Will of Thomas Cox, yeoman, 1868 (proved 1876)

Oxford Probate Registry

ON the Thirteenth day of October 1876, the Will of Thomas Cox late of Winslow in the County of Buckingham, Yeoman, deceased, who died on the Twenty seventh day of January 1876 at Winslow aforesaid, was proved in the District Registry attached to Her Majesty’s Court of Probate at Oxford by the Oaths of William Gibbs of Winslow aforesaid, Bricklayer, and Edwin Gibbs of the same place, Bricklayer (Son of the said William Gibbs) the Executors therein named they having been first sworn duly to administer.

It is hereby certified the above is a correct Copy. Dated this Nineteenth day of October 1876.
Effects under £200. No Leaseholds.
Extracted by Willis and Willis, Solicitors, Winslow

This is the last Will and Testament of me Thomas Cox of Winslow, in the County of Bucks, Yeoman. I devise unto my Wife Penninah All the copyhold and (if any) Freehold messuages cottages lands tenements hereditaments and real estate of which I may be seised at the time of my death with the appurtenances thereto belonging To hold the same unto my said Wife and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life if she shall so long continue my Widow and unmarried but not otherwise she and they keeping the same in good and tenantable repair and insured against loss or damage by fire to the full value thereof And from and immediately after the decease or second marriage of my said Wife which shall first happen I devise the same estates hereditaments and premises and their appurtenances unto and to the use of my Niece Eliza the Wife of William Gibbs her heirs and assigns absolutely I bequeath unto  my said Wife Penninah during her Widowhood the use and enjoyment of all my household goods and furniture plate linen china and other household effects and immediately upon her death or second marriage which shall first happen I bequeath the same goods and furniture plate linen china and other household effects to my said Niece Eliza Gibbs absolutely I bequeath unto the said  William Gibbs and his Son Edwin Gibbs all my ready money securities for money and all other my personal estate and effects not otherwise hereby disposed of Upon trust with all convenient speed to convert and get in the same and out of the moneys thereby arising to pay all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses and to invest the residue of the same money in their own names on such security or securities as they shall think fit with full power to alter and vary the investment at their discretion and to pay my said Wife or her assigns or permit her or them to receive during her Widowhood the interest and annual income of the moneys so to be invested And from and immediately after the death or second marriage of my said Wife which shall first happen as to the capital of the said moneys and the future income thereof In Trust for my said Niece Eliza Gibbs her executors administrators and assigns I appoint the said William Gibbs and Edwin Gibbs to be Executors and of my Will, and revoke all other Wills. In Witness whereof I have set my hand this Twentieth day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty eight.
Thomas Cox [signature]

Signed by the said Thomas Cox the 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
Tho^s. Price Willis [signature] Att^y.  Winslow, Bucks
 Arthurs S. Midgley [signature] His Clerk

Proved at Oxford, the Thirteenth day of October 1876, by the Oath of William Gibbs and Edwin Gibbs (Son of the said William Gibbs)  the Executors to whom Administration was granted.
The Testator Thomas Cox was late of Winslow in the County of Buckingham, Yeoman, and died on the Twenty seventh day of January 1876 at Winslow aforesaid,
Under £200
Willis and Willis, Solicitors, Winslow.
It is hereby certified the foregoing is a correct Copy. Dated this Nineteenth day of October 1876.

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Notes

John Cox, the wealthy plumber & glazier who died in 1842, bequeathed "To my second cousin Thomas Cox of Fenny Stratford, Laborer: my 4 copyhold cottages or tenaments with adjoining orchard or piece of ground in Tinkers End in Winslow". These were in the area known as Short Lane (now demolished) and Thomas came to Winslow to live in one of them. He married Peninah Elliott at Granborough in 1847; she was the daughter of Thomas Smith of Granborough and widow of Thomas Elliott of Winslow (son of William) whom she married in 1838. Thomas Cox died in 1876 aged 74. Peninnah (as the name was registered) died in 1868 aged 54. He was the brother of John Cox's housekeeper Phillis Cox.

1876: Valuation by George Wigley of household furniture and effects late the property of Mr Thomas Cox, 1 Feb (Centre for Bucks Studies D/WIG/2/1/1)
Lists 2 bedrooms (with at least 6 beds), front room, small room, side room, wood barn. Total value: £5 16s.

Eliza Gibbs' maiden name was Higgs so she must have been the daughter of Thomas Cox's sister Mary Higgs. She was born at Little Woolstone in about 1823, and lived in Winslow with John and Phillis Cox in 1841. She married William Gibbs at Winslow in 1843. Edwin Gibbs their eldest son was born in 1851.

It seems to have been the policy of the Willises when drafting wills to describe as "yeoman" any man who owned property and was not a farmer, craftsman or shopkeeper.