Will of William Goodman of the Rose & Crown, 1745/6 (proved 1749)
Herts RO 191 AW3
In the Name of God Amen I William Goodman of Winslowe in the County of Bucks Inn keeper being weak in body but of sound & disposeing mind and understanding for which I blesse God Do make this my last Will & Testament in manner following (that is to say) I Give and Devise unto my loving wife Mary Goodman All that my Mesuage or Tenement in Winslowe aforesaid wherein I now dwell comonly called or known by the name or Signe of the Rose & Crown with all the Stables Barns Outhouses Buildings Ways Priviledges and Appurtenances whatsoever to the said Mesuage or Tenement belonging or in any way appertaining (All which premisses are Copyhold of Inheritance held of the Mannor of Winslowe aforesaid) To the use & Behoof of my said wife Mary Goodman her heires & Assignes forever I haveing already made a Surrender of all my Copyhold Mesuages Lands Tenements and hereditaments held of the said Mannor of Winslowe to such Uses as I should mention & declare in and by my last Will & Testament Also I Give and Bequeath unto my said wife Mary All my Goods Chattells & personall Estate whatsoever whom I make full & sole Executrix of this my last Will Upon this condition nevertheless and my Will and Mind is that my said wife Mary her heires Executors or Administrators shall out of my said Reall & Personall Estate so Given & Devised to her and them as aforesaid pay All my just Debts & the several Legacyes herein after mentioned in manner hereby appointed for payment of the same (Namely) to my Sonn George Goodman eighty pounds twelve months after my decease and if he shall happen to dye before his said Legacy becomes due Then I Give Forty pounds one Moiety thereof unto my Granddaughter Sarah daughter of my Sonn John Goodman dec(eas)ed and Forty pounds the other Moiety thereof to my Grandchildren William & Sarah Sonn & Daughter of John Gibbs of Winslowe aforesaid Cooper and (my daughter) Sarah his wife to be paid them att the time aforesaid I Give to my said Daughter Sarah Gibbs Sixty pounds to be paid her by my said wife Mary her heires Executors or Administrators out of the premisses within six months after my decease I give to my said two Grandchildren William Gibbs & Sarah Gibbs four pounds each to be paid them by my said wife Mary when they shall attain their respective Ages of twenty one years and if either of them dye under that Age Then I Give the Legacy of him or her so dying unto the Survivor of them And if both of them dye without lawfull Issue before they attain to the said age of twenty one years the said legacyes not to be paid but sink for the benefit of my Executrix And I Do hereby charge All & every my said copyhold Mesuage or Tenement & premisses aforesaid with the Appertenances & Also All my Personal Estate with the payment of my Debts & severall Legacyes herein before mentioned att the several times & in manner herein before by me appointed for payment of the same I Do hereby revoke all former Wills by me heretofore made & Do declare this only to be my last Will & Testament
In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal this fifteenth day of February 1745 and in the nineteenth year of the Reigne of our Sovereigne lord George the second King of Great Britain & so forth
Signed sealed published & Declared in the
presence of us who have hereunto Subscribed
our Names as Witnesses in the presence of the William Goodman [seal]
s(ai)d Testator & of each other 13th October 1749
Wm Hobbs Sworn the executrix above named
George Clarke No In(vento)ry before me
John Markham John Stephens Snr
- The text in italics was added when the will was proved.
- 15 February 1745 is an "old style" date, and corresponds to 1746 by the modern calendar.
- The Rose & Crown is now 7-9 Market Square.
- William Goodman's first wife was Sarah Jennings; see the will of her mother, Sarah King, d.1720. They were married at Winslow in 1715 when William was said to be from Buckingham. She was buried 11 June 1733. Giving his age as 40 he then pledged a bond on 30 July 1733 to marry Mary Harris of Great Horwood.
- William was buried 27 March 1749
- Mary then married Stephen Gibbs (16 Aug 1750) who held the Rose & Crown through her
Click on the picture for an image of the whole document:
William Goodman's children mentioned in the will were:
- John: b.1716, described as innholder when he pledged a bond on 3 Sep 1740 to marry Elizabeth Jones of Buckingham aged 21. He inherited his grandmother Sarah King's property in Horn Street in 1733 when his mother died. He died before the will was made, leaving a daughter Sarah. She was recorded as William's heir at the 1749 manor court.
- George: b.1717
- Sarah: b.1720, m. John Gibbs cooper; children William (b.1740), Sarah (b.1742)
William also seems to have had an illegitimate son William with Elizabeth Simons, bap. 1721