Winslow History | Will of Henry Townsend of Whaddon, yeoman, 1723

Will of Henry Townesend of Whaddon, yeoman, 1723

Centre for Bucks Studies, DAWf: 73/91

In the Name of God I Henry Townesend of Whaddon in the County of Bucks Yeoman being somewhat weak in body but of sound and perfect Minde and Memory Doe make and Ordeyne this my Last Will and Testament in manner following Recomending my Soul into the hands of Almighty God hopeing for Salvation in and through the Merritts of my only Saviour Jesus Christ Whereas my late Father William Townesend dec(ease)d Did in and by his Last Will and Testament Give and Bequeath unto Henry Ann Hester and Rebeccah Hobbs Children of my Sister Ann Hobbs dec(ease)d and to Katherine Townesend ~~Townesend~~ Daughter of my Brother John Townesend Tenn Pounds apeice to be paid them severally as by the said Will is appointed I Doe hereby Order & appoint my Nephew William Townesend hereafter named to Pay the said severall Legacyes of Tenn Pounds pursuant & in full performance of the Last Will and Testament of the said William Townesend my late Father dec(ease)d out of the Lands and Tenements herein after by me Devised unto him And I Doe further Give and Bequeath unto the said Henry Hobbs Ann Hobbs Hester Hobbs Rebeccah Hobbs and Katherine Townesend my Nephew & Neeces Thirty Pounds apeice of lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid them severally within one Year after my Decease by my Nephew William Townesend out of my Lands & Tenements hereinafter Devised unto him. I Give Devise and Bequeath unto the said William Townesend my Nephew All and every my Copyhold Lands Tenements and Hereditaments whatsoever held of the Mannor of Winslowe in the County of Bucks To the Use & Behoofe of the said William Townesend his heires & Assignes forever Upon this Condition nevertheless and my Will & Desire is that the said William Townesend shall pay out of my said Lands & Tenements soe as afores(ai)d Devised unto him aswell the said severall Legacyes of Tenn Pounds apeice Given by my late Father the s(ai)d William Townesends Will as the said severall Legacyes of Thirty Pounds apiece by me herein before bequeathed unto the said Henry Hobbs Ann Hobbs Hester Hobbs Rebeccah Hobbs & Katherine Townesend And I Doe hereby charge my said Lands & Tenements with the Payment of the said severall Legacyes According to the true Intent & meaning of this my Last Will & alsoe with the Payment of my Debts which my Personall Estate shall not be sufficient to satisfie I Give & Bequeath All my Goods Chattells & Personal Estate unto my said Nephew William Townesend whom I make full & Sole Executor of this my last Will hereby revokeing all former Wills by me heretofore made And do & Declare this only to be my last In Witnesse whereof I have hereunto sett my hand & Seal this fourteenth Day of May in the Ninth Year of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lord King George Annoque D(omi)ni 1723

Henery Townsend

Signed Sealed Published & Declared
In the P(re)sence of Us who have hereunto
Subscribed our Names as Wittnesses in the
P(re)sence of the Testator
Aug(usti)ne Seaton William Stevens John Markham

[f.2] Whereas I Henry Townesend of Whaddon in the County of Bucks Yeoman have made my last Will and Testament in Writing bearing date the Fourteenth Day of May last past And not being minded wholly to revoke to the same but to make such Additions & Alterac(i)ons as herein after menc(i)oned Doe make & Ordeyne this Codicill to be part of my Last Will vizt. Whereas I have in & by my said Last Will Given to my Nephew & Neeces Henry Hobbs Ann Hobbs Hester Hobbs Rebeccah Hobbs & Katherine Townesend Thirty pounds apeice to be paid them severally Within One Year after my Decease by my Nephew William Townesend therein named Now my Mind is And I doe hereby ord(ain) & appoint the s(ai)d William Townesend & his heires to pay the said severall Legacyes of Thirty pounds apeice to the said Henry Ann Hester Rebeccah & Katherine when they shall attain their severall & respective Ages of twenty one Yeares but not sooner My Mind nevertheless is and I doe direct the s(aid) William Townesend \& his heires/ to pay Interest att five pounds p(er) Cent p(er) ann(um) for the said Legacyes untill they shall severally become due as aforesaid And if any or either of the said Henry Ann Hester Rebeccah and Katherine happen to dye before his her or their Legacyes become due & payable as afores(ai)d Then I Give & Bequeath the Legacy or Legacyes of him her or them soe dyeing to be equally devided amongst the Survivo(r)s or Survivo(r) of them And I Give & Devise to my Brother Jonathan Townesend All those severall parcells of Land herein after menc(i)oned being Copyhold held of the Manno(r) of Winslowe in the County of Bucks & lyeing in the Com(m)on Feilds of Shipton in the Parish of Winslowe afores(ai)d vizt. Three Ridges lyeing together for an Acre in New Lane Furlong In Blackgrove Feild Three Ridges lyeing together for an acre & an half in Steirt Furlong in the same Feild Two Lands lyeing together for an Acre in Drymead Furlong in Licehill Feild Mr Lowndes,s Lands on both sides Four Butts lyeing together for an Acre in Woodway Furlong in the same Feild Mr Lowndes,s Land on both sides One Acre of Pasture Ground lyeing in Shipton Cowepasture the Ground of William Ashby East with all the Apperten(a)nc(e)s thereto belonging To the use & behoofe of the said Jonathan Townesend & his Assignes for the terme of his Naturall life And after his decease I Give & Devise the same Land to my said Nephew William \Townesend/ ~~Stevens~~ & his heires forever And I Doe hereby ratifie & confirme my said Last Will with such Alterations and Additions as are herein sett down And Doe Ord(ain)e & appoint this Codicill to be taken as part of my Last Will & that every thing herein conteyned be in all things as fully p(er)formed & fulfilled as if the same were particularly menc(i)oned and sett down in my said Last Will In Witnesse whereof I have to this Codicill sett my hand & Seal this twelfth Day of June in the Ninth Year of the Reigne of King George Annoque D(omi)ni 1723.
                                                                                                                                The Marke of Henry Townesend
Signed Sealed Published & Declared
In the p(re)sence of us who have hereunto
subscribed our Names as Witnesses in the
p(re)sence of the said Henry Townesend
Ben(jamin) Holland   Daniell Tatnall John Markham

[Latin] October 19 1723
The withinnamed executor sworn before me
who chose Mr Edward Beckley of Swanbourne to be cited etc.
J. Lodington
The will written on the back with the codicil of Henry Townesend late of Whaddon of the Archdeaconry of Bucks deceased was proved, approved and entered on 12 October 1723 before Isaac Lodington clerk MA surrogate of the Venerable John Bettesworth LLD Commissary and Official legitimately appointed in and through the whole Archdeaconry of Bucks, and for the powers and strength of the same duly and legitimately pronounced and declared, and the burden of the execution of the said will was committed, and also administration was committed of all and singular the goods etc. of the same deceased belonging to him at the time of his life and death and concerning this will in any way whatsoever, William Townesend the nephew by the brother of the said deceased and named in the said will having previously been sworn in due form of law, saving anyone’s right.
No inventory presented.

Notes

Henry Townsend was baptised at Winslow on 29 April 1668, son of William Townsend (d.1714) and Anne, nee Miller. He was buried at Winslow on 21 June 1723. His death was reported at the 1723 manor court, where he was described as Henry Townsend junior. The 1724 court, where his heirs were admitted, shows that he held 50 acres of land in Shipton. It is not clear why he was living at Whaddon at the end of his life; perhaps he went to live with a relative. William the nephew is described at the 1726 court as being a cordwainer of Stepney.