Will of Thomas Walker, retired builder, 1922 (proved 1923)

Oxford Probate Registry

This is the last Will and Testament of me Thomas Walker of Winslow in the County of Buckingham Retired Builder. I appoint my sons Arthur George Walker and Thomas Edwin Walker and my friend William Norris Midgley of Winslow aforesaid Clerk to the Guardians of the Winslow Union (hereinafter called “my Trustees” which expression where the context admits includes the survivors and survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor or other trustees or trustee for the time being hereof) to be the Executors and Trustees of this my Will and I bequeath to the said William Norris Midgley if he accepts the office of Trustee and Executor the sum of Six pounds. I bequeath to my Wife Mary Ann absolutely all my plate plated articles linen china glass books pictures prints furniture and other household effects my shares in Lloyds Bank Limited and the Legacy or sum of Two hundred and sixty pounds. I bequeath the following legacies namely To my daughter Sarah Walker One hundred and Sixty pounds To my four daughters Annie Elizabeth, Esther, Alice and Mary Maria One hundred and ten pounds each To my son William Thomas Walker Forty pounds To my niece Mary King Twenty five pounds for her kindness to my father for many years and to my brothers Joseph Samuel and Charles Ten guineas each. I devise my messuage or tenement and premises situate in Winslow aforesaid now in the occupation of Mrs Fountaine unto my Trustees Upon trust to permit my said wife Mary Ann to use occupy and enjoy the same during her lifetime \widowhood/ free from rent and from liability to keep the same in repair And from and after her death or the day of her second marriage whichever shall first happen To the use of my said five daughters in equal shares as tenants in common in fee simple. I give and devise my copyhold close of land known as “Matthews Close” situate in the Parish of Winslow aforesaid to my Trustees Upon trust to permit my said son William Thomas Walker to use occupy and enjoy the same or to receive the rents profits or income thereof during his lifetime and after his decease In trust for all his children in equal shares as tenants in common absolutely. I give and devise my Building Land situate in the Station Road Building estate Winslow aforesaid my houses in the High Street Winslow aforesaid purchased by me of Frederick Roads and my two cottages and garden situate in Tennis Court Lane in Winslow aforesaid to my said son Arthur George Walker absolutely. I devise all my cottages gardens

[p.2] and premises situate in the Vicarage Road and Avenue Road in Winslow aforesaid To the use of my five daughters Sarah, Annie Elizabeth, Esther, Alice and Mary Maria in equal shares as tenants in common as to my said daughters Sarah, Annie, Elizabeth, Alice and Mary Maria absolutely but as to my said daughter Esther for her life only and from and after her decease as to her said share Upon trust for her child if only one absolutely or for all her children if more than one living at her decease when he she or they shall attain the age of twenty one years and if there shall be more than one such child such children shall take in equal shares as tenants in common absolutely I devise my three Cottages gardens and premises opposite the Workhouse Garden in Winslow aforesaid unto my said son Thomas Edwin Walker absolutely. I devise my three Cottages in Sheep Street Winslow with their appurtenances now occupied by William Cripps, Allen and Viccars to the use of my said son Thomas Edwin Walker during his life subject nevertheless to his repairing and keeping the same repaired and his insuring and keeping the same insured against loss or damage by fire to their full value and upon the decease of said son Thomas Edwin Walker To the use of his child if only one or for all his children if more than one living at his decease in equal shares as tenants in common absolutely I devise the house and premises situate in the Market Square Winslow aforesaid now in my own occupation to my said sons Thomas Edwin Walker and Arthur George in equal shares as tenants in common in fee simple. I devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate not hereby or by any Codicil otherwise specifically disposed of and which I can dispose of by Will in any manner I think proper unto my Trustees Upon trust that my Trustees shall sell the said real estate and call in sell and convert into money such part of my personal estate as does not consist of money with power to postpone such sale and conversion for such a period as my Trustees without being liable to account shall think proper and I direct that my Trustees shall out of the money to arise from the sale and conversion of my said real and personal estate and out of my ready money pay my funeral and testamentary expenses debts legacies and death duties including Estate Duty Legacy Duty and Succession Duty if such duties or either or any of them are payable so that the legatees under this my Will may take their legacies free from duty and so that my own sons and daughters to whom I have hereinbefore devised my lands messuages or hereditaments

[p.3] or any interest therein may take hold and enjoy the same free from all claims for estate or Succession Duty and so that all legacies and duties thereon shall be paid primarily out of my personal estate. And upon further trust to divide the residue of the said monies unto and equally among all my children living at my death. I declare that all legacies given by this my Will to married women shall be for their separate use and benefit from the debts control or engagements of their respective husbands. Lastly I revoke all other Wills or testamentary dispositions made by me.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Walker the testator have hereunto set my hand this Fifth day of January One thousand nine hundred and twenty two.
Thos Walker [signature]

Signed and declared by the above named Thomas Walker the Testator as his last Will and Testament in the presence of us both present at the same time who in his presence and the presence of each other have hereunto set our names as witnesses.
H. Newton Bancroft [signature] Clerks to W.G.W. Willis, Solicitor, Winslow
Jessie Midgley [signature]

On the Fourteenth day of May 1923. Probate of this Will was granted at Oxford to Arthur George Walker and Thomas Edwin Walker the Sons and William Norris Midgley the Executors.

