Will of George King, tea dealer, 1893 (proved 1894)

Oxford Probate Registry

BE IT KNOWN that at the date hereunder written the last Will and Testament of George King late of Winslow in the County of Buckingham, Tea Dealer, deceased, who died on the 27th  day of November 1893, at Winslow aforesaid, and who at the time of his death had a fixed place of abode at Winslow aforesaid, within the boundaries of the Counties of Oxford, Berks and Buckingham was proved and registered in the District Probate Registry of Her Majesty’s High Court of Justice at Oxford, and that Administration of the personal estate of the said deceased was granted by the aforesaid Court to Frederick George King of Bicester in the County of Oxford, Brewer’s Clerk, the Son of the Deceased, Charles Albert King of Bicester aforesaid, Grocer’s Assistant, the Son also of the Deceased, and Thomas Price Willis  of Winslow aforesaid, Solicitor, the Executors named in the said Will, they having been first sworn well and faithfully to administer the same.
Dated the 30th day of January 1894. 

Gross value of Personal Estate £736 – 10 – 9
Net        “     “       “              “    £672 – 5 - 4
Extracted by Willis and Willis, Solicitors, Winslow, Bucks

This is the last Will and Testament of me George King of Winslow in the County of Bucks, Tea Dealer. I appoint my two Sons Frederick George King and Charles Albert King and my friend Thomas Price Willis of Winslow aforesaid Solicitor (hereinafter called “my said Trustees”) to be the Executors and Trustees of this my Will I devise my four fields in the Hamlet of Singleborough in the parish of Great Horwood in the said County of Bucks in the occupation of Sarah Hanson unto my said Son Frederick George King absolutely I devise and bequeath all that my messuage or tenement grocers shop and premises situate on the Market Square in Winslow aforesaid in which I now reside together with the trade fixtures & stock in trade (if any) therein and also my two cottages at the back thereof one in the occupation of Thomas Weston and the other unoccupied and the two houses opposite the “George Hotel” in Winslow aforesaid in the respective occupations of Louisa Bathe and William Walker and the Cottage at the back in “Bell Alley” in Winslow aforesaid in the occupation of William Holt unto my said Son Charles Albert King absolutely and I devise my three fields in the parish of Grandborough in the said County of Bucks in the occupation of Joseph Dickins unto my daughter Beatrice Fanny King absolutely I give and devise my two fields in the Parish of Little Horwood in the said County of Bucks in the occupation of Frederick Roads and my ploughed field and the Cottage and barn and garden thereto adjoining situate in the Back Lane in Winslow aforesaid in the occupation of the said Thomas Price Willis unto my said trustees In trust that if my son Frank Edgar King be under the age of twenty one years at my decease my said trustees shall enter into and during the minority of the said Frank Edgar King remain in the possession or receipt of the rents and profits of the said Cottage and lands and manage the same with power to let the same for any term of years not exceeding seven years in possession and shall apply the whole or such part as they shall think fit of the said rents and profits for or towards the maintenance and Education of the said Frank Edgar King and upon my said son Frank Edgar King attaining the age of twenty one years then upon trust that my said trustees shall permit him to receive the said rents and profits  of the said Cottage and lands during his life and shall transfer to him any accumulated income arising therefrom and from and after the decease of my said son Frank Edgar King I direct that my said Trustees shall sell the said cottage and lands either by public auction or private contract
and shall pay the proceedings arising therefrom unto the issue of my said son Frank Edgar King (and if more than one equally between them) and if there shall be no issue of my said son Frank Edgar King then I direct my said trustees to pay share and divide the said proceeds equally between  and among my said three children Frederick George King Charles Albert King my said Beatrice Fanny King or the issue of my three said last named children as shall be then dead such issue taking only (and if more than one equally between them) the share to which his her or their parent would have been entitled if living  I give to my said daughter Beatrice Fanny King my pianoforte absolutely I give all the residue of my plate linen china glass books pictures prints wines liquors furniture and other household effects unto my said son Charles Albert King subject to my trustees causing a valuation thereof to be made and to my said son Charles Albert King paying to each of his two brothers the said Frederick George King and Frank Edgar King and to his sister the said Beatrice Fanny King equal fourth shares of the amount of such valuation I devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate not hereby otherwise disposed of unto my said trustees Upon trust that my said trustees shall call in sell and convert into money the same or such part thereof as shall not consist of money and shall with and out of the moneys arising from such sale calling in and conversion and out of my ready money pay my funeral and testamentary expenses and debts and the following legacies namely, to my said daughter Beatrice Fanny King the legacy or sum of Three hundred and fifty pounds to my said son Frank Edgar King the legacy or sum of One hundred pounds and to the said Thomas Price Willis the legacy or sum of Ten pounds as a small acknowledgement for the care and trouble he will have as Executor And upon further trust to pay share and divide the residue of the said nett moneys unto and equally between my said four children if living at my decease or the issue of such as shall then be dead such issue taking only  (and if more than one equally between them) the share to which his her or their parent would have been entitled if living I give the foregoing legacies unto my said son and daughter in consideration of the shares of real estate which I have devised to them being of less value than the properties I have given  to my two eldest sons And I declare that the said Thomas Price Willis and any future trustee of this my Will who may be a Solicitor shall be entitled to charge my estate (irrespective of the Legacy hereinbefore bequeathed to him  the said Thomas Price Willis) for all business done by him in relation to my Estate or the trusts of this my Will in the same manner as he would have been entitled to charge my Executors and trustees for the same had he not been himself an Executor or trustee but had been employed by my Executors and trustees to do such business as their Solicitor Lastly I revoke all other Wills In Witness whereof I the said George King the Testator have hereunto set my hand this Fourth day of November One thousand eight hundred and ninety three
George King [signature] 

