This is the last Will and Testament of me Samuel Veness
of Burwash in the County of Sussex wheelwright made this tenth day of
October one thousand eight hundred and forty four. I direct my just debts
Funeral Testamentary and incidental Expences to be paid by any Executors
hereinafter named Also I give and bequeath to my Nephew William
Heathfield and to William Buss of Burwash aforesaid Husbandman their Executors
and Administrators the sum of Fifty pounds Sterling to be paid exclusively
out of my personal Estate Upon Trust that they or the survivors
of them his Executors or Administrators shall and do place out or invest
the same in their or his Names or Names on Real or Government Securities
as Interest and from time to time call in the same and reinvest the same
upon Securities of the like nature and to pay the Interest and Dividends
thereof quarterly or otherwise of the like nature and to pay the Interest
and Dividends thereof quarterly or otherwise as soon as received to the
Trustees or Trustee for the time being of the Chapel called Providence
Chapel lately erected and built in or near the Town or Village of Burwash
aforesaid so long as the same Chapel shall be used for the independent
denomination of Calvinistic Dissenters and that Doctrine shall be preached
or expounded therein as mentioned in the Deed of purchase of the Ground
or Site whereon the same stands And I direct such Interest and Dividends
to be by such Trustees or Trustee applied for the purpose of keeping the
said Chapel properly painted and whitewashed And if any surplus shall
remain then the same to be applied in and towards other Reparations of
the said Chapel But in Case the aforesaid Doctrine shall be discontinued
to be preached or expounded in the said Chapel for the space of one whole
Year then and in such Case I direct that the said Sum of Fifty Pounds
shall fall into and form part of my Residuary personal Estate and be paid
and applied and I bequeath the same accordingly Also I give and
bequeath unto my said Nephew William Heathfield and the said William Buss
their Executors and Administrators All the Residue of my ready Monies
and Securities for Money and Monies in the public Stocks or Funds Goods
Chattels Stock in Trade Debts Effects and personal Estate whatsoever and
wheresoever (except my clock) Upon Trust to call in and receive
such parts thereof as shall consist of Monies or Securities and to sell
and dispose of such parts thereof as shall be of a Saleable Nature Also
I give [?devise] and bequeath direct and appoint unto my said Nephew William
Heathfield and the said William Buss their Heirs and (Samuel Veness) assigns
All and every of my Messuages or Tenements Buildings Gardens Orchards
Lands Heridataments and Real Estate whatsoever and wheresoever with their
and every of their Rights Members and Appurtenances To Hold the
same Tenements Hereditaments and Real Estate with the appurtenances unto
them the said William Heathfield and William Buss their Heirs and Assigns
Upon Trust that they or the Survivor of them or his Heirs shall
and do so soon after my decease as they or he shall in their discretion
deem most beneficial to the Trusts of this my will sell and absolutely
dispose of my said Messuages or Tenements Buildings Gardens Orchards Lands
Heridataments and Real Estate together or in parcels by public Auction
or by private Contract and to such person or persons as they or he may
think proper and for such price or prices as can be reasonably obtained
for the same and to make reserved Biddings and buy in the same or any
part thereof and resell the same without being liable for any diminution
of Price or Loss to arise thereby and to convey and assure the Hereditaments
so to be sold to the purchase or purchases thereof and his her or their
Heirs and Assigns Provided always and my Will further is that in
Case my said Trustees shall think it advisable to defer the Sale of all
or any part of my said Real Estate then I do hereby authorize and empower
them to defer the sale thereof or of any part thereof accordingly for
so long a time as they may think proper and in the meantime to demise
and let the Hereditaments remaining unsold at such Rent or Rents as can
reasonably be obtained for the same and to keep the same Hereditaments
in Tenantable Repair and to pay and apply the net Rents to be received
therefrom after payment and deduction thereout of the Land Tax Quitrents
and Expenses of Repairs and other necessary Outgoings to the same persons
and in the same proportions manner and form as the monies on the Interest
and Dividends of the money to arrive from the Sale thereof would have
respectively been payable in Case the same Hereditaments had been actually
sold And for facilitating the Sale and disposition or letting of
my said Real and personal Estates I do hereby will and direct that it
shall be lawful for them the said William Heathfield and William Buss
or the Survivor of them or his Heirs Executors or Administrators respectively
to sign and give any Receipt or Receipts for the Monies to arise and be
received from or by the sale or disposition of my said Real and personal
Estates or any part thereof and for the Rents of my said Real Estate or
