Will of Thomas Wright, wheelwright, 1717/18 (proved 1719)

National Achives, PROB 11/569/194

In the name of God Amen I Thomas Wright of Winslow in the County of Bucks Wheelwright being somewhat indisposed in body but of perfect mind and memory praised be Almighty God therefore and considering the certainty of death and the uncertain time thereof doe this eight day of February Anno D(omi)ni 1717 make and ordain this my last will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say First and principally I com(m)end my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Maker hoping through the merits death and Passion of Jesus Christ my Saviour to be made partaker of everlasting Life And my <body> I commit to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executrix hereinafter named and as for such temporal Estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof as followeth  Impr(im)is I give will devise and bequeath unto John Wright my Son the sum(m)e of one shilling of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid unto him by my Executrix hereinafter named within one month next after my decease Item I give will devise and bequeath unto Frances Coles my daughter the sum(m)e of Fifty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid

[f.2] unto her by my Executrix within one month next after my Executrix shall be married again or by the Executors or Administrators of my Executrix within three months next after the decease of my Executrix which shall first happen Item I give will devise and bequeath unto Elizabeth my daughter the sum(m)e of thirty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid unto her by my Executrix hereinafter named within six moneths next after my decease Item I give will devise and bequeath all that my Copyhold Messuage or Tenement in Winslowe aforesaid Which I purchased of Michael Ginger and Frances his wife now in the tenure or occupac(i)on of Elizabeth Stutsbury Widow and the Priviledges and appurtenances belonging to the same unto my loving wife Ann Wright for and during the term of her natural life or untill such time as she shall be married again which shall first happen and from and after the decease or marriage of the said Anne my wife which shall first happen Then to Elizabeth my daughter and her heirs forever  But my Will meaning and desire is that the said  Elizabeth my daughter shall (in case the said John Wright my Son shall at any time within twelve months next after the decease or marriage of the said Anne my wife which shall first happen think fit to pay unto the said Elizabeth my daughter the sum(m)e of Thirty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain) surrender the said Messuage or Tenement which I purchased of the said Michael Ginger and Frances his wife and the appurtanences belonging to the same unto the said John Wright my Son and his heirs for ever And whereas I have surrendered All and every my Copyhold lands Tenements and heraditaments whatsoever in the Parish of Great Horwood in the County of Bucks unto my self and my wife for and during the Term of our natural lives and the life of the longer liver of us and after the decease of the Survivor of us then to my daughter Anne and her heirs for ever Upon condic(i)on that the said Anne my daughter and her heirs should out of the same well and truly pay or cause to be paid the sum(m)e of Forty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain within twelve months next after the decease of the Survivor of me and my wife unto such person or persons as I should by my last Will and Testament or other writing under my hand and seal attested by two or more credible witnesses direct or appoint Now I do hereby give will devise and bequeath the said Forty pounds (so to be paid out of my Copyhold at Great Horwood aforesaid by the said Anne my daughter and her heirs) unto the said Elizabeth my Daughter And I doe hereby direct an dappoint the said Anne my daughter and her heirs to pay out of my Copyhold Lands at Great Horwood \aforesaid/ unto the said Elizabeth my daughter her Executors or Administrators the said summ of Forty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain within twelve months after the decease of the Survivor of me and my wife Item I give will devise and bequeath unto Thomas Wright Elizabeth Wright Thomas Coles and Mary Coles my grandchildren Five pounds apiece of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid unto them as they shall respectively attain to the age of one and twenty years by my Executrix hereinafter named Item I give will devise and bequeath unto my Daughters Anne and Elizabeth all my houshold

[f.3] stuff and Implements of houshold to be equally divided between them share and share alike but my Will meaning and desire is that my Wife shall have the use of the same for the term of her natural life  Item I give will devise and bequeath all the rest of my chattells and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever not herein before bequeathed unto Anne Wright my loving wife (paying my debts Funeral Expenses and Legacies on her part to be paid) and I do hereby make and ordain the said Anne Wright my wife full and sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament And I do hereby desire my Brothers in Law Francis Winton and Benjamin Saunders and my welbeloved friends Thomas Henly and William Shelton the younger to be Overseers of this my Will and to see the same performed and I do give to each of them two shillings and sixpence And lastly I do hereby revoke and make void all former Wills by me heretofore made and do declare this to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have to this my Will contained in two sheets of Paper to the first sheet set my hand and the last sheet my hand and seal this Eight day of February Anno D(o)m(in)i 1717

Thomas Wright

Signed Sealed published and declared in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses in the presence of the Testator
Peter Goldsworth Rebeccah Goldsworth James Dundass

April the Four and Twentyeth 1719
Whereas I Thomas Wright of Winslowe in the County of Bucks Wheelwright have some time since made my last Will and Testament and I have therein given \un/to my Son John but one shilling now memorandum that I the said Thomas Wright not intending to revoke my said Will but to alter only as is hereinafter menc(i)oned and upon further considerac(i)on me hereunto moving do make this present writing as a Codicil to be annexed to that my said Will and I do hereby give and bequeath unto John Wright my Son all my working Tools and Ten pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid and delivered unto him by my Executrix named in my said Will within one moneth next after my death In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this day and year first above written

Thomas Wright

Signed sealed published and declared in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses in the presence of the Testator
William Shelton Jun Tho Henly Peter Goldsworth

[Probate at London 26 June 1719 on the oath of Ann Wright widow and executrix]      

Notes

Thomas Wright first appears in Winslow documents in 1684. His wife Ann seems to have been the daughter of Thomas Gubbins, wheelwright (d.1701), whose business he must have taken over. He served as churchwarden and overseer of the poor at various times. His children were:

Copyright 25 September, 2018