeath the said Sum of Forty Pounds so due to Me on Mortgage as aforesaid and the said sum of Thirty Pounds so due to Me on Bonds as aforesaid to and amongst all such Child or Children of my Daughter Elizabeth Gostley of Great Linford in the said County as shall be then Living to be equally Divided between Them Share and Share alike and my further Will is that my said Trustees or the Survivor of Them shall and may Deduct and keep out of the Interest Money that shall become due on the said Mortgage and Bond as aforesaid all such Sum and Sums of Money as They or the Survivor of Them shall be necessarily obliged to Expend and lay out on account of Executing \the trust of/ this my Will Item I give and bequeath to my said Grandson Francis Woodcock One Gold Ring which I had at my Mothers Fosters Burial Item I give and bequeath to my said Granddaughter Joannah Woodcock One Gold Ring which I had at my Brother Rowlands Burial and also One Feather Bed (marked with an J and W) and the Bedstead Curtains Bedding Bolster and Pillows thereto belonging Item I give and bequeath to my said Daughter Elizabeth Gostley my Feather Bed Bedstead and Bedding with Serge Curtains and Silk Fringe a pair of Dogg irons a Porridge Pot Two Looking Glasses a Furnace a Kettle a Gold Ring that I had at my Nephew Nicholas Rowlands burial and my Wedding Ring all my Linnen and Wearing Apparel and all my Pewter Two Chests of Drawers and all other my household Goods Item I give and bequeath to my Granddaughter Elizabeth Gostley a small Gold Ring which is at Winslow and I do hereby make and appoint my said Nephew Thomas Harding Rowland and my said Brother in Law Thomas Seare Joint Executors of this my Last Will and Testament and I do hereby revoke disannul and make void all former Wills and Testaments by Me heretofore made either by Word of Mouth or in Writing In Witness whereof I the said Elizabeth Foster to this my Last Will and Testament contained in Two Sheets of Paper have to One of the said Sheets set my Hand and to this my Hand and Seal this Thirteenth day of June in the Eighth Year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second over Great Britain and so forth and in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty Four
Eliz Foster
Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the Testatrix in the Presence of Us who Names are subscribed as Witness and attested by Us in the presence of the said Testatrix
Sarah Lodington Mary Capon Richard Hitchcocke
Be it known to all Men by these presents that whereas I Elizabeth Foster of Winslow in the County of Buckingham Widow have made and Declared my Last Will and Testament in Writing bearing date the Thirteenth Day of June now last past I The said Elizabeth Foster have since considered the Expenses and Trouble my Executors therein named shall be at and Expend in getting in the Debts
[p.3] which are now due and owing unto Me (except the Sum of Forty Pounds due to Me on Mortgage and the Sum of Thirty Pounds due to Me on Bond as mentioned in my said Will) I do by this present Codicil give will and bequeath unto my son Thomas Foster of Winslow aforesaid and my Son in Law John Gostley (Whom I do hereby Nominate and appoint to be joint Executors of my said Will together with my Executors therein named) all and singular my ready Money and Debts and Sums of Money now due and Owing to Me (except the said Sums of Forty Pounds and Thirty Pounds disposed of in my said Will in manner as therein is expressed) equally between them share and share alike They my said Two Sons paying thereout all the Charges and Expenses of my Funeral and all such Debts as I shall owe at the time of my Decease and also the Charge and Expense of proving my Will and my Further Will is And I do hereby give and bequeath unto my Grandchildren Francis Woodcock and Joannah Woodcock all the Linnen that is in my Trunk which is now at William Furths at Winslow aforesaid and do further give \will/and bequeath to my Grandchildren Sarah Foster Joannah Woodcock and Susannah Gostley one silver spoon apiece and to my Grandson George Foster a Silver Taster and my Mind and Will is that this Codicill or Schedule be adjudged to be part and parcel of my said Last Will and Testament and that the same be affixed to my said Will as part and parcel thereof In Witness whereof I the said Elizabeth Foster to this Codicill or Schedule have set my Hand and Seal this Twentieth Day of July In the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty Four
Eliz Foster
Sealed and Delivered in the Presence of Mary Capond Jane Adams Richard Hitchcocke
This Will was proved at London with a Codicil on the Twenty first Day of May \in the year of our Lord/ One Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty six Before the Right Worshipful John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully Constituted By the Oaths of Thomas Harding Rowland Clerk and Thomas Seare Two of the Executors named in the said Will and Thomas Foster One of the Executors named in the Codicill To Whom Administration was granted of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the Deceased They being first sworn by Commission well and truely to Administer The Same Reserving Power to make the like Grant to John Gostley the Other Executor named in the Codicil when He prays the same
Notes
Elizabeth Foster was the mother of Thomas Foster, tallow-chandler (1685-1746). Perhaps he was omitted from the original will because he was a Baptist. Elizabeth's burial was not recorded in the Winslow parish register, and nor was her husband's (although a number of their children who died young were buried there). Elizabeth (later Gostley), daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Foster, was bap. at Winslow on 30 Nov 1694.
Elizabeth's daughter Joanna (bap. 5 Jan 1703/4) was married to Francis Woodcock at Swanbourne on 22 Dec 1734, and was buried at Winslow on 20 March 1730/1. Their son Francis Woodcock was bap. 19 Sep 1725 and daughter Joanna 17 Sep 1727.
Elizabeth's brother (or possibly brother-in-law) was George Rowland of Aylesbury (d.1728), who was lord of the manor of Whitchurch at his death. His son was Rev. Thomas Harding Rowland (1702-1741). In 1706 George Rowland acquired from Thomas Foster, Elizabeth's husband, the former Angel Inn (now 2A High Street), which remained in the ownership of the Rowland family for most of the 18th century.