1782 William Smyth King

11-1097-242_WilliamSmythKing_1782

I WILLIAM SMYTH King of Old Warden in the county of Bedford do make this my last will and testament It is my desire that as soon as conveniently may be after my decease my body be opened and my heart taken out and then returned to its place and my desire also is that my body be buried at Ealing with as little expense as is consistent with common decency and that grave stone or inscription of any kind be not placed over my corpse I give to James Boulton of the Golden Cross Charing Cross who formerly served me twenty five pounds as a token of my opinion of his honesty fidelity and attention to me I give my good servant Matthew Cook if he be in my service at the time of my decease the sum of fifty pounds and also all my household goods and furniture plate except of that shall be in my lodgings in New Norfolk Street at the time of my decease and also all my wearing apparel plate excepted such as [silver] buckles buttons watch snuff boxes and likewise the linen excepted that shall be in my Indian chest in Old Warden Bedfordshire I also give to the said Matthew Cook for the term of his life an annuity of twenty two pounds to commence from the day of my decease payable to him half yearly and I direct that my executrix hereinafter named do service to the said Matthew Cook the said annuity by bond or other legal method as soon as may be after my decease as I do hereby charge my fortune real and personal with the said annuity of twenty five pounds to the said Matthew Cook I give to my servant Thomas Peake at Old Warden an annuity of five pounds to commence from the day of my decease to be payable to him half yearly I give to Jane Parsons formerly in my service because I was godfather to her child ten pounds All the rest residue and remainder of my estate real and personal not before specifically devised I do give and bequeath to my dear sister Frances King and I do hereby constitute and appoint her my said sister Frances executrix of this my last will and testament (hereby revoking and annulling all former wills and testaments) written and signed with my hand and sealed with my seal this nineteenth day of May in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight – Wm Smyth King – signed sealed and declared as and for his last will and testament by the testator in the presence of us – Chs Bourchier, Roger Stacey, Wm Platt

 

