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. See below for her will.

Road with houses on both sides

The siblings mentioned in the will are:

Will of Martha Varney, widow, 1932 (proved 1942)

Oxford Probate Registry

BE IT KNOWN that Martha Varney of 31 Station Road Winslow in the County of Buckingham widow died on the 4th day of December 1942 at Winslow aforesaid

AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN that at the date hereunder written the last Will and Testament with two Codicils thereto ( a copy whereof is hereunto annexed)  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 Edward Sear of 9 Romanhurst Gardens Bromley in the County of Kent butcher nephew of deceased and George Hatt-Cook of Hartford Greenfield Crescent Hoole in the County of Chester  solicitor the executors named in the said Will.
And it is hereby certified that an Affidavit for Inland Revenue has been delivered wherein it is shewn that the gross value of the Estate in Great Britain (exclusive of what the said deceased may have been possessed of or entitled to as a Trustee and not beneficially) amounts to £1262 - 4 – 2
And the net value of the personal estate amounts to £1196 – 3 – 5

And it is further certified that it appears by a Receipt signed by an Inland Revenue Officer on the said Affidavit that £36 – 1 – 9 on account of Estate Duty and Interest on such duty has been paid.
Dated the 25th day of February 1943
W.W. Hughes [signature]
District Registrar
Extracted by Philip Wood, Solicitor, Winslow.

I, MARTHA VARNEY of Number 31 Station Road Winslow in the County of Buckingham Widow hereby revoke all former Wills and testamentary dispositions made by me and declare this to be my last Will and Testament 1. I appoint my Nephew EDWARD SEAR of Number 335 Walworth Road Lonon S.E.17 butcher and GEORGE HATT-COOK of Winslow aforesaid Solicitor (hereinafter called “my Trustees”) Executrix and Executor and Trustees of this my Will. 2. I GIVE all my household furniture plate plated articles linen china glass books pictures prints provisions and other household effects and stores in my dwellinghouse and belonging to me at the time of my death to my Trustees UPON TRUST that my Trustees shall sell and convert the same into money and pay or divide the clear money arising therefrom to or amongst such of the children of my late Nephew Joseph Cornelius Sear late of Number 26 Saint Mary’s Road South Norwood in the County of London as shall be living at my death and if more than one in equal shares upon their attaining the age of twenty one years 3. I BEQUEATH the following pecuniary legacies to be paid as soon as possible after my decease namely (a) to my niece Eliza Jane Brazier of Priors Marston in the County of Warwick the legacy or sum of One hundred Pounds (b) to my nephew Thomas Viccars of Long Itchington in the County of Warwick the legacy or sum of Twenty pounds   (c) to my niece Elizabeth Cornwall of Great Horwood in the County of Buckingham and to my Great niece Una Alice Mary Goode of Pineham Farm Haversham Wolverton in the County of Buckingham  the legacy or sum of Fifty pounds each (d) to Emma Edmunds of Kings Wootton Aylesbury in the County of Buckingham  the legacy or sum of Twenty pounds (e) to my nieces Martha Foye and Ann King both of Adstock in the County of Buckingham Polly Dawson of Winslow aforesaid and Martha Sear and to Elizabeth Clare of Chalfont Cottage Winslow aforesaid and my niece B. Mears of East Keal Spilsby in the County of Lincoln wife of Albert Mears the legacy or sum of Ten Pounds each 4. Subject to the payment of my funeral and testamentary expenses and debts and death duties I devise and bequeath all the rest residue and remainder of my real and personal estate whatsoever and wheresoever to all or any of the children or child of my said late Nephew Joseph Cornelius Sear as shall be living at my death and if more than one in equal shares Upon their attaining the age of twenty one years 5. AND I declare that any Executor or Trustee hereof being a Solicitor or other person engaged in any profession or business may be so employed or being a sole Executor or Trustee may so act and shall be entitled to charge and be paid for all work done and time expended by him or his firm in relation to the executorship or trust including acts which a Trustee not being in any profession or business could have done personally IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of January One thousand nine hundred and thirty two

M. Varney [signature]

SIGNED and acknowledge by the said Martha Varney the Testatrix as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of both of us together we being present at the same time and we at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses
Edith A. Stock [signature] Clerk to Hatt-Cooke & Vale Winslow
Henry Sellar [signature] Winslow Plumber &c 

I, MARTHA VARNEY of Number 31 Station Road Winslow in the County of Buckingham declare this to be a Codicil to my Will which bears date eleventh day of January One thousand nine hundred and thirty two 1. I HEREBY REVOKE the legacy of Ten pounds bequeathed to Elizabeth Clare contained in Clause 3 subsection (e) of my said Will 2. IN all other respects I confirm my said Will IN WITNESS whereof I the said Martha Varney have hereunto set my hand this Third day of February One thousand nine hundred and thirty six
M. Varney [signature]
Signed by the above named Testatrix as a Codicil to her last Will in the presence of both of us together we being present at the same time and we at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses
R. Leather, Solicitor, Winslow [signature]
Edith A. Stock [signature] Winslow Clerk to R. Leather Esq

THIS IS A SECOND CODICIL to the last Will and Testament of me MARTHA VARNEY of Number 31 Station Road Winslow in the County of Buckingham Widow which Will bears date eleventh day of January One thousand nine hundred and thirty two 1. I HEREBY DECLARE that the legacy bequeathed to my niece Eliza Jane Brazier contained in Clause 3 subsection (a) of my said Will shall read as Fifty pounds instead of One hundred pounds as therein in stated and also that the legacy bequeathed to my great niece Una Alice Mary Goode contained in Clause 3 subsection (c) of my said Will shall read as Thirty pounds instead of Fifty pounds as therein stated 2. IN all other respects I confirm my said Will except so far as it is revoked or varied by my first codicil and I confirm that Codicil IN WITNESS whereof I the said Martha Varney have hereunto set my hand this twenty third day of June one thousand nine hundred and thirty six
M. Varney [signature]

Signed by the above named Testatrix as a second Codicil to her last Will in the presence of us present at the same time who in her presence and at her request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses
Edith A. Stock [signature] Oak Lodge Winslow Solicitors Clerk
Fred Coates [signature] Northolme Winslow retired Major

Copyright 5 May, 2024