Will of Robert Seaton of Peterborough, brazier, 1739/40 (proved 1743)

Northants RO

In the Name of God Amen I Robert Seaton of the City of Peterborough in the County of Northampton Brazier being thanks be given to God of a Sound and Disposing Mind and Memory do this Thirtieth day of January in the Year of Our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and thirty nine make publish and declare my last Will and Testament in Manner and form following (that is to say) First I commend my Soul when it shall be required into the Hands of Almighty God and my Body to the Earth to be decently interr'd at the discretion of my Executrix hereinafter nominated As to that Worldly Substance God hath been pleased to bless me with I give and dispose of as follows (to witt) I give and devise unto my Nephew Joseph Seaton Son of my Brother John Seaton after the Decease of my Wife Elizabeth Seaton All that the Copyhold Estate held of the Mannor of Winslow in the County of Bucks being a Farm house and Home stead and also Eight acres of land lying in the Fields of Winslow previously commonly called or known by the name of Nandige Close and One Acre of Arrable land at the Old Mill and one Acre of Arrable Land called the Hogg Acre in the Fields of Winslow afores(ai)d with all and Singular the Appurten(an)ces to the same Premisses belonging and which was heretofore the Estate of Jo(hn) Seaton my Brother Father of of the said Joseph Seaton for and during the term of his Natural life and from and imediatly after his decease I give and devise the said Premisses with the Apperten(an)ces unto the Eldest Son of the said Joseph Seaton in case he leaves a Son if not to the Eldest Daughter of the said Joseph his or her Heirs and Assigns for ever  and in case the said Joseph Seaton departs this life without leaving issue of his Body then I give and devise the said Premisses with the Appurten(an)ces unto my Nephew Robert Seaton brother of the said Joseph Seaton his [heirs] and Assigns for ever I also give and devise unto my said Nephew Robert Seaton Son of my Brother John Seaton after the decease of my said Wife Elizabeth [Seaton my si]x acres and a half of Arrable land lying dispersed in the Fields of Winslow afores(ai)d and held of the said Mannor of Winslow heretofore the Estate of my Father […… Seaton] with all and Singular the Appurten(an)ces to the same belonging \& to/ his heirs and Assigns for ever Now whereas upon my Marriage with my said Wife Elizabeth Seaton I Surrendred the said Six Acres and an half of Land with their Appurten(an)ces into the hands of Lord or Lords of the said Man(nor) of Winslow to the use of myself for life and my said Wife for life and to the Heirs and Assigns of the Sur(viv)or of us two for ever therefore it is my Will and I hereby direct that in case my said Wife Elizabeth Seaton shall refuse or neglect to Surrender the said Six Acres and an half with the Appurten(an)ces into the hands of the Lord or Lords of the said Man(no)r of Winslow to the Use and Behoofe of the said Robert Seaton as afores(ai)d (that is) to him his Heirs and Assigns for ever within the space of Two Years after my Decease then and in such case I give and bequeath unto my said Nephew Robert the Sum of One Hundred pounds to be paid to him his Ex(ecu)tors Adm(inistrat)ors or Assigns out of my Personal Estate by my Executrix hereafter named at the End of two Years after my Decease for and in lieu of the said Estate I also give and bequeath unto my Nephew John Blake Son of my Sister Mary Blake a Platt of Ground in Winslow afores(ai)d and held of the said Mannor of Winslow with a House thereon Erected heretofore by my late Brother J(oh)n Seaton and which I purchased of my said Brother J(oh)n Seaton together with the Appurten(an)ces  to the same belonging for and during the term of his natural life and imediatly after his Decease then I give and devise the said Platt and House with the Appurten(an)ces unto the Eldest Son of  my said Nephew John Blake in case he leaves a Son if no Son then to his Eldest Daughter then living and to his or her Heirs and Assigns for ever  I also give and devise all those my five Copyhold Lotts or parcells of Fenn Land lying and being in a place called Farcett Fenn and held of the Mannor of Woodstone in the County of Huntingdon by copy of Court Roll containing by Estimation thirty six Acres or thereabouts heretofore the Estate of Thomas Wright late of Woodstone afor(e)s(ai)d Gent dec(eas)ed and by me latly purchased of Mrs Anne Grosvenour Ex(ecu)trix of the last Will of Mr John Grosvenour late of Peterborough afores(ai)d dec(eas)ed and which was devised by him to the said Anne Grosvenour to be by her sold for pay(me)nt of his debts unto my Nephew John Seaton Son of my said late Brother J(oh)n Seaton his heirs and Assigns for ever after the Decease of my said Wife Elizabeth Seaton he paying thereout within Twelve Months next after the same Premisses are in his possession as afore(sai)d the following Sums to the persons hereafter mentioned (that is to say) to my Nephew John Seaton Son of my Brother Hugh Seaton dec(eas)ed the Sum of Sixty pounds of lawfull English Money and to my Nephew Hugh Seaton Son of my said Brother Hugh Seaton the Sum of Eighty pounds of like lawfull  Money and to my said Nephew Robert Seaton Son of my said late Bro(ther) John Seaton the Sum of Sixty pounds of like lawfull Money  And it is my Mind and Will and I do hereby Order and direct that the said Thirty Six Acres of land and every part and parcell thereof shall be charged and I hereby make the same chargeable with the payment of the three said Sums of Sixty pounds Eighty pounds and Sixty pounds to my said three Nephews John and Hugh Seaton Sons of Hugh Seaton and Robert Seaton Son of John Seaton as afores(aid)  I also give and bequeath unto Joseph Seaton aforementioned the Sum of Twenty pounds to be paid by my Executrix Six months after my decease and to my said Nephew Robert Seaton the Sum of Sixty pounds and to my said Nephew John Seaton the like Sum of Sixty pounds and to my Neice Mary Seaton Daughter of my said late Bro(ther) Jo(hn) the Sum of Eighty pounds and to my Neice Elizabeth Seaton one other of the Daughters of my said late Bro(ther) Jo(hn) the sum of forty pounds and to And to Anne Seaton one other Daughter of my said late Brother Jo(h)n the Sum of Twenty pounds And to my Nephew John Son of my s(aid) late Brother Hugh Seaton the Sum of Sixty pounds and to my said Nephew Hugh Seaton the Sum of Eighty pounds and to my Nephew Robert Seaton Son of my Brother Hugh the Sum of Thirty pounds And to two Sons and two Daughters other of the Children of my said Bro(ther) Hugh to each of them Twenty pounds Also I give and bequeath unto the said Jo(hn) Blake my Nephew the Sum of Thirty pounds and to my Nephew Thomas Blake Son of my Sister Mary Blake Thirty pounds and to Mary Glenister Daughter of my said S(is)ter Blake the Sum of Thirty pounds which I hereby Order and direct shall be paid at such time as is hereafter mentioned to and for her Own Seperate Use & benefit exclusive of her husband Glenister and her receipt only shall be a Discharge for the same  I also give and bequeath to Jane Blake my Neice Daughter of my said Sister Mary Blake the Sum [of] Th(ir)ty pounds And to Anne one other of the Daughters of my Sister Mary Blake the Sum of Thirty pounds All which said Legacys I hereby direct and Appoint shall be pa(id) by my Executrix hereafter named out of my Person(al) Estate to the Several and respective Legatees or in case any of them be Dead to their Legal representatives within six months after my Decease Also I give and bequeath to my Brothers William Watts & John Watts and to my Sisters Jane Bradford and Catherine Dyson and to my Kinsman Richard Salmon and to John Revell and to each of them One Guinea to buy them each a Mourning Ring Also all the rest and residue of my Estate or Estates both real and personal whatsoever and wheresoever not hereinbefore given and Disposed of and after my Just Debts Legacys and Funeral charges are paid and discharged I give devise and bequeath unto my said Loving Wife Elizabeth Seaton whom I hereby make Constitute and Appoint Sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Seal the day and Year first above written
Robert Seaton

