In the name of God Amen I George CHEWTER of the parish of Windlesham in the county of Surrey being of sound mind memory and understanding yet considering the uncertainty of human life and desiring to quit myself as far as I may of the business and cares of this world do this twenty ninth day of October one thousand seven hundred and fifty one make and publish this my last will and testament as follows first I do willingly resign my soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it in an humble hope that he will receive it into his favour in and through the merits of his dear son and our saviour and redeemer Jesus Christ our Lord my body I commit to the earth from where it was taken and to be buried in the isle against the pew where in I sit in the church of Windlesham aforesaid and I do order my servant maid Margaret CHRISTMAS my servant shall have the ordering and management of my burial and to perform the same in the manner as followeth in all respect here in mentioned first I do order that my body be carried in a hearse from the house where it shall please God I shall depart this life to the parish church of Windlesham aforesaid attended by two mourning coaches and that eight men such as the said Margaret CHRISTMAS shall think proper of my neighbours and acquatutance do attend my funeral in order to take my corpes in and out of the hearse and carry the same to the place of internment and to be paid one shilling each and I also desire that my relations and friends be invited to attend my funeral and that all my relations have given them at my funeral crape hat bands and gloves to each a pair and the women and girls a pair of gloves each and all the people that attend my funeral to have sufficient cake bread beer and wine according to the custom of the place of my abode sufficient for such funeral and as for my wordily estate my will is that what small debts I shall owe at the time of my death be paid out of the first moneys that can be raised out of my estate by my executor Margaret CHRISTMAS whom I do appoint my heir and executor except to what shall be herein after excepted and the aforesaid Margaret CHRISTMAS shall defray all the expenses of my funeral which I direct as in the manner followeth and cause the same be performed after my corpes is buried shall cause a handsome stone to be laid over my grave with the date of the year my age and my name engraved on it and shall cause a stone to be erected and placed on the wall against my said pew a plain monumental stone with a modest inscription there on of my benefaction herein after mentioned to be given to the poor in order that the same may be perpetuated and preserved from being lost Item I do give and devise the sum of five pounds yearly to be paid forever by quarterly payments out of all those my fower closes of land called Daniel Moores plantations and the barn thereon which I purchased of John WALTER esquire being at the west end of Bagshott in the parish of Windlesham aforesaid containing by estimation ten acres more or less into the hands of the Minister and church wardens and overseers of the said parish of Windlesham for the time being and their successors in trust that they do and shall lay out the same quarterly in each year in the purchase of fifty sixpenny loaves of bread and do and shall give and dispose thereof unto and amongst the poor of the said parish of Windlesham the first payment to be made and the first loaves of bread to be given away the next general quarter day next after my decease if it shall happen to be of a Sunday immediately after divine service if not then the next Sunday after the said quarter day forever and always to be given in the churchyard and I do hereby charge the lands and premises aforesaid with the payment thereof as aforesaid and my will and meaning is that if the sum of twenty five shillings being each quarterly payment thereof be at anytime hereafter neglected or refused to be paid at the time aforesaid being first demanded that then or at any time there after it shall and may be lawful to and for the minister and church wardens of the said parish of Windlesham and their successors to enter on the premises before mentioned and distrain for the same if any distress be there to be found otherwise to hold and enjoy the same and the rents and profits there of receive and take until the said quarterly payment of twenty five shillings and all arrears if any should be and all charges incident to such distress and entry be fully paid and satisfied and I do give and devise the said lands called Daniel Moores plantation and the barn thereon with all the rights members and appurtenances charged as aforesaid unto my servant maid Margaret CHRISTMAS and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life and from and after her decease then to Ann HAMMOND now the wife of James HAMMOND and to her heirs and assigns for ever provided always and I do hereby declare that the uses hereby limited to the said Margaret CHRISTMAS for her life and to the said Ann HAMMOND and her heirs are so limited on condition that if the fore said Margaret CHRISTMAS or the said Ann HAMMOND or her heirs or assigns or any or either of them as they shall be respectively in possession of the premises do not and shall not well and truly perform this my will in every respect in the regard to the above request of the said charity or shall seek or take any advantage for or by reason of any act or acts of parliament called the Mortmain act or otherwise to impeach destroy or invalidate the said request that then the uses in and by this my will limited as aforesaid to the aforesaid Margaret CHRISTMAS and Ann HAMMOND or the heirs of Ann HAMMOND shall from thence forth absolutely cease determine and be void and then and in such case I give and devise all the same soever closes of land to be laid out in bread as aforesaid and in the same manner for ever to the poor of the parish of Windlesham yearly Item I give and devise all that messuage or tenement situate and being in Bagshot Street in Windlesham Aforesaid with all the buildings gardens and orchards and appurtenances there unto belonging unto the