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Will of Agnes Anna French of Winslow, spinster, 1888 (proved 1902)
Principal Probate Registry
In His Majesty’s High Court of Justice
The Principal Probate Registry
Be it known that Agnes Anna French of Winslow in the County of Buckingham Spinster deceased died on the 15th day of March 1901 at Fisherton Anger Without near Salisbury in the County of Wilts having made and duly executed her last Will and Testament bearing date the 28th day of March 1888 and appointed Edwin John French and Walter Edwin Topham Executors thereof That the said Will has since been lost or destroyed or so mislaid that it cannot now be found That the said Edwin John French and Walter Edwin Topham renounced the Probate and execution thereof That on the 30th day of January \1902/ the Honourable Sir John Gorel Barnes one of the Justices of the High Court by his final Decree in an Action entitled French against French pronounced for the force and validity of the said Will as contained in the Draft thereof referred to in the Affidavit \of scripts/ of Edwin John French and marked C and propounded in the said Action on behalf of the Plaintiff.
And be it further known that at the date hereunder written the Last Will and Testament (as contained in the aforesaid Draft) of the said Testatrix was proved and registered in The Principal Probate Registry of His Majesty’s High Court of Justice and that Administration of all the estate which by law devolves to and vests in the personal representative of the said Deceased limited until the Original Will or an authentic copy thereof shall be brought into and left in the said Registry was granted by the aforesaid Court to the said Edwin John French of Winslow aforesaid Printer and Stationer.
Dated the 2nd day of April 1902
Gross value of Estate £2111 – 3 - 8
Net value of Personal Estate £1199 – 18 – 8
Resworn Dec 1903 £2224 – 11 - 0
THIS IS THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT of me AGNES ANNA FRENCH of Winslow in the county of Bucks spinster I appoint my cousin Edwin John French of Winslow aforesaid printer and stationer and Walter Edwin Topham of Hertingfordbury in the county of Hertford Miller (hereafter called “my trustees”) to be the EXECUTORS and TRUSTEES of my Will I bequeath to my Aunt Catherine Perkins if living at my decease the legacy or sum of five pounds and my twenty preference shares in the West London Dairy Company Limited absolutely and my mothers watch and chain and such articles of Household Furniture bedding and linen as she may select for her use in her own home during her life and from and after her decease I bequeath the said watch and chain to Annie French the wife of my brother Joshua Lewin French of Ashford in the county of Kent Grocer and I bequeath the said household furniture bedding and linen unto my cousin Sarah Watson French except that my brothers William Henry French and Joshua Lewin French shall be at liberty to select such articles therefrom as they shall think proper and in the event of the decease of the said Catherine Perkins during my life I bequeath the said legacy five pounds the said twenty preference shares in the West London Dairy Company Limited to the Director or Treasurer for the time being of Dr Barnado’s Homes Stepney Causeway London and Ilford Essex and the receipt of the said Director or Treasurer shall be sufficient discharge for the said legacy I bequeath to my trustees the sum of eighty pounds Upon trust to invest the same pursuant to the general clause for investment hereinafter contained and to pay the dividends interest and annual produce thereof of the stocks funds or securities representing the same to my aunt Anne Maria Bubier now residing at 5 Rose Terrace Temple Road Sale in the county of Cheshire for her life and from and after her decease [the legacy of eighty pounds and her shares revert to Dr Barnardo’s in the terms set out above] I bequeath my pictures prints drawings books silver and plated goods my fathers chest of drawers my mothers china tea service my piano whatnot and centre table unto my said brothers William Henry French and Joshua Lewin French equally I bequeath my own watch and chain to my niece Mary Edith French the daughter of my said brother William Henry French I bequeath to my niece Carrie Wigley French also the daughter of my said brother William Henry French my small gold brooch I bequeath my mothers gold spectacles to Ethelwyn Rose French daughter of my said brother Joshua Lewin French I bequeath my large gold brooch to my aunt Emma Topham of Hertingfordbury aforesaid I bequeath my wearing apparel unto my cousins the said Sarah Watson French and Clara Louisa Topham to keep such portions thereof as they may think proper for their own use and to send the remainder of such wearing apparel unto the Reverend Andrew Mearns of the Memorial Hall Faringdon Street London or his successor for the use of his mission among the poor of London I bequeath the sums of sterling money shares and securities following free of legacy duty To my cousin Sarah Watson French the legacy or sum of £350 & also a Note of Hand for two hundred pounds bearing date the first day of July one thousand eight hundred and eighty six from Frederick Topham and Thomas Topham with the right to demand sue for and recover the said sum of two hundred pounds and all interest due thereon to my cousins Clara Louise Topham and Florence Emma Topham