Signed sealed published and declared by the said Robert Seaton the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who attested the same in his presence and in the presence of each other
Sarah Billings
Mary Smith
Wm. Smith

Proved at Peterborough 28 May 1743 Northants    

The 28th. day of May in the Year of Our Lord 1743 Elizabeth Seaton
the Sole Executrix in the above Will Named was Sworne faithfully to
perform the Same and so forth Before me
        Tho. Bradfield    Sur

Notes

Robert Seaton was baptised at Winslow on 5 Oct 1686, son of John Seaton carrier d.1693 (q.v. for the other siblings) and his wife Mary.

Robert Seaton of Aylesbury married Elizabeth Watts of Stony Stratford at Thornton on 18 Nov 1714; the "brothers" and "sisters" mentioned at the end of the will must be her siblings. She was the niece of Thomas Watts, ironmonger (d.1725).

Robert was living in Peterborough by 1723. The list of tenants c.1743 lists "late Robert Seaton" holding 14a 1r in the occupation of John Blake, presumably the nephew mentioned in the will.

Robert's brother John Seaton carrier (d.1723) left his property in trust to be sold for his children's benefit, which explains how Robert acquired it.

Farmhouse and 8 acres: This was mentioned at the 1704 court and itemised in 1708 when Robert's mother Mary and brother John mortgaged the land: the messuage and Homestall in Winslow in which John now lives; 6 acres called Nantditch Close (this had been mortgaged by Robert's grandfather Hugh Seaton in 1667); 1 acre at Old Mill; 1 acre at Tenters furlong. The messuage and homestall "lately acquired from Robert Seaton" were for Mary's use for her life, then for John and his heirs. A "Garden Plot" and 8 acres were mortgaged to George Blake of Thornton (apparently Robert and John's brother-in-law). Mary died in 1710 or 1718. In 1723, Peter Goldsworth transferred the mortgage of the land, now with a "messuage lately erected" on the garden plot, to Simon Hogson of Winslowe Yeoman, John Wright of Winslowe Wheelwright and Richard Wiseman of Bourton, Buckingham. The whole property (the new messuage was now "a cottage in the occupation of James Young adjoining the garden") was then transferred to Robert Seaton of Peterborough and his wife Elizabeth. They were admitted as tenants in 1726, to hold for their lives with reversion to Robert's heirs.

6½ acres of arable land: In 1694 Robert was granted the reversion of 8 acres of land after the death of his mother Mary. The 6½ acres were made part of a marriage settlement at the 1715 manor court. Elizabeth complied with Robert's wish for her to surrender it to the use of his nephew at the 1744 manor court.

Platt of ground and house = the garden plot above. In 1696, Robert's brother John and mother Mary each acquired a half-rood of land in Great Horn Street from Robert Seaton of Gawcott.

In 1748, Joseph Seaton inherited the 6½ acres from his brother Robert, and then sold the reversion of the whole 14½ acres, messuage and cottage to the lawyer Nicholas Merwin (BAS 376/22/116). Nicholas Merwin's will (made 1748, proved 1751) bequeathed the reversions (expectant on Elizabeth Seaton's death) as follows:

Elizabeth Seaton died in 1772. The little cottage was then inherited by John Blake, son of John and Judith, and sold by him to John Dumbleton in 1777. Susanna Merwin left her property to her nephew William Simpson, who in 1775 sold the messuage to William Lowndes and the land (now enclosed) to John Bennett of East Claydon.