Will of Hannah Fyge of London, spinster, 1736 (proved 1738)
National Archives PROB 11/692/333
In the Name of God Amen I Hannah Fyge of the parish of Saint Buttolph Bishopsgate London Spinster being somewhat infirm in Body but of sound and perfect mind memory and understanding and considering the frailty and uncertainty of life do make and publish my last Will and Testament in manner and Form following (that is to say) I recommend my Soul to God hoping through his Grace and the alone merits of Jesus Christ to receive remission of my \Sins/ and life everlasting my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried in the parish of Saint Buttolph without Bishops Gate aforesaid in like manner as the Body of my late Sister Martha was there interred And I give and dispose of my Worldly Estate as follows viz. Whereas I am Seized to me and my Heires of and in three undivided fifth parts (the whole in five parts to be divided) of all that Messuage or Tenement com(m)only called or known by the name or Sign of the Fleece with the Hereditaments and appurtenances thereto Adjoyning or therewith used occupied or injoyed now in the tenure or occupation of ( ) Marsh and ( ) Stevens their undertenants or assigns scituate and being in or near Newgate Street in the Parish of Christ Church London and Whereas I am also intituled to the Reverc(i)on and Inheritance of one other fifth part of and in the said Messuage or Tenem(en)t and premisses expectant on the Death of John Paulfreeman who marryed my late Sister Mary Now I do hereby give and devise all my said respective parts and Shares of and in the said Messuage or Tenement and Premisses and all my Estate Right title and Interest in and to the same unto Robert Rayment and Charles Sweeting of the Parish of St. Buttolph aforesaid Grocers and Richard Wilkinson of the same parish Goldsmith and their Heirs and assignes for ever
[detailed provisions about setting up a charity in London, initially for some named women]
And as and for and concerning my personal Estate I dispose thereof as follows that is to say Imprimis I give and bequeath to Mrs Mary Hayns of Market Drayton in the County of Salop the sume of five hundred pounds Item I give to Sarah Jauncy of Foxfield in the County of Sommerset Widow the like Summe of five hundred pounds To Margaret Danker of Bourne in the County of Cambridge Widow the like Summe of five hundred pounds To John Hill of Leicestershire Son of one of my Mothers Sisters the like Summe of five hundred pounds and to Charles Green of Saint Ives in the County of Huntington Gentleman Son of my Aunt Martha Green the like Summe of five hundred pounds And I Will and order that all the said Legacies of five hundred pounds each shall be paid within six months next after my decease Item I give and bequeath to Charles Egerton and Thomas Egerton Sons of my late Brother in Law Thomas Egerton late of Adstock in the County of Bucks Clerk deceased the Summe of one hundred pounds apeice and to all and every the Children of my late Cozen Margaret Spendelow deceased the Summe of one hundred pounds apeice and to Peter Leheup Thomas Leheup and Elizabeth Leheup Children of Clare Leheup one of the Daughters of William Lowndes Esquire deceased the Sum(m)e of one hundred pounds apeice all which Legacies of one hundred pounds each shall be paid without Interest for the same to the respective Children to whom I have given the same at their respective ages of twenty one years or days of Marriage which shall first happen Item I give to Rebecca Duncomb Daughter of Sarah Duncomb another of the Daughters of the said William Lowndes deceased the summe of one hundred pounds to be paid without Interest for the same at her age of twenty one years or day of Marriage which shall first happen And I also give and bequeath to Mr John Watts the summe of one hundred pounds to be paid within six months after my death Item I give and bequeath to John Neal of the parish of Christ Church in the County of Surry [sic] Esquire and to Samuel Rutter Citizen and Barber Chirurgeon of London the Summe of two hundred pounds In Trust as to one hundred pounds part thereof for the sole and seperate use of Mary the Wife of Edward Whitehouse Weaver Sister of the said John Watts And as to the remaining one hundred pounds In Trust for the sole and seperate use of Elizabeth the Wife of Thomas Stedwell Painter (the other Sister of the said John Watts) exclusive of the respective husbands of the said Mary and Elizabeth and with which respective Legacies their said husbands shall not intermeddle nor shall the same be subject to their respective debts controul or disposition but shall from time to time be respectively paid, applied and disposed of as the said Mary Whitehouse and Elizabeth Stedwell respectively shall by my Writing or Writings under their respective hands and Seals attested by two or more Witnesses (notwithstanding their severall Covertures) direct or appoint and for want of such direction or appointment upon Trust to pay the said respective Summes of one hundred pounds and one hundred pounds after the respective deaths of the said Mary and Elizabeth to their respective Executors or Administrators and in the mean time to place out the said respective Summes upon such Securities at interest as they the said Mary and Elizabeth shall from time to time respectively direct or appoint and to pay the Interest thereof for their respective separate use and benefit) And whereas by virtue of an Indenture bearing date on or about the twenty first day of November Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred made or mentioned to be made between my late