Will of Mary Bowler, spinster, 1839 (proved 1847)
National Archives PROB 11/2055/311
This is the last Will and Testament of Mary Bowler of Winslow in the County of Bucks Spinster First I do hereby revoke annul and make void all wills and codicils by me at any time heretofore made and I give and devise unto my niece Mary Elizabeth West Spinster all and every my freehold and copyhold messuages cottages closes lands tenements and hereditaments \parts and shares of messuages cottages closes and tenements/ situate standing lying and being in the \several/ parishes of Winslow aforesaid and Swanbourne in the said County of Bucks or elsewhere and all other my real estate and premises whatsoever with the respective rights members and appurtenances thereto belonging or in any wise appertaining to hold the same and every part thereof unto and to the use of the said Mary Elizabeth West her heirs and assigns for ever Also I give and bequeath unto my said niece Mary Elizabeth West all my ready money securities for money household goods and furniture and other my Personal Estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kind soever the same may be which I may be possessed of interested in or intitled unto hold the same and every part thereof and all my estate and interest therein and thereto unto ... Mary Elizabeth West her heirs and assigns absolutely subject nevertheless to the payment of all such debts as I may justly owe at the time of my decease my funeral expenses and the charges of proving and establishing this my will and I nominate constitute and appoint ... Mary Elizabeth West full and sole executrix of this my last will and testament In witness whereof I the said Mary Bowler the testatrix have hereunto set my hand the twenty seventh day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine Mary Bowler [signature] Signed by the said testatrix Mary Bowler in the joint presence of us who in her presence and in the presence of each other hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses
Char(les) Willis Dav(id) Tho(mas) Willis
Proved at London 14 May 1847 before the Judge by the oath of Mary Elizabeth West Spinster the niece the sole executrix to whom adm(inistrati)on was granted having been sworn by Com(missi)on only to administer
Notes
Mary was the daughter of Charles Bowler, cordwainer (d.1802) by his second wife Mary. Her sister Sarah married George West, currier, in 1797. In the 1841 Census her rounded age was given as 60, and she was probably living at Yew Tree Cottage, Sheep Street. She was aged 66 when her death was registered in the second quarter of 1847.
Mary's property was listed at the 1847 manor court. She was admitted tenant in 1833 on a surrender by her half-brother Thomas Bowler (d.1836), in order to carry out her father's will even though the proper procedures hadn't been followed:
- an undivided moiety of 4 1/21s in a close called Bowlers Ground at Shipton heretofore in the occupation of Richard Baldwin now of William Selby Lowndes esq.
- a messuage (heretofore 2 messuages) with orchard & garden in Sheep Street heretofore in her own occupation, now of Mary Elizabeth West, with a cottage erected on part thereof now in the occupation of Thomas Reed [Yew Tree Cottage]
- a close of pasture in Shipton formerly in Licehill Field containing 1a 3r 12p now in the occupation of William Selby Lowndes
- a piece of sweard ground in Shipton Cow Pasture adjoining Dirty Mead Close containing 3r 12p heretofore in the occupation of Richard Baldwin now of William Selby Lowndes
- 10 1/21s in the close called Bowlers Ground
- 2 messuages in Sheep Street with orchard or pightle of pasture ground heretofore in the occupation of Richard Mayne & William Taylor, now of Ann Brise & William Taylor
+ 2 messuages in Hobhouchin Lane heretofore in the occupation of Sarah Warner & Thomas Yates now of William French & Sarah Warner - a messuage now in 2 tenements in Hobhouchin Lane heretofore in the occupation of William French & Thomas Dayell now or late of William Teagle & another
Mary Elizabeth West the niece died in 1878 aged 80; see her will.