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Will of Robert Corbett, baker, 1850 (proved 1855)
National Archives, PROB 11/2211/309
This is the last Will and Testament of me Robert Corbett of Winslow in the County of Bucks Baker I give and devise all the real estate to which I shall be entitled at my decease except estates vested in me as trustee or mortgagee and I bequeath all the Personal estate to which I shall be then entitled to my friends David Thomas Willis in Winslow aforesaid Gentleman and William Neal of the same place Innholder their heirs executors administrators and assigns respectively upon trust to sell my real estate together or in parcels by public auction or private contract and to convert and get in my personal estate and by and out of the monies to arise from other real and personal estates in the first place to pay to my daughter in law Fanny Corbett the sum of three hundred pounds which I borrowed of her and her late husband but without any interest for the same or so much thereof which may be hereafter paid by me to her in my lifetime and all such other debts as I shall justly owe at the time of my decease my funeral expences and the charges of proving and establishing this my Will and carrying the same into execution and in the next place by and out of the monies to arise as aforesaid to pay to my niece Ann Barton the legacy or sum of sixty pounds which I hereby give and bequeath to her and direct the same may be paid within twelve calendar months next after my death and in the next place to retain thereout in their own hands the sum of two hundred pounds sterling for the purposes hereinafter mentioned and to invest the net residue of the monies to arise from such real and personal estates remaining after answering the several purposes aforesaid in the names or name of the trustees or trustee for the time being of my Will in or upon any of the public stocks funds or securities of the United Kingdom or any real securities in England with liberty for the said trustees . . . at their discretion to vary or transpose the investment from time to time for any other investment of the description aforesaid and upon further trust to permit and empower my daughter Elizabeth the wife of Elijah Watson French to receive the annual income of the said monies or the stocks funds and securities whereon the funds shall be invested during her life for her separate use independently of the said Elijah Watson French or any future husband with whom she may intermarry so that her receipts alone shall be sufficient discharges and that she shall not have powers to deprive herself thereof in anticipation and after the death of my said daughter Elizabeth French upon trust to pay the annual income of the said monies . . . to the said Elijah Watson French during the remainder of his natural life and from and after the decease of the survivor of them the said Elijah Watson French and Elizabeth his wife as to the same monies . . . and the annual income thenceforth to become due for the same in trust for all and every the children of my said daughter Elizabeth French or such of them as shall either in her lifetime or after her decease attain the age of twenty one years or marry and their respective executors administrators and assigns in equal shares and proportion and I empower the trustees . . . for the time of my Will after the decease of the survivor of them the said Elijah Watson French and Elizabeth his wife to apply the annual income of the share to which any minor or unmarried child of my said daughter Elizabeth French shall for the time being be entitled to for the expectancy under the trusts hereinbefore contained for or towards the maintenance or education of such child either directly or to his or her Guardians . . . without seeing to the application thereof or requiring any account of the same and I direct that my said trustees shall stand possessed of the said sum of two hundred pounds hereinbefore directed to be retained by them out of the monies to arise from my real and personal estates upon trust to invest the same with all convenient speed after my decease in the names . . . of the trustees . . . of my Will in or upon any of the private stocks . . . with a liberty to transpose the investment . . . and to pay and apply the annual income of the said two hundred pounds or the stocks . . . whereupon the same shall . . . be invested for or towards the maintenance or education of my grand daughter Elizabeth Ann Corbett (daughter of my late son William Corbett deceased) so long as she shall be under the age of
[p.2] twenty one years and unmarried either directly or to her said mother during her life to her Guardians . . . after her said mothers death without in either case seeing to the application thereof . . . \and/ when and so soon as my said grand daughter Elizabeth Ann Corbett shall attain the age of twenty one years or marry which shall first happen Upon trust to call in and receive the said sum of two hundred pounds or the stocks . . . whereon the same shall be invested and all accumulations thereof and pay the same to her my said grand daughter for her own absolute use and benefit to whom I give and bequeath the same accordingly and in case my said grand daughter Elizabeth Ann Corbett shall die under the age of twenty one years without having been married I direct I that the said sum of two hundred pounds shall thereupon lapse into and form part of the ultimate residue of the monies . . . from my real and personal estate I declare that my said Trustees . . . shall have a discretionary power to postpone for such periods as to them . . . shall seem expedient of all or any part of my real estate and to let the same from year to year at the best rent out I declare that from the time of my decease the unsold real estate shall be subject to the trusts hereinbefore declared concerning the monies to arise thereof and the rents thereof shall be deemed annual income for the purposes of such trusts and such real estate shall be transmissible as personal estate and be considered as converted in equity I devise all real estates if any which may at the time of my decease be vested in me as trustee or mortgagee to the said David Thomas Willis and William Neal subject to the equities affecting the same respectively I