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This is the last Will and Testament
of me Joseph Jeffcoat of Upper Winchendon in the County of Bucks
ffarmer as follows (that is to say) ffirst and I give and devise
unto my son John Jeffcoat and unto my ffriends Richard Littleboy
of Berkhamstead in the County of Hertford Mealman and Joseph
White of Chesham in the said County of Bucks Gentleman all that
my messuage or Tenement with two Cottages and about twenty acres
of Land be the same more or less situate and being in the parish
of Waddesdon in the said County of Bucks with the rights members
and appurtenances thereunto belonging which premises I purchased
of Richard Smith John Walduck and Sarah his Wife to hold the
same premises with the appurtenances unto my said Son John
Jeffcoat and the said Richard Littleboy Joseph White their heirs
and assigns for ever In Trust nevertheless to permit and suffer
my Loving Wife Mary Jeffcoat to hold and enjoy the same and to
receive the rents issues and profits thereof for and during the
term of her natural life and from and immediately after her
decease then In Trust to sell and dispose of the same premises
for the most money that can reasonably be got for the same
(either by Private Contract or public Auction and to divide and
pay the money thereby arising as soon as conveniently may be
unto and among my sons William Jeffcoat and Daniel Jeffcoat and
my daughters Mary the wife of Joseph Nailor and Hannah Jeffcoat
Rebecca Jeffcoat and Martha Jeffcoat share and share alike
severally and respectively as they have attained or shall attain
their respective ages of twenty one years and in case either of
my said Sons William Jeffcoat and Daniel Jeffcoat or any or
either of my said Daughters Mary Nailor Hannah Jeffcoat Rebecca
Jeffcoat and Martha Jeffcoat shall happen to die unmarried or
without leaving lawful issue before his her or their respective
Legacy or Legacies shall become payable My Will and mind is that
the share or shares of him her or them so dying shall go to and
be equally divided among the Survivors or Survivor of them And I
do hereby Direct that the Receipt or receipts of my said son
John Jeffcoat and the said Richard Littleboy and Joseph White or
the Survivors or Survivor of them or the heirs of such Survivor
shall be a sufficient discharge or sufficient discharges to the
purchaser or purchasers of the said premises or any part thereof
for such purchase money and who shall not be obliged to see to
the application thereof Also I give and bequeath unto my said
wife Mary Jeffcoat absolutely and at her disposal all and
singular my Linen Plate China and Household Goods and
Supplements of Household Except brewing and dairy utensils to be
retained by or delivered to her as soon as conveniently may be
after my decease also I give and bequeath unto my said Son
William Jeffcoat the Sum of One hundred pounds of lawful money
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland current in
Great Britain to be paid to him by my Executors hereinafter
named out of my personal Estate within six months next after my
decease Also I give and bequeath unto my son Daniel Jeffcoat the
sum of one hundred and fifty pounds of like lawful money to be
paid to him by my Executors hereinafter named out of my said
personal Estate within six months next after my decease or after
he shall have attained his age of twenty one
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years but in case he shall happen to die
unmarried or without having lawful Issue before the same shall
become payable then
I direct the same Legacy to merge and be
considered as part of the rest and residue of my personal estate
Also I give and bequeath unto my said son John Jeffcoat and to
the said Richard Littleboy and Joseph White the sum of two
hundred pounds of like lawful money immediately after my decease
to be retained out of my said Personal Estate upon Trust to put
and place the same out at interest on Government or other good
security and to pay the Interest or Dividends thereof unto my
Daughter Sarah Hemmings widow towards supporting herself and
maintaining and educating her three children and when they or
the survivor of them shall have attained their his or her age of
twenty one years then In Trust to pay one hundred pounds part
thereof to them my said daughters three children or to the
survivors or survivor of them share and share alike if more than
one and I direct the interest or dividends of one hundred pounds
residue thereof to be paid unto my daughter Sarah for and during
the term of her natural life and from and immediately after her
decease then I direct the principal sum of One hundred pounds to
be paid in like manner unto and among her said children or the
survivors or survivor of them and in case all her said Children
shall die in her life time and under the said age unmarried or
without leaving lawful issue my Will is that my said daughter
Sarah shall then be entitled to the Interest or Dividends of the
whole of the said sum of two hundred pounds for and during her
said life And then after her decease I direct the same to become
part of the rest and residue of my said personal Estate Also I
give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann the wife of Samuel Purser
in case she shall have a child within twelve months next after
my decease but not otherwise the sum of fifty pounds of like
lawful money to be paid her out of my said personal estate by my
Executors herein after named within six months next after my
Decease or from the time she shall have a child as aforesaid
Also I give and devise unto my said son John Jeffcoat and the
said Richard Littleboy and Joseph White all that my Cottage or
Tenement with the appurtenances situate in Waddesdon aforesaid