any part thereof which Receipt or Receipts shall be a good and (Samuel
Veness) sufficient discharge or good and sufficient discharges to the
purchaser or purchasers or other persons paying the same for so much Money
as in such Receipt of Receipts shall be expressed or acknowledged to be
received and such purchaser or purchasers or other person and his her
or their Heirs Executors or Administrators shall not afterwards be obliged
to see to the application or be answerable for any Loss Misapplication
or Nonapplication of such purchase or other Monies or any part thereof
And upon further trust that the said William Heathfield and the
said William Buss and the Survivor of them and his Executors and Administrators
shall and do stand possessed of and interested in and pay and apply all
the clear Monies to arise and be received by and from my said Real and
personal Estates as aforesaid And I do hereby give and bequeath the same
Upon the Trusts and for the Intents and purposes hereinafter mentioned
(that is to say) Upon Trust to retain to each of them my said Nephew
William Heathfield and the said William Buss the sum of Ten pounds Sterling
for the Trouble they will have in acting as Executors and Trustees of
this my will And upon further Trust to divide and pay the Sum of
one hundred and fifty pounds Sterling unto and amongst all and every the
child and children of my late Sister Ann Pettitt living at my decease
per Capita and the Issue of any deceased Child or Children of my said
late Sister per Stirpes And upon further Trust to pay the sum of
one hundred and thirty pounds Sterling less any Sum or Sums of Money advanced
or to be advanced by me in my Lifetime to my Sister Mary Beney and of
which I shall have kept any Account unto her my said Sister Mary Beney
in Case she shall be living at the time of my decease but in case she
shall die in my Lifetime then to divide and pay the said Sum or Sums as
aforesaid unto and amongst all and every the Child and Children of my
said Sister Mary Beney living at my decease (Except her Son Samuel) per
Capita and the Issue of any deceased Child or Children of my said Sister
per Stirpes And upon further Trust to pay the Sum of Twenty pounds
sterling to John Veness now residing at Hastings in the said County the
Son of John Veness deceased who was a natural Son of my said Sister Mary
Beney in Case he shall be living at my decease but if he shall die in
my Lifetime then to pay the same equally amongst his Children or to his
only Child and if no Child then to my said Sister Mary Beney or her Children
or Issue as aforesaid And upon further Trust to divide and pay
the Sum of one hundred and fifty pounds Sterling (Samuel Veness) unto
and amongst all and every Child and Children of my late Brother Thomas
Veness living at my decease per Capita and the Issue of any deceased Child
or Children of my said Brother per Stirpes And upon further Trust
to place out or invest the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds Sterling
in Real or Government Securities at Interest in the Names of them the
said William Heathfield and William Buss or in the name of the Survivor
of them his Executors or Administrators and from time to time to call
in the same or any part thereof and place out or invest the same again
in the like manner and to pay the clear yearly Interest or Dividends thereof
as the same shall be received into the proper Hands of my sister Elizabeth
the Wife of John Jenkins for her own sole and separate Use exclusive of
her said Husband and to whose Debts [?Coutroul] or Engagements the same
is not to be liable And the Receipts of her my said Sister Elizabeth
Jenkins signed after and not before such Interest and Dividends shall
from time to time become due and payable and not by way of Anticipation
shall (notwithstanding Coverture) be the only good discharges for the
same And upon further Trust from and immediately after the decease
of my said Sister Elizabeth Jenkins or after any act which she and her
said Husband may do or permit be done either jointly or either of them
separately whereby her right and Interest on or to such Interest and Dividends
would or might by Law or in Equity except for the present Clause or provision
be or become assigned or otherwise disposed of which shall first happen
to divide and pay the said Sum of one hundred and fifty pounds unto and
amongst all and every the Child and Children of her my said Sister Elizabeth
Jenkins that shall be then living per Capita and the Issue of any Child
or Children of my said Sister that shall be then dead per Stirpes And
upon further Trust to pay the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds
Sterling less any Sum or Sums of Money advanced or to be advanced by me
in my Lifetime to my Sister Frances Honeysett and of which I shall have
kept an account unto her my said Sister Frances Honeysett in Case she
shall be living at the time of my decease but in Case she shall die in
my Lifetime then to divide and pay the said Sum of one hundred and fifty
pounds less such Sum or Sums as aforesaid unto and amongst all and every
the Child and Children of my said Sister Frances Honeysett living at my
