Will of John Dover, dairyman, 1840

National Archives PROB 11/1936/23

This is the last Will and Testament of me John Dover of Winslow in the County of Bucks Dairyman  First I give and devise unto my brother James Dover and my Friend John Morecraft of Winslow aforesaid Butcher All my Freehold and other lands tenements estates hereditaments and Premises situate and being in the Parish of Winslow aforesaid with the rights members and appurtenances thereunto belonging or appertaining  To hold the same and every part thereof unto & to the use of the said James Dover and John Morecraft their heirs and assigns upon trust that they and the survivor of them and his heirs do

[p.2] and shall from and after my decease during the minority of my Grand son Henry Monk let set and demise the same Estates hereditaments and premises and receive and take the rents issues and profits thereof and pay and apply the same or what shall remain thereof after paying the annual sum or yearly rent charge hereinafter mentioned in for and towards or in aid of the maintenance education and support of him my said Grandson And when and so soon as my said Grandson Henry Monk shall attain his age of Twenty one years I give and devise the same lands tenements \estates/ hereditaments and premises with the appurtenances unto him my said Grandson To hold the same and every part thereof ... subject nevertheless to and charged with the annual sum or yearly rent charge hereinafter mentioned  And I give and bequeath unto my wife Mary Dover in case she shall survive me and her Assigns yearly during her life an annual sum or yearly rent charge of sixty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain and Ireland clear of all deductions whatsoever to be issuing out of the said Estates ... to be paid half yearly on the twenty fifth day of March and the twenty ninth day of September in every year the first half yearly payment thereof to be made on such of the said days as shall next happen after my decease  And I hereby give to my said Wife and her Assigns such powers of entry and distress and sale upon the same estates ... for recovering the said annual sum ... if the same or any part thereof shall be in arrear for the space of twenty one days ... as is usually given to Landlords for recovering rents ... But in case my said Grandson Henry Monk shall depart this life under the age of twenty one years then I direct that my said trustees & the survivor of them and his heirs shall thenceforth stand possessed of the said estates ... but subject to the said annual sum or yearly rent charge of sixty pounds ... upon such and the same trusts as are hereinafter contained with respect to my other real estates  Also I give and bequeath unto my said wife Mary Dover her executors administrators and assigns absolutely the Policy of Assurance which I have effected upon my life with the Clerical Medical and General Life Assurance Society in London and all benefit and advantage thereof and all sum and sums of money to become due and payable thereon And also all her wearing Apparel and ornaments of her person of every kind and likewise such of my Household Goods Furniture and linen as she may make choice of not exceeding in value the sum of sixty pounds  And I declare that the provision hereby made for my said wife shall be in lieu and full satisfaction of all dower and Customary rights ...  Also I give devise and bequeath unto the said James Dover and John Morecraft all my Freehold and other lands tenements estates hereditaments and Premises whatsoever situate and being in the Parish of North Marston in the said County of Bucks or elsewhere not hereinbefore otherwise disposed of ... To hold the same and every part thereof unto and to the use of said James Dover & John Morecraft their heirs and assigns upon trust as hereinafter mentioned (that is to say) upon trust that they ...

[p.3] at such time or times as they shall think expedient ... absolutely sell and dispose of the said lands ... lastly hereinbefore devised ... and also in the event of my said Grandson Henry Monk dying under the age of twenty one years as aforesaid sell and dispose of my said estates ... in the Parish of Winslow ...  either by public Auction or private contract ... And I declare that the monies which shall arise from the sale ... shall be held and applied upon the same trusts and in the same manner ... as hereinafter is mentioned  And as to all my Stock of Cattle corn hay grain implements in husbandry Farming and dairying utensils ready money and securities for money debts the Rest and Residue of my household Goods and Furniture and other my personal Estate not hereinbefore specifically bequeathed I give and bequeath same unto the said James Dover and John Morecraft ... upon trust that they ... shall as soon as conveniently may be after my decease sell and dispose of and convert into money so much thereof as shall not consist of money or securities for money and as shall be in its nature saleable ... Upon Trust that they ... pay and satisfy all the debts which I may justly out [sic] at the time of my decease my Funeral expences & the costs and charges of proving and establishing this my Will & carrying the same into execution ... and shall forthwith pay to my daughter Ann Brickwell her executors administrators or assigns for her or their own absolute use and benefit one full and equal moiety half part or share of the monies to arise as aforesaid which shall remain after answering the several purposes hereinbefore mentioned  And as to the remaining full and equal moiety half part or share of the same monies upon Trust to lay out and invest the same ... in the Parliamentary  stocks or Public funds of Great Britain or at interest on Government or real securities in England ... In trust for my Grandchildren Mary Anne Monk John Monk William Monk Elizabeth Monk and Charles Monk as tenants in common Provided

