Will of Matthew Deely, mason, 1760 (proved 1761)
Herts RO 199AW7
In the Name of God Amen I Mathew Deely of Winslow in the County of Bucks Mason being Something Indisposed in Body but of Sound and disposing Mind Memory and Understanding Praise be God for the same) And being desirous to Settle my worldly Affairs whilst I have Strength and Capacity So to do And Considering the Certainty of Death And the uncertain Time there of and to the End I may be the better prepared to leave this world whenever it shall please God to Call me hence do therefore make and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say First and Principally I resign my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator And my Body I Com(m)it to the Earth to be Decently Interred at the Discretion of my Executors herein after Named And as to Such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to Intrust me with I dispose of the same as followeth First I Give and bequeath unto my Grandson John Deely all my ready Money and Securitys for Money Houshold Goods and Furniture and all other my Goods Chattels Rights Credits and Personal estate whastsoever and wheresoever and of what Nature kind or Quality Soever the same may be which I shall be in any wise possessed of Interested in or Intitled unto at the the time of my Decease To hold to him my said Grandson John Deely shall happen to Die before my Decease or before he shall his Executors Administrators and Assigns But if in Case my said Grandson John Deely shall happen to Die before my Decease or before he shall Attain his full Age of One and Twenty Years Then my Will and Meaning is that my said Personal Estate So given to him as aforesaid shall go descend and remain to the use of the Heirs of his Body Lawfully begotten to be Equally Divided between them share and share alike But if the said John Deely die without such Issue then my Will and Meaning is and I do further Give and bequeath all my Personal Estate as aforesaid to my Nephew Mathew Deely his Executors Administrators and Assigns Subject Never the less and I do hereby Expressly Charge all my Said Personal Estate with the True Payment of all my Just Debts Legacys and Funeral Expences (that is to say) I give and Bequeath unto my Niece Martha Deely the Sum of Five Pounds of Lawfull Money of Great Britain I Give and Bequeath unto my Trusty Friends James Hall of Winslow aforesaid Yeoman And Stephen Gibbs of Winslow aforesaid Glover (whom I do hereby Ordain and Appoint Joynt Executors of this my last will and Testament) Two pounds Ten Shillings Each for their Trouble in the Execution of this my Will and my Will Meaning and desire is that all the said Legacys herein before Given and Bequeathed shall be paid Twelve Months next after my Death And I also Nominate Constitute and Appoint as aforesaid the said James Hall
[f.2] And Stephen Gibbs Trustees and Executors to whom I recommend the due Execution and Observance of this my will and the said Custody of my said Grandson John Deely and the said Personal Estate hereby Bequeathed to him during his Minority And Lastly I do hereby revoke and make void all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made and do Publish and declare this to be my last Will and Testament and none other In Witness whereof I the said Testator Mathew Deely have set my hand and Seal this twenty Six day of October In the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty
Matt Deely
Signed sealed Published and declared by the said Testator
Mathew Deely as and for his last Will and Testament in the
presence of us who have hereunto Subscribed our Names as
witnesses in the presence of the said Testator and at his
request in the presence of Each other
Robert Evans
The Mark of Mary Reeve
Joseph Hunt
9th Dec(embe)r 1760 Sworn the Executor above named Before me
John Stephens Sur
Matthew Deely
No Inv(entor)y
The above Test was by the Surr(ende)r of Ailesbury Iurisdiction
16th June 1761 Will Matt(he)w Deely late of Winslow deceased
16th June 1761 ;
James Hall & Stephen Gibbs the
Ex(ecut)ors within named was sworn as
usual
By the Court TS NP
The Above is a True Copy of the Original Will and Examined by us
Tho(ma)s Stubbs
John Barrington
8th July 1762 Sent the Orig(ina)l Will
with other papers to Dr Ibbetson by my
Serv(an)t John Barrington
Notes
Matthew Deely was the son of Thomas Deely jr (d.1714) and grandson of Thomas Deely sr (d.1687), who ran a brickmaking business near the Churchyard; they were both Baptists. Matthew was born in the 1670s or 80s, and became a trustee of the Baptist Meeting House. He was buried in the churchyard on 30 Nov 1760. His wife was named Hannah, perhaps the granddaughter of Thomas Keys of Biggin Farm, bur. 1 Dec 1755.
Letter concerning will of Matthew Deely
Herts RO ASA 27/1/137
Letter from James Ibbeston, archdeacon, concerning a number of wills including Matthew's
We ... command you jointly and severally peremptorily to cite or cause to be cited Stephen Gibbs and James Hall Executors named in the last Will and Testament of Matthew Dealy [sic] late of Winslow ... to Appear before our Surrogate or some other competent Judge in this Behalf in the parish Church of Saint Albans in the Town of Saint Albans ... on Friday the Fifteenth day of May Instant Between the Hours of Nine and Twelve in the forenoon ... to Bring in and leave in the Registry of the Archdeaconry of St Albans aforesaid the said several Wills or Testaments of the said Several Deceased persons and also to leave in the Registry ... a true and perfect Inventory ... And also Then and there to Accept or Refuse Letters of Administration ... Dated 7 May 1761.
[Note in another hand] Stephen Gibbs & James Hall Ex(ecut)ors of Matthew Deeley app(eare)d. The Judge ordered the will to be produced on Tuesday the 15th June. Continued by adjournment.