Father Thomas Fyge of the one part and the above named John Watts of the other part I am possessed of and intituled to a Moiety or half part of the profitts benefitts and advantages that shall happen or accrue by or by means or occasion of the making composing selling or disposing of a certain Medicine called Doctor Lockyers Pills for and during the residue of a term of ninety nine years which commenced from the day of the date of the said Indenture Now I do hereby give and bequeath to the said Mr John Watts one full and equall third part of my said Moiety or half part of in and to the said Medicine and of in and to all profitts benefitts and advantages arising from the same to hold to the said John Watts his Executors Administrators and Assigns for his and their own benefit for all the residue of the said Term of ninety nine years which shall be to come and unexpired at the time of my death And as to the remaining two third parts of my said Moiety or half part of and in the said Medicine and all profitts and advantages arising from the same I give and bequeath the same unto the aforenamed John Neal and Samuel Rutter their Executors and Administrators for all the residue of the said term of ninety nine years which at the time of my death shall be to come and unexpired But nevertheless upon the Trusts and for the intents and purposes herein after mentioned (that is to say) Upon Trust that they the said John Neal and Samuel Rutter and the survivor of them and the Executors or Administrators of such Survivor do and shall pay and apply one equal moiety or half part of the said two third parts of my said part and share of the profitts and advantages arising from the said Medicine for the sole seperate and peculiar use and benefit of the said Mary the Wife of the said Edward Whitehouse and the other moiety or half part thereof for the sole separate and peculiar use and benefit of the said Elizabeth the Wife of the above named Thomas Stedwell for and during so many years of the said Term of ninety nine years as they the said Mary and Elizabeth shall jointly happen to live exclusive of their respective husbands and with which they shall not intermeddle Nor shall the same be subject to their respective Debts controul or disposition And from and after the decease of either of them the said Mary and Elizabeth Then upon Trust to pay the whole profitts and advantages of the said two third parts of my said part and share of and in the said Medicine for the separate and peculiar use and benefit of the Survivor of them the said Mary and Elizabeth exclusive of her Husband and with which he shall no ways intermeddle for and during so many years of the said term of ninety nine years as she shall happen to live or for the use of such other person or persons as such Survivor of them shall by any Writing or Writings under her hand from time to time notwithstanding her Coverture direct or appoint and from and after the death of the Survivor of the said Mary Whitehouse and Elizabeth Stedwell then upon Trust that they the said John Neal and Samuel Rutter and the Survivor of them and the Executors or Administrators of such Survivor shall from thenceforth stand and be possessed of the said two third parts of my said Moiety or half part of all the profitts and advantages arising by or from the said Medicine for and during all the residue which shall \be/ then to come and unexpired of the said term of ninety nine years Upon Trust for such person or persons and for such uses intents and purposes as the Survivor of them the said Mary and Elizabeth shall by any Writing under her hand and seal Signed and Sealed in the presence of two or more credible Witnesses or by her last Will and Testament in writing or other writing purporting her last Will Signed and Sealed in the presence of the like number of Witnesses shall direct or appoint And for want of such direction or appointment In Trust for the Executors or Administrators of such Survivor And I declare my Will and mind to be that the Receipt or direction in Writing for making and preparing the said Medicine which is now in my Study shall within twenty days after my decease be delivered sealed up unto the said Mr Watts and his said Sisters Mary and Elizabeth or such of them to whom they shall agree among themselves the same shall be delivered for the benefit of the respective parties who shall be interested therein And as to all the rest and residue of my Estate whatsoever and wheresoever not herein before disposed of which shall remain after payment of my Debts Legacies and funeral expences I give and bequeath the same unto my Cosin Elizabeth Cressy Spinster who now resides with me And I make and constitute the said Elizabeth Cressy sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament And I do hereby revoke and utterly make void all other Wills and bequests by me at any time heretofore made and Do publish and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament contained in these two Skins of parchment and none other or otherwise In Witness whereof I the aforenamed Hannah Fyge have hereunto set my hand and Seal the seventeenth day of May Anno Do(mi)ni 1731 And in the fourth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the second King of Great Britain
Hannah Fyge Hannah Fyge [sic]
Signed Sealed published declared and delivered by the within named Hannah Fyge as and for her last Will and Testament (being contained in this and the annexed skin both which she subscribed) and in the presence of us who in her presence and at her request Subscribed our names as Witnesses hereto Edward Warman Henry Crane Th(omas) Yates.