It is hereby certified that the foregoing is a correct copy
Dated this Twenty second day of May 1923.

BE IT KNOWN that Thomas Walker of Winslow in the County of Buckingham retired Builder 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 1st day of February 1923 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 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 Arthur George Walker of Winslow aforesaid Builder and Thomas Edwin Walker of Badnam, Southampton in the County of Hants, Carpenter, the the Sons of the Deceased and William Norris Midgley of Winslow aforesaid Clerk to the Guardians of the Winslow Union the Executors named in the said Will.

Dated the 14th day of May 1923.                                               

Gross value of Estate                      £4133 - 18 - 10
Net value of Personal Estate        £1474 - 8 - 1
Resworn £4648 - 18 - 100

Extracted by W. Gravely W. Willis, Solicitor, Winslow

Notes

Thomas Walker was born in 1847, son of Charles Walker of Winslow. He was described as a bricklayer in 1871. This developed into a successful builder's business which made him one of the biggest property owners in Winslow. He married Mary Ann Shillingford from Quainton. Their children were:

Thomas Walker bought the Old Crown in 1895 and renamed it Perseverance House. Previously (from 1881) he lived at and ran the Black Horse. Before then he was living in Bell Alley (1871) and Back Lane, i.e. Vicarage Road (1881).

"my niece Mary King"; Mary Elizabeth King was aged 22 and living with her grandparents Charles and Mary Walker in Back Lane in 1891; laundress living with her grandfather in 1901 and 1911; living alone in the same house in 1921.

"my brothers Joseph Samuel and Charles":

"my messuage or tenement and premises situate in Winslow aforesaid now in the occupation of Mrs Fountaine": 18 High Street

“Matthews Close”: bought by Thomas Walker at the Willis sale in 1911. It was in Featherbed Lane.

"my Building Land situate in the Station Road Building estate": this seems to be plot 1 on the 1900 plan, which was not built on until the 1990s.

"my houses in the High Street Winslow aforesaid purchased by me of Frederick Roads": 68-72 High Street.

"my two cottages and garden situate in Tennis Court Lane": see Hobhouchin Lane

cottages gardens and premises situate in the Vicarage Road: 7-15 Vicarage Road

cottages gardens and premises situate in Avenue Road: now nos.3-11

"three Cottages gardens and premises opposite the Workhouse Garden": now 154-158 High Street

"my three Cottages in Sheep Street": now 19-23 Sheep Street

Will of Mary Ann Walker, widow, 1923 (proved 1925)

Oxford Probate Registry

This is the last Will and Testament of me Mary Ann Walker of Market Square Winslow in the County of Buckingham Widow I appoint my sons Arthur George Walker and Thomas Edwin Walker to be the Executors and Trustees of this my Will I bequeath to my daughter Sarah Ann Walker absolutely such of my plate plated articles linen china glass books pictures prints furniture and other household effects as she may select as may be sufficient to furnish a cottage for her Subject to the payment of my just debts my funeral and testamentary expenses I bequeath all the rest and residue of my personal estate whatsoever and I devise all my real estate whatsoever and wheresoever unto my said five daughters Sarah Ann Walker Annie Elizabeth Gatehouse Esther Cripps Alice Elley and Mary Maria Walker in equal shares as tenants in common absolutely but I direct that in the event of any or either of my said daughters desiring to sell their or her shares or share of and in my said real estate such shares or share shall first be offered to my other daughters or daughter and in the event of their or her or any one of them declining to purchase that such shares or share shall then be offered to my sons or any one or more of them it being my desire and intention that so far as may be my said real estate shall be retained in the ownership of members of my family In witness whereof I the said Mary Ann Walker the testatrix have hereunto set my hand this Fourteenth day of December One thousand nine hundred and twenty three.
Mary Ann Walker [signature]

Signed and declared by the above named Mary Ann Walker the testatrix as her last Will and Testament in the presence of us both present at the same time who in her presence and the presence of each other have hereunto set our names as witnesses.
William N. Midgley [signature] Clerks to W.G.W. Willis, Solicitor, Winslow
Bertie Hunt [signature]

On the Thirteenth day of May 1925. Probate of this Will was granted at Oxford to Arthur George Walker and Thomas Edwin Walker the Sons, the Executors.

It is hereby certified that the foregoing is a correct copy
Dated this Nineteenth day of May 1925.

BE IT KNOWN that Mary Ann Walker of Market Square Winslow in the County of Buckingham Widow who at the time of her death had a fixed place of abode at Market Square Winslow aforesaid, within the District of the Counties of Oxford, Berks and Buckingham, died on the 15th day of January 1925 at Market Square 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 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 Arthur George Walker of Winslow aforesaid Builder and Thomas Edwin Walker of Badnam, Southampton in the County of Hants, Carpenter, the Sons of the Deceased the Executors named in the said Will.

Dated the 13th day of May 1925.                                               

Gross value of Estate                      £573 - 3 – 6
Net value of Personal Estate        £557 - 9 – 11
Extracted by W. Gravely W. Willis, Solicitor, Winslow

Copyright 17 July, 2026