WILL OF ROBERT EDMONDS proved 1816
In The Name of God Amen. I Robert Edmonds of Lowestoft in the County of Suffolk, Gentleman, being of sound Mind, Memory and Understanding do Make Publish and Declare my Last Will and Testament in manner following (that is to say) In the first place I do nominate constitute and appoint my son John and my friends Edward Mills of Lowestoft aforesaid, Gentleman, and John Barrett of the same place, cordwainer, Executors of this my Will and I Will and direct that all my funeral and Testamentary expenses be paid and satisfied by my said Executors out of my (unreadable) personal estate as soon as conveniently can be after my decease.
And I give and bequeath unto my dear wife Martha the use of all my Household Furniture, plate, china, Brass, Pewter, bedding, Household Linen and Implements of Household during her life and it is my will that an inventory be made thereof and be signed by my said wife and kept by my said Executors and a duplicate made of such inventory be signed by my said Executors and kept by my said wife.
And I do Authorise and Empower Order and Direct my said Executors and the survivors and survivor of them his executors or administrator as soon after the decease of my said wife as conveniently cam be to convert my said Household Furniture, Plate, China, Brass, Pewter, bedding, Household Linen and implements of Household into Money.
Also I give and devise unto my said wife and her assigns All that my Copyhold Tenement or Dwelling House with the Edifices, Buildings, Yard Ground and Appurtenances thereto belonging now in my own occupation and which I have duly surrendered to the use of this my Will for and during the term of her natural life. She keeping the same in good and tenantable repair and committing and suffering no waste thereupon.
And I do hereby Authorise and empower order and direct my sole executors and the survivor or survivors of them his executors or Administrators during that life of my said wife to let all the rest of my Tenements or Dwelling Houses, Heriditaments and premises situate lying and being in Lowestoft aforesaid and which I have also duly surrendered to the use of this my Will and receive and take Rents and profits thereof and out of the same to pay to my said wife the annual sum of twenty pounds during the term of her natural life which I hereby give and bequeath to her and for her own use and benefices and also to pay the interest of and sums of money that I owe on the mortgages of land and tenements (two lines of unreadable writing squeezed between two other lines) and dispose and so apply so much of the (unreadable) of the said Lands and profit as may be necessary towards keeping the same Heriditaments and premises in good and tenantable repair and from immediately after the decease of my said wife one of the said tenements or Dwelling Houses which is now in the occupation of my said son John his heirs and assigns forever he paying to my said two other executors the sum of five pounds to the survivor of them if then alive.
One other of my said tenements or Dwelling Houses which is now in the occupation of my son-in-law Samuel Colby with the Edifices, Buildings, Yard Ground and Appurtenances thereto belonging I do give and bequeath unto Sarah the wife of my son Robert and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life. She keeping the same in good and tenantable repair and committing no waste thereupon. And I do give and devise my dwelling house and the Baking Office now in the occupation of Samuel Collis and my grandson John Edmonds with the Edifices, Buildings, Yard Ground and Appurtenances unto my son in law John Ward and Mary his wife and their assigns during the terms of their natural lives and the life of the longer lived of them they keeping the same premises in good and tenantable repair and committing no waste thereupon.
Also I give and devise my two tenements or Dwelling Houses now in the several occupations of James Tanner and Robert Taylor with the Edifices, Buildings, Yard Ground and Appurtenances thereto belonging unto my son in law Samuel Colby and Ann his wife and their assigns during the terms of their natural lives and the life of the longest lived of them they keeping the same premises in good and tenantable repair and committing no waste thereupon.
And I do hereby authorise and direct and empower my said executors and the survivors or survivor of them his executors or administrators as soon as can conveniently be (unreadable) after the decease of my said wife to make sale and absolutely dispose of my said Tenements or Dwelling Houses with the Edifices, Buildings, Yard Ground and Appurtenances thereto belonging herein before devised by me to her for her life for the best prices that can be had for the same to the use of purchaser or purchasers thereof his or their heirs or assigns or as soon as he should direct or appoint.
And also as soon as conveniently can be next after the respective deaths of the said Sarah the wife of my said son Robert or the longest lived of them my said son in law Samuel Colby and Ann his wife to make sale and absolutely dispose of my said Hereditaments and premises as I have hererin before devised to them during their respective lives or the life of the longest lived of them respectively for the best price that can be had for the said respective premises and to convey and assure the same to the use of the respective purchasers thereof and their respective heirs or assigns and for the purpose of facilitating such sales I hereby direct and declare that the receipt or receipts of my said Executors and the survivors or survivor of them his executors or administrators shall be a good and effectual discharge or good and effective discharges to the respective purchasers of my said Heriditaments and premises for his (heir?) and their purchase money or for so much thereof as in every receipt shall be acknowledged or any of them shall not afterwards be obliged to see to the application or be answerable or accountable for the misapplication or (unreadable) in application of the same money in any part thereof.
