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Will of Robert Grainge of Little Horwood, esquire, 1741/2 (proved 1750)
National Archives, PROB 11/785/325
In the Name of God Amen I Robert Grainge of Little Horwood in the County of Bucks Esquire being weak in Body but of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding praised be God therefore do make and ordain this my last Will \and Testament/ in manner and form Following (that is to say) principally I commit my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Maker and Redeemer and my Body to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named and for what Worldly Estates I am possessed with I give will devise and bequeath the same as follows (Vizt) I give and devise all the ancient estates (Except those purchased by me or my Father) which came to me by Will and Descent whether Freehold Leasehold or Copyhold together with the Great Tyths of Little Horwood aforesaid and the Right of presentation to the vicarage thereof unto my three first cousins Elizabeth Kidgell Widow Francis [sic] Johnson Spinster and Amy Wells Widow And also all my Lands and Tenements whatsoever lying in the parishes of Ivinghoe and Pightlesthorne [Pitstone] To hold to them the said Elizabeth Kidgell Frances Johnson and Amy Wells their Heirs and assigns for ever as Tenants in Common and not Jointenants provided they or their Heirs pay thereout the sum of Four pounds per annum to Katherine Perkins for her Life for the Education of ten Poor Children yearly to be educated in Writing or Reading and also pay the like sum or annuity to her Successors and suffer her and them to live rent free in the School House in Little Horwood aforesaid Also I give and devise unto Robert Grainge of Padbury in the County of Bucks All that Messuage or Tenement wherein I now dwell at Little Horwood aforesaid together with the Farm and Lands thereunto belonging with the appurtenances To hold to him the said Robert Grainge his Heirs and Assigns for ever Also I give and devise unto Thomas Parratt son of William Parratt of Little Horwood aforesaid the Rest of the Land that belongs and appertains to the Farm (whether Freehold or otherwise) now in the occupation of William Woolman) with the appurtenances (part whereof I have already surrendered to him) To hold to him the said Thomas Parratt his Heirs and Assigns for ever Also I give and devise unto John Grainge of Padbury aforesaid All the Rest and Residue of my real and personal Estates whatsoever and wheresoever) not hereinbefore by me devised or bequeathed) and to his Heirs and Assigns for ever On trust nevertheless to sell and dispose of the Fee Simple and Inheritance thereof and to convey and execute the Deeds or Conveyances for Sale thereof in his own name to any purchaser or purchasers thereof as fully and Effectually as I myself might or could do (if alive) and the Money arising from the sale of such the Residue of my real and personal Estates shall equally share and divide (as soon as purchasers can conveniently be had and gotten for the same the best purchaser or purchasers being first preferred) Between the following people Namely Mary Woodward of Little Horwood my Kinswoman amongst all the Children of my Kinswoman Mary Tooley that are now living [the Will then list ‘all the children that are now living’ of the following kinswomen – Elizabeth Smith, Margaret King, Elizabeth Rose of Husband Crawley, Sarah Bearnsley of Littlemoor in Oxfordshire and Mary Mumford of Oxford] … Amongst all the children of Robert Pancard of London now living and if no Child to him amongst all the Children of Richard Pancard of Brightmore in Oxfordshire and if none to him amongst all the Children of John Pancard … and if none to him amongst all the Children of Abraham Catamore of Brightwell … Elizabeth Powell of Otmoor … Anne Bussby … Amongst all three Daughters of William Parratt aforesaid now living To or amongst John Grainge of High Wiccombe Cordwainer … Robert Grainge Son of Richard Grainge Junior of Wiccombe aforesaid Wheelwright and … Henry Grainge of Tring in the County of Hertford patten Solemaker And I do hereby appoint the said John Grainge and Robert Grainge of Padbury Executors of this my last Will and Testament (They paying out of my personal Estate and Effects my just debts and Funeral Expences) and direct and order them to have a Funeral Sermon preached at my Burial and to give a Threepenny Doll throughout the Town of Little Horwood aforesaid and also to give Mourning and pay for the same out of my personal Estate and Effects unto William Parratt and Mary his Wife Frances Moores Elizabeth Bull and William Ashpole my Servants And I do hereby revoke all former Wills and publish and declare this to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said Robert Grainge have hereunto set my hand and seal this Sixteenth day of March in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty one The mark of Robert Grainge Signed sealed published and declared by the said Testator to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names at the Request and in the presence of the said Testator William Curtis (signature) John Illing (signature) Geo(rge) Arrowsmith (signature)
