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Will of Thomas Morecraft senior, butcher, 1807
Herts RO 243 AW4
This is the last will and testament of me Thomas Morecraft the elder of Winslow in the county of Bucks, butcher who being sick and weak in body but of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding do make publish and declare the same in writing in manner and form following, that is to say, First I will desire and direct that all my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses be duly paid and satisfied out of my personal estate by my executors hereinafter named and appointed. I give devise and bequeath all those my freehold and copyhold messuages cottages tenements lands hereditaments and premises and every of them with their and every of their rights members and appurtenances situate standing lying and being in the parishes of Winslow aforesaid and of Grandborough in the said County of Bucks (the copyhold parts where are already surrendered to the use of my last will) and also all my ready monies and securities for money debts due and owing to me stock in trade goods chattels personal estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature kind or description soever the same shall be (after payment thereout as hereinbefore desired and directed of my funeral and testamentary expences and just debts due and owing from me) at the time of my decease unto my beloved wife Ann Morecraft and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life or until her marriage after my decease but not longer, and from and immediately after her decease or marriage after my decease (which shall first happen) then I do hereby give and devise all and singular those my three freehold messuages or tenements situate standing and being in Winslow aforesaid in the said county of Bucks with all and every the erections yards gardens rights members and appurtenances to them belonging and now in the several occupations of myself, John Bunce and Henry Holt, And also that my copyhold messuage or tenement and premises with the rights members and appurtenances thereto belonging also situate standing and being in and holden of the manor of Winslow aforesaid in the said county of Bucks and mow in my own occupation And also all that my copyhold close of pasture land which I bought and purchased of and from John Tookey and now in my own occupation and situate in and holden of the Manor of Winslow aforesaid in the said County of Bucks with the rights members and appurtenances to the same close of pasture land belonging (which said three freehold messuages or tenements and copyhold messuage or tenement and close of pasture land are all the freehold and part and parcel of the copyhold hereditaments and premises hereinbefore given and devised unto my said wife Ann Morecraft) unto my son John Morecraft his heirs and assigns for ever subject nevertheless to the proviso hereinafter mentioned in case of the decease of the said John Morecraft under the age of twenty one years and without \leaving/ lawful heirs, and also subject to and charged and chargeable and I do hereby subject and charge all and singular the same freehold and copyhold hereditaments and premises hereinbefore given and devised unto the said John Morecraft his heirs and assigns to and with the payment thereout of the sum of One Hundred Pounds of lawful money current in Great Britain to be divided and paid or disposed of in the manner hereinafter directed and appointed. And also from and immediately after the decease or marriage of my said wife Ann Morecraft which shall first happen I do hereby given and devise all that my copyhold close of pasture ground (lately divided into two several closes and called or known by the names of Jenning’s Close (which I bought and purchased of Richard Gibbs) and Dudley’s Close (and which I bought of John Dudley) and also all those my two copyhold cottages or tenements now occupied by Richard Cox and Francis Warner and being in the said close called Jenning’s Close situate standing lying and being within and holden of the Manor of Winslow aforesaid in the said County of Bucks, with their and every of their rights members and appurtenances rents issues and profits (being
[page 2] another part and parcel of the copyhold hereditaments and premises hereinbefore given and devised unto my said wife Ann Morecraft) unto my son Thomas Morecraft, his heirs and assigns for ever subject nevertheless to the proviso hereinafter contained in case of the death of the said Thomas Morecraft under the age of twenty-one years and without leaving lawful issue, and also subject to and charged and chargeable and I do hereby subject and charge all and singular the same copyhold hereditaments and premises hereinbefore given and devised unto my said son Thomas Morecraft, his heirs and assigns to and with the payment thereout of the sum of Two Hundred Pounds of lawful money current in Great Britain to be applied and disposed of in the manner and form hereinafter directed and appointed. And also from and immediately after the decease or marriage of my said wife Ann Morecraft which shall first happen I do hereby give and devise all those my two copyhold closes of meadow ground or pasture land commonly called Rose’s-meadows and which I purchased of Richard Rose, now in my own occupation and situate lying and being within and holden of the Manor of Winslow aforesaid in the said County of Bucks (being another part of the copyhold hereditaments and premises hereinbefore given and devised unto my said wife Ann Morecraft) with the rights members and appurtenances rents issues and profits thereof unto my son George Morecraft his heirs and assigns for ever subject nevertheless to the proviso hereinafter contained in case of the death of the said George Morecraft under the age of twenty-one years and without leaving lawful issue, and also subject to and charged and chargeable and I do hereby subject and charge all and singular the said copyhold hereditaments and premises hereby given and devised to the said George Morecraft his heirs and assigns to and with the payment thereout of the sum of Two Hundred Pounds of lawful money current in Great Britain to be applied and disposed of in the manner and form hereinafter directed and appointed. And also from and immediately after the decease or marriage of my said wife Ann Morecraft which shall first happen I do hereby give and devise all that my newly inclosed piece or parcel of copyhold pasture land which I purchased of John Mayne or his trustee or trustees now in my own occupation and situate lying and being in the parish of Grandborough in the said County of Bucks and being part and parcel of and lying within the Manor of Winslow aforesaid in the said County of Bucks (being the residue and remainder of my copyhold hereditaments and premises hereinbefore given and devised unto my said wife Ann Morecraft) with the rights members and appurtenances rents issues and profits thereof unto my son James Morecraft, his heirs and assigns for ever subject nevertheless to the proviso hereinafter contained in case of the death of the said James Morecraft under the age of twenty-one years and without leaving lawful issue, and also subject to and charged and chargeable and I do hereby subject and charge all and singular the said copyhold hereditaments and premises hereby given and devised unto the said James Morecraft, his heirs and assigns to and with the payment thereout of the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Pounds of lawful money current in Great Britain to be applied and disposed of in the manner and form hereinafter directed and appointed. And also from and immediately after the decease or marriage of my said wife Ann Morecraft which shall first happen I do hereby give and bequeath all and singular my ready monies and securities for money debts due and owing to me stock in trade goods chattels personal estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature kind denomination or description soever the same shall be (after payment thereout of my funeral and testamentary expences and just debts due and owing from me and of my said wife’s funeral and testamentary expenses and debts in case she shall die my widow and unmarried) unto my said four sons John Morecraft Thomas Morecraft George Morecraft and James Morecraft their executors, administrators and assigns absolutely to be equally divided amongst them share and share alike. And my will and mind is
[page 3] and I do hereby order and direct and appoint that the sum of six hundred and fifty pounds to arise and be made up from the addition of the several sums of one hundred pounds two hundred pounds two hundred pounds and one hundred and fifty pounds hereinbefore charged and chargeable upon and to be paid out of the several and respective freehold and copyhold hereditaments and premises hereinbefore respectively given and devised unto my said four sons John Morecraft Thomas Morecraft George Morecraft and James Morecraft their heirs and assigns shall from and immediately after the decease or marriage of my said wife Ann Morecraft be divided applied and disposed of in the manner and form following, that is to say, unto my son Joseph Morecraft the legacy or sum of two hundred pounds or lawful money current in Great Britain. Unto each of my three daughters Mary Morecraft Elizabeth Morecraft and Ann Morecraft the legacy or sum of one hundred and fifty pounds apiece of like lawful money, to whom respectively I do hereby give and bequeath the said several legacies or sums of money to be paid and payable to them from and out of the said sum of six hundred and fifty pounds to be raised as aforesaid if and when they shall respectively attain the age of twenty-one years or be married with the consent of their guardians which shall first happen, the annual interest of their said several and respective legacies in the mean time from and after the decease of their mother or her marriage I do hereby will and direct to be paid and applied for and towards their maintenance clothing education and advancement in the world provided always and my will is that in case either or any of them my said four sons John Morecraft Thomas Morecraft George Morecraft and James Morecraft shall happen to depart this life under the age of twenty-one years and without leaving lawful issue then I do hereby give and devise all and singular the freehold and copyhold hereditaments and premises hereinbefore given and devised to him or them so dying under the age of twenty-one years and without leaving lawful issue as aforesaid unto the survivors of them, their heirs and assigns for ever to be equally divided amongst them share and share alike as tenants in common and not as joint-tenants provided also and my further will is that in case any or either of them my said son and daughters Joseph Morecraft Mary Morecraft Ann Morecraft and Elizabeth Morecraft shall happen to depart this life under the age of twenty one years and u\n/married then and in such case I do hereby give and bequeath the legacy or legacies hereinbefore given and bequeathed or directed or appointed to be paid unto him her or them so dying under the age of twenty-one years and unmarried as aforesaid unto the survivors of all and every of them my said five sons and three daughters to be equally divided amongst them share and share alike, absolutely for ever anything hereinbefore contained to the contrary thereof notwithstanding. And lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said beloved wife Ann Morecraft during her widowhood or until her marriage after my decease (but not any longer) and my said sons John Morecraft Thomas Morecraft George Morecraft and James Morecraft to be the executrix and executors of this my last will and testament and also the guardians and trustees of and over the persons and estates of my younger children during their respective minorities, and do hereby also revoke and make void all and every former and other wills and will codicils and codicil by me at any times or time heretofore made and published and declare this writing to be and contain my true and only last will and testament. In witness whereof I the said Thomas Morecraft the testator have to the bottom of each of the two preceding sheets of this my last will and testament written upon one side of three sheets of paper affixed together set my hand or name only and my hand or name and seal to this third and last sheet thereof this fourth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seven.
[signed] Thomas Morecraft
Signed sealed published and declared by the said Thomas Morecraft the testator and for his last will and testament in the presence and sight of us, who at his request in his presence and in the presence and sight of each other have hereunder written our names as witnesses to the legal publication and execution thereof
[signed]
Robert Ivatts
William Turnham
Rich(ar)d Barton Sen(io)r
[another hand] This 12th Day of November 1807 Ann Morecraft the executrix and John Morecraft one of the executors above named (the others reserved being minors) were duly sworn as such and that the personal estate of the testator was sworn under two hundred pounds before me Jonathan Brigges Surrogate.
Notes
Thomas Morecraft married Ann Gibbs in 1785; see the will of Ann Morecraft, widow, proved 1828 for more about the family. He was baptised in 1749, son of Thomas and Ann Morecraft, and was the brother of Ann Morecraft Fountain, will proved 1837, q.v. for more information.