The Will of Mary Coxeter

 

Summary: Testatrix:            Mary Coxeter (1) Son and executor:       John Coxeter (2) Granddaughter:  Mary Sheppard (3), wife of Joseph Sheppard Son-in-law:         Henry Bolton (3) Granddaughters:         Elizabeth and Ann Bolton (3) Granddaughter:  Mary Collier, wife of Robert Collier (4) Son-in-law:         John Brooks (4) Daughter:           Elizabeth Wintle, wife of Samuel Wintle (5) Son:                    Robert Coxeter (6) Daughter:           Hester, wife of John Nutt of Minster Lovell (7) Son:                    Thomas Coxeter (8) Daughter:           Martha, wife of John Herbert of Farringdon, Berks (9) Daughter:           Sarah, wife of Thomas Smith (10) Grandchildren:   John, Elizabeth and Ann Coxeter, children of son William Coxeter, deceased (11) Grandchildren:   Mary Smith and John Coxeter Smith, the son and daughter of Sarah Smith (10) Signed:               17 July 1784 Witnesses:          Jno. Leake, Wm. Jones, Thos. Fowler Probate:              granted at Oxford 25 September 1790 to John Coxeter   Notes: Mary Coxeter was the widow of John Coxeter of Witney, who died in 1766; her maiden name is unknown; they had four sons and seven daughters, all of whom are accounted for in her will, except for Hannah who died in infancy, Mary and John had more than thirty grandchildren John Coxeter (1743-1792) was the eldest son of testatrix; he was unmarried Mary was the daughter of testatrix’s deceased daughter Ann (1738-1780) by Henry Bolton (1736-1814) and wife of Joseph Sheppard; she had sisters Elizabeth and Ann Bolton Mary was the daughter of testatrix’s deceased daughter Mary (1739-1777) by John Brooks and wife of Robert Collier; she had sisters Ann and Martha Brooks Elizabeth (b 1744) married Samuel Wintle of Upton-upon-Severn, Worcs and later of Gloucester; they had four children Robert (1748-1788) married Elizabeth Harris and had three children Hester (b 1749) is also called Esther; she had eleven children by John Nutt (d c 1815), all baptised at Minster Lovell Thomas (1751-1805), testatrix’s youngest son, married Mary Waine and had a son and four daughters Martha married John Herbert of Alvescot, Oxon at the time of their marriage; clearly they moved to Faringdon later; they had a son and a daughter Sarah (1755-1803) married Thomas Smith and had two children: Mary and John Coxeter Smith William (b 1746) married Elizabeth Marriott and had the three children named   Source: Oxfordshire Record Office, Reference: w.100.172   Text: The last will and testament of me Mary Coxeter of Witney in the County of Oxford, widow, as followeth First I give devise and bequeath unto my son John Coxeter of Witney aforesaid, blanket weaver, charged and chargeable as hereinafter is mentioned, all and every my freehold and leasehold messuages, lands, tenements and hereditaments situate in Asthal and Minster Lovell in the said county of Oxford and elsewhere, to hold the same unto my said son John Coxeter, his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, charged nevertheless, and I hereby charge the same messuages, lands, tenements and hereditaments and every part thereof with payment of all my just debts and funeral expenses, and also with the payment of the legacies following (that is to say), First, I give and bequeath to my granddaughter Mary Sheppard (now wife of Joseph Sheppard of Witney aforesaid, blanket weaver) late Mary Bolton, spinster, daughter of Henry Bolton of Witney aforesaid, blanket weaver, ten pounds of lawful money of Great Britain And I give and bequeath to my granddaughters Elizabeth Bolton and Ann Bolton, daughters of the said Henry Bolton, ten pounds each of like money Also I give and bequeath to my granddaughter Mary Collier, wife of Robert Collier of Witney aforesaid, blanket weaver, late Mary Brooks, spinster, ten pounds of like lawful money And to granddaughters Ann Brooks and Martha Brooks, daughters of my son-in-law John Brooks of Witney aforesaid, blanket weaver, ten pounds apiece of like lawful money Also I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Wintle, wife of Samuel Wintle of the city of Gloucester, ?liquor merchant, thirty pounds of like lawful money Also I give and bequeath to my son Robert Coxeter of Witney aforesaid, blanket weaver, thirty pounds of like lawful money Also I give and bequeath to my daughter Hester (now wife of John Nutt of Minster Lovell aforesaid, yeoman) the sum of forty pounds of like lawful money Also I give and bequeath to my son Thomas Coxeter of Witney aforesaid, blanket weaver, forty pounds of like lawful money Also I give and bequeath to my daughter Martha Herbert, wife of John Herbert of Farringdon in the county of Berks, apothecary, sixty pounds of like lawful money All of which said several legacies I will and direct to be paid by my executor hereinafter named within six months next after my decease Also I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah Smith (now wife of Thomas Smith of Witney aforesaid, blanket weaver) all my plate, china, wearing apparel of all sorts, linen, beds, bedding, fewell, household goods and furniture of all sorts, that I shall have or be possessed of or entitled unto at the time of my decease for her own use and benefit and I hereby forgive, remit and release to the said Thomas Smith her husband, his executors and administrators the debtor sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain which he now owes and stands indebted to me as bond together  with all interest that shall be due for the same at the time of my decease, and I declare it to be my will that he or they shall pay or be answerable or accountable to my executor or any other person for the same or for any part thereof Also I give and bequeath to my grandchildren John Coxeter, Elizabeth Coxeter and Ann Coxeter (the three children of my son William Coxeter deceased, ten pounds each of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid to them with lawful interest for the same from the time of my decease as they shall severally attain their respective ages of twenty one years, by my executor hereinafter named Also I give and bequeath to my granddaughter Mary Smith and to my grandson John Coxeter Smith (the son and daughter of my said daughter Sarah Smith) ten pounds each of lawful money, to be paid to them with lawful interest for the same from the time of my decease their severally attaining their respective ages of twenty one years, by my executor hereinafter named All the rest and residue of my estate, goods, chattels and effects whatsoever and wheresoever, both real and personal not hereinbefore by me disposed of I give, devise and bequeath unto my son John Coxeter, his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns and I nominate and appoint him my said son John Coxeter full and sole executor of this my last will and testament, revoking all former and other wills by me at any time made In witness whereof I have to this my will contained in two sheets of paper, to each sheet set my hand and seal this seventeenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty four  Mary Coxeter Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said testator Mary Coxeter as and for her last will and testament in the presence of us who subscribed our names as witnesses hereto at her request and in her and each others’ presence and sight Jno Leake, Wm. Jones, Thos. Fowler     This will was proved at Oxford on the twenty fifth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety before the reverend Robert Holmes, clerk, Doctor in Divinity, surrogate of the reverend Matthew Lamb, clerk, Doctor in Divinity, Chancellor of the diocese of Oxford lawfully constituted, by the oath of John Coxeter, the son and sole executor therein named to whom admon was granted, being first sworn duly to administer.