Will of William West of Shipton, yeoman, 1768 (proved 1771)

National Archives PROB 11/970/3

In the Name of God Amen I William West of Shipton in the Parish of Winslow in the County of Bucks yeoman being Aged and Infirm in Bodily health but of Sound Mind Memory and understanding (Praised be God for the same) Do make and Ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following, that is to say,  First I Give and bequeath unto my nephew Richard West the Sum of Thirty pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain  Also I Give and bequeath unto my niece Sarah West the Sum of Ten pounds of like lawful Money  Also I Give and bequeath unto my Nephew Robert Shelton the Sum of Ten pounds of like lawful Money  Also I Give and bequeath unto my nephew William Shelton the Sum of Fifty pounds of like lawful Money Also I Give and bequeath unto my niece Sarah Shelton the Sum of Sixty pounds of like lawful Money to be paid unto and to each and every of them my Said Legatees respectively by my Executor herein after named within Six Calendar Months next and imediately after my Decease  But if any or either of them my said Legatees shall happen to depart this life before my Decease or before their said Legacys shall become Due and Payable then his or her Share herein before bequeathed to him or her deceased shall go Descend and remain to the use of the Survivors or Survivor of them to be equally Divided among them share and Share alike  Also I further Give and bequeath unto my said nephews Robert Shelton and William Shelton  All my wearing Apparel both Linnen and Woollen to be equally Divided between them Share and Share alike  Also I further Give unto my said niece Sarah Shelton all my Household Goods and Furniture whatsoever and wheresoever  And as for all the rest residue and remainder of my Pecuniary Personal Estate as also all my Bills Bonds Mortgages Notes of Hand and all other Securities of Money and Personal Estate whatsoever the same may be (and not otherwise by this my Will Given and Disposed of)  I Give and  bequeath the same and every part thereof unto my nephew Roger West his Executors Adm(inistrat)ors and Assigns for ever  And I Do hereby Expressly Charge all my personal Estate Given to him as aforesaid with the true Payment of all my Just Debts Legacies and Funeral Expences  And Lastly I do hereby nominate Constitute and Appoint my said Nephew Roger West full and Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament  And I do hereby revoke and make void all former and other Wills by me at any time heretofore made and do Publish and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament  In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this Twelfth Day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Sixty eight

William West

Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the Testator William West as and for his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us who have hereunto Subscribed our names as Witnesses in the Presence of the Said Testator and of each other  Paul Parkins,  Joseph Hunt

This Will was Proved at London the third Day of July in the Year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Seventy one before the Worshipful Peter Calvert Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipful George Hay also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully Constituted by the Oath of Roger West the Nephew of the deceased and Sole Executor named in the said Will to whom Administration was Granted of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said Deceased he having been first Sworn Duly to Administer.

Notes

William West was the son of Roger West, yeoman, d.1734, and brother of Richard West, d.1765. He was the nephew of Joseph Rogers d.1723. He was baptised at Addington on 2 Feb 1689/90. He acquired 3½ acres of land in Demoram Field in 1723. Although described as a yeoman he does not appear in the Enclosure Awards, so he probably rented his other land from the Lowndes estate.