Will of Mildred Sleath Jones, 1940 (proved 1949)

Principal Probate Registry

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

BE IT KNOWN that Mildred Sleath Jones of 20 Horn Street Winslow Buckinghamshire Widow died there on the 6th day of February 1949
AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN that at the date hereunder written the last Will and Testament (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 London E.C.2 Solicitor the sole Executor named in the said Will

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 £4007 – 10 – 8 and that the net value of the personal estate amounts to £3969 – 13 – 5 And it is further certified that it appears by a receipt signed by an Inland Revenue Officer on the said Affidavit that £119 – 4 – 0 on account of Estate Duty and interest on such duty has been paid.

Dated the 21st day of March 1949

THIS IS THE LAST WILL and TESTAMENT of me MILDRED SLEATH JONES of 20 Horn Street Winslow Bletchley in the County of Buckingham which I make this 20th day of February One thousand nine hundred and forty
I HEREBY REVOKE all former Wills Codicils and Testamentary dispositions heretofore made by me and declare this to be my last Will

  1. I appoint Charles Raymond Steele of 6 Finsbury Square in the County London Solicitor to be Executor and Trustee hereof and give devise and bequeath to him the sum of Ten pounds free of duty
  2. I give devise and bequeath all the rest residue and remainder of my estate of whatsoever nature and wheresoever situate including all property of which I have power to dispose by Will unto and between my three Daughters or such of them as shall be living at my death in equal shares for their own use and benefit absolutely provided that should by [sic] Daughter Theodora have taken prior to my death Final Vows and become a Sister of the Anglican Church then such of my estate to which she would otherwise have been entitled shall go to and be equally divided between my two other Daughters or the survivor of them as my Daughter Theodora will be well provided for
  3. IT is my desire that on the death of any of my said Daughters such balance as may then be existing of any benefits received by such deceased Daughter from my estate shall be by her bequeathed equally between such other Daughters of mine as may be then living (other than Theodora if she shall by then have taken Final Vows as before mentioned)
  4. I direct that any Executor or Trustee of this my Will being a Solicitor or other professional person shall be entitled to charge and be paid for professional and other work done by him or his firm in connection with my estate in the same manner as if he had been appointed by my Executor so to act

IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand to this my Will the day and year first above written
Mildred Sleath Jones [signature]
SIGNED by the above named Testatrix Mildred Sleath Jones as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us both 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:-
M. Moores [signature] 11 Park Road Winslow
Phyllis M. Moores [signature] 11 Park Road Winslow

THIS is a First Codicil to the Will dated the twenty second day of February One thousand nine hundred and forty of me Mildred Sleath Jones of 20 Horn Street Winslow in the County of Buckingham Spinster which I make this 3rd day of August One thousand nine hundred and forty

WHEREAS by Clause 2 of my said Will I have provided that my Daughter Theodora should not benefit from my residuary estate if she shall have taken prior to my death final vows and become a Sister of the Anglican Church

  1.  NOW I HEREBY PROVIDE that if my said Daughter Theodora is a member of the sisterhood whether Novice or fully fledged Sister at the time of my death then such of my estate to which she would otherwise have been entitled shall go to and be equally divided between my two other Daughters or the survivor of them.
  2.  In all other respects I confirm my said Will.

IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand to this my Will the day and year first above written
M.S. Jones [signature]
SIGNED by the said Mildred Sleath Jones as a codicil to her Will dated the 22nd  day of February 1940 in the presence of us 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:-
Kate McIntyre [signature] 9 Horn Street Winslow
Elizabeth Mary Matthews [signature] 9 Horn Street Winslow

Note

Mildred Sleath Jones (b.1874) was the daughter of Frances Hickox (nee Maydon) (d.1916) and her husband Walter. She married Jesse Jones, farmer of Middle Claydon, in 1900. She left him in 1906 and went to live with her mother and sisters at 20 Horn Street, q.v. for more about her marital difficulties. She and her sister Fanny Clara Hickox (d.1940) later bought the house. Mildred and her daughters were the beneficiaries of her sister's will.

The daughters mentioned in the will (there was also one who died young) are:

Copyright 12 December, 2023