Will of Ann Morecraft, widow, 1824 (proved 1828)
Herts RO 264AW2
This is the last Will and Testament of me Ann Morecraft of Winslow in the County of Bucks Widow First I give and bequeath unto my Daughters Mary the Wife of John King of Barnhill in the parish of Whaddon in the said County of Bucks Dairyman and Elizabeth the Wife of George King of Winslow aforesaid Grocer All my Wearing Apparel and Ornaments of my person of every description household and Table Linen equally to be divided between them share and share alike Also I give and bequeath unto my Grand-daughters Elizabeth Ann Jones and Nancy Morecraft Jones (the Children of my late Daughter Ann Jones deceased) the Legacy or Sum of ten pounds each of lawful British Money to be paid to them respectively on their attaining the Age of twenty one years And in the mean time from and after my decease until they shall respectively attain such Age I direct the said Legacies or Sums of Money to be placed in some Bank for Savings on their Account and that the same may accumulate for their Benefit With Benefit of Survivorship amongst them as to the Legacy of either of them dying under that Age and without Issue But in case my said Grand-daughters shall both depart this life under the Age of twenty one years and without Issue then and in such case I do hereby give and bequeath the said several Legacies or Sums of Money with the Accumulations thereof to George Jones the Younger (father of the said Elizabeth Ann Jones and Nancy Morecraft Jones) and direct the same to be paid to him as soon as conveniently may be after the decease of the Survivor of them the said Elizabeth Ann Jones and Nancy Morecraft Jones as aforesaid And as to all my household Goods and Furniture Plate China ready Money and Securities for Money and all other the rest and residue of my personal Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever not hereinbefore by me specifically disposed of and over which I have a disposing power or what shall be and remain thereof after fully satisfying paying and discharging all such Debts as I may justly owe at the time of my decease my funeral and testamentary Expenses and the several Legacies or Sums of Money by me hereinbefore given and bequeathed I give and bequeath the same and every part thereof and all my Estate and Interest therein and thereto unto my Sons and Daughters John Morecraft the said Mary King Thomas Morecraft the said Elizabeth King George Morecraft and James Morecraft equally to be divided between them share and share alike And I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said Son and Daughter John Morecraft and Mary King joint Executor and Executrix of this my last Will and Testament And my Mind and Will also is and I do direct that my said Executor and Executrix shall each of them be answerable for his and her own Acts and Deeds only and not the one of them for the other of them And that they or either of them shall not be answerable for any more monies than shall be actually received by them or come of their Hands respectively nor for any Loss or Reduction therein without their or one of their wilful neglect or default And also that they shall retain all their Costs Charges Damages and Expenses in the Trusts or Executorship of this my Will out of the Estate and Effects in them respectively vested by virtue thereof or out of the Monies arising therefrom In Witness whereof I the said Ann Morecraft the Testatrix have to the first Sheet of this my last Will and Testament contained on two Sheets of paper set my hand only and to this second and last Sheet thereof my Hand and Seal this thirteenth day of July in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand eight hundred and twenty four
[signed] Ann Morecraft
Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the said Ann Morecraft the Testatrix as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in her presence at her request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses thereto
[signed] Char. Willis
Fred: Willis
[another hand]
Archdeaconry of St Albans – The twenty eighth day of March 1828
John Morecraft and Mary King the Executor and Executrix in this Will named were duly sworn as such And that the personal estate of the deceased doth not amount in the whole to the sum of three hundred pounds to the best of their knowledge and belief
Before me James Preedy, Surrogate
Notes
Ann Morecraft, nee Gibbs (buried 15 Oct 1827 aged 67) was the widow of Thomas Morecraft, butcher (d.1807), and the niece of William Gibbs, glover. She was married at Winslow on 25 May 1785 (witnesses Robert Gibbs, Mary Dudley, Ann Morecraft).
See also the wills of her sons John Morecraft, butcher (1785-1859), Thomas Morecraft (1788-1861) and James Morecraft, butcher (1800-1844) and the administration of her daughter Ann Jones (1828). Another daughter Elizabeth married the grocer George King (1802-84).