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Will of Joseph Gurney, 1727 (proved 1728)
Herts RO 165 AW13
In The Name of God Amen I Joseph Gurney of the Parish of Winslow in the County of Bucks being of good, sound, and disposing Mind memory & Understanding (thanks be given to Almighty God) therefore do make & ordain this my last Will and Testament this twenty fifth Day of August in the year of our Lord God one Thousand Seven hundred and twenty seven in manner following (That is to say) Imprimis I commend my soul to the Almighty and Commit my body to the Grave to be buried in the Church-yard of Winslow aforesaid — As to my worldly Goods & Estate I dispose thereof and as followeth - Unto my Loving Wife Dorothy Gurney I give & bequeath my Dwelling-House out-houses, & appurtenances thereto belonging (according to a surrender made of the same which now lies in ye hands of Mr Peter Stuchberry, & Mr Wm Hobbs) for her Natural life, Provided She continues a widow, & unmarried after my deceasse - But no longer, unless it shall be thought for her for her own, & childrens good & advantage a second time to alter her Condition; And it shall be so adjudged & approved of by my Loving Friends Mr John Gurney Malster of Buckingham, & Mr John Eeles of ye Parish of Quainton, whom I do hereby nominate & Appoint my Trustees & Executors of this my last Will & Testament. Item - I give & bequeath to my Loving Wife all my House-hold goods, furniture, moneys, Books, Mathematical instruments & all my worldly effect profits & Commodities whatsoever - in order to provide for & Maintain together with herself my fore dear
[page 2] Children, to whose sole Care & management under ye hand of God I do hereby commit them - Only I farther Will, & advise (tha)t She my g(oo)d Loving Wife will upon any Emergency & upon all needful Occasions apply her self to my Abovementioned Loving Friends Mr John Gurney of Buckingham & Mr John Eeles of Quainton (my Trustees & Executors of this my Last Will & Testament) for their very good advice, & Counsel, & direction, in providing for my g(oo)d children, & the management of all my Effects.
That notwithstanding what is, or shall be contained in this my last Will & Testament - I Will, & desire & ordain (tha)t all my Creditors be satisfied for my just Debts, to which End & Purpose I will & ordain (tha)t the Corner Cuboard, Tea-Table, Clock, Sylver Cupp, & Bell - Bed, & Peer Glass, & any other of my Effects which might be most conveniently spared by my Loving Wife, may be sold to the best advantage - And should it so happen, (tha)t my effects, & Goods should not sufficiently answer the just & legal demands of my Creditors, I further will & ordain, (tha)t my Dwelling-house be mortgaged for ye full payment of ye same—
In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand & seal the Day & year abovementioned
Joseph Gurney [signature]
Published, Sealed & Delivered
in ye presence of James Edmunds [signature]
William Hobbs [signature]
Peter Stutchbury [signature]
[Latin] 6to Septembris 1728 intronominati Johannes Gurney & Johannes Eeles [deletion] jurat' de veritate huiusmodi coram me Johanne Cole surro
[translation] On 6 September 1728 the within-named John Gurney and John Eeles were sworn about the truth of this before me, John Cole, surrogate.
Notes
Joseph Gurney was buried, with his daughter Mary (bap. 17 July 1726), on 8 Sep 1727. He married Dorothy Eeles at Quainton on 13 Feb 1714/15. His other children were John (bap. at Winslow 11 Dec 1715, bur. 12 July 1723), Mary (bap. at Quainton 17 March 1716/17, bur. at Winslow 20 July 1718), Elizabeth (bap. at Winslow May 1719), Joseph (11 June 1721), John (24 Feb 1722/3) and Ann (1 Nov 1724; m. George Smith in 1744).
Joseph Gurney was described as schoolmaster when he insured his house and contents in 1725. He was one of the witnesses of the will of Joseph Rogers (1723) which set up the Rogers Free School, but he may have run his own school before that was established. "Gurney's widow" received support from the church in 1730-31. The house in which Dorothy Gurney lived was acquired by Peter Goldsworth in 1743, and later became the school run by Thomas Rawbone (1-5 Bell Walk).