Will detail

Will of Henry Bishop of Sedlescombe

Date signed: 28 Nov 1750, Probate date: 05 Feb 1752

In the Name of God Amen I Henry Bishop of Seddlescomb in the County of Sussex Esquire being in good health of body and of sound and all disposing mind memory and understanding thanks be given to Almighty God for the same but considering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being desirous to settle my worldly estate so as to prevent any unhappy disputes or differences as may otherwise arise about the same after my decease do hereby revoke all former and other Wills by me made and declare them void and do make and ordain this to be my last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say first and principally I desire Almighty God my heavenly father to receive my soul through the merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer and my body to be interred in devout and Christian like manner at the direction of my Executors hereafter named and for my temporal estate which God in his great mercy hath been pleased to bless me with and bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof as followeth Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my dear and loving wife Mary Bishop the use of one of my parlours in my now dwelling house in Seddlescomb which she shall think proper to chuse for and during the term of her natural Life and I also give and bequeath to my said dear wife the household goods and furniture which are in those two chambers in my said dwelling house which are settled upon her in her jointure and also two pair of fine sheets and two pair of other sheets and two dozen of pewter plates and half a dozen of pewter dishes two fine table cloths and four other table cloths the same not to be of the largest sort and four silver spoons and also the sum of twenty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid and delivered to her immediately after my decease by my Executors hereafter named Item I give and bequeath unto the poor of the parish of Seddlescomb aforesaid the sum of forty shillings of good and lawful money of the Great Britain to be paid and distributed to them within six months next after my decease by my Executors hereafter named Item I give and bequeath unto my aforesaid dear and loving wife Mary Bishop all that cottage together with the gardens and orchard thereto belonging situate lying and being in Seddlescomb aforesaid and now in tenure or occupation of James Hassell to have and to hold unto my said loving wife for and during the full time and term of her natural life and immediately from and after her decease then I give and devise the same and every part thereof unto my eldest son William Bishop and to his heirs executors administrators and assigns Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Hester Bishop the sum of seven hundred pounds of good and lawful money of Great Britain over and above the hundred pounds which was given her by her grandfather which she hath in her possession to be at her own disposal and to be paid her within twelve months next after my decease by my Executors hereafter named Item I give and bequeath unto my son John Bishop the sum of seven hundred pounds of good and lawful money of Great Britain over and above the one hundred pounds given to him by his grandfather to be paid him within six months next after my decease by my Executors hereafter named Item I give and bequeath to my youngest son Henry Mallory Bishop the sum of two hundred pounds of good and lawful money of Great Britain to be paid him when he attains his full age of one and twenty years by my Executors hereafter named but in case my said son Henry Mallory Bishop should die before he attains his said age of twenty one years then I give and bequeath the same unto my daughter Hester Bishop and to my said son John Bishop to be equally divided between them share and share alike and to be received by them immediately after the death of my said son Henry Mallory Bishop and whereas I am seized and possessed of a certain copyhold tenement and land holden of the manor of Battell now my mind and will is that the same should descend and go to and be had and enjoyed by my said youngest son Henry Mallory Bishop and his heirs and assigns for ever who is heir to the same according to the custom of the said manor Also I give and devise unto my said son Henry Mallory Bishop one annuity or yearly rent charge of twenty pounds of good and lawful money of Great Britain to be paid him yearly and every year during the full time and term of the natural life of my said wife Mary Bishop clear of all taxes and deductions whatsoever by four equal quarterly payments in the year by my eldest son William Bishop out of the farms lands and premises hereafter mentioned and I do hereby charge my mansion house wherein I now dwell and the farms and lands thereto belonging used by me and in my possession in Seddlescomb aforesaid and which I have hereafter given to my said eldest son William Bishop and to his heirs with the payment thereof and in case of non payment thereof or any part thereof I do hereby give unto my said son Henry Mallory Bishop full power and authority to enter upon the said farm and lands and every or any part thereof and there to make distress or distresses for the same as in case of a rent charge at Common Law and I do hereby appoint my said son John Bishop guardian and trustee for my said son Henry Mallory Bishop with full and absolute power to act for him in receiving and getting in the said annuity during the Minority of my said Son Henry Mallory Bishop and immediately on the death of my said wife Mary Bishop my mind and will is and I do hereby direct that the said annuity shall from thenceforth cease and determine my said son Henry Mallory Bishop being on the death of his said mother entitled to retain copyhold tenements and lands holden of the Manor of Robertsbridge in the said County and which were settled on my marriage with my said wife and the same after the death of me and my said wife will descend to my said son Henry Mallory Bishop as our youngest son and heir to the same according to the custom of the said manor Item I give and bequeath unto my aforesaid eldest son William Bishop and to his heirs and assigns for ever all that my aforesaid mansion house wherein I now dwell together with the barns outhouses buildings gardens orchards lands woodlands premises and appurtenances thereto belonging and appurtaining and commonly called or known by the name or sign of Great Sanders or by whatsoever other name or names the same or any part thereof are or is called or known and also all other my freehold lands tenements and hereditaments situate lying and being in Seddlescomb aforesaid and in my own occupation and which are not settled on my now wife on my marriage with her reserving the use of the rooms in the said Mansion House herein before mentioned to be reserved and subject nevertheless to the above mentioned annuity of twenty pounds to my said son Henry Mallory Bishop for and during the full time and term of the natural life of his said mother Mary Bishop as aforesaid and also subject to the charge hereafter mentioned to make good the deficiency if any should be of my personal estate for paying and discharging my debts and legacys and other charges as hereafter mentioned to have and to hold unto my said son William Bishop and to his heirs and assigns absolutely and for ever also I give and devise unto my said son William Bishop and to his heirs and assigns for ever all that my moiety or half part or share the whole in two equal parts or shares to be divided of and in all that farm and lands with the buildings hereditaments and appurtenances thereto belonging situate lying and being in the parishes of Mayfield and Buxted in the aforesaid County of Sussex and now or late in the tenure or occupation of William Pollington his undertenants or assigns to have and to hold unto my said son William Bishop and his heirs and assigns for ever and subject to the charges hereafter mentioned to make good the deficiency if any should be in my personal estate for paying and discharging my debts and legacys and other charges as hereafter mentioned Item I give and bequeath unto my said son Henry Mallory Bishop all my law books of all sorts Item I give and bequeath unto my son John Bishop all my books of divinity of all kinds Item all the rest of my books I give and bequeath unto my eldest son William Bishop Item all the rest and residue of my goods household goods silver plate chattels and effects moneys rights and credits and all and singular my personal estate of what nature or kind so ever not herein before given away and disposed of my debts legacys and funeral expenses and probate of this my Will being first paid and discharged I give and bequeath the same and every part thereof unto my said son William Bishop but in case it shall happen that my said personal estate should not be sufficient to pay and discharge all my said debts and legacys then I do hereby charge all that my aforesaid mansion house wherein I now dwell and all my lands tenements woodlands and hereditaments in Seddlescomb Mayfield and Buxted aforesaid which I have herein before given to my eldest son William Bishop and his heirs and assigns to make good such deficiency and Lastly I do hereby make nominate ordain constitute and appoint my said sons William Bishop and John Bishop joint Executors of this my Last Will and Testament In Witness thereof I have to this my last Will and Testament contained in four sheets of paper set my hand and seal to each sheet thereof this twenty eighth day of November in the twenty fourth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so forth and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty Henry Bishop signed and sealed published and declared by the said Henry Bishop as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who subscribed our names as witnesses hereto in the said testators presence James Ingram, Thos Catt, Thos Ades This Will was proved at London the fifteenth Day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty two before the Right Honourable Sir George Lee Knight Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oaths of William Bishop Esquire and the Reverend John Bishop Clerk the sons of the deceased and Executors in the said Will named to whom was granted administration of all and singular the goods chattels and credits of the deceased first sworn by commission duly to administer

