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Will of Joshua Lewin French of Winslow, gentleman, 1883 (proved 1884)
Oxford Probate Registry
ON the Seventeen day of November1884, the Will of Joshua Lewin French late of Winslow in the County of Buckingham, Gentleman, deceased, who died on the Sixth day of June 1884 at Winslow aforesaid, was proved in Her Majesty’s Court of Justice in the District Registry attached to the Probate Division thereof at Oxford by the Oaths of William Henry French of Winslow in the aforesaid, Grocer and Ironmonger, and Joshua Lewin French of Ashford, in the County of Kent Grocer, the Sons of the Deceased the Executors named (in the said Will) they having been first sworn duly to administer.
It is hereby certified the above is a correct Copy. Dated this Twenty seventh day of November 1884.
Personal Estate Gross £9,020 : 19 : 10.
Personal Estate Net £6,844 : 7 : 6.
No Leaseholds.
Extracted by Willis and Willis, Solicitors, Winslow.
This is the last Will and Testament of me Joshua Lewin French of Winslow in the County of Bucks, Gentleman. I appoint my Sons William Henry French and Joshua Lewin French Executors and Trustees of my Will. I bequeath to the Treasurer for the time being of the London Missionary Society the sum of Nineteen pounds nineteen shillings to be applied for the purposes of that mission To the Treasurer for the time being of the London City Mission Nineteen pounds nineteen shillings to be applied for the purposes of that mission To the person who may at the time of my decease be the Officiating Minister of the Congregational Church at Winslow the sum of Ten pounds for his own absolute use To the Officiating Minister and Deacons for the time being of the said Chapel the sum of Five pounds to be distributed by them among the most necessitous poor persons usually attending Devine Service in the said Chapel and To the Superintendent for the time being of the Sunday School connected with the said Chapel the sum of Ten pounds to be by him applied in aid of the Funds of the said School I direct that the foregoing Legacies shall be paid within three Calendar months next after my decease in precedence of other legacies hereby bequeathed out of such part of my personal estate not specifically bequeathed as the law permits to be appropriated by Will to charitable purposes. I devise unto my Son William Henry French and to his heirs and assigns all that my messuage in two tenements in Winslow aforesaid now in the respective occupations of Thomas Saunders and [space referred to as ‘Blank in Original’ in left margin] Meadows with stable belonging thereto [2 Horn Street] my stables and garden in Winslow aforesaid called “The Tan Yard” [Sunnyside, 25 Horn Street] my Cottages in Grandborough in the said County of Bucks now in the respective occupations of John Dytum and John Norman with the Orchard belonging thereto and the appurtenances to the same hereditaments and premises respectively belonging I devise unto my said Son William Henry French and to his heirs and assigns absolutely one undivided moiety or half part of the house shop and premises and appurtenances thereto in Horn Street in Winslow aforesaid in which the grocery and other businesses are now carried on by me [1 Horn Street] And also one individual moiety or half part of the messuage or tenement and premises and appurtenances thereto in Winslow aforesaid which I purchased of Richard Baldwin [4 The Walk] I devise unto my Son Joshua Lewin French and to his heirs and assigns absolutely all \my/ freehold property situate and being in Ashford in the County of Kent [the bequests of the other undivided moiety or half part of the property in Horn Street and the property purchased from Richard Baldwin are repeated as legacies also passing to Joshua Lewin] I devise unto my daughter Agnes Anna French and to her heirs and assigns absolutely my Close of pasture ground situate in the Parish of Winslow aforesaid called “Hollow Furrow” with the appurtenances thereto belonging And also my messuages or tenements in the Buckingham Road in Winslow aforesaid with the appurtenances thereto now in the respective occupations of Jesse Henry Jennings and Miss Scrivener [?128 High Street] I bequeath unto my said Sons William Henry French and Joshua Lewin French their executors administrators and assigns my stock in trade and book debts in equal moieties I bequeath unto my said Sons William Henry French and Joshua Lewin French and my said Daughter Agnes Anna French my household goods and furniture plate linen china and other household effects to be equally divided between them and I direct that my children shall make selection of such goods according to seniority each selecting one article in turn until the whole shall have been distributed or if they prefer it I direct that such household goods and other effects be sold and the proceeds after deducting the expenses of the same shall be equally divided between my three children I bequeath unto my said Sons and Daughter the residue of the personal estate to which I shall be entitled to at the time of my decease in equal share and proportions subject nevertheless to the payment of my just debts my funeral and testamentary expenses I devise all the real estate which shall at my decease be vested in me as Mortgagee or Trustee to my said Sons William Henry French and Joshua Lewin French their heirs and assigns subject to the trusts and equities affecting the same respectively Lastly I revoke all other Wills In Witness whereof I the said Joshua Lewin French the Testator have set my hand this Twenty sixth day of May One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
Joshua Lewin French [signature]
Signed and acknowledged by the said Joshua Lewin French the Testator as his Will in the presence of us present at the same time who in his presence and the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses.
