The Will of Simon Bunter

 

Extracted from the Registry of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury   THIS IS THE LAST WILL and Testament of me SIMON BUNTER of Axminster in the County of Devon I revoke all wills or Testaments by me heretofore made I give my picture of Sir Walter Raleigh to the British Museum And I give to John Cranch formerly my Clerk my printed Books and also my Purse of Old Coins and all my Manors Lordships Advowsons Messuages Lands Tenements and Hereditaments and parts and or shares of Advowsons Manors Lordships Messuages Lands Tenements and Hereditaments and all my ready moneys Plate Cattle Goods Chattels Credits Estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever except the said Books Coins and picture hereinbefore given I give devise and bequeath unto John Clapcott and William Clapcott Sons of my Niece Mrs Ann Clapcott and unto the before named John Cranch and the survivors and survivor of them the said John Clapcott William Clapcott and John Cranch and unto the heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns of such survivor as trustees and trustee for and upon the trusts herein   [Page 2] after setforth[sic] or expressed concerning the same that is to say upon trust that they the said Trustees or trustee do and shall so soon as they shall think proper after my decease demand sue for and receive all such my credits or debts to me owing and absolutely sell all the advowsons Manors Lordships Messuages Lands tenements and hereditaments and parts or shares of advowsons Manors Lordships Messuages Lands tenements and hereditaments Plate Cattle Goods Chattels Estate and Effects to them as Trustees as aforesaid hereinbefore given devised and bequeathed except and exclusive of such Credits and my ready monies aforesaid when where to whom and by such modes or methods as they shall think proper and upon trust that they the said Trustees or trustee do and shall within one year next after my decease by and out of such my ready moneys and the other monies that shall arise by the trust aforesaid truly pay first my funeral expenses next all my just debts then the several legacies hereinafter bequeathed and lastly the residue of the said produce of my Estate under the said trust subject only to the trust charges unto and for the proper use of such person or persons and in such parts shares or proportions   [Page 3] proportions as my Niece Ann Clapcott hereinbefore named shall by writing or writings under her hand and seal alone and independently and without the privity of her husband order direct limit or appoint and in default of such order direction limitation or appointment unto and for the sole separate and proper use and benefit of her the said Ann Clapcott and her Executors or Administrators The legacies above referred to are as follows I give and bequeath to the aforesaid trustees or trustee two hundred pounds to be at their direction distributed to poor persons proper objects of Charity resident in the Parishes  of Axminster Musbury and Uplyme in Devon and in the Parishes of Chardstock North Poorton Cerne Abbas and Ryme Intrinsica in Dorset I give and bequeath to Mr Joseph Wallis of Charmouth two hundred pounds To Mrs Susanna Rendall Widow of Mr Francis Rendall deceased two hundred pounds to Mrs Elizabeth Domett Widow of the Reverend Philobeth Domett deceased two hundred pounds To Miss Elizabeth Domett one hundred pounds to Miss Martha Domett one hundred pounds To the aforesaid trustees one hundred and fifty pounds in trust to be by them paid over unto and for the proper use or uses of such person or   [Page 4] persons as Mrs Frances Tozer late Miss Frances Domett shall by writing or writings under her hand and seal alone and independently and without the privity of her husband order direct limit or appoint and in default of such order direction limitation or appointment in trust to be by them paid over unto and for the sole separate and proper use and benefit of her the said Frances Tozer and her Executors or Administrators And I give and bequeath to the same trustees five hundred pounds in a trust to be by them paid over unto and for the proper use or uses of such person or persons as my Niece Mrs Mary Tucker late Miss Liddon shall by writing or writings under her hand and seal alone and independently and without the privity of her husband order direct limit or appoint and in default of such order direction limitation or appointment In trust to be by them the said trustees paid over unto and for the sole separate and proper use and benefit of her the said Mary Tucker and her Executors or Administrators I give to Thomas Taunton Esquire in remembrance of my friend his deceased Father one hundred pounds To my Sister Mrs Liddon two hundred pounds And to her two sons William   [Page 5] and Matthew one hundred pounds each To Mr Isaac Tucker ten pounds To Mr George Tucker ten pounds To Mr George Bawns twenty pounds to the Reverend William Hawkins ten pounds To Mr Robert Bryant of Ilminster ten pounds To Mrs Eliza Fielder lately residing at Lyme but now of Lord Romneys in Kent six hundred pounds To the said John Cranch four hundred pounds To my Servant Hannah Bowditch fifty pounds and mourning To the Minister Officiating at my funeral five pounds and Pulpit mourning at the discretion of my Executors To the Clerk assisting him on that occasion one Guinea To Jacob Sibley a Labourer resident in or about Axminster fifty pounds or if he dies before me I give the same to his Wife and Children in equal shares To my Godson John Staple Son of Mr Staple Attorney at Chard ten pounds for a piece of Marble [erased] Plate To Mr Joseph Staple of Lyme twenty pounds to my Man Servant a suit of mourning and five pounds And according to and in confirmation of the bequests hereinbefore made for the respective benefits of the aforesaid Francis[sic] Tozer Mary Tucker and Ann Clapcott I hereby expressly will that the receipt orders directions Limitations   [Page 6] appointments or other acts of them the said Frances Tozer Mary Tucker and Ann Clapcott respectively Separately from and independently and without the privity of their respective husbands of or concerning the several moneys so hereinbefore bequeathed for their respective benefits shall be and be universally deemed valid and sufficient both at Law and in equity as well against their said husbands as against all other persons whomsoever And I declare that the said several legacies are And I intend them for the sole and separate respective uses benefits and disposals of them the said Frances Tozer Mary Tucker and Ann Clapcott accordingly and not to be liable to the contract debts or engagements of their husbands respectively And I will and declare that the receipts or other acquittances of or by the aforesaid trustees for all moneys that they shall receive in virtue or under authority of this my will shall be valid and absolute receipts or acquittances both at Law and in Equity to the persons paying such moneys for the respective monies for which such receipts or acquittances shall be given and accordingly that no purchaser of any part of my Estate or effects shall be answerable for the   [Page 7] misapplication or nonapplication of such moneys by the said Trustees or any or either of them finally I constitute and appoint them the said Trustees to wit the said John Clapcott William Clapcott and John Cranch and the survivors and survivor of them joint Executors and Executor of this my last Will and Testament upon and for the trusts and purposes aforesaid In Testimony whereof I the said Testator have put my hand and seal to this writing and to a duplicate thereof the sixth and twentieth day of January in the Year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred and eighty and three S. BUNTER (LS) This and the annexed five sheets of paper were severally signed and sealed by Simon Bunter Esqr and the whole together by him published as and for his last Will and Testament and the same was done to a duplicate thereof in the presence of us who subscribe our names as Witnesses of such signing sealing and publishing at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other [signed] Tho Puddicombe Clerk Richd Mallock R. Robertson   PROVED at London 12th April   [Page 8]                                                                                     (Bunter) April 1785 before the Worshipful Andrew Coltee Ducarel Doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the Oaths of John Clapcott William Clapcott and John Cranch Executors to whom Administration was granted having been first sworn duly to Administer [signatures of]                                                   Chas Dynely                                                                         John Iggulden Deputy                                                                         W F Gostling Registry     [at side of document in another hand]   Official Copy of the Will of Mr Simon Bunter proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 12th April 1785