empower the Trustees . . . of this my Will to give receipts for all monies and effects to be paid or delivered to such trustees by virtue of my Will and declare that such receipts shall exonerate the persons taking the same from liability to see to the application or disposition of the monies or effects therein mentioned I empower the Trustees . . . \of/ this my Will to compound or allow time for the payment of any debt or debts due to my estate and to settle all demands against my estate and all accounts between me and any person or persons on such terms as my said trustees . . . shall in their . . .discretion think expedient and refer any matters in difference relating to my affairs to arbitration I declare that if my said trustees or either of them or any person or persons to be appointed under this Clause shall die or be unwilling or incompetent to execute the trusts of my Will it shall be lawful for my said daughter Elizabeth French during her life and after her death for the competent trustees . . . if any whether retiring from the office \of/ trustee or not or if none for the Executors and administrators or either or any of the executors or administrators of the last surviving trustees to substitute by any writing under her his or their hand or hands any fit person . . . in whom alone or the case may be jointly with the survivors or continuing trustees . . . my trust estate or shall be vested [?] And I exempt every trustee of my Will from liability for losses occurring without his own wilful default and authorise him to retain and allow his cotrustees . . . all expences incidental to the trusteeship And I appoint the said David Thomas Willis and William Neal to be Executors in trust of this my Will and it also is my desire that the said David Thomas Willis who is my Attorney and Solicitor shall continue to act as such in all matters relating to my property and affairs and shall make the usual professional charges expressly direct that he shall notwithstanding his acceptance[?] of the office of trustee and a executor of my said Will and his acting in the execution thereof be entitled to make the same professional charges and to receive the same primary emoluments and remuneration for all business done by him and all attendances time and trouble given or bestowed by him in or about the execution of the trusts and powers of my said Will or the management
[p.3] and administration of my trust estate real or personal as if he not being himself being a trustee or executor of my said Will were employed by the . . . trustees or executors thereof as Attorney and Solicitor to such . . . trustees or executors and shall be entitled to retain out of my trust monies or be allowed and to receive from his cotrustees if any out of the same monies the full amount of such charges any rule of Equity to the contrary notwithstanding nevertheless without the prejudice to the right or competency of the said David Thomas Willis to execute the authority control judgement and discretion of a trustee of my said Will and lastly I revoke all former Wills and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said Robert Corbett the testator have to every sheet of this my last Will and Testament contained on four sheets of paper set my hand this ninth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty Robert Corbett [signature] This last and the three sheets of paper hereto annexed were severally signed by the said Robert Corbett the testator in the joint presence of us who in his presence and the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses thereto James Toy [signature] Benj Cole [signature] Clerks to Mr Willis Solicitor Winslow
This is a Codicil to the last Will and Testament of me Robert Corbett of Winslow in the County of Bucks Baker which Will bears date the ninth day of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty I revoke the direction in my said Will contained for the payment of the sum of three hundred pounds to my then daughter in law Fanny Corbett who is since deceased And I direct my executors to retain in their hands out of the monies to arise from my real and personal estates the sum of three hundred pounds over and above and in addition to the sum of two hundred pounds in my said Will mentioned and to stand possessed thereof upon such and the same trusts as are in every respect in my said Will mentioned and declared with respect to the same sum of two hundred pounds And I direct that the said sums of two hundred pounds and three hundred pounds shall be deemed to be in full satisfaction and discharge of any claim or demand which it may be considered that my late son William Corbett deceased had against me. I confirm my said Will in all other respects In Witness whereof I the said Robert Corbett the testator have set my hand and seal on this eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty three Robt Corbett Signed by the said Robert Corbett testator in the joint presence of us who at his request in his presence and the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses thereto Jno Perkins [signature] Clerk to Mr D.T. Willis Solicitor Winslow - Jane Gurney [signature]
Proved at London with a Codicil 8th May 1855 before the Worshipful James Parker Deane Doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the oaths of David Thomas Willis and William Neal the Executors to whom Adm(inistrati)on was granted having been first sworn duly to administer
Notes
Robert Corbett was the owner of 8-10 Horn Street, part of which he acquired in 1809. He was originally from Adstock, baptised in 1786, son of Joseph Corbett, farmer (will proved 1807), and Ann. He was apprenticed to a previous Winslow baker, John Blake, in 1802. In the 1841 Census he was apparently already a widower, and had two sons, William (d.1849 aged 33) and John (d.1842 aged 24). Robert died on 9 Dec 1854 aged 68. His daughter-in-law Fanny (=Frances, d.1853 aged 34), granddaughter Elizabeth and niece Ann Barton were all living with him in the 1851 Census. The bakery business was carried on after his death by his daughter Elizabeth and her husband Elijah French, and was sold to John Turnham in 1866. Elizabeth the orphaned granddaughter went to live with an aunt and uncle at Gawcott, and married John Francis Roper, farmer of Lenborough, in 1869.