And I hereby Direct and Declare that my said executors and the survivors or survivor of his executors or administrators shall stand and be possessed of the money to arise by Rents and profits of my said tenements or Dwelling Houses, Hereditaments and premises to be let by them as aforesaid after payment (unreadable) thereof the said Annuity to my said wife and the expense of necessary repairs thereto as aforesaid.
And also of the money to arise by the sale of my said Household Furniture, plate, china, Brass, Pewter, bedding, Household Linen and implements of Household and my said Tenements or Dwelling Houses, Hereditaments and premises herein before devised by me to my said wife for her life and to be sold by them as aforesaid at her decease and by the rents and profits thereof from her Decease until Sale upon Trust and after payment and satisfaction of all the costs , charges and expenses attending such sales. In the first place to pay off and discharge all such sum and sums of money as shall be due upon any mortgage or mortgages of the said Tenements or Dwelling Houses and premises so devised to my said wife as aforesaid and then to pay and divide the residue thereof unto and equally between and amongst my four children namely Robert, John, Mary wife of the said John Ward and Ann wife of the said Samuel Colby to whom I hereby give and bequeath the same accordingly.
And I also Direct and Declare that my said executors and the survivors and survivor of them his executors or administrators shall stand and be possessed of the Money to arise by the sale of my said Tenements or Dwelling Houses and Premises herein before devised by me to the said Sarah the wife of my said son Robert for her life and to (unreadable) then sold at her decease as aforesaid.
Upon trust (after payment and satisfaction of all the costs, charges and expenses attending the sale thereof) to pay the same unto the child if only one or if more than one all and every of the children of my said son Roberts to be equally divided between them if more than one share and share alike. And also that my said executors and the survivors or survivor of them his executors or administrators shall stand and be possessed of the money to arise by the sale of my said Dwelling House and Baking Office and Premises herein before devised by me unto my said son in law John Ward and Mary his wife and their assigns during the term of their natural lives or the life of the longest lived of them as aforesaid. Upon Trust (after payment and satisfaction of all the costs, charges and expenses attending the sale thereof) to pay the same unto the child if only one, and if more than one all and every of the children of the said John and Mary Ward share and share alike.
And also that my said executors and the survivors or survivor of them his executors or administrators shall stand and be possessed of the money to arise by the sale of my said two Tenements or Dwelling Houses and Premises herein devised by me unto my said son in law, Samuel Colby and Ann his wife and their assigns during the term of their natural lives or the life of the longest lived of them and to be by them, my said executors, sold at the decease of the longest lived of them as aforesaid. Upon trust (after payment and satisfaction of all the costs, charges and expenses attending the sale thereof) to pay the same unto the child if only one and if more than one all and every of the children of the said Samuel and Ann Colby share and share alike.
Also I give and bequeath all my cloathes and wearing linen unto and equally to be divided between my said two sons Robert and John share and share alike. And I do hereby declare that my said executors shall not be answerable or accountable the one for the other of them or for the signing or receipts for the sake of conformity or for any involuntary loss whatsoever and that it shall be lawful for them out of the trust monies to reimburse them selves and each other their costs and expenses discharging the Trust hereby reposed in them.
And I hereby revoke and make Void all former and other Wills made by me at any time hereto fore and do declare this only to be my Last Will and Testament which is written on six sheets of paper annexed together at the tops and there sealed in witness whereof I the said Robert Edmonds the Testator have to the first five sheets thereof set my hand and to the last sheet my Hand this Third Day of January in the Year of Our Lord One Hundred and Eighteen Fifteen.
Robert Edmonds
Signed, sealed, published and declared by the above named Testator as and for his Last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his and each others presence and at his request have subscribed our names as witnesses hereto the erasures having been made between the third and sixth lines from the bottom on the forst sheet hereof and the interlineations between the sixth and seventh lines from the top on the fourth sheet hereof.
H. Newson, Mary Miller, R. Miller jn.
At Lowestoft the twentieth day of December 1816 the within named executors John Edmonds, Edward Wells and John Barrett were sworn in due form of Law before me. Barthw Ritson the surrogate to the Official. Personal Estate under £100.
Transcribed by Gwynneth Wright, to whom many thanks