Transcribed by:

Bob Trease.

Precis supplied by transcriber:

To the poor of Sedlescombe:-

40 shillings to be distributed within 6 months

To wife Mary:-Use of one of the parlours in my house throughout her lifetime

4 pairs of sheets, 24 pewter plates, 6 pewter dishes, 6 table cloths, 4 silver spoons, & £20

Cottage, gardens, & orchard now occupied by James Hassel – to go to eldest son William when she dies

To daughter Hester:-

£700 (over & above the £100 from her grandfather) to be distributed in 12 months

To son John:-

£700 (over & above the £100 from his grandfather) to be distributed in 12 months

My books on Divinity

To youngest son Henry Mallory:-

£200 when he reaches 21. Should he die before 21 money to be shared by John & Hester

Land holden of Battle manor (or to his heirs and assigns according to the custom of Battle manor)

£20 a year payable quarterly whilst my wife Mary lives.

After wife Mary dies, my lands in Robertsbridge settled on my marriage

My books on Law

To eldest son William:-

The manor of Great Saunders

All other property in Sedlescombe (apart from that to go to wife)

Property in Mayfield and Buxted now occupied by William Pollington

All books and household goods (apart from those to go to wife, John, and Henry Mallory)

Executors:- William Bishop & John Bishop

Witnesses:- James Ingram, Thomas Catt, Thomas Ades

Notes about this will:

1. The will was transcribed from a scanned PCC copy will by Bob Trease on 12 May 2006

2. Per Beryl Lucey’s book “Twenty Centuries in Sedlescombe”:

James Ingram was Rector of St John the Baptist Church Sedlescombe

Thomas Ades was farmer of Hancox farm Sedlescombe

Source:

Unknown.

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