In the Name of God Amen I James Whitchurch of London Merchant doe make this my last Will and Testament in manner following (that is to say) First I will that all my just Debts Legacies and Funeral Expences be fully paid and satisfied Item I give to my Daughter Anna Whitchurch two thousand four hundred pounds Bank Stock two thousand one hundred pounds South Sea Annuity Stock and seven Shares in the Brass Battery and (?) Company of Bristol and Esher to her own use and Direct that the same be transferred to her by my Executor hereinafter named within three months after my Decease Item I give to Mary Charles Hannah and Catherine Corbett the four children of my late Daughter Mary Corbett the Sum of one hundred pounds a peice to be paid and payable to them respectively in manner following (that is to say) to the said Charles Corbet at his Age of Twenty one years and to the said Mary Hannah and Catherine Corbet at their respective age or ages of twenty one years or Day or Days of Marriage which shall first happen And in case any of them the said Mary Charles Hannah and Catherine Corbet shall happen to depart this Life before he or they shall be Intituled to receive their respective Legacies hereby given them as aforesaid Then my will is that the Legacy or Legacys of him her or any of them so dying shall go to the Survivors and Survivor of them equally share and share alike and to be paid and payable to them respectively at the same time when his or their original Legacy or Legacys shall become due and payable Item I give to my Son in Law Edward Corbet Esquire twenty pounds for Mourning To my Sister Lodington twenty pounds for Mourning To my Nephew James Lodington ten pounds for Mourning to my Sister Lestrange twenty pounds for Mourning And to William Whitchurch my Agent of the Water Works ten pounds for Mourning Item I give to my old servant Phebe Ambler if living with me at the time of my Decease one Annuity or yearly sum of twenty pounds of lawfull Money of Great Britain for and during the Term of her natural Life to be paid and payable to her (free from all Taxes and Deductions whatsoever at the four most usual Feasts or Quarter Days of payment in the year (that is to say) the Feasts of the An—-ciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Saint John the Baptist Saint Michael the Archangel and the Birth of our Lord Christ by even and equal portions the first payment thereof to begin and be made on such of the said Feast days as shall first and next happen after my decease And I will that my Executor give her x Bond for to secure one payment of the same under his hand and seal in the penalty(?) of five hundred pounds within one month after my Decease and in case I shall by any Note or Writing under my hand give or appoint any —– or other Legacies beyond what are herein contained I will and appoint that my Executor pay the same as if they were herein expressed And as to all the rest and residue of my Estate whatsoever and wheresoever real or personal I do hereby give devise and bequeath the same to my son James Whitchurch his Heirs Executors Adminters and Assigns to his and their use absolutely forever And I do hereby make ordain constitute and appoint my said son James sole Executor of this my last will and Testament revoking all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made and appointing this to be my last Will and Testament only In Witness whereof I the said James Whitchurch the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand and seal the one and twentieth day of December Anno Domi 1734 And in the eighth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King George the second over Great Britain Ja Whitchurch Signed Sealed and Delivered published and declared by the above named James Whitchurch the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses in the said Testators presence Oxinbridge Harwood – Valentine Lawford – Ra Cramlington
In this, confirm my last Will dated the one and twentieth day of December 1734 and have now only to add the following Legacies Viz/Imprimis I further bequeath to my daughter Anna the Moiety of two thousand pounds Due from the Estate of Benjamin Hoskin Stiles(?) Esquire and I will likewise that she be intituled to all the accrueing Interests and Dividents of what I have given her by my last Will since the last payment Item I give to my Nephew James Lodington forty pounds more Item I give to William Whitchurch my Agent at the Water Works thirty pounds more Item I give to my servant Phebe Ambler thirty pounds more not —–Mourning Item I give to my Son and Daughter Anna all my plate to be divided between them Item I give to my said Daughter the Tortorshell cabinet with all that is in it. Item I give to my son and Daughter all my Rings between them except my Diamond Ring which I give my son Item I give to my said Daughter all the furniture in her chamber with the Bedstead and Bedding likewise the furniture of the back Parlour with the pictures Item I give to Phebe Ambler my servant all the furniture in her chamber with Bedstead and Bedding together with all my wearing Apparell Linnen and Wollen as for all the rest I leave to the Discretion of my Executors Ja Whitchurch August the 6th 1740
19 Febry 1744/45
Appeared Personally, Mary Whitchurch wife of James Whitchurch of the parish of Saint Bartholomew behind the Royal Exchange London Merchant and William Ludington of the Parish of Saint Mary Wolworth London Broker and being sworn upon the holy Evangelist to depose the Truth deposed as follow to wit that they and each of these Deponents were well acquainted with Mr James Whitchurch of London Merchant deceased and were so acquainted with him for several years next before his Death which happened on or about the tenth day of February Instant and were also very well acquainted with his manner and character of handwriting having often seen him write And these Deponts having carefully perused the paper writing hereunto annexed and also annexed to the said deceased Will beginning By this I confirm my last Will And Ending as to the rest I leave to the Discretion of my Executors August the 6th 1740 and subscribed Ja Whitchurch deposed that the whole Series thereof together with the said Subscription is all wrote by and with the proper hand writing of him the said James Whitchurch deceased all which they depose to be true Mary Whitchurch Wm Ludington
Same Day the said Mary Whitchurch and Wm Ludington were sworn to the truth of the above Affidavit before me Geo Guy Surrogate present Rob. Bogg Jr. –
This Will was proved at London with a Codicill before the Worshipfull George Hay Doctor of Laws and Surrogate of his right Worshipfull John Bettesworth also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted the nineteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty four by the Oath of James Whitchurch the son 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 being first sworn — — — — only to administer the same.
Reference: Transcribed from a digital copy of a handwritten transcription – England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858
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