- In the name of God, Amen, I Mary Biddulph of Bedford Row in the Parish of Saint Andrew, Holborn in the County of Middlesex widow, being of sound and disposing mind and understanding do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner following;
First I most humbly recommend my soul unto God hoping and trusting through the alone Merits and Mediation of our Blessed Saviour and Redeemer to obtain forgiveness of my Sins, and I desire my body may be deposited in a private manner without pomp to wait a Glorious Resurrection;
And as to that worldly Estate which God of his great bounty and goodness hath blessed me with, I give and dispose thereof as follows;
Item I give and bequeath to my brother-in-law Robert Biddulph Esq. my best gold watch and chain as also the picture of his brother (my late dear husband) set round with diamonds, my largest pair of silver sauce boats and my large best needlework bed quilt being of my own working, requesting and desiring that he would and dispose of the same as heirlooms in his family;
Whereas Gilbert Browne Esq. my former husband by his Will gave and devised to me several Estates for my life and among others all his Estate at [Shimpans?] and his farm called Morells and a Close called Rocketts in the County of Hertford, with a power in case I should happen to survive him of giving and disposing of the same by my Will to any one or more of his nephews and nieces, children or child of his sisters Elizabeth Caldecott and Mary Sibthorpe or of either of them or to anyone of the children or child of his said nephew or nieces, and in case I so did or should think fit so to do he thereby allowed of such Will and Disposition, but in case I should make no such disposition thereof then he by his said Will devised the same in manner therein set forth, now I do hereby declare that I do not choose to make any use of such power or make and disposition of the said Estate, but devise that the same may go according to the directions in his said Will;
and I so hereby give and bequeath all my household goods, furniture, books, and pictures now belonging to me at and in my dwelling house at Shimpans aforesaid to go as heirlooms as far as by law they may to such person and persons as shall become intitled to any Estate in possession in the said dwelling house and the Estate settled therewith;
And whereas I did by Deed Poll or writing dated on or about the fifteenth day of May one thousand seven hundred and fifty four pursuant to a power legally vested in me, direct and appoint that John Isle Esq., then Lord Chief Baron of Scotland and his heirs, should from and immediately after the decease of me the said Mary Biddulph and Michael Biddulph my late dear husband deceased and the survivor of us, stand seized of all those five messuages or tenements with the yards, gardens, hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging or used or enjoyed therewith situate standing and being in the parish of Islington, and therein mentioned to be in the several tenures or occupations of Lambert , , , the Reverend George William Barns and ___ Price, their respective undertenants or assigns, and also all that other messuage or tenement, warehouse and stable and the great garden thereunto belonging or then used therewith, containing about two acres in Islington aforesaid near the church yard then in the tenure or occupation of James Gardener, all which premises are therein mentioned to be late the Estate of my late dear father George Jarvis Esq., to the use and behoof of my niece Sarah Greenhill, widow, during her life, and after her decease then to the use and behoof of Thomas Biddulph son of by brother-in-law Francis Biddulph Esq., and nephew of my late husband Michael Biddulph, and the heirs and assigns of the said Thomas Biddulph for ever, in which said Deed Poll or writing is contained a proviso that it should and might be lawful for me the said Mary Biddulph whether sole or married and notwithstanding coverture from time to time at any time or times thereafter for and during my natural life by any Deed or Deeds writing or writings to be by me signed sealed and delivered in the presence of two or more credible witnesses or by my last Will and Testament in writing or by any other writing purporting my last Will or Testament to be by me signed sealed and published in the presence of the like number of witnesses to alter change or determine or make void all or any the uses Trusts provisos limitations or Estates therein limited directed appointed or declared (except as therein excepted) and by the same deed or deeds will or writing or by any other deed or deeds will or writing executed in my life time and testified as aforesaid to declare direct limit or appoint or add any new or other use or uses or to charge the Estate thereby limited (except as therein is excepted) with any sum or sums of money as to me the said Mary Biddulph should seem fit, anything therein contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding;
Now I the said Mary Biddulph do hereby pursuant to the power reserved to me by the hereinbefore recited Deed Poll or writing or by any other Deed Poll or Writing revoke determine and make void all and every the uses Trusts provisos limitations and Estates in and by the said Deed Poll or writing or by any other Deed Poll or writing limited directed appointed or declared of touching or concerning the same premises to me by the said Deed Poll or writing and of all and every other power or powers in me the said Mary Biddulph vested, do hereby will direct limit and appoint that the said John Isle and his heirs from and immediately after the decease of me the said Mary Biddulph shall stand seized of all the said messuages or tenements and of all and every the premises hereinbefore mentioned with their and every of their appurtenances to the use and behoof of my nephew Joseph Clerke for and during the term of his natural life only and from and after the decease of the said Joseph Clerke to the use and behoof of the first and other sons of the said Joseph Clerke severally and successively and the heirs male of the body and bodies of such first and other sons respectively, the elder of such sons and the heirs male of his body to be preferred and take before the younger of such sons and the issue male of his body, and for default of issue male of the body of my said nephew Joseph Clerke, that then the said John Isle and his heirs shall stand seized of all the said messuages or tenements and of all and every the premises hereinbefore mentioned with their and every of their appurtenances to the use and behoof of Joseph Jarvis Clerke son of my late nephew Benjamin Clerke for and during the term of his natural life only and from and after his decease to the use and behoof of the first and other sons of the said Joseph Jarvis Clerke severally and successively and the heirs male of the body and bodies of such first and other sons respectively, the elder of such sons and the heirs male of his body to be preferred and take before the younger of such sons and the heirs male of his body, and for default of issue male of the body of the said Joseph Jarvis Clerke, that then the said John Isle and his heirs shall stand seized of all the said messuages or tenements and of all and every the premises hereinbefore mentioned with their and and every of their appurtenances to the use and behoof of my niece Sarah Greenhill her heirs and assigns for ever;
