1766 Will
of Parry Branch, of Belluton, Stanton Drew, Gentleman
Ref: PCC PROB 11/923
Proved: 1766 Nov 22 Written: 1766 Jul 22
Transcribed by: Geoff Roberts, Marsha Stringer
This is the last will & testament of me Parry BRANCH of Belluton otherwise Belton within the parish of Stanton Drew in the county of Somerset gentleman made this twenty second day of July 1766. First my will is that my body be decently interred at the discretion of my Executrix after named in the parish church of Compton Dando in the said county of Somerset as near as possible to the ground wherein my late honoured father was interred and as concerning my worldly estate I dispose thereof as follows (Vizt.) I order & direct that all my debts due on mortgage and bond note or otherwise and my legacies & funeral expenses be paid & discharged and I hereby charge all my lands and hereditaments in the said county of Somerset with the payment thereof.
Item I give & bequeath unto my friends Peter COATES of Stanton Drew aforesaid gentleman & to Benjamin SYMMS of Dundry in the said county gentleman the sum of four hundred pounds of lawful British money (which I direct shall be paid to them within twelve months after my decease to & upon the several uses trusts intents & purposes after declared, that is to say) upon trust for them the said Peter COATES & Benjamin SYMMS and the survivor of them his executors & administrators to put & place the said sum of four hundred pounds out at interest and the interest therefrom to pay to my respected friend Mary THOMPSON widow who now lives with me for & towards the maintenance & education of her daughter Mary THOMPSON until she shall attain the age of twenty one years and at her attaining that age then upon trust for them the said Peter COATES & Benjamin SYMMS and the survivor of them his executors & administrators to pay the said Mary THOMPSON the daughter the said sum of four hundred pounds to the said Mary THOMPSON the daughter to her own use.
Item I give & bequeath unto my said friend Mary THOMPSON widow all that my manor or reputed manor of Belluton otherwise Belton and Pensford with the messuage or tenement wherein I now live and all and singular other the messuages farms lands orchards gardens commons tenements and hereditaments with their & every of their appurtenances thereto belonging or in anywise appertaining situate lying and being in the said parishes of Stanton Drew Pensford and in the parish of St.Thomas in the said county of Somerset which I am now seized or possessed of or entitled unto either in possession reversion remainder or expectancy or otherwise howsoever. To hold to her the said Mary THOMPSON widow her heirs & assigns for ever.
Item I give & devise unto the said Mary THOMPSON widow all that my Roughless Tenement and all and singular the several closes pieces & parcels of land meadow & pasture commons hereditaments and premises whatsoever thereto belonging or appertaining situate lying and being in the parish of Compton Dando in the said county of Somerset now or late in the several tenures or occupations of Robert JONES John SILCOCK John PARSONS Mrs.Mary BARNES and James DUGGATT as tenants thereof and all other my lands tenements hereditaments and estate situate in the said parish of Compton Dando. To hold to her the said Mary THOMPSON and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life and after her decease I do give & bequeath the said lands and hereditaments at Compton Dando aforesaid unto Mary THOMPSON the daughter and her assigns for her life, and after her decease I do give and bequeath the said messuages & lands at Compton Dando aforesaid unto my cousin John READ of Carrow Hill in the parish of Farmborough in the said county gentleman. To hold to him his heirs & assigns for ever.
Item I give & bequeath unto my kinsman David JONES of Caneston in the parish of Narberth in the county of Pembroke yeoman all those my two closes of arable meadow or pasture ground with their appurtenances situate at or near Caneston aforesaid now or late in his tenure. To hold to him his executors & administrators for and during all my estate and interest therein.
Item all the rest residue & remainder of my estates both real & personal of what nature kind or sort soever or wheresoever situate standing or being at my decease I give and bequeath unto the said Mary THOMPSON widow. To hold to her her heirs Executors administrators & assigns and I do appoint the said Mary THOMPSON widow sole Executrix of this my last will & revoking all other wills I do declare this to be my last and I do declare that the said Peter COATES & Benjamin SYMMS shall not be accountable for the insufficiency of any security to be taken for the said trusts money or for any involuntary loss whatsoever and each of them for his own acts only and what expenses they shall be at by virtue of such trust they shall be at liberty to deduct thereout.
In witness whereof I the said Parry BRANCH have to this my said last will & testament set my hand & seal the day and year first above written. Parry BRANCH. Signed sealed published and declared by the said testator Parry BRANCH to be his last will & testament in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other subscribed our names as witnesses William ADAMS Jeptha BULLOCK Joseph HORWOOD Notary Public
Proved at LONDON the twenty second day of November 1766 by the oath of Mary THOMPSON widow the sole Executrix named in the said will.
Notes
We do not know the identity of Mary THOMPSON, widow.