This Will was proved at London before the Worshipfull Robert Chapman Doctor of Laws Surrogate to the Right Worshipfull John Bettesworth also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted On the First day of February in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred and Fifty by the Oaths of John Grainge and Robert Grainge the Executors named in the said Will To whom administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the deceased being first sworn duly to administer A definitive sentence being first pronounced and promulged for the validity of the said Will as by the Acts of Court ex(ecut)ed thereupon appears
PROB 11/791/3
Sentence for the validity of the Will of Rob(er)t Grainge Esq. deceasedIn the Name of God Amen We John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted rightly and duly proceeding in a certain Cause or Business of Proving by Witnesses the Testament or last Will in Writing of Robert Grainge late of Little Horwood in the County of Bucks Esquire deceased which is Controverted and remains undetermined before Us in Judgement between John Grainge one of the Executors named in the said Will the Party Promoting the said Cause or Business of the one part and Amey Wells Widow Elizabeth Kidgell Widow and Frances Johnson Spinster the Cousins German and next of kin of the said deceased in special and all others in special having or pretending to have any right title or Interest in the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased the Partys against whom the said Business is promoted on the other part and the Proctor of the said John Grainge praying sentence to be given and Justice to be done to his Party and the Proctor of the said Amey Wells also appearing and praying Justice to be done to his Party and the said Elizabeth Kidgell Widow and Frances Johnson Spinster in special and all others in general having been heretofore duly cited long and sufficiently expected and now also thrice called and no ways appealing but contumaciously absenting themselves pronounced contumacious And we in pain of such their Contumary having carefully and diligently searched into and considered of the whole Proceedings had and done in this Cause or Business and having observed all and singular the matters and things that in this behalf by Law ought to be observed We have thought fit and thus do think fitt to proceed to the giving our Definitive Sentence or final Decree in this Business in pain of the customary of the aforesaid Partys Cited Intimated and not appearing in manner and form following to wit Forasmuch as We have by the Acts enacted deduced alledged exhibited propounded proved and confessed in this Cause found and clearly discovered that the Proctor of the said John Grainge hath sufficiently and fully founded and proved his Intention deduced in a certain allegation and last Will and Testament of the said Robert Grainge deceased and other pleadings given in exhibited and on his behalf admitted in this Cause and now remaining in the Registry of this Court which said allegation last Will and Testament . . . We take and will have taken as if here read and inserted for us to pronounce as hereinafter and that nothing in this Cause hath been excepted propounded . . . pleaded proved or confessed which can in any wise defeat . . . the intention of the said John Grainge Therefore We John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws the Judge aforesaid first calling upon God and having him alone before our Eyes and having heard Council in the said Cause do pronounce . . . that the said Robert Grainge the Testator in this Cause deceased whilst living being of sound mind memory and understanding duly made and executed his last Will and Testament in Writing . . . pleaded in this Cause . . . bearing date the Sixteenth of March in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and forty nine and thereof named and appointed the said John Grainge and Robert Grainge his Executors and did give . . . and do all things as in the said Will is contained And We pronounce . . . for the force and validity of the last Will and Testament of the said Robert Grainge deceased to all Effects in Law whatsoever And We do approve and receive of the same and do decree Probate thereof to Issue under seal to the said John Grainge one of the Executors therein named by this our Definitive Sentence or final Decree which We read and promulge by these presents
J Bettesworth [signature] Thos Salusbury [signature]
[Given 28 Jan 1750[/1] in the Common Hall of Doctors Commons]
There are two other documents at TNA concerning the lawsuits about this will:
PROB 18/62/44: Probate lawsuit Grainge v Wells, Kidgell and Johnson, concerning the deceased Robert Grainge esq of Little Horwood, Buckinghamshire. Allegation (1750)
C 11/584/12: Plaintiffs: John Grainge yeoman of Padbury, Buckinghamshire and Robert Grainge of Padbury, an infant aged 18 years (by John Harris).
Defendants: Elizabeth Kidgell, Frances Johnson and Amy Wells.
(1750)
Notes
This Robert Grainge must have been a descendant of the Robert Grainge of Little Horwood whose will was proved in 1649. He was evidently the last of the family in Little Horwood, although the surname reappeared later.
The next presentation of a vicar of Little Horwood was not until 1775, when it was made by Kidgell Sandon. He was a grandson of Elizabeth Kidgell of Northall, Edlesborough (daughter of William Johnson), who in her will of 1761 (TNA, PROB 11/864/441) left her great tithes of Little Horwood to two other grandsons John Sandon and Thomas Sandon.