daughters of the said Frederick Topham my three preference shares in “Crescens Robinson and Company Limited” To my cousins Marion Jessie Perkins Ellen Eliza Perkins and Pollie Emma Perkins (the daughters of Samuel Perkins of Padbury in the said county of Bucks) the sum of five pounds each To my cousin Flora Mary French of Winslow aforesaid five pounds and to Rebecca Riordan the wife of the Reverend John Riordan of Winslow aforesaid Congregational Minister five pounds It is my wish in consequence of my late father Joshua Lewin French deceased having during his life promised the sum of one hundred pounds towards the fund for the erection for the present Congregational Church in Winslow aforesaid and having died without having paid the said sum of one hundred pounds and I and my brothers the said William Henry French and Joshua Lewin French having at various times to the date of this my will discharged in money fencing and other gifts ninety pounds part of the said sum of one hundred pounds leaving ten pounds now remaining that if the said sum of ten pounds or any part thereof be still remaining undischarged at the time of my decease it be paid by my executors within one calendar month from the date of my decease and I declare that the receipts of the treasurer of such fund for the time being shall be sufficient discharge for the same I bequeath the residue of my personal estate and I devise the residue of my real estate unto my trustees Upon trust to sell call in and convert into money such parts thereof as shall not consist of ready money and thereout in the first place pay the expenses attending such sale calling in and conversion my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses and the legacies bequeathed by this my will and in the next place to divide the residue of the said money into as many shares as I have nephews and nieces living at my decease and to pay to each of my said nephews and nieces who shall have attained the age of twenty one years the share to which he or she shall be entitled and upon further trust to invest the remaining shares pursuant to the general direction for investment hereinafter contained and to pay the income arising therefrom to the respective fathers of my said nephews and nieces who shall be under the age of twenty one years and as each of my said nephews and nieces shall attain the age of twenty one years to call in and convert his or her share and pay the same to him or her And in the event of the decease of either of my said nephews and nieces before he or she shall have attained the age of twenty one years to divide the share to which he or she would have been entitled on attaining such age equally unto and among my surviving nephews and nieces and upon the decease of either of them the said fathers to pay the\ income/ then payable to him equally unto his issue under the age of 21 years I declare that all moneys liable to be invested under this my will may be invested in or upon any stocks funds or securities of or guaranteed by the Government of the United Kingdom or of any British Colony or Dependency or in stock of the Bank of England or the debentures or debenture stock or guaranteed or preference stock or shares of any Railway or other Company in Great Britain or India incorporated by Act of Parliament or Royal Charter and paying a dividend on its ordinary stock or shares or upon real or leasehold securities in England or Wales but not elsewhere such leasehold securities being held for a term whereof sixty years at least shall be unexpired at the time of such investment and in lending money on any mortgage security my trustees may accept whatever title or evidence of title shall appear to them sufficient and in particular may in the case of leasehold securities waive the production of the lessors title without being answerable for any loss arising thereby and my trustees may release any part of the property comprised in any mortgage security if satisfied that the remaining property is a sufficient security for the money owing thereon Lastly I revoke all other wills IN WITNESS whereof I the said Agnes Anna French the testatrix have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of March one thousand eight hundred and eighty eight This sheet & the three sheets of paper hereto annexed were severally Signed and acknowledged by the above named Agnes Anna French as her will in the presence of us present at the same time who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses.
ON the 2nd day of April 1902 Probate of this Will Limited (as contained in this Draft) was granted to Edwin John French one of the Executors.
Notes
Agnes Anna French was the daughter of Joshua Lewin French (d.1884) and sister of William Henry French. She was living with her parents at 1 Horn Street in 1881, aged 33. The property which she inherited from her father was sold in 1887 for a total of £1,175 (Buckingham Advertiser, 19 Nov). In 1891 she, her aunt and cousin were living at 44 High Street. She was probably the Miss French who was allowed to address the Board of Guardians in 1892. She died at Fisherton Anger Without, part of Salisbury, in 1901. The Buckingham Advertiser (30 March) described her as "late of Winslow" and aged 54. The Leighton Buzzard Observer (19 March) called her "a well known former resident of the town". In fact she was admitted to Fisherton House Lunatic Asylum on 19 July 1900 (National Archives MH94/11 no.49548).