said Margaret CHRISTMAS and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life and from and after her decease I give and devise the same to my said kinswomen Ann HAMMOND and her heirs for ever Item I give and devise all that my copyhold messuage or tenement with the barn buildings garden orchard Backside and four acres of ground or land more or less there unto belonging and adjoining situate lying and being at Brookwood in the parish of wokin in the county of Surrey with all every the appurtenances and which I have surrendered to the use of my will unto William ELLIS the son of my kinswomen Sarah ELLIS and his heirs for ever Item I give unto the two sons of John HAMMOND which he had by his wife the eldest daughter of my kinsman Thomas CHEWTER the sum of five pounds each and to the son of Henry HAMMOND which he had by the youngest daughter of my kinsman Thomas CHEWTER the sum of five pounds I give unto my late servant Thomas CHEWTER of the parish of Ashe in the said county of surrey two guineas Item I give unto Mr Bryan RICHARD of Wokingham in the county of Berks. I give unto Susannah BRISTOW widow two guineas Item I give unto Mary ELLIS the sister of the forsaid William ELLIS the sum of five pounds the said five sums of five pounds each and the sum of two guineas each to be paid by the said William ELLIS his heirs or assigns within twelve months after my decease out of the said copyhold lands and premises so devised to him and them as afore said and with the payment thereof I do hereby charge the said lands and premises accordingly Item I give unto my kinsman Thomas CHEWTER the father of the fore mentioned daughters five guineas to be paid by my executor within a twelve month after my decease and my will and meaning is that the said Thomas CHEWTER nor his heirs have no more right or benefit to my estate real or personal whatsoever or where so ever or of what nature kind or quality so ever than what I have or shall expressly mention in this my last will Item I give unto James HAMMOND the younger my godson the house which I bought of Nicholas HOGSFLESH now in the occupation of HENRY MATHU the younger situated at Sponges Green and adjoining to Thomas BADGENTS the younger with the orchard garden and Backside Item I give unto James HAMMOND my fore said godson all that land which I bought of John ROMAIN and Jenny ROMAIN his wife knowing by the name of Studely Mead and two half acres of land lying in the common field called Westidg and another half acre lying in the common field called Church Field and all the several pieces of land arable and meadow now in the occupation of George GIBSON with the house afore said I give unto my afore said godson James HAMMOND his heirs forever Item as to for and to concerning all the rest and residue of my goods chattels debts and securities bonds and mortgages for moneys with my household furniture stock and all other my real and personal estate what so ever and where so ever and of what nature kind or quality so ever the same may be and not otherwise by this my will given and disposed of after payment of my debts I give devise and bequeath the same and every part thereof unto my servant Margaret CHRISTMAS for her own use and her assigns except what is herein excepted and I do hereby constitute ordain and appoint Margaret CHRISTMAS my executrix to see this my will performed and to perform it Item I give unto Ann HAMMOND and Elizabeth HAMMOND the two sisters of my afore mentioned godson James HAMMOND five pounds each to be paid out of the lands so devised unto him as aforsaid and with the payment thereof I do hereby charge the said lands and premises accordingly to be paid within twelve months after my decease Item I give unto Tho’s TILBURY Innholder two guineas as a recompense for his trouble in seeing to the due execution of this my will Item I give unto John CHITTY of this parish two guineas to see the due execution of this my will Item I give unto Henry HAMMOND senior two guineas to see the due execution of this my will and I do hereby constitute and appoint my kinsman Tho. CHEWTER Thomas TILBURY Henry HAMMOND and John CHITTY being only intended by me as executors In trust to be aiding and assisting in the execution of this my will and see the same duly and fully performed without any further or other benefit than what is herein before specifically given unto them respectively and to be paid to the persons to whom the so given as aforesaid by my executrix Margaret CHRISTMAS herein mentioned within twelve months next after my decease Item I give unto Walter HEROD of the parish of Sunning Hill in the county of Berks all my wearing apparel Item I give unto Joseph ALEXANDER ???? guineas Item I give unto John TILBURY ??? guineas and I do hereby revoke and make void all former and other wills at any time here to fore by me made and executed and do declare this to be my last will and testament in witness where of I have to this my last said will written and contained in four sheets written by my own hand of paper and set my hand at the bottom of the first and second third and fourth with my seal on the four sheets the day and year above written----George CHEWTER signed sealed published and declared by the said George CHEWTER as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence of each other witnessed the same George WILLIAMS William ATLEE John LAKECOOPER
This will was proved at London the sixteenth day of May in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty four before the worshipful George HARRIS doctor of laws surrogate of the right honourable Sir George LEE Knight also doctor of laws master keeper of commissary of the prerogative court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by oath of Margaret CHRISTMAS spinster the executrix named in the will to whom administration was granted of all and singular the goods chattels and credits of the deceased being first sworn duly to administer power ??? of making the like grant to Thomas CHEWTER Thomas TILBURY Henry HAMMOND and John CHITTY the executors in trust when they or either of them shall apply for the same
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