which I purchased of the Widow Muddiman to hold the same unto my
said son John
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Jeffcoat and the said Richard Littleboy
and Joseph White their heirs and assigns for ever in Trust
Nevertheless to sell and dispose of the same Premises for the
most money that fan be reasonably got for the same either by
private Contract or Public Auction and to apply the money
thereby arising in and of and as part of the rest and residue of
my said personal Estate and I do hereby direct that the receipt
or receipts of my said son John Jeffcoat and the said Richard
Littleboy and Joseph White or the survivors or survivor of them
or the heirs of such survivor shall be a sufficient discharge or
sufficient discharges to a purchasor or purchasors of the said
premises for such purchase money and who shall not be obliged to
see to the application thereof But my Will is that if either of
my said sons or daughters shall chuse to take the said Cottage
or Tenement at a fair appraisement in part of his or her share
of the rest and residue of my said personal Estate then I do
hereby revoke this devise to my said son John Jeffcoat and the
said Richard Littleboy and Joseph White of the said Cottage or
Tenement And I then give and devise the same cottage or tenement
with appurtenances unto such of my said Sons or Daughters making
such choice in part of his or her share of the reset and residue
of my said Personal Estate as aforesaid and to his or her heirs
or assigns for ever Also I give and bequeath unto my said Wife
Mary my said son John my said Daughter Mary and the said Richard
Littleboy and Joseph White all my Estate and Interest in the
ffarm at Upper Winchendon aforesaid which I rent of the Duke of
Marlborough and all my stock of Cattle Corn Grain and Hay my
Brewing Dairy and Husbandry Utensils and all the rest and
residue of my money goods chattels rights Credits and personal
Estate whatsoever and wheresoever Upon Trust to cause an
inventory and appraisement thereof be made and taken as from as
conveniently may be after my decease and thereunto thereof or
the value of the same unto my said sons John Jeffcoat William
Jeffcoat and Daniel Jeffcoat and my said daughters Mary Hannah
Rebecca and Martha equally between them the shares of such of my
said sons and daughters as shall have at the time of my decease
attained their ages of twenty one years to be severally paid
within six months next after my decease and the shares of such
of them as were then survivors at the time of my decease
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to be severally paid to them one half part
or the whole thereof as they severally attain their respective
ages of twenty one years as they my residuary Trustees in their
discretion shall think fit and when the youngest of my said Sons
and Daughters shall have attained his or her said age then to
pay the whole of such shares unto such of them who received only
part or none before and in the meantime and until all my
Children shall have attained their respective ages of twenty one
years as aforesaid upon trust to permit and suffer my said Wife
and son John or either of them to continue in the Business and
who I desire may carry on and manage the same in order to bring
up my Younger Children and after paying all the said shares and
the charges and expenses of Bringing up my said Younger Children
if any thing shall remain which shall have been gained by
business I then give and bequeath the same unto my said Wife my
said sons John William and Daniel and my said daughters Mary
Hannah Rebecca and Martha to be equally divided between them and
in case any or either of my said residuary Legatees shall happen
to die unmarried and without Children before his her or their
said share or shares shall become due or payable then I give and
bequeath the share or shares of such of them so dying unto the
survivor or survivors of them to be equally divided between them
and my will and meaning is and I do herby direct that all such
Sum or Sums of money which I have already given or advanced or
here after shall give or advance to all or either of my said
Residuary Legatees and reduced into writing and subscribed by me
shall in making a division of the rest and residue of my said
personal Estate be considered as part of their his or her
respective shares or share of the rest and residue of my said
personal Estate and I appoint my said wife my said son John and
my said daughter Mary Guardians for such of my said Children who
are Minors during their respective Minorities and my Will is and
I do hereby expressly direct my said residuary Trustees to
exercise their judgment in continuing my said wife and younger
children jointly in the ffarm with my said son John during the
minority of such children or removing them but I particularly
desire they may be properly provided for and taken care of and
when the youngest of them shall have attained his or her age of
twenty one years my Will is that my said son John shall have the
preference of occupying the said ffarm for his own use and
lastly I hereby make constitute and appoint my said wife my said
son John my said daughter Mary and the said Richard Littleboy
and Joseph White to whom out of the residue of my said personal
estate before any distribution be thereout made the sum of ten
pounds each which I give them for their trouble in acting as
Trustees and Executors of this my Will and that they and my
other trustees and Executors shall and may reimburse themselves
respectively out of my said personal estate all such costs
charges and expenses as they or either of them shall expend or
be put unto in or about the performance of this my Will or the
execution of the Trusts hereby in them reposed and that they or
either of them shall not be answerable for any more of my money
