Will of Thomas Bowler the elder, wheelwright, 1779 (proved 1795)

Herts RO 231AW1

In the Name of God Amen I Thomas Bowler the Elder of Winslow in the County of Bucks Wheelwright being in good health of Body and of a sound and disposing mind memory and Understanding praised be God for the same calling to remembrance the uncertainty of this Life and being desirous to settle my Worldly Affairs whilst I have strength and Capacity for so doing Do therefore make and Publish this my last Will and Testament in manner following First and Principally with all humility I resign my Soul to Almighty God and my body to be buried at the discretion of my Executrix herein after named and as to such Temporal Estate wherewith it has pleased the Divine Providence to bless me I dispose of the same as follows (that is to say) First I give and devise unto my loving wife Mary Bowler All that my Copyhold Messuage or Tenement situate standing and being in Winslow aforesaid now in the tenure or Occupation of my Son Thomas Bowler with all and every the rights members and Appurtenances thereunto belonging And also All those my several inclosed Closes pieces or Parcels of Land or ground situate … in the parish of Winslow aforesaid in a certain Field there now or some time called or known by the Name of Old Mill Field late in the Tenure … of Joseph Piddington and now in the tenure … of me Thomas Bowler containing by Admeasurement Nine Acres Two Roods and Twenty Perches with all and every the rights Members and Appurt(enance)s thereunto belonging To Hold the same unto and to the Use of my said wife Mary Bowler and her Assigns for and during the Term of her natural Life (She and them keeping the said Premises in good and sufficient Tenantable repair) And from and immediately after the decease of my said wife Mary Bowler I give and devise the said Messuage … closes with their and every of their rights Members and Appurtenances thereunto belonging unto and to the

Tho(ma)s Bowler [signature]

[f.2] Use of my said Son Thomas Bowler and Elizabeth his wife for and during the Term of their natural Lives and the life of the longer liver of them and, from and after their several deceases and the decease of the Survivor of them I Give and devise the same Messuage … closes unto and to the Use of the Heirs and Assigns of my said Son Thomas Bowler for ever Also I Give and devise unto my said wife Mary Bowler All that my Copyhold Messuage or Tenement situate lying and being in the Market Square of Winslow aforesaid with the appurtenances … now in the tenure of occupation of Sarah Foster Spinster And also all that my Copyhold inclosed Close of Pasture or Sweard ground situate … at Shipton in the parish of Winslow … late in the tenure … of Richard Shelton his Undertenants or Assigns and now in the Occupation of me … Thomas Bowler containing by estimation two Acres (be the same more or less) with all and every the rights … thereunto belonging To Hold the same unto and to the use of … Mary Bowler and her Assigns for and during the Term of her natural Life And from and immediately after her decease I give and devise the said Messuage … and close unto and to the use of my Son Charles Bowler his Heirs and Assigns for ever Also I Give … unto Mary Bowler All that my undivided Moiety or half part (the whole in two equal parts to be divided) of and in All that Messuage or Tenement and Malting situate … in Winslow … now in the tenure

Tho(ma)s Bowler [signature]

[f.3] Of me … Thomas Bowler … with the Appurtenances … To Hold the same unto … Mary Bowler and her Assigns … (And from and immediately after her decease I give and devise the said Moiety … unto … my said Son Thomas Bowler his Heirs and Assigns for ever Subject nevertheless and Charged and Chargeable to and with the Payment of the Sum of Fifty Pounds of lawful money of Great Britain which I hereby do give and bequeath unto my … Son Charles Bowler to be paid to him by my … Son Thomas Bowler within Six Months next after the decease of … Mary Bowler Also I give and devise unto my … Son Charles Bowler All those my two Cottages or Tenements … in Winslow … now in the several tenures … of Thomas Brum and Elizabeth Bly To Hold the same unto … the use of my … Son Charles Bowler his Heirs and Assigns for ever And Lastly as to for and concerning all the rest residue and remainder of my real and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever of what value or kind soever … wherein I shall be any ways possessed of or Interested in or Intitled unto at the time of my decease (and not otherwise by me in this my Will given or disposed of) after payment of my just Debts funeral Expences charges of proving this my Will and all other charges and expences incident thereto I do hereby Give devise and bequeath the same and every part and parcel thereof unto my said wife Mary Bowler to Hold the same unto and to the Use of my said wife Mary Bowler her heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns for ever And I do hereby Nominate Constitute and appoint my said wife Mary Bowler full and sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former and other Will and Wills by me at any time heretofore made and do publish and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I … Thomas Bowler the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained in three Sheets of paper to the two first sheets thereof set my hand only and to this third and last my hand and seal this Sixth day of May in the Year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Nine.

Tho(ma)s Bowler [signature]

Signed Sealed Published and declared by the said Thomas Bowler the Testator as and for
his last Will and Testament signed in the Presence of us at his request and in his presence
have subscribed our Names as Witnesses thereto

Joseph Burnham
Matthew Deverell
James Burnham

The thirtieth Day of May 1795 sworn the Executrix withinnamed and that the Personal Effects do not amount to £600 before me Jonathan Brigges Surrogate

---

Notes

Thomas was a younger son of Charles Bowler of Shipton (d.1735) and his wife Frances (nee Glenister), bap. 1709. He married Mary Stuchbury (daughter of Henry and Deborah, bap. 1716) in 1736. They had two daughters who died young, then Thomas, bap. 1743 (will proved 1805), and Charles. An insurance policy of 1783 shows some of his property and business.

Messuage in the occupation of Thomas Bowler my son: this refers to 28 Horn Street, described at the 1798 court as "a piece of ground or garden plot south of the Parsonage Close containing 1 rood, with a messuage thereon erected, then in the occupation of Thomas Bowler jr his son".

several inclosed closes: this was enclosure lot 28, awarded to William Hobbs in 1767.

Messuage or Tenement situate lying and being in the Market Square: 14 Market Square, which Thomas inherited from his cousin Ann Hobbs (nee Glenister) in 1771.

Messuage or Tenement and Malting: this was 9 Horn Street, described in 1798 as "a messuage and malthouse in Great Horn Street late in [Thomas sr's] occupation, now divided into 3 tenements in the occupation of Mary Bowler spinster, William Punn and Widow Paxton." Thomas sr and his wife Mary inherited half from her father Henry Stuchbury, maltster; the other half was bought by Thomas jr in 1783 from his uncle by marriage William Billington, widower of Elizabeth Stuchbury.

two cottages: described in 1798 as "formerly in the occupation of Thomas Brum and Elizabeth Bly, now of James Winman & Ann Line". They were apparently adjacent to 28 Horn Street, and were later described as stables and then demolished.

Charles Bowler of Aylesbury, currier (will proved 1810), was admitted as tenant (in reversion) to 14 Market Square, the two cottages and the close in Shipton in 1795 after Mary's death, and sold them to Alexander Norton, tanner of Buckingham, in 1798. Also in 1798 Thomas Bowler jr was admitted to 28 Horn Street, the 9a 2r 20p in Old Mill Field, and half of 9 Horn Street.