Will of Samuel Yeates, attorney, 1777

National Archives PROB 11/1039/199

This is the last Will and Testament of me Samuel Yeates of Winslow in the County of Bucks Attorney at Law made in sound Mind Memory and Understanding I give devise and bequeath All and every my personal Estate Goods and Chattels of any nature or kind whatsoever be the same Bonds Notes of Hands or Securities for Money unto my dear wife Bridget Yeates her Heirs Executors Administrators or Assigns for ever subject to the payments hereafter mentioned that is to say I give unto my Daughter the Wife of Thomas Bailey one Annuity or clear yearly sum of Ten pounds to be paid unto my said Daughter by half yearly payments during her natural Life and not subject to the Controul or Debts of her said pres(en)t Husband or any future Husband  and do direct that her Receipt for that Annuity or any part thereof shall be sufficient for the same the first payment of such Annuity to begin and commence six months next after my Decease  I give and bequeath unto my wicked Son Thomas Yeates one Annuity or clear yearly sum of Ten Pounds to be paid unto my said wicked son by half yearly payments during his natural Life the first payment of such Annuity to begin and commence after he shall attain his age of twenty five years and not before  I give and bequeath unto my faithful Maid Servant Elizabeth Eden Twenty pounds beyond what I now owe her by a Note of my Hand and wages or otherwise now due  I give and bequeath unto Margaret the now wife of John Bennett Five pounds lawful Money of Great Britain after payment of all my Just Debts and Funeral Expences  I do give devise and bequeath unto my said dear Wife all the Rest Residue and Remainder of my personal Estate not herein before by me given devised bequeathed or disposed of To hold unto my said Wife Bridget Wates [sic] her Heirs Executors Adm(inistrat)ors and Assigns at her own free will and disposal  I do appoint my said Wife Bridget Yeates sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament  In Witness whereof I the s(ai)d Testator Samuel Yates have to this my Will contained in one Sheet of paper set my Hand and Seal this third day of November in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven

Sam(uel) Yeates  [seal]

Signed Sealed and delivered then published and declared by the above named Testator Samuel Yeates as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us and in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed Our Names as Witnesses hereto

The Mark of Anna Maria Eden 
Cha(rle)s Bowler 
Matthew Deverell

This Will was proved at London the thirteenth day of December in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven before the Worshipful Andrew Ducarel Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipful Sir George Hay Knight also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oath of Bridget Yeates Widow the Relict of the deceased and sole Executrix named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased having been first sworn duly to administer

exd.

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Notes

Samuel Yeates (b.1723) married Bridget Smith (b.1730) at Padbury in 1749 (Centre for Bucks Studies D/A/M/Y/7). He was in Winslow by 1746 when there is a reference to "young Yates who is come to Winslow" as an attorney who might act for the Verneys (Verney Letters of the Eighteenth Century, 2.211); apparently he was independent of Nicholas Merwin. He was buried at Padbury on 4 Dec 1777. His "wicked son" Thomas (d.1816) married his "faithful maidservant" Elizabeth Eden at Winslow on 21 Sep 1778. Thomas inherited all his father's estate anyway, under the will of his mother (d.1797).

He evidently prospered, as the coach duty records show he kept a 2-wheeled chaise, but he apparently did not invest in land. He probably worked for the Lowndes family, as he was witness to the will of Richard Lowndes (d.1775).