or personal estate than shall actually come to their respective
hands or for any loss that may happen provided it not be through
their own wilful neglect or default nor the one of them for the
other of them or for the receipts or acts defaults of the other
of them but each only for his or her own receipts acts or
defaults respectively And I hereby revoke and make void all
former wills whatsoever by me made and published and declare
this only to be my last will and testament
In witness whereof I the said Joseph
Jeffcoat the Testator to this my last Will and testament
containing six sheets of paper have to the five first sheets
thereof set my hand and to this last my hand and seal the twenty
ffirst day of FFebruary in the forty ffourth year of the reign
of our Sovereign Lord George the third by the Grace of God of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King defender of
the ffaith and in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and four
(signed Joseph Jeffcoat
Signed Sealed published and declared by
the above named Joseph Jeffcoat the Testator as and for his last
will and testament in the presence of us who subscribed our
names as Witnesses in the
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presence of the said Testator and of each
other
Charles Haddon Clerk to Messrs Bull
Francis Rogers Servant to Mr Bull
William Bull of Aylesbury Attorney at Law
I the within named Joseph Jeffcoat do
desire this writing to be taken and received as and for a
codicil to my last Will and Testament within written (that is to
say) Whereas in and by my said Will I have bequeathed unto my
daughter Ann the wife of Samuel Purser in case she should have a
Child within twelve months next after my decease but not
otherwise the sum of ffifty pounds Now I do hereby remove such
restrictions and desire that the said sum of ffifty pounds shall
be paid her within six months next after my decease whether she
shall have a child or not and whereas in and by my said Will I
have bequeathed my Son William the sum of one hundred pounds Now
I do hereby give and bequeath unto him my said son William the
further sum of one hundred pounds to be paid within six months
after my decease Also I do hereby give and bequeath unto my son
John the sum of One hundred pounds to be paid to him within six
months next after my decease Also I do hereby give and devise
unto my Daughter Martha all that my copyhold close of meadow or
pasture ground situate in the parish of Aylesbury in the County
of Bucks with the rights members and appurtenances thereunto
belonging and which I have lately been admitted to and surrender
to the use of my Will To hold the same unto my said daughter
Martha her heirs and assigns for ever and I direct that the
value thereof may be added to the Valuation and produce of the
rest and residue of my personal estate and the amount of such
value of the said close be deducted from her share of the said
rest and residue of my said personal estate And whereas in and
by my said will I have directed my trustees to permit and suffer
my Wife and my said son John or either of them to continue the
ffarm and Business during the Minority of my youngest child for
the bringing up of my ffamily and then for my said son John to
have the preferrance of occupying the same Now I do hereby
direct that my said Wife shall have and enjoy the said ffarm
(with the Consent of my Landlord) and also the
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use of the stock for and during the term
of her natural life for the purpose in my said will mentioned
and I hereby direct that my said son John shall have no power
over the said farm during the life of my said wife and that he
shall not at any time have the privilege of occupying the same
soley for his own use But my will is now that my said son John
and my son Daniel shall jointly be intitled to occupy the said
ffarm immediately after the decease of my said Wife or in case
she shall in her life time voluntarily resign up her right and
discontinue the Business then next after such resignation for
the use and purpose of bringing up my said ffamily as in my said
Will is expressed and from and immediately after the youngest of
my children shall attain his or her age of twenty one years then
my said Sons John and Daniel to occupy the ffarm for their own
separate use and benefit and I hereby ratify and confirm every
other part of my said will so ffar as this Codicil doth not
supersede or interfere with In Testimony whereof I have hereunto
set my hand and seal this eighteen day of June in the year of
Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and six Joseph Jeffcoat
Signed Sealed published and declared by
the above named Joseph Jeffcoat the Testator as and for a
Codicil to his said Will in the presence of us who subscribed
our hands as witnesses in the presence of the said Testator and
of each other
Joseph Crooke
James Nash
William Bull
This Will was proved at London with a
Codicil the first Day of September in the year of Our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and six before the Worshipful Samuel
Pearce Parson Doctor of Laws and Surrogate of the Right
Honorable Sir William Wynne Knight Doctor of Laws Master Keeper
or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully
constituted by Mary Jeffcoat Widow the relict John Jeffcoat the
Son Richard Littleboy and Joseph White four of the Executors
named in the Will to whom administration was granted having
first made a solemn and sincere declaration of affirmation
according to act of parliament duly to administer Mary Naylor by
mistake in the will written Nailor (wife of Joseph Naylor (the
daughter and other executor having first renounced
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