Will of Fanny Clara Hickox, spinster, 1920 (proved 1940)

Principal Probate Registry

In His Majesty’s High Court of Justice
The Principal Probate Registry.

BE IT KNOWN that Fanny Clara Hickox of 20 Horn Street Winslow Bletchley in the County of Buckingham spinster formerly of Staniford House Winslow Bletchley aforesaid died on the 6th day of January 1940 at 32 High Street Winslow Bletchley aforesaid
AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN that at the date hereunder written the last Will and Testament with three Codicils thereto (a copy whereof is hereunto annexed) of the said deceased was proved and registered at 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 was granted by the aforesaid Court to Charles Raymond Steele of 8 Finsbury Square in the County of London Solicitor the Executor named in the second Codicil Charles Richard Steele the Executor named in the said Will having died in the lifetime of the said deceased

And it is hereby certified that an Affidavit for Inland Revenue wherein it is shown that the gross value of the said Estate in Great Britain (exclusive of what the said deceased may have been possessed of or entitled to as a Trustee and not beneficially) amounts to £4921 -10 -11 and that the net value of the personal estate amounts to £4847 – 3 – 0 And it is further certified that it appears by a receipt signed by an Inland Revenue Officer on the said Affidavit that £145 – 15 – 11 on account of Estate Duty and interest on such duty has been paid.

Dated the 23rd day of February 1940

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost THIS IS THE LAST WILL AND TESTATMENT of me FANNY CLARA HICKOX of Horn Street Winslow in the County of Bucks First I REVOKE all former Wills and Testamentary dispositions by me made I APPOINT my friends CHARLES RICHARD STEELE of 6 Finsbury Square in the County of London Solicitor and THOMAS VAISEY of Winslow aforesaid Doctor of Medicine Executors and Trustees hereof And I bequeath to the said THOMAS VAISEY in case he shall prove my Will the sum of Ten pounds free of duty I GIVE DEVISE AND BEQUEATH all the property both real and personal to which I may be entitled at my decease or over which now I may have or may hereafter acquire any testamentary power of disposition unto Charles Richard Steele and Thomas Vaisey UPON TRUST to convert into money the same or such part thereof as shall not consist of money with full power to postpone such conversion at discretion and with and out of the nett monies produced by such conversion and with and out of my ready money to pay my funeral and testamentary expenses and debts and to invest the net monies remaining in the hands of my trustees in any investments authorised by law in the case of trust money with the power to vary any such investments at discretion and to stand possessed thereof and of the investments for the time being representing the same and of such part of my said property as shall remain unconverted IN TRUST for such of them my three nieces the daughters of my sister Mildred Sleath-Jones as shall survive me and attain the age of twenty one years or marry under that age for their sole and separate use and without power of anticipation and in the event of the failure of the trust hereinbefore declared my Trustees shall hold the said trust premises income thereof in trust for my said Sister absolutely for her sole and separate use and without power of anticipation notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained I expressly empower my Trustees at discretion to pay or apply from time to time any part of the income or capital of my estate for or towards the education maintenance or benefit of my said nieces or any of them AND I DECLARE that the said Charles Richard Steele and any other Executor or Trustee for the time being hereunder being a Solicitor or other person engaged in any profession or business shall be entitled to charge and be paid all usual professional or other charges for any business done by him or his firm in the premises whether in the ordinary course of his profession or business or not and although not of a nature requiring the employment of a Solicitor or other professional person.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of February One thousand nine hundred and twenty
Fanny C Hickox [signature]
Signed by the said Fanny Clara Hickox as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other (all being present at the same time) have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses
1st Witness          Dorothy Lambton [signature] Redfield Winslow Bucks  Spinster
2nd Witness         Annie Bailey [signature]  2 Park Road Winslow Bucks    Spinster

THIS IS A FIRST CODICIL to the LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT dated the twenty seventh day of February One thousand nine hundred and twenty of me FANNY CLARA HICKOX of 20 Horn Street Winslow in the County of Bucks Spinster which Codicil I make this twentieth day of May One thousand nine hundred and twenty nine.

1. WHEREAS my friend Dr. Vaisy died on the Second day of April One thousand nine hundred and twenty nine NOW I HEREBY APPOINT JOSEPH BOWRON BAKER of 6 Finsbury Square E.C. 2 EXECUTOR in his place to act jointly with CHARLES RICHARD STEELE as executor and trustee AND I DIRECT that the sum of Ten pounds which I bequeathed to the said Dr. Vaisy shall belong to the said Charles Richard Steele if he shall act as Executor of my said Will

2. WHEREAS since the date of my said Will I have joined with my Sister Mildred Sleath-Jones in the purchase in fee simple of the house 20 Horn Street Winslow aforesaid in which we reside NOW I HEREBY DECLARE AND DIRECT that my Trustees shall allow my said Sister Mildred Sleath-Jones to use and occupy the entirety of the house and premises for and during the term of her natural life and to enjoy for the same period he use of all my furniture and household effects in or about the premises at the time of my decease AND I DECLARE that my said Sister shall have full power by Will to dispose of all my share and interest in the said house and furniture in any way she may desire and in all other respects I confirm my said Will.