[p.4] ... that if any one or more of my said Grandchildren ... shall die under the age of twenty one years then as well the original share or shares as the share or shares which by virtue of this present provision shall have survived or accrued to him her or them of and in the monies so to be invested ... shall go remain and be to the other and others of the same Grandchildren and the said Henry Monk if he shall attain the age of twenty one years in equal shares as Tenants in common Provided always & I do hereby declare that after my decease and during such time as the said Mary Anne Monk John Monk William Monk Elizabeth Monk and Charles Monk or any of them shall be under the age of twenty one years the said trustees or trustee shall receive the interest and dividends of the share to which each such Grandchild shall be for the time being intitled ... and apply the same for and towards his or her maintenance and education or otherwise for his or her benefit Provided always ... that it shall be lawful for the said trustees ... to raise and apply all or any part of the share ... for or towards his or her advancement preferment or benefit  And I appoint the said James Dover and John Morecraft Executors of this my Will ... and I hereby declare that if the trustees appointed by this my Will ... shall die or be desirous of being discharged from or refuse or decline or be incapable to act in the trusts hereby in them reposed ... it shall and may be lawful to and for the said trustees or the surviving or continuing trustee appointed by this my Will ... by any deed or deeds ... sealed and delivered in the presence of and attested by two or more credible Witnesses from time to time to nominate and appoint any fit person or persons to be a trustee or trustees in the room or place of the trustee or trustees so dying or desiring to be discharged ...

[p.5] ... In Witness whereof I the said John Dover the Testator have to each and every sheet of this my Will contained on six sheets of paper set my hand this thirtieth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty.
John Dover
This sheet and the five sheets of paper hereto annexed were severally signed by the said john Dover the Testator in the joint presence of us who in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses thereof the words of the like nature as they or he shall think on the thirty first line of the third sheet being first written on an erasure and the erasure appearing on the fourth line of the fourth sheet being first made
Char. Willis Attorney Winslow
William Lee Grace his Clerk

Proved at London 7th Novr 1840 before the Judge by the Oaths of James Dover the Brother & John Morecraft the Exors to whom Admon was granted having been first sworn by Comon duly to administer.


Notes

John Dover was aged 66 when he died on 26 Aug 1840. He was the son of Thomas and Sarah Dover of North Marston. He was described as yeoman of North Marston when he married Ann Hogg of Addington at Addington in 1797. Their daughter Ann was baptised at Granborough in 1802; they also had a daughter Mary. He (if it's the same man) then married Mary Ridgway at Thornborough in 1825, giving his address as Thornton. He owned freehold land in Winslow by 1833, and rented land from the Selby-Lowndes estate and from the Vicar, all of which his son-in-law Charles Monk took over after his death (Church Rate Book) - the rented land couldn't be bequeathed. 57 acres of freehold land in North Marston was put up for sale at The George, Winslow, on 27 Nov 1840 (Bucks Herald). The other sale adverts below don't show where he actually lived. Mary Dover the widow was living with John Morecraft and his wife in 1841.

The Monks came from Stone. Henry, son of Charles and Mary Monk, was baptised there in 1827, Mary Ann in 1823 and Elizabeth in 1830. Charles sr and most of his children were living in Horn Street in 1841 (which might be where John Dover lived too; neither paid church rates on a house). He was a grocer at the Church Houses by 1851 with his daughter Elizabeth. Henry Monk the grandson and main heir took over Tuckey Farm in 1858.


Bucks Herald, 3 Oct 1840

Valuable Live and Dead Farming Stock,
CORN, HAY, DAIRY VESSELS.
TURNIPS, WOOL, HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, &c.,
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION, BY
DUDLEY & SON,

On WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY the 7th and 9th Days of OCTOBER, 1840, on the Premises, at WINSLOW, BUCKS, by Direction of the Executors of the late Mr. JOHN DOVER.

COMPRISING 90 Southdown and Leicester store Ewes and Shearhogs, 7 fat Cows, 10 dairy cows, 7 Scotch heifers, 8 weanling calves, 4 stout carthorses, 30 tods of wool, rick of wheat about 25 qrs., 2 ricks of beans, about 25 qrs. each, rick of beans and barley, about 20 qrs., 50 tons of good hay, 2 acres of Swede turnips, the whole of the agricultural implements and dairy vessels, and 120 lots of useful household furniture.

The usual Credit will be given for the hay and corn.
The Sale will commence each morning at Eleven.
Catalogues may be had at the Inns in the Neighbourhood, and at the Auctioneers’ Office, Winslow.

Finger pointing100 acres of excellent keeping, and 70 tons of new and old hay, on the land, at North Marston, will be sold at a future day.


Bucks Herald, 7 Nov 1840

Mr. John Dover, deceased

ALL Persons who have any claim or demand against the Estate and Effects of MR. JOHN DOVER, late of Winslow, in the County of Bucks, Dairyman, deceased, are requested, within a month from this date, to send or deliver particulars thereof, and of the security, if any, which they hold for the same, to Mr. James Dover, of Westbury, Bucks, or Mr. John Morecraft, of Winslow, (the Executors of the deceased) or to us, as their Solicitors.
And all persons who stood indebted to the deceased at the time of his death are required to pay the amount of their respective debts to one of the said Executors, or to us, within the above-mentioned period.

WILLIS & SON.

Winslow, 5th November 1840.

Copyright 15 February, 2018