11-0487-027_JohnPitt-Madapollum_1705

In the name of God Amen; I JOHN PITT Esq at present Consul General for the English Nation on the Coast of Chormandell and now resident at Madapollum in the East Indies being in perfect health and sound mind and memory and revoking all former wills and other wills do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following; Inprimis I bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping through the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ to meet with a joyful resurrection; and my body to be decently buried according to the discretion of my executors and befitting the post and station I shall die in.  And as for my temporal concerns my will and desire is that all my just debts legacies and funeral expenses be in the first place fully satisfied and discharged.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to my dearly beloved wife SARAH PITT all her jewels the furniture of her room and the chest and all the silver plate I shall die possessed of; and for the rest and residue of my personal estate after my debts legacies and funeral expenses are satisfied and discharged my will is that one third part of all such personal estate shall be laid out in purchasing such lands as my executors shall approve for the sole benefit and behoof of my eldest son GEORGE MORETON PITT to be delivered up into his possession when he shall attain unto the age of one and twenty years; and my executors to be accountable to my said son for the rents issues and profits of such estate so purchased or for the interest of the money if not so laid out according to the usual custom; and for the other two third parts of my said personal estate my will is that one moiety or half part shall be a provision and portion for all such younger children as I shall leave behind me to be equally divided share and share alike provided and ‘tis my will and intent that no child’s share or portion shall exceed the sum of two thousand pounds; and in case the said third part of my said estate when divided shall amount unto more than two thousand pounds apiece for each child then my will is that the surplusage of the said one third part of my personal estate shall be and enure to my son George Moreton Pitt to be disposed of and applied as the rest of his share and portion before directed; and my further will is that my son George Moreton Pitt shall have and be allowed by my executors the yearly sum of two hundred pounds to be paid at the usual days and times of payment in the year (that is to say) the feat of Saint Michael the Archangel and the Annunciation of our blessed Virgin Mary as soon as he shall attain unto the age of eighteen years the said annuity to issue out of such real estate as I shall leave behind me and his share of my personal estate as before appointed; and as for the other third part of my said personal estate my will and desire is that my dearly beloved wife shall have and enjoy the interest of such third part for and during the term of her natural life but in case she happen to marry then my will is that the moiety or one half part of all such interest shall be and inure to the benefit and behoof of my son George Moreton Pitt; and if it should please God at the time of my decease my wife should prove ensient or with child then my will is that such child or children shall have an equal share and benefit of that part of my personal estate so appointed as aforementioned.  ITEM; I give and bequeath unto MARY WAVELL my dear wife’s daughter by a former husband the sum of fifteen hundred pounds as a portion and provision for her to issue out of my personal estate and to be paid her by my executors at the time of her marriage and the interest of the said fifteen hundred pounds to be paid to her yearly for her support and maintenance.  ITEM; I give devise and bequeath unto my said dear wife Sarah Pitt for and during the term of her natural life one annuity or yearly rent charge of sixty pounds per annum of good and lawful money of England to be issuing payable and going out of all that and those my manors messuages farms lands tenements and hereditaments situate lying and being in Tarrant Preston als Little Preston and Keinston or elsewhere in the County of Dorset free and clear of and from all manner of taxes and charges whatsoever and payable at the two most usual feasts or days of payment in the year the feast of St Michael and the Annunciation of our Blessed Virgin Mary, the first payment to begin and to be made on such of the said feast days which shall first happen next after my decease with power of distresses in case of non-payment.  ITEM; I give devise and bequeath all my said manors messuages lands tenements and hereditaments so charged as aforesaid unto my son George Moreton Pitt and to the heirs males of his body and for want of such issue of my said son George Moreton Pitt to the heirs males of my own body begotten or to be begotten and in default of such issue unto my said wife Sarah Pitt for and during so long time as she shall continue a widow; and from and after the decease of the said Sarah or in case she shall happen to marry again unto my uncle NICHOLAS PITT of Beere Regis in the said county of Dorset Esq for and during the term of his natural life and from and after his decease unto WENTWORTH PITT[1] eldest son of JOHN PITT Lieutenant in Colonel Woods Regiment of Horse and to the heirs males of the body of the said Wentworth Pitt and default of such issue of the said Wentworth Pitt to such other sons of the said Lieutenant Pitt the eldest to be preferred before the youngest according to their priority of age and seniority in birth; and in default of such issue to my own right heirs for ever; provided and my will is that the said yearly rent charge of sixty pounds devised unto my said dear wife Sarah Pitt for her life shall be and that my said wife shall accept and take the same in full satisfaction of all such dower thirds and other claims and demands which she has shall or may have of in or out of my said manors messuages lands and premises in the said county of Dorset or elsewhere.  ITEM; I give and bequeath to Mrs ANN CHARLETON of Stoke in the county of Salop spinster the sum of forty pounds which I formerly lent her; and I do hereby nominate and appoint my dearly beloved wife Sarah Pitt, my said uncle Nicholas Pitt and Anthony Keck of the Parish of Saint Dunstans in the West London gent executors of this my last will and testament and I do give and bequeath to the said Nicholas Pitt and Anthony Keck the sum of one hundred pounds apiece as a legacy; and I do also appoint the Reverend John Evans Doctor in Divinity and Mr Peter Godfrey of London Merchant together with my said executors to be guardians of all my said children to give them such education and dispose of them in the world as they shall think fit and convenient and best for the advantage of my said children, my wife’s right to the guardianship to continue no longer than she keeps herself a widow; and I do give and bequeath to the said Doctor John Evans and Mr Peter Godfrey the sum of fifty pounds apiece; and lastly I do nominate and appoint my dear wife Sarah Pitt and John Affleck Esq of Madras in the East Indies my lawful attorneys to collect and receive all the estate of what kind soever which I should die possessed of in the East Indies and to give a just and true account of the same to my executors in England to be disposed and employed according to the true intent and meaning of this my last will and testament; and I do hereby give unto the said John Affleck Esq the sum of fifty pounds to buy him mourning.  And lastly I do hereby revoke all former wills by me at any time heretofore made.  In witness whereof I the said John Pitt the testator have to this my last will and testament contained in four sheets of paper subscribed my name at the bottom of the first sheet and set my hand and seal to the last sheet in Madapollam in the Coast Chormandell in East Indies the seventh day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and one – John Pitt – signed sealed published and declared by the said John Pitt the testator of his last will and testament in the presence of us who as witnesses thereunto have subscribed our names in the presence of the said testator.  Wm Tillard, Robt Kenworth, Oul. Molloy