IN TESTIMONY whereof I have hereunto set my hand the day and year first above written.
SIGNED by the above named FANNY CLARA HICKOX as a First Codicil to her last Will and Testament in the presence of us both being 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
Witnesses:-         John H. Beamish [signature] The Vicarage, Winslow, Bucks  Clerk in Holy Orders
Louisa G. Shaw [signature] St [?]Laurence Close, Winslow, Bucks                   Householder

THIS IS A SECOND CODICIL to the last Will and Testament bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February One thousand nine hundred and twenty of me FANNY CLARA HICKOX now of Staniford House High Street Winslow Bletchley in the County of Bucks Spinster which Codicil I make this first day of January One thousand nine hundred and thirty five.

1. WHEREAS the First Codicil dated the Twentieth day of May One thousand nine hundred and twenty nine of my said Will (inter alia) I appointed Joseph Bowron Baker to act jointly with Charles Richard Steele as Executor and Trustee NOW I HEREBY REVOKE such appointment of Joseph Bowron Baker AND I HEREBY APPOINT CHARLES RAYMOND STEELE of 6 Finsbury Square in the County of London Solicitor in his place  to act jointly with CHARLES RICHARD STEELE as Executor and Trustee of my Will and Codicils AND I HEREBY BEQUEATH to the said  Charles Raymond Steele the sum of TEN POUNDS free of duty if he shall act as Executor of my said Will

IN TESTIMONY whereof I have hereunto set my hand to the Second Codicil to my last Will and Testament the day and year first above written.

Fanny C. Hickox [signature]
Staniford House Winslow Bucks

SIGNED by the above named FANNY CLARA HICKOX as and for a Second Codicil to her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses:- Annie Bailey [signature] 2 Park Road Winslow Bucks Foster Mother
Fanny Langley [signature] No 1 Park Road Winslow, Bucks House wife

THIS IS THE THIRD CODICIL to the last Will and Testament bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February One thousand nine hundred and twenty of me FANNY CLARA HICKOX of “Staniford House” High Street Winslow Bletchley in the County of Bucks Spinster which Codicil I make this 6th day of March One thousand nine hundred and thirty six WHEREAS the financial circumstances of my Sister MILDRED SLEATH-JONES have altered since the date of my said Will and I am desirous of making further provision for her NOW I HEREBY BEQUEATH unto my Sister the said Mildred Sleath-Jones and in priority of all other bequests made by my said Will other than specific and pecuniary legacies

(a) AN Annuity of Fifty pounds a year free of duty and income tax such annuity to be paid to her by equal quarterly payments the first payment to be made Three months after the date of my decease

(b) THE right to reside rent free in the house I own jointly with her as long as she may wish to do so Providing that she shall during her occupation thereof discharge all outgoings in connection therewith and keep and maintain the same in a good state of repair and fully insured against fire in the name of my Trustees

(c) THE right to use and enjoy during her lifetime all or any of my furniture and household effects of whatever nature other than money securities for money or documents of title Provided that she shall keep the same insured against loss or damage by fire at her own expense and in the name of my Trustees

(d) SUBJECT to the above provisions I GIVE DEVISE AND BEQUEATH all my property whether real or personal of whatever nature and wheresoever situate unto my Trustees upon Trust to divide the same equally between my three nieces the daughters of my sister Mildred Sleath-Jones or equally between such of them as shall survive me for their sole and separate use upon their attaining the age of twenty one years or marrying under that age

(e) AND I further declare that none of my executors or trustees nor any of them shall be responsible in any way for any of my household furniture and effects or other articles of which my sister the said Mildred Sleath-Jones may use and enjoy under the terms hereinbefore provided

IN TESTIMONY whereof I have hereunto set my hand to the Third Codicil to my last Will and Testament the day and year first above written.
Fanny C. Hickox [signature]

SIGNED by the above named FANNY CLARA HICKOX as and for a Third Codicil to her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses:-
John H. Beamish [signature] The Vicarage, Winslow, Bucks Clerk in Holy Orders
R.J. Matthews [signature] Arundel House Winslow, Bucks Retired Builder


Note

Fanny Clara Hickox (b.1861, Southsea) was the daughter of Frances Hickox (1832-1916) and granddaughter of George Maydon (d.1872). She lived at 20 Horn Street from about 1900, and she and her sister Mildred Sleath Jones bought it in 1929, but by 1935 she had gone to live at Staniford House (32 High Street), as tenant of Bessie Turner (nee Ingram). The change in her sister's financial circumstances mentioned in the third codicil must have been divorce.

1940: Bucks Herald, 12 Jan
The death of Miss Fanny Clara Hickox which occurred on Saturday at the age of 78, removes a well known figure from Winslow life. Miss Hickox, who had lived in Winslow for about 46 years, was the second daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hickox. Mr. Hickox was in the Civil Service and his wife was a member of the family of Maydon, well known in farming circles in this district. Miss Hickox was a devoted Church woman and as district visitor and Sunday School teacher had done much work for the Church at Winslow. She made many gifts in an unobtrusive manner, and if new hymn books or cassocks and surplices were required, was always ready to supply them. For many years she was the local representative of the London Children's Holiday Scheme, and did a great deal of hard work in placing the children in suitable homes and looking after their comfort during their stay. She was also interested in the Spiritual Healing Movement. She had been in poor health for some time and her death was not unexpected.

Copyright 12 December, 2023