Codicil – New Norfolk Street 14th July 1781

For my sister Frances King to whom I do most earnestly recommend the following to be observed by her after my death Upon my death application should without delay be made to Mr Gibson Chancellor of St Paul’s for granting a new life for the parsonage of Ealing which I wish to be that of a son of Mr Bullock of Drayton by his present wife my cousin I think that Mr Bullock would be the properest person to negotiate with Mr Gibson for the terms of renewal and that his broker the attorney should be employed in such business as may be thereby occasioned The two last lives were put in for about £400 each and I paid to the late chancellor Penniston Booth £350 for exchanging the lives of the late Doctor King and of his son Charles King for my own life and that of my sister Frances The lease whereby I hold the parsonage of Ealing is deposited in the keeping of Messieurs Gosling bankers in Fleet Street as well as other writings relative to that estate The sum of £2890 is secured upon the Ealing estates to Mr George Pitt Hurst and to Mr William Howard being so much received by me from the sale of the Bedfordshire estate the Chancellor’s lease and other writings have therefore been deposited at the said bankers for their security for the above sum of £2890 there will be also due to the said Hurst and Howard 1 [marginal note: at my decease the sum of £32.18.0 the amount of the sale of Sir William Smyth’s goods at Warden these two sums together being £2922.18.0 shall be paid to the said Hurst and Howard] with as little delay as possible that the Ealing estate may be thereby exonerated from all claims of other persons The sum of six thousand six hundred pounds being the remainder of the amount of the sale of the Bedfordshire estate is secured by Lord Torrington’s mortgage of the said estate and at my decease will devolve to the said Hurst and Howard which together with the above sum of £2922.18 is the whole that they will be entitled to at my decease besides the parsonage of Ealing held of the Chancellor of St Pauls  I have four acres copyhold held of the Bishop of London at a small fine which is as valuable as freehold and for which I have passed a fine for the use of my will  I must also observe that Doctor King upon some consideration in the year 1735 did grant to Sir Charles Gould an exemption from tythes on ten acres at Ealing for the term of fifty years which exemption will expire in the year 1785 and the said ten acres will again be tythable and in the lease I have granted to Peter Thorn I have exempted the said tythes of the ten acres when they shall become due so that the advantage thereof will be to myself or my heirs Some years ago when my sister Florentia was living and my fortune less than at present I had thoughts and mentioned them to Mr George Hurst that my sisters would do well to make a bargain with him for the reversion of the Ealing estate after both their decease upon this paying off paying off the incumbrances that might be thereon at my death and likewise at his being at the charge of receiving the sums that might drop But my sister Florentia dying about four years since and my fortune deferred at this time I see  no reason that should induce my sister Frances whom I leave my heir to make such bargain with Mr Hurst who being a bachelor and having a sufficient fortune of his own and which must be increased near £5000 by my death has no pretence to any further addition from me or my sister and I would not by any means that my estate should fall to him after my decease or that of my sister who I firmly hope will make a disposition thereof much more agreeable to her sentiments and to mine (of which I some years ago informed her of in writing) than to suffer our fortune to devolve to a bachelor who already has and will have further more than his rank and habits of life require  I do therefore most fervently entreat my sister in whose power I have by my will left my fortune that upon my death without losing a moment that can be avoided she do order Mr Bullock the attorney to draw up a will for her lest by dying intestate or with a will not duly made and executed with three witnesses my fortune and hers should devolve to Mr Hurst as heir at law the very thought of which is abhorrent to my disposition my sister and I are agreed as to the disposal of the Ealing estate and I rely on her religiously adhering to the intention as therein her wish was as much consulted and complied with as mine and as I have in that persuasion left her every thing except some annuities and small legacies to my faithful servants I think I should do wrong to her faith and integrity to doubt of her fulfilling the solemn promise that she has made to me of bequeathing by her will two thousand pounds in the following manner that is to say five hundred pounds for my Godson Edward Bullock five hundred pounds to my Godson William Franklin five hundred pounds to my Godson William Watts and five hundred pounds to my Goddaughter Maria Casamaijor as I shall leave my sister between eight and nine thousand pounds as will appear upon my books and as she has about three thousand of her own I think it but a moderate request that she should bequeath two thousand pounds in the proportions above mentioned to those children whose parents I have an affection for and who are the friends and relations of my sister as well as mine my sister will please to remember that compliance with my wish in her expeditiously making her will in the manner she has promised me will be testifying her regard for my memory much more effectually than by unavailing sorrow and wasting time in whimpering and whining which ought to be wisely employed in doing that which I die in confidence of being religiously performed  I desire that my sister in all things relative to business will take the advice of our very worthy friend Mr Bullock of Drayton and employ his brother the lawyer in such things as his profession may be requisite when a new life is put into the Ealing estate there is a law form I believe called Livery of [deism] of turning up a clod of earth which if omitted and the Chancellor of St Paul’s were to die in the interim after granting a new lease before possession taken in due force the grant would be void and the money given for the new life lost but Mr Bullock must know these matters sufficiently to prevent accidents of this sort  I desire that my will may be proved in the commons as a security for the annuities I have left but an hundred other reasons will make it requisitie again recommending the above to my dear sister and wishing her all happiness I affectionately take my leave – Wm Smyth King

 

Affidavit 16th November 1782

Appeared personally Matthew Cook of New Norfolk Street in the parish of St George Hanover Square in the County of Middlesex gentleman and William Bullock of Copthall Court in the City of London gentleman and severally made oath that they knew and were well acquainted with William Smyth King formerly of Old Warden in the County of Bedford but late of the parish of Saint George Hanover Square in the County of Middlesex deceased for several years before his death during such time they have often seen him write and subscribe his name whereby the became to know and be well acquainted with the manner and character of his handwriting and subscription and having viewed and carefully perused the paper writing hereunto annexed purporting to be a codicil to the last will and testament of the said deceased beginning thus “New Norflok Street 14th July 1781 for my sister Frances King” ending thus “again recommending the above to my dear sister and wishing her all happiness I affectionately take my leave” and thus subscribed “Wm Smyth King” do depose that they verily and in their consciences believe the whole series and contents of the said codicil and the name “Wm Smyth King” thereto subscribed to be all of the proper hand writing and subscription of the said deceased. – Matthew Cook, W Bullock – same day the said Matthew Cook and William Bullock were duly sworn to the truth of this affidavit before me – Will Nacham surrogate present James Burnley Not Pub

 

Probate 19/11/1782

This will was proved at London with a codicil the nineteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty two before the Right Worshipful Peter Calvert Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of Frances King spinster the sister of the deceased and sole executrix named in the said will to whom administration was granted of all and singular the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased having been first sworn by commission duly to administer.

 

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