Whereas I the within named Hannah Fyge since the making and publishing my last Will and Testament within Written have purchased to me and my Heirs of and from Thomas Marsh and Richard Stephens Leather Sellers one undivided fifth \part/ (the whole into five parts to be divided) of all that the within mentioned Messuage or Tenement called or known by the name or Sign of the Fleece with the Hereditaments and appurtenances thereto adjoyning or therewith used or injoyed scituate and being in or near New Gate Street London in the parish of Christ Church London and all the other part purpart share and proportion of the said Thomas Marsh and Richard Stephens of and in the same Messuage and premisses as by the conveyances thereof lately made to me and my Heirs by the said Thomas Marsh and Richard Stephens and others in consideration of one hundred and ninety pounds by me to them paid may more fully appear Now I do hereby further give and devise unto the within named Robert Rayment and Richard Wilkinson and their Heirs and assigns for ever all the said part and Share of and in the said Messuage or Tenement and premisses so by me purchased or intended to have been purchased of and from the said Thomas Marsh and Richard Stephens and others as aforesaid and \all/ my Estate Right Title and Interest of in and to the same To have and to hold the said Part and share of and in the said Messuage and premisses unto the said Robert Rayment and Richard Wilkinson their Heirs and Assigns for ever Subject nevertheless and liable unto and charged and chargeable with the same Trusts intents and purposes provisoes Clauses and limitations as are within mentioned declared or expressed of for or concerning the four fifth parts of the said Messuage or Tenement and Premisses with the Appurtenances in the within written Will by me given or devised or mentioned or intended to be given or devised And that as fully effectually and beneficially to all intents and purposes as if the same Trusts intents and purposes provisoes Clauses and Limitations were herein particularly or verbatim mentioned declared or expressed of for or concerning the said Part and Share of the said Messuage and Premisses by me herein before given or devised In Witness whereof I the above named Hannah Fyge have hereunto set my hand and Seal dated the four and twentieth day of April Anno D(omi)ni 1732 Annoq(ue) R Regis Georgii secundi Magna Britannia etc. Quinto
Hannah Fyge
Signed Sealed Published declared and delivered by the above named Hannah Fyge as and for a Codicil to her last Will and Testament within Written in the presence of us (who in her presence and at her request Subscribed our names) as Witnesses hereto Edward Warman Henry Crane
Th(omas) Yates.
Be it known unto all Men that whereas I Hannah Fyge of the parish of Saint Buttolph without Bishopgate Spinster have made and declared my last Will and Testament in Writing bearing date the seventeenth day of May 1731 Now I do hereby ratify and confirm my said Will and Do hereby give and bequeath unto John Fauncey and Mary Couple two hundred pounds each upon Condition they be kind to their younger Sister. Item I give to Eliz(abeth) Johnson near Upingham five hundred pound and to the Children of my Cousin John Hill five hundred pounds to be equally divided amongst them Item I give to the Children of my Cousin Margaret Danker five hundred pounds to be equally divided amongst them Item I Give to Mrs Mary Sell two hundred pounds Item I give to Mrs Susan Mangey one hundred pounds Item I give to Sarah Plat Mary Mayne and Eleanor Grafton and Eleanor Randolph ten pounds apeice I also appoint Mr John Watts and Mr Thomas Stedwell to be Trustees of the Medicine mentioned in my said Will in the Room of Mr John Neale and Mr Samuel Rutter and to all the rest and residue of my Estate whatsoever which shall remain after payment of my Debts Legacys and Funeral Charges I give and bequeath the same unto my Cousin Charles Egerton of Fleet Street London Haberdasher and I make and constitute my said Cousin Charles Egerton Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament and Codicil in the Room of the said Elizabeth Cressy deceased Lastly my Will and meaning is that this Codicil or Schedule be and be adjudged to be part of my said last Will and Testament and that all things herein contained be faithfully performed as fully as if the same were so set down in my said last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal this twenty eight day of January one thousand seven hundred and thirty six
Hannah Fyge
Signed Sealed and declared by the said Testatrix to be part of her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have Subscribed the same at her request and in her presence
Susannah Rowbry Thomas Pierson Joseph Preston
This Will was proved at London (with two Codicills annexed) on the twenty fourth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and thirty eight before the Worship(ful) Robert Chapman Doctor of Laws and Surrogate to the Right Worshipful John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oath of Charles Egerton Esquire the Sole Executor named in the second Codicill To whom Administration of all and singular the good Chattels and Credits of deceased was granted being first sworn duly to administer.
Notes
Most of the legatees who were relatives appear to be on Hannah's mother's side but the Egertons and Lowndeses were related to the Fyges, as was Margaret Spendelow. Elizabeth Cressy was the daughter of her aunt, Thomas Fyge's sister whose husband was rector of Shenley, Bucks.
See also:
- The Fige family
- Will of Thomas Fyge of London, apothecary, 1704 (proved 1705), Hannah's father (q.v. for more about her sisters and inheritance)
- Lockyer's Pills (a miracle cure made of sunlight). Thomas Fige's daughter Margaret was the goddaughter of Lionel Lockyer (will proved 1672, National Archives PROB 11/339/91) who invented the pills. Thomas manufactured them for Lockyer, and went into partnership with Lockyer's nephew John Watts. After Thomas' death his daughters continued to sell them and to take half the profits.