Will of Thomas Jones, farmer 1856 (proved 1857)

National Archives PROB 11/2260/213

This is the last Will and Testament of me Thomas Jones of Winslow in the County of Bucks Farmer  I bequeath unto my Wife Rachel for her absolute use and benefit All my household furniture plate linen glass china books pictures prints wines liquors housekeeping stores and provisions and other effects of the like nature  Also my pony, pony gig and harness and two heifers  And whereas my late Uncle John Jones deceased by his Will bequeathed to me during the joint lives of myself and my said wife a certain Leasehold Messuage lands and tenaments in Great Horwood in the said County of Bucks held by him under a lease from the Warden and Scholars of New College in Oxford and from and after the decease of either of us he bequeathed the same leasehold premises with the appurtenances to the survivor of us his or her executors administrators and assigns absolutely for all the residue and remainder of such term or term number or numbers of years as might then be therein to come and unexpired And whereas according to the usual custom with regard to Leases of a similar kind renewed leases have since been granted of the same leasehold premises to me my executors and administrators  Now in order to carry into effect the intention of my said Uncle and as far as may be to confirm the bequest so made or intended to be made in and by his said Will  I bequeath unto my said Wife in case she shall survive me All the said leasehold messuage lands and premises with their appurtenances To hold the same and every part thereof and all my estate and interest therein and thereto unto my said wife her executors administrators and assigns for all the residue remainder of such term or term number or numbers of years shall at the time of my decease be therein to come and unexpired I devise all the real estate to which I shall be entitled at my decease except estates vested in me as Trustee or Mortagee and I bequeath the residue of my personal estate to which I shall be then entitled to my Son in Law John Dover and my Brother in Law John Woolhead their heirs executors administrators and assigns respectively Upon trust to sell my real estate together or in parcels by Public Auction or Private Contract and to convert and get in my residuary personal estate  And by and out of the monies to arise from such sale and conversion to pay and discharge all incumbrances affecting my real estates or any part thereof either alone or jointly with the said leasehold premises hereinbefore bequeathed and any other estate or estates belonging to my said wife other than and except the principal sum of Eight Hundred pounds secured on Mortgage of certain freehold lands in Great Horwood aforesaid to which my said wife will become entitled on my decease under the Will of my said late Uncle John Jones deceased and all such other debts as I may justly owe at the time of my decease my funeral and testamentary expences and the costs and charges of and attending such sale and conversion  And to stand possessed of the clear residue of the monies to arise as aforesaid In trust for my daughters Elizabeth Woollhead Dover (wife of the said John Dover) Mary Ann Jones Rachel Ann Jones Anna Maria Jones Emily Jones and Catherine Ann Williatt Jones in equal shares and proportions nevertheless or and in such manner that my said daughter Elizabeth Woollhead Dover may receive as her share the sum of four[?] hundred pounds less than the share of each and every of my other daughters as I have already advanced her that sum in part and on account of her fortune  If any of my daughters shall die under the age of twenty five years without issue living at her decease then in trust ...

[p.2] [provisions if any daughters or trustees die]

I appoint my said son in law John Dover and my said Brother in Law John Woollhead to be Executors and Trustees of my Will and my said wife she continuing my widow and after her death or second marriage the said John Dover and John Woollhead and the survivor of them to be Guardian or Guardians of my infant children Lastly I revoke all other Wills  In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Jones the Testator have to every sheet of this my last Will and Testament contained in three sheets of paper set my hand this eighth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty six  Thomas Jones [signature] This sheet and the two preceding sheets of paper were severally signed by the said Thomas Jones the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the joint presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses the words ‘also my pony pony gig and harness and two heifers’ between the fourth and fifth lines from the top of the first sheet being first interlined

Dav(id) Tho(mas) Willis Solicitor Winslow 
Tho(ma)s R Brown his Clerk

Proved at London 14th November 1857 before the Worshipful John Elliot Pasley Robertson Doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the oaths of John Dover and John Woollhead the Executors to whom Administration was granted having been first sworn duly to administer


Notes

See the Blake Family page for more information. Thomas (1800-1857) was the son of Elizabeth Jones, nee Blake (1774-1856) and George Jones (d.1836). He married at Winslow 24 Sep 1828 Rachel Woollhead, who was probably his cousin (b. Thornborough, 1810).

Thomas was living at Alwyn House, 6 Buckingham Road in 1856 (Church Rate Book), and his widow Rachel was still there in 1863; they probably had the house built (not necessarily with its later name). Before that they lived at Singleborough. Rachel had moved to Watford with her daughter Catherine and a presumably illegitimate granddaughter Annie by 1871 (the birth was registered at Hastings in 1869 giving the mother's maiden name as Blake), and died there on 7 Oct 1873. Her will was proved by one of her executors, William Neal of The Bell. Farms at Great Horwood and the Lone Tree at Thornborough were advertised for sale after her death.

Elizabeth Woollhead Jones the eldest daughter married John Dover in 1853. In 1861 they were living at Red Hill Farm, Toddington, Beds, with 5 children. One of their servants, Emily Wesley aged 16, was born in Winslow.

Mary Ann got married in 1858, Hannah Maria in 1860 to John Woollhead (in 1861 they were living at Redlands Farm, Limpsfield, Surrey) and Emily in 1862 to Henry Bridgewater of Watford, a railway superintendent.

Copyright 22 February, 2019