Will of John Varney, veterinary surgeon, 1921

Oxford Probate Registry

BE IT KNOWN that John Varney of Winslow in the County of Buckingham Veterinary Surgeon who at the time of his death had a fixed place of abode at Winslow aforesaid, within the District of the Counties of Oxford, Berks and Buckingham died on the 9th day of July 1921 at Winslow aforesaid

AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN that at the date hereunder written the last will and Testament of the said deceased was proved and registered in the District Probate Registry of His Majesty’s High Court of Justice at Oxford, and that the administration of all the estate which by law devolves to and vests in the personal representative of the said deceased was granted by the aforesaid Court to Martha Varney of Winslow aforesaid Widow, the Relict of the Deceased and Joseph Cornelius Sear of 26 Saint Marys Road South Norwood in the County of London, Railway Clerk, the Executors named in the said Will.
Dated the 16th day of August 1921.
Gross value of Estate £4282– 9 – 9.
Net value of Personal Estate £2611 – 0 – 0.
Extracted by Whitehorns, Solicitors, Winslow.

I John Varney of Winslow in the County of Buckingham a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons hereby revoke all former Wills made by me and declare this to be my last Will and Testament

I appoint my Wife Martha Varney and my wife’s nephew Joseph Cornelius Sear of 26 Saint Mary’s Road South Norwood in the County of London (hereinafter called “my Trustees”) Executrix and Executor and Trustees of this my Will
I bequeath all articles of furniture or of personal or domestic or household use to my said Wife absolutely and I also bequeath to her an immediate legacy of Fifty pounds

I give all the residue of my estate to my Trustees In trust to sell convert and get in the same with power to postpone such sale or conversion indefinitely without being responsible for loss and out of the proceeds thereof to pay my funeral and testamentary expenses and debts and to invest the residue in any investments authorised by law in the case of trust money with power to vary such investments at discretion and to pay the income of the said trust estate as well before as after the sale conversion and investment thereof to my said wife during her life and after her death to pay thereout the following legacies namely The sum of Two hundred and fifty pounds to the said Joseph Cornelius Sear The sum of Two hundred and fifty pounds to my wife’s nephew Edward Sear of 83 College Road Kensal Rise in the County of London and the sum of Two hundred pounds to my Brother-in-law John Sear but in case any of the said legatees shall die in my lifetime or before the death of my said wife then I bequeath the legacy to his child or children (if any) who shall be living at the death of my said Wife and shall attain the age of twenty one years in equal shares And subject to the payment of the said legacies I direct my Trustees to divide the said trust estate between such of my Nephews and Nieces the children of my sisters Emma Cooper Annie Roberts and Sarah Wingrove and my late brother William Varney as shall attain the age of twenty one years such distribution to be made per stirpes and not per capita and I declare that in case any of my said Nephews and Nieces shall have died in my lifetime either before or after the date of this my Will leaving a child or children who shall survive me and attain the age of twenty one years such child or children shall take and if more than one equally between them the share which his her or their parent would respectively have taken in the said trust estate if he she or they have lived to take a vested interest therein
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this Sixth day of July One thousand nine hundred and twenty one
John Varney [signature]

Signed and acknowledged by the said John Varney the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us both of us together we being present at the same time and we at his request in his presence and the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses
Fred Coates [signature] Northolme, Winslow
George Pass [signature] The Maples, Winslow (Headmaster)  (7 folios)

On the Sixteenth day of August 1921 Probate of this Will was granted at Oxford to Martha Varney, Widow the Relict and Joseph Cornelius Sear, the Executors.

It is hereby certified the foregoing is a correct copy. Dated this Twenty third day of August 1921

Notes

John Varney was a very well-known figure in Winslow, and served on the Parish Council. He built a new house called Newlands (30 Station Road; far left in the photo below) in 1901 after living at 162 High Street. He was born in 1859, son of John Varney, who described himself as "farrier & castrator", and his wife Sarah, née Edwin. He married Martha Sear in 1883; she was born at Great Horwood but was a member of the Sear family of Winslow coachbuilders. She moved across the road to no.31, and Newlands was sold in 1929. She died in 1942 aged 92.

Road with houses on both sides

The siblings mentioned in the will are:

Copyright 30 April, 2024