Arthur S. Midgley [signature] Wm. N. Midgley [signature] Clerks to Messrs Willis & Willis, Solicitors, Winslow.
Proved at Oxford, the Seventeenth day of November 1884, by the Oaths of William Henry French and Joshua Lewin French, the Sons, the Executors to whom Administration was granted.
The Testator Joshua Lewin French was late of Winslow in the County of Buckingham, Gentleman, and died in the Sixth day of June 1884, at Winslow aforesaid.
Personal Estate Gross £9,020 : 19 : 10.
Personal Estate Net £6,844 : 7 : 6.
Willis and Willis, Solicitors, Winslow.
It is hereby certified the above is a correct Copy. Dated this Twenty seventh day of November 1884.
Buckingham Advertiser, 7 June 1884
In our obituary columns will be found a notice of the death of Mr. J. L. French, of Winslow, which took place at his residence at half past two, yesterday (Friday) morning, at the ripe age of 76 years. Though for many years non-resident among us, the deceased gentleman was a native of Buckingham, and his name has been for a sufficiently long period connected with our Borough to call for some further notice. He was brother to Mr. W. H. French (an esteemed magistrate of our bench), son of Mr. William French, remembered by some of our oldest people as being for many years a highly respected inhabitant of this town, and grandson of Mr. Samuel Mayo French, of Hook Norton, Oxon. About 50 years ago he went to Winslow to arrange a branch business established by Mr. French sen., and having inherited from his father not only good business parts, but high Christian principle, he rendered his residence the constantly widening centre of a good and elevating influence, which only ceased with yesterday. He received his first religious impressions under the ministry of the Rev. Enoch Barling, of the Buckingham Independent Chapel, and having been by him received into connection with the Congregational body, he remained through his long and most useful life a member of that body. In the year 1841 he married Miss Perkins, of Padbury, (whose death we chronicled some 13 years ago) and for about 45 years was first deacon and then elder of the Winslow Congregational Chapel. In December, 1881, he had the misfortune to lose a devoted wife, the savour of whose good works remain in the memory of many. While under her influence, he had many years before become a total abstainer, and attached himself ardently to the temperance cause. Holding his own opinions unobtrusively yet tenaciously, his heart was filled with charity towards his fellow men of all beliefs and unbeliefs, and seldom do we have to chronicle the death of one whose loss will be so widely deplored.
Buckingham Express, 7 June 1884
It is with deep regret that we chronicle in our columns the death of Mr. Joshua L. French of Winslow, who passed away yesterday morning, in the pursuance of a pure, blameless and helpful life, Mr. French was in the habit of frequently conducting religious services at the village chapels round. On Sunday April 20th last, he preached at Thornborough and took a chill in the drive home. On the Monday consequent bilious symptoms showed themselves but were thought lightly of. On Tuesday morning he awoke with a sensation of giddiness which proved to be paralysis, still it was hoped that with complete rest he would recover but later in the week a disordered state of the heart ensued from indigestion, while the dangerous condition of the derangement completed itself in a few more days of the appearance of a low typhus-like fever with delirium. From this condition the lamented patient never rallied, though alternations of hope and fear, filled the following six weeks and it ended at about three o’clock yesterday (Friday) morning.
Bicester Herald, 20 June 1884
FUNERAL OF THE LATE MR. JOSHUA LEWIN FRENCH, OF WINSLOW. The funeral of this justly-esteemed gentleman took place on Thursday, June 12th, in the presence of some hundreds of spectators who has known and respected deceased as a neighbour and fellow-townsman. The first portion of the burial service was read in the old Baptist Chapel, by the Rev. J. Riordan, Congregational minister, of whose congregation deceased was a member, and the remainder of the service was rendered by the same minister at the grave in the Parish Churchyard, many an eye being moist with tears. In addition to the relatives, which numbered nearly 30, many friends joined the cortege until the procession could not have been far short of 200 persons, nearly everyone of whom were mourning betokening their respect for deceased. Many of the business establishments were closed during the funeral proceedings, and several of the elders and tradesmen of the town joined in the funeral procession.
Notes
The vicar (Rev. H.A. Douglas-Hamilton) did something in connection with the funeral which very much upset his son W.H. French as he later referred to Douglas-Hamilton giving J.L. French "the burial of a dog" (Buckingham Advertiser, 7 Nov 1885).
Agnes Anna French was living with her parents at 1 Horn Street in 1881, aged 33. In 1891 she, her aunt and cousin were living at 44 High Street. She died at Fisherton Anger-without near Salisbury in 1901. See her will.
The bequest to the Congregational Church was used to set up a Sunday School library.