Signed and acknowledged by the above named George King the Testator as his Will in the presence of us present at the same time who at his request in his presence and the presence of each other have hereto subscribed our names as Witnesses
William N Midgley, [signature] Clerk to Messrs Willis & Willis, Solrs. Winslow
Florence Rogers, Winslow, Bucks

On the Thirteenth day of January 1894, Probate of this Will was granted at Oxford, to Frederick George King, the son, and Charles Albert King, the son also and Thomas Price Willis, the Executors

It is hereby certified that the foregoing is a correct Copy. Dated this Seventh day of February 1894.

Notes

George King (1828-93) was the son of George King, grocer (1802-83) and Elizabeth Morecraft (1796-1865). His grandparents were Joseph King (1769-1840), brazier and whitesmith, and his wife Mary (d.1845) and Thomas Morecraft, butcher (1749-1807) and Ann Morecraft nee Gibbs (d.1828).

George went to live in London, where his children were born, before returning to Winslow in about 1880 to take over the family business. Although he managed to retain the property which he inherited from his father, he seems to have been much less prosperous, and after his death the shop (2A High Street) and cottages behind (1A Sheep Street) were bought by his neighbour the draper A.O. Fulks.

Geo King billhead
Billhead of George King, 1891

George King's wife Amelia Frances predeceased him in 1893 aged 54. Their children were:

The two houses opposite the “George Hotel” are now 5 Market Square and the cottage at the back is 2 Bell Alley (see Buttermarket).

"my ploughed field and the Cottage and barn and garden thereto adjoining situate in the Back Lane" were bought by George King's father in 1848 and previously known as “Warner’s Ploughed Field” between Western Lane and Verney Road. The field amounted to 4 acres 31 perches including land formerly known as the Great Baulk. In 1918 the Parish Council tried unsuccessfully to acquire it from F.E. King for allotments.

1894: Buckingham Express, 17 March
ABOUT 200 Lots of Useful HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE and Effects, including a Drawing Room Suite, Dining Room Furniture, the Contents of 5 Bedrooms, Kitchen Requisites, Sundry Grocery Stores, and miscellaneous items, to be Sold by Auction, by MR.GEO WIGLEY,
On TUESDAY, MARCH 20th, 1894, at 12 o’clock, on the Premises in the Market Square, by direction of the Executors of the late Mr. Geo. King.

Copyright 27 August, 2021