Last Will and Testament of the Right Honorable Charles Fitzroy commonly called Lord Charles Fitzroy a General in His Majesty's Forces

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Wicken, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom
Surnames/tags: FitzRoy Rice-Trevor

This document is transcribed from a register copy of the will of General Right Honorable Lord Charles Fitzroy MP (1794–1829) of Wicken, Northamptonshire. The original will was penned by the Testator in his own hand and proved with a codicil at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 29 Dec 1829.^[1]

Contents 1 Transcription Conventions 2 Persons Mentioned 3 Charles FitzRoy's Last Will and Testament 4 Notes of Interest 5 Sources

Transcription Conventions

- Line breaks, strike-throughs, underscores, and margin notes have been preserved as accurately as possible.

- Abbreviations, suspensions, and breviographs are expanded in [square brackets].

- Interlineations are in ^{superscript italics} to aid reading.

- Engrossing hand is represented by BOLD CAPITALS.

- 'Ff' is transcribed as 'F' and 'fs' is transcribed as 'ss'.

- The first mention of each name is in bold text. See "Persons mentioned:" for key.

- Signatures are denoted by {{signed} Person Signed }

- The a mark/marks at the end of some lines is line filler

Persons Mentioned

In the order in which they appear
(Not all persons mentioned received bequests; some are included to clarify relationships & business associates.)

1. Charles Augustus Fitzroy, eldest son: £12,400, a Mortgage of £5,000 ("transferred as his Mothers fortune in 1795") on the the late Sir Thomas Broughton's estates, a share of the residue of FitzRoy's funded property, and half of any balance left after settling the affairs of the 48th regiment.
2. E. M. Mundy [Esquire] (Edward Miller Mundy, father of his late wife Frances Mundy)
3. Sir Thomas Broughton (The Reverend Sir Thomas Broughton), mortgagee
4. Lieutenant General Sir John-Delves Broughton [Baronet], mortagee
5. Frances (FitzRoy) Rice-Trevor, eldest daughter: £1,000, having "already received five thousand pounds at her Marriage."
6. Emily, youngest daughter (deceased)
7. George Fitzroy, second son: £6,562, the balance of FitzRoy's accounts in the Bank of England, two each of saddles, bridles, and horse cloths, and half of any balance left after settling the affairs of the 48th regiment.
8. Robert Fitzroy, third son: £6,562 and a £13,200 share in the Earl of Tankerville's mortgage 1 1/2 years after FitzRoy's death.
9. The Earl of Tankerville (Charles Augustus Bennet, 5th Earl of Tankerville), mortgagee
10. Georgiana Brown, maid to Lady Frances: £200
11. Hugh Hoare (Henry Hugh Hoare, 3rd Baronet, partner in Hoare's Bank)
12. Hugh Richard Hoare (4th Baronet, partner in Hoare's Bank)
13. William Everett, a manservant at Ampton: £100 and all FitzRoy's clothes
14. Daniel Johnson, a servant at Ampton: £25 and all the saddles, bridles and horse cloths (except two of each for George's use)
15. The Duke of Grafton, George Henry Fitzroy, eldest brother: Father's picture by [John] Hoppner
16. George Wilson, nephew: Millers Gardeners Dictionary
17. the Honorable George Rice-Trevor, son-in-law: all the Claret & Champagne in the cellar, two Globes in the Library, and Chauchard's Map of Germany
18. Mrs. Short, housekeeper: £40 and his old watch
19. Thomas Elston: £10
20. Sam Ellis: £10
21. Samuel Shakshaft: the balance of the money he was already given
22. Thomas Rogers: 2% share from the sale of the farm, a stock cow, hay, wagons, carts and all other farming instruments
23. Colonel Wood
24. Jane Allen: £20 in addition to the amount already given
25. John Parkinson, signatory
26. Alexander Rainy, signatory
27. John Trouhard Pinkard, Doctor of Law

Charles FitzRoy's Last Will and Testament

[right margin, in formal calligraphy:
The Right [Honorable]
CHARLES
FITZROY
commonly called
LORD
CHARLES
FITZROY
a General in His Majesty's Forces,
17]

