| DACKOMBE Will of John Knightley (29th April 1749) |
Downloaded by Bonnie Mann in the U.S.A. as a PDF file and then transcribed ` into a Word Document and sent to be my email as an attachment.
I, John Knightley of Ashtead in the County of Surrey, Gent. Proud son of Robert Knightley heretofore of Ashtead aforesaid esquire deceased who was the oldest Son of Sir Robert Knightley heretofore of Ashtead aforesaid Knight deceased bring in good health of body and of a sound perfect and disposing mind memory and understanding thanks be to Almighty God for the said yet considering the frailty and uncertainty of this mortal Life as well as the duration thereof do make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner following. First and principally I remand my soul into the Hands of Almighty God my Creator most humbly hoping and trusting he knough the wants mediation and ------- of my Lord Savour Jesus Christ to ordane full pardon manission and forgiveness of all my sins and offences and to enjoy normal life. And my body I commit to the Earth to be privately and decently buried at the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named. And as for counting and committing my worldy estate wherewith it hath pleased Almighty God of his infinite goodness to bless me I do give and dispose thereof as followith. First I will order and devise that all my real and personal estate shall in the first place be charged and chargeable with and subject to the payment of all my just debts funeral expenses legacies and the charges of disposition of this my Will. And whereas my said late grandfather Sir Robert Knightley deceased by deed of fulfilment bearing date in or about the ninth day of August which was in the year of our Lord One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety one and made or mentioned to be made between him the said Sir Robert Knightley of the one part and John Poulton of the City of London Merchant of the other part. It is therein witnessed that the said Sir Robert Knightley as well for and in consideration of a marriage formerly had and so coming betwixt Robert Knightley Esquire since deceased, son and heir of the said Sir Robert Knightley and Ann his Wife and of the daughter of Sir John Chapmen of London Knight and in consideration of the sum of Three Thousand Pounds of good and lawfull money of England paid as a Marriage portion with the said Ann by the said John Chapmen which said sum of three thousand pounds was had and received by the said Sir Robert Knightley and in pursuant of an agreement made upon the Marriage of the said Robert Knightley Esquire and then at the earliest solicitation and bequest of the said Ann as also for the natural loves and affection which he the said Sir Robert Knightley then had and boar unto Robert Knightley Son and heir of his aforesaid Robert Knightley Esquire deceased to the said Sir Robert Knightley did thereby give grant assign cast off and confirm unto the said John Poulton his heirs and assigns all that his Capital Messuage or tenement appurtenances situate lying and being in Ashtead aforesaid in the said County of Surrey together with the barns stables orchards gardens and other outhouses whatsoever to the said Capital Messuage or Tenement belonging or in any wise appurtenances and all the garden tenements hereditaments pastures good meadows and good grounds whatsoever of him the said Sir Robert Knightley situate lying and being in Ashtead aforesaid and being situate in the said County of Surry. And also all that his Messuage or Tenements with the appurtenances called the Quakers Brooking House situate and being in Kingston upon Thames in the said County of Surrey late in the remise or occupation of Stephen Hubbard his tenements or heriditanemts To hold the said Capital Messuage or tenements lands and premises before disclosed unto the said John Poulton his heirs and assigns to the grant uses and purposes hereinafter maintain and to no other grant use or purpose whatsoever. That is to say to the use and behoof of the said Sir Robert Knightley for and during the term of his natural life. And from and after the decease of the said Sir Robert Knightley then to the use and behoof of Robert Knightley the grandson of him the said Sir Robert Knightley and the heirs males of his body lawfully to be befotten. And for default of such issue I put then to the use and behoof of John Knightley Son of the said Robert Knightley Esquire deceased and the sons males of his body lawfully to be begotten. And for default of such heirs to the use and behoof of William Knighlely third son of the said Robert Knightley Esquire deceased and the sons male of his body lawfully to be begotton. And for default of such issues then to the use and behoof of John Poulton Junior son and heir of the aforesaid John Poulton and the heirs males of his body lawfully to be begotten/ And for default of such issues to the use and behoof of Mary Poulton eldest daughter of the said John Poulton the father and the heirs male of her body lawfully be begotten. And for default of such issues to the use and behoof of Elizabeth Poulton youngest daughter of the said John Poulton the father and the heirs males of her body lawfully to be begotton. And for default of such issue then to the use and behoof of John Cowper of Capel in the said County of Surry Esquire son and heir of Sarah Cowper eldest sister of the said Sir Robert Knightley his heirs and assigns for ever. And whereas the said Messuage or tenement lands and premises comprised in the said writed deed of and name to and the said John Knightley by descent. And I have deeded the entail being desirous that the aforesaid Messuage or tenement lands and premises should go in failure of .the heirs of my body according the testament and settlement of my said late grandfather Sir Robert Knightley deceased. I do hereby give and bequeath the said Capital Messuage or tenement lands and premises or Leatherhead in the said deed of fulfillment unto and for the same uses testament limitations and purposes as are set forth and declared of and remaining the same in the aforesaid revised deed of fulfillment. I do hereby declare that it is my express will and testament that the