decease per Capita and the Issue of any deceased Child or Children of
my said Sister per Stirpes And upon further Trust to divide and
pay the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds Sterling unto and amongst
Henry Heathfield the younger of Burwash aforesaid wheelwright and all
and every the Child and Children of my late wife's (Samuel Veness) late
Sister Sarah Heathfield deceased living at my decease per Capita and the
Issue of any decease Child or Children of my said late wife's late Sister
per Stirpes And upon further Trust to divide and pay apply and
dispose of all the residue and remainder of the Monies to arise and be
received or paid from my said Trust Real and personal Estates as aforesaid
and not hereinbefore otherwise directed to be paid or applied unto and
amongst the several and respective Legatees hereinbefore mentioned or
expressed including the said Legacy in favour of the said Chapel in proportion
to their several and respective Legacies or Shares hereinbefore mentioned
and subject to the like Limitations and restrictions as are hereinbefore
expressed of and concerning the same Legacies and Shares Also I
bequeath to the said John Veness of Hastings my Clock or if he should
die in my Lifetime then to his Children or if no Child then to my said
Sister Mary Beney or if dead to her children as aforesaid And my will
further is that the Executors and Trustees of this my Will shall not be
chargeable with any more of the aforesaid Trust Estates Monies and premises
than they shall respectively actually receive nor with any Loss which
shall happen without their willful neglect or default or the one for the
other of them or for the Acts Deeds Receipts or defaults of the other
of them but each of them only for himself and his own Acts Deeds Receipts
and defaults And also that it shall be lawful for any said Executors
and Trustees to reimburse themselves and to allow to each other by and
out of the said Trust Monies and premises all such Losses costs Charges
Damages and Expenses as they shall respectively bear pay expend or be
put unto in performing the Trusts aforesaid or otherwise in the Execution
of this my Will Together with a reasonable allowance for their
and each of their Journies Trouble and Loss of time in and about the same
And I expressly will and declare that it shall be lawful for the
said William Heathfield to do and perform all the Executorship Business
to arise under this my Will and to prepare and perfect the Abstracts and
Titles of my Real Estate and the Legacy discharges and other Documents
and Matters relating to the same and to be paid out of my said Trust Monies
and premises his legal professional Charges as an Attorney for so doing
the same as if he had not been appointed a Trustee and Executor of this
my Will And I do hereby nominate and appoint the said William Heathfield
and William Buss joint Executors of this my Will and do revoke all former
Wills and Codicils by me made In Witness whereof I the said Samuel
Veness the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained
in this and the four preceding Sheets of paper signed my Name and affixed
my Seal to this last Sheet the day and year first above written - Samuel
Veness (LS) - The Writing contained in this and the four preceding
Sheets of paper was signed Sealed and delivered by the above named Samuel
Veness the Testator in the presence of us present at the same time who
attest and subscribe our Names hereto as Witnesses in the presence of
the said Testator the words “Henry Heathfield the younger of Burwash
aforesaid Wheelwright” having been first interlined after the word
“amongst” in the last line of the fourth Sheet - James Philcox-
John Baldock
The Will of Samuel Veness late of Burwash within the Archdeaconry
of Lewes Wheelwright deceased was proved the fourth day of October in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty one Before
the Reverend Burrell Hayley Clerk Surrogate and so forth Upon the Oaths
of William Heathfield and William Buss the Executors of the said Will
named To whom was committed the Administration of the Goods They
being first sworn well and faithfully to administer the same and so
forth Sworn also that the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said
deceased did not amount in Value unto one thousand pounds. Died 4 April
1851.
Notes:
- husbandman: either farmer or head of household (OED)
- tenements: freehold interests, not “owned” but “holden”
(OED)
- messuage: dwelling house with outbuildings and adjacent land (OED)
- quitrent: a rent, usually of small amount, paid by a freeholder or
copyholder in lieu of services which might be required of him (OED)
- per stirpes: ‘by stocks’ or ‘families’; applied to succession when
divided in equal shares among the branches of the family, the share
of each branch being then subdivided equally among the representatives
of that branch (OED)
- L.S.: locus sigilli, place of seal or signature
Comparing costs, £1 in the mid 19th century is equivalent
to some £60 in 2000; comparing wages, the increase would be more
like 300 or 400 times, so £150 might be the equivalent of some £50,000
today. |