To Mr Nicholas Pitt Esq., and Mr Anthony Keck

Gentlemen, it pleased God of the eighth May last to take unto himself our dear husband and friend Mr John Pitt who having by his last will (copy of which we now send you) appointed us attorneys for the getting in the estate in these parts. We have accordingly enetered upon it an account of which we cannot now send you by reason we found all his accounts upon loose papers which takes up more time to bring into method than we are at present masters of but by our next you shall not fail of them and in the meantime for the good of the estate we shall endeavour to let at interest what money we can with good security.  We are not much surprised that we found no methodical books of accounts considering the little respite he had from Company’s Business which for want of able assistance employed his whole time; however we doubt not but form his papers to take such an abstract that the estate will not in the least suffer.  We are your most humble servants – Sarah Pitt, Jn^o Affleck – Fort St George Feb 13^th 170³/₄.

Appeared Personally Nicholas Pitt of the Inner Temple London Esq one of the executors named in the last will and testament of John Pitt Esq late Consul General for the English Nation on the Coast of Cormandell in the East Indies deceased and by virtue of his oath taken upon the holy evangelist did depose and declare that some time in the last summer the time particularly he remembers not Mr Peter Godfrey of London Merchant, a Member of the East India Company and one of the Guardians appointed by the said will for the said testator’s children came to the chambers of him the deponent in the Temple aforesaid and brought him a packet directed to him the deponent and Mr Anthony Keck in which amongst other writings relating to the estate of the said deceased were enclosed the copy of the will and probate thereupon made and likewise the letter from Mrs Sarah Pitt the deceased’s widow and one of his executors and John Affleck Esq mentioned in his said will hereto annexed and he said that he has received divers letters from the said Mrs Sarah Pitt and has seen several other writings subscribed by her and is very well acquainted with her character and manner of writing; and further has likewise received some letters from the said John Affleck Esq and is in some measure acquainted with his character and manner of writing and for that reason does verily believe that the names subscribing the said letter are the several subscriptions and subscribed with the proper handwriting of them the said Sarah Pitt and John Affleck; and lastly says that the copy of the said will hereto annexed which is mentioned in the said letter to be a copy of the deceased’s will is as he verily believes a true copy of the last will and testament of his kinsman John Pitt Esq deceased and probate thereupon made now remaining in the East Indies and that there has been no alteration made therein or in any part thereof since his receiving the same as he verily believes – Nicholas Pitt –

Proved 12^th February 1705 by Nicholas Pitt executor