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Will of John Markham, gentleman, 1746
National Archives PROB 11/747/420
In the Name of God Amen I John Markham of Winslowe in the County of Bucks Gent being weak of Body but of sound mind memory & understanding for which I bless God doe make this my last Will, recomending my soul into the hands of Almighty God trusting for Salvation in and through the Merits of my only Saviour Jesus Christ (that is to say) I give devise and bequeath unto my Eldest Son Alexander and to his Heirs for ever All and every my Messuages Lands Tenements and Hereditaments whatsoever and wheresoever on this Condition nevertheless and my Will and mind is that my said Son Alexander and his Heirs shall out of my Lands in the Liberty of St. Albans in the County of Hertford in the severall occupations of Daniel Bayliffe and Thomas Askew (parcell of the premisses herein before devised to him and his Heirs) pay or cause to be paid unto my Youngest Son Robert Markham One Annuity or Yearly Sum(m)e of Sixty pounds of lawfull money of Great Britain clear of all deductions whatsoever whether Ordinary or Extraordinary for and during the terme of his naturall Life att or upon the four most usuall Feasts or days of payment in the Year (Namely) the Feast days of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary, St. John Baptist St. Michael the Archangell and St. Thomas the Apostle by equal portions the first payments to be made on such of the said Feast days as shall next happen after my decease And if my said son Alexander shall neglect or refuse to pay unto my said son Robert his said Annuity of Sixty Pounds a Year in manner herein before appointed for the payment of the same Then and in such case I give and bequeath unto my said son Robert and to his Heirs All and every my said Lands and Tenements in the severall Occupations of the said Daniel Bayliffe and Thomas Askew lyeing in the Liberty of St. Albans in the County of Hertford, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding. I Give and bequeath unto my Youngest Son Robert Markham Fifty pounds to be paid him within one Month next after my decease Also I give and bequeath unto my said Son Robert Four hundred and Fifty pounds to be paid him when he shall attain to his Age of Thirty Years and do direct my Executor to pay him Interest for the said Sum(m)e of Four hundred and Fifty Pounds after the rate of Four Pounds for one Hundred Pounds by the Year untill his said
[p.2] Legacy shall become due, but in case my said Son Robert shall Marry Hannah Hazard daughter of Hannah Hazard of Winslowe aforesaid Alehousekeeper or any other daughter of the said Hannah Hazard the Elder Then the said Legacy of Four hundred and Fifty pounds shall cease and not be paid him and then also his said Annuity of Sixty Pounds a Year shall cease and not be paid my said Son Robert but Sink into my Estate for the benefit of my eldest Son Alexander, anything hereinbefore contained to the contrary notwithstanding. I Give to my Brother William Markham Ten Pounds and to my Nephews and Neices Henry Markham and [blank] his Wife Charles Markham and Elizabeth Markham Five Pounds each Also I give to my said Son Robert all my Stampt Parchment Paper and Blanks of what sort soever, and such of my Statute and Law Books as he shall choose in case he will apply himself to any Branch of my Business. I Give to such poor people of Winslowe aforesaid as do not receive Collection of the Parish Five Pounds to be distributed amongst them at the discretion of my Executor All the rest of my Goods Chattels and Personall Estate I Give to my said Son Alexander whom I make Sole Executor of this my last Will he paying my Debts Legacys and Funeralls And I do hereby revoke all former Wills In Witnesse whereof I have hereunto Sett my Hand and Seal this twenty eighth day of Aprill in the Year of our Lord God One thousand Seven hundred and Forty six.
John Markham
Signed Sealed Published and Declared in the Presence of us who have hereunto Subscribed our Names as Witnesses in the Presence of the said Testator and of each other.
James Budd. Benj(amin) Dudley. John Carter my Servant from Bisster.
This Will was Proved at London before the Worshipfull George Hay Doctor of Laws Surrogate to the Right Worshipfull John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted, the Eighteenth day of June in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Six, by the Oath of Alexander Markham the Son of the deceased and Sole Executor named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased being first Sworn duly to Adminster.
Notes
John Markham started witnessing wills in Winslow in 1702, initially alongside Nicholas Merwin to whom he must have been articled. In a letter dated 29 March 1702 he refers to "my master Mr Merwin" (CBS, Verney Papers Microfilm 11/51). He became the Winslow agent for William Lowndes and lawyer for Robert Lowndes. He was steward of the manor by 1740. He also acted for Joseph Lowndes, one of William's younger sons, who had property at Barton Hartshorn (Centre for Bucks Studies, D/LO/6/2/4/27-42). He did some work for the Verneys (CBS, M11/53, 16-17 June 1708) but Viscount Fermanagh wrote “I dislike the method thats taken”, and normally used Nicholas Merwin. He is also mentioned as the person employed to sell the estate of a Mr Duncombe at Broughton (19 Dec 1717), and working for a Mr Plowman of Northampton to find a "chapman" for property at Chetwode (13 Dec 1719). Below is Markham's bill for work done for Fermanagh in 1717/18 (M11/56 image 506):
| L(or)d Fermanagh’s Bill Hill(ary) Vac(ation) 1717 |
£ | s | d |
| Journey to Buckingham on purposse to peruse Leases Title Deeds taking an abstract of them & Copy &c | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Journey to Steeple Claydon to Pruces to get his Title Deeds & attending L(or)dship with them | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| D(eed) & Ingr(ossment) Lease & Release from Pruce | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Stamps & parchm(en)t | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Bond to perform Cov(enan)ts | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| D(eed) & Ingr(ossment) Lease & Release from Seare being long ye Release 2 skinns of Parchm(en)t | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Stamps & parchm(en)t | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| Bond to perform Cov(enan)ts | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Goeing to Claydon to Endorse Seares Title Deeds on the Back of Purchase Deeds &c | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| For passing Fine &c | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Pd Post Fine | 0 | 15 | 6 |
| --------------------- | |||
| John Markham [signature] | 9 | 11 | 0 |
Arthur Clear recorded a slab in the nave floor of Winslow parish church (apparently removed during restoration): "John Markham, Gent died 29th May 1746 aged 63, Phillipa his wife, died 20 August 1723 aged 35, also of Mary and Robert their children who died in infancy." The burial of "Mr John Marcom" was recorded on 2 June.
John Markham, gent., married Mrs Philippa Fall at Hinton in the Hedges on 28 April 1712. Alexander was bap. at Winslow on 1 Oct 1716 and Robert 7 Jan 1721/2. Alexander graduated MA from Lincoln College, Oxford in 1739, and was Vicar of East Claydon 1746-67. His will, proved in 1767, does not mention any property in Winslow, but he was buried at Winslow on 1 May 1767.
Hannah Haz(z)ard kept the Royal Oak, then at 14 High Street. We haven't yet found out what happened to her daughter and Robert Markham.