aforesaid bequest and intention of the aforesaid promises which I have made pursuant to my said late grandfathers deed of fulfillment shall not cause or be caused to extend to effect charge or encumber all or any part of the Lands or hereditaments in Leatherhead or elsewhere in the said county of Surrey of which I am now in possession or hold or enjoy the same by right from my late Mother deceased or by ritual or means. And in pursuance of any deed or deeds of hereditaments made upon her intermarriage with my said late father Robert Knightley deceased in any mannor of ways whatsoever but only such Messuages lands and premises as we set fort described and comprised in the aforesaid verified will and testament. I give and bequeath unto my neighbour and friend Mrs Susan Stanlake of Leatherhead in the County of and foresaid the widow of Sir George Stanlake of the same place deceased the sum of fifty pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain. Also I give and bequeath unto my friend Gifford ??? of London the sum of twenty pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain. Also I give and bequeath unto Mrs. Elizabeth Gowry of Thirsk in the County of York the sum of twenty five pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain. Also I give and bequeath unto Mrs. Elizabeth Gowry the eldest daughter of the also said Elizabeth Gowry Widow the sum of fifty pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain. Also I give and bequeath unto Mrs. Mary Gowry the youngest daughter of the aforesaid Elizabeth Gowry widow the sum of twenty five pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain. Also I give and bequeath unto my tenant William Arthur of the parish of Ashtead in the County of Surry aforesaid and tyo Sarah Arhtur his wife to each of them the sum of fifteen pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain. Also I give and bequeath unto the poor widows and sons keeping in the parish of Ashtead in the County of Surry aforesaid the sum of ten pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain to be distributed amongst them at the discretion and by the direction of the minister and churchwardens of the said parish. Also I give and bequeath unto the poor widows and sons keeping in the parish of Leatherhead in the County of Surry aforesaid the sum of ten pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain to be distributed amongst them at the discretion and by the direction of the minister and churchwardens of the said parish. Also I give and bequeath unto the poor widows and sons keeping of Stoke ats Stoke D’Abernon in the County of Surry aforesaid the sum of ten pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain to be distributed amongst them at the discretion and by the direction of the minister and churchwarden of the said parish,. Also I give and bequeath unto the poor widows and sons keeping in the parish of Livingstor upon Thames in the County of Surry aforesaid the sum of ten pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain to be distributed amongst them at the discretion and by the direction of the minister and churchwardens of the said parish. Also I give and bequeath unto the poor widows and sons keeping of the parish of Bromley in the County of Kent the sum of ten pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain to be distributed amongst them at the discretion and by the direction of the minister and churchwarden of the said parish. Also I give and bequeath unto the poor widows and sons keeping in the parish of Lowisham in the County of Kent aforesaid the sum of ten pounds of the lawful money of Great Britain to be distributed amongst them at the discretion and by the direction of the minister and churchwarden of the said parish. Also I give and bequeath unto the poor widows and sons keeping in the parish of Beckenham in the County of Kent foresaid the sum of ten pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain to be distributed amongst them at the discretion and by the direction of the minister and churchwardens of the said parish. Also I give and bequeath unto the poor widows and sons keeping in the parish of South Otterington in the County of York the sum of ten pounds of the lawfull money of Great Britain to be distributed amongst them at the discretion and by the direction of the minister and churchwardens of the said parish. AND as to the rest residue and remainder of all my real and personal estate and estates not herein and hereby before devised bequeathed and disposed of of every nature and kind whatsoever and wherever the same may be or be situated occupied or possessed after my said debts funeral expenses legacies and the charges of the probate of this my will and duly and justly paid satisfied and discharged I give devise and bequeath the same unto my Cousin Aquila Wyke and his heirs. And I do hereby warrant constitute and appoint the said Aquila Wyke my full and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament And I do hereby revoke rescind and make void all and every former and other Will or Wills by me at any time heretofore made. And I do hereby declare this to be my only last will and testament contained in two sheets of paper annexed together. In witness whereof I have to the first sheet set my hand and to the last my hand and seal this twenty ninth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred forty and nine. John Knightley (ss) Signed sealed published and declared by the said John Knightley the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereinto subscribed our names as witnesses thereto in the presence of said testator. Jeffrey Gillingham Thos Daye Tho Daye.
This Will was proved at London on the nineteenth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty one before the Right Worshipfull Sir Edward Simpson Knight Doctor of Laws Master -Keeper or Commissary of the prerogative Court of Canterbury by the oath of Aquila Wykes Esq, the Executor lawfully named in the said will to whom administration of the goods chattels and legacies of the said deceased was granted he having been first sworn by commissioner duly to administer
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