Item I give and bequeath unto my servants George Beck and John Beck each the sum of thirty pounds and to my servant Elizabeth Fellows the sum of twenty pounds and all my clothes, linen and wearing apparel except what I shall herein otherwise dispose of, and I give to all my other servants that shall be living with me at the time of my decease One year's Wages over and above what I shall owe them;
Item I give unto my niece Isabella Pilkington my best pair of diamond ear rings with three large diamonds in each and also my diamond hoop rind and my best worked[?] gown of my own working;
Item I give to my niece Throphena Caldecott my smaller pair of diamond ear rings set round with diamonds;
Item I give to my nephew George Jarvis Tapps the sum of thirty pounds for mourning;
Item I give to my nephews Cunningsby Sibthorpe Esq. and to Doctor Humphry Sibthorpe his brother the sum of thirty pounds each for mourning;
Item I give to my nephews Thomas Biddulph and Francis Biddulph the sum of thirty pounds each for mourning;
Item I give to John Gregg the sum of fifty pounds;
Item I give to Charles Pilkington the son of my nephew Richard Pilkington Esq. the sum of one hundred pounds;
Item I give to my nephew Benjamin Biddulph son of my brother Robert Biddulph Esq. the sum of one hundred pounds;
Item I give to my said nephew Richard Pilkington Esq. the sum of two hundred pounds;
And all the rest residue and remainder of my Estate of what nature or kind soever and wheresoever situate and being I give devise and bequeath to my said nephew Richard Pilkington and Charles Banaster of Tooks Court, London, Gentleman to be equally divided between them share and share alike;
And do hereby nominate constitute and appoint the said Richard Pilkington and Charles Banaster Executors of this my Will, and I do hereby revoke all former Wills by me at any time heretobefore made, and do declare this to be my last Will and Testament being wrote on three sheets of paper, In testimony whereof I have set my hand to the first and second sheets and my hand and seal to the last sheet this 22nd day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty eight [Mary Biddulph]. Signed sealed published and declared by the said Testatrix as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have at her request and in her presence and in the presence of each other set our hands as witnesses, Benjamin Palmer, John[?] Dawson, Thomas Bridgen.
A Codicil to be annexed to the last Will and Testament of Mary Biddulph of Bedford Row in the Parish of Saint Andrew Holborn in the County of Middlesex widow as follows;
Item I give and bequeath to my servant George Beck so much money as together with what I have already given him by my said Will will make up the sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money of England;
Item I also give and bequeath to my servant John Beck so much money as together with what I have already given him by my said Will will make up the sum of one hundred pounds of like lawful money;
Item I also give and bequeath to my servant Elizabeth Hill so much money as together with what I have already given him by my said Will will make up the sum of fifty pounds of like lawful money;
Item I also give and bequeath to my servant George Shield my Gardener so much money as together with what he may claim by virtue of my said Will will make up the sum of thirty pounds of like lawful money;
Item I also give and bequeath to my servant Joseph Sculthorpe my Coachman so much money as together with what he may claim by virtue of my said Will will make up the sum of twenty pounds of like lawful money;
And in all other respects I hereby confirm my said Will and do declare this to be a Codicil thereto and to be taken as part thereof as witness my hand and seal this fifteenth day of September one thousand seven hundred and fifty nine [Mary Biddulph]. Signed sealed published and declared by the said Mary Biddulph as a Codicil to her last Will and Testament in the presence of us, Catherine Dele, C. De Lact.
A Second Codicil to be annexed to or taken as part of the last Will and Testament of Mary Biddulph of Bedford Row in the County of Middlesex widow;
Item I give and bequeath to my old servants Thomas and Hannah Beck, father and mother of my servants George and John Beck, one annuity or yearly sum of twelve guineas clear of the Land Tax and all other taxes and deductions whatsoever to be paid to them the said Thomas Beck and Hannah Beck monthly during their respective lives and the life of the longer liver of them, and I do hereby charge all my messuages ground hereditaments and premises at Islington in the County of Middlesex with the payment of the said yearly annuity to them in manner aforesaid;
And I do hereby in all other respects confirm my said Will and first Codicil in Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this second day of December in the first year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third and in the year of our Lord 1760 [Mary Biddulph]. Signed sealed published and declared by the said Testatrix Mary Biddulph as and for a second Codicil to her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have at her request and in her presence and in the presence of each other set our names as witnesses, George Beck, John Beck, Thomas Bridgen.
This Will was proved at London with two Codicils the eleventh day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty four before the Worshipful Andrew Coltee Ducarel Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipful Sir Edward Simpson Knight also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of Charles Banister Esq. one of the Executors named in the Will to whom administration was granted of all and singular the goods chattels and credits of the deceased, he having been first sworn duly to administer, power reserved of making the like grant to Richard Pilkington Esq. the other Executor named in the said Will when he shall apply for the same.
This Will was proved at London with two Codicils the fourth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty four before the Worshipful Andrew Coltee Ducarel Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipful Sir Edward Simpson Knight also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of Richard Pilkington Esq. the other Executor named in the Will to whom administration was granted of all and singular the goods chattels and credits of the deceased, he having been first sworn duly to administer.
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1682 - 1764 (~ 81 years)