Will of John Seaton, butcher, 1737 (proved 1758)
Herts RO 196AW11
In the name of God Amen I John Seaton of Winslowe in the County of Bucks Butcher Indisposed in body but of sound Minde praised be God do make this my Last Will First I resign my soul to God that gave it My Body I comitt to the Earth As for wor<l>dly estate I give unto Elizabeth and Mary my Daughters Five pounds a peice to be paid in twelve months after my wifes Decease – also I give unto Elizabeth my Wife all that the revertion expectant upon the Decease of Ann Seaton my Mother of all (tha)t cottage or ten(em)ent scituate in Great Horn street in Winslowe aforesaid during the Term of her natural life [deletion] and after her decease I give the same unto John Seaton my son and his Heires paying unto the said Elizabeth and Mary my Daughters the said Five pounds a peice in twelve \months/ after he shall be in possesion of the same p(re)misses if they shall be then liveing \respectively/ All my personall estate I give to the said Elizabeth my wife for the Education and maintenance of my Children And do make my said Wife sole Executrix of this my Will and Do revoke all Former Wills and declare this to be my Last Will and Testam(en)t this twelfth day Aprill 1737.
[signed] John Seaton
Signed Sealed Published and Declared In the p(re)sence of us who have hereunto Subscribed our names in the p(re)sence of the Testator
[signed] John Cox
Nicho(la)s Merwin
John Pilkington
Notes
There were several John Seatons, at least two with wives called Elizabeth, which makes identification difficult. This John Seaton was probably the one buried on 30 April 1737. His will was not proved until his wife's death 21 years later (see will and inventory of Elizabeth Seaton, 1758). The reasons for this emerge in a dossier of papers concerning the aftermath of Elizabeth's death.
Ann Seaton widow, perhaps the mother mentioned in the will, was buried 9 July 1751. In 1754, Elizabeth Seaton was admitted tenant of a cottage in Great Horn Street under the will of her husband John.
John Seaton married Elizabeth Bayly at Quainton on 9 Jan 1721/2. Their children were probably born in 1722 (Elizabeth), 1724 (John) and 1727 (Mary), but they were not mentioned in Elizabeth's will. John's will suggests that they were still children when he made it, so it is unlikely that they were from an earlier marriage. John jr moved to Dunstable, from where he brought a case in the Archdeacon's Court against his mother's heirs.