I CHARLES FITZROY of Wicken in Northamptonshire
commonly called Lord Charles Fitzroy declare this to be my last will written
by my own hand on the twelfth of October and partly on following day in
the year of our blessed Lord and Savior one thousand eight hundred & a
twenty nine. My oldest son Charles Augustus Fitzroy is entitled under a
my Marriage Settlement of 1795 to a balance of Twelve thousand four a
hundred pounds out of seventeen thousand five hundred pounds settled a
upon the children or child of that Marriage he having already received
five thousand one hundred pounds ^from_^^it I also leave to my son Charles a a
Augustus a Mortgage of five thousand pounds which was transfered
to me as his Mothers fortune by her father E. M. Mundy [Esquire] in 1795 on
the estates of the late Sir Thomas Broughton but now belonging to a
his successor Lieutenant General Sir John Delves Broughton [Baronet] I a
also leave to the above named Charles Augustus a share of the residue
of my funded property as will be presently mentioned after all legacies
debts and other necessary expenses shall have been paid. I also leave him
my Gold repeater watch Seventeen thousand ^two_^^hundred pounds are also settled upon
^{the erasure of the above was made by me Charles Fitzroy 1879}
the children of my second Marriage in 1799 My daughter Frances a
received five thousand pounds at her Marriage instead of her share which
would have been four thousand three hundred and seventy five pounds
since that time. My blessed Daughter Emily has died so that there a
remains thirteen thousand one hundred and twenty five pounds to be
divided between her two Brothers George & Robert in addition to this
I leave to my son George Fitzroy whatever sum in Bank of England a
that I may be possessed of at my death. I leave to my son Robert Fitzroy
the Mortgage or share of Mortgage which I have upon the Earl of
Tankerville's estates amounting to about thirteen thousand two hundred
pounds this however is not to become his property till the expiration of
one year and a half from my death . The interest during that time
to be added to the residue of the funded property. I also leave Robert a
my gold watch. My Daughter Frances being comparatively better off a
than her Brother I leave her one thousand pounds as a small a
testimony of my affection, trusting that her husband will let her a
have the interest of it in addition to her pin money till he becomes a
Lord Dynevor or till he falls into full possession of the Broughton a
Estate in either of which cases or upon her previous death I am sure
he will have no objection to transfer the principal to my son Charles

[PAGE 2]
or his heirs. I leave two hundred pounds to Georgiana Brown out of which
I have considered already her own having been given to her at _^^her Mistress's
death in 1810 and for which at her own desire I have paid the
interest only. I also leave in trust to Hugh Hoare [Esquire] of Fleet Street and his a
son Hugh Richard Hoare one thousand pounds for the use of the
above named Georgiana Brown for her life the interest to be paid a
half yearly three Months after it is due at her death the principal to
become the property of my oldest son Charles or his heirs To the two
other servants who were in my family at Ampton I leave (first) to
William Everett in return for his great attention to me during my
illness one hundred pounds and all my clothes of every description. To a a
Daniel Johnson I leave twenty five pounds he has a family to provide
for. And also (when the stable is cleared) all the saddles, bridles and horse
cloths with the exception of such two of each as my son George may keep
for his own use the Carriage Harness to remain with the phaeton I
beg my Brother the Duke of Grafton to accept our Father's picture by Hoppner
I wish I had a Horse worth his acceptance my Nephew George Wilson
will perhaps accept my Millers Gardeners Dictionary as a small token
of my affectionate remembrance from an old friend and Uncle To my
son in law the Honorable George Rice Trevor I leave all the Claret a
& Champagne in my cellar the two Globes in the Library and a a a
Chauchard's Map of Germany. Mrs. Short has higher wages than the
rest with full means of saving half of them To Thomas Elston & John
Webb ten pounds each and the same to Sam Ellis To Samuel Shakshaft
the balance which he has in hand according to the present value of the a
funds I think there will remain a small balance of my funded property
to which the year and a half's interest kept back from Lord Tankerville's a
Mortgage is also to be added whatever this may be after the above named
legacies debts (of which I have none beyond common annual bills) funeral
expenses _^⁺ of keeping Wicken house & Garden to the earliest period at which
[Margin note:
+
and the necessary
Expenses
(Interlined in the
original will)]
it can be given up are paid it may accumulate till the expiration of
the second year from the day of my death my Executor (there is no Man
more honorable) will then make an equal division of this residue
between his brother Charles Augustus and himself. I name & appoint my
son George Fitzroy my sole Executor and residuary Legatee consequently
whatever is in the house (with the exception of the few articles left as a
legacies from the Cellar or Library) in the Stable and Garden & on the Farm
are his subject to rent tithe & rates being paid out of it and a gift to Thomas
Rogers of two percent out of the clear produce of the sale of Farming two a
stock cow hay (not in stable rick paid) Waggons Carts and all other a a
Farming Implements the Farm of Course to be given up as soon as a a
possible there may also remain a balance in the hands of [Messieurs] Greenwood
Cox & Co after all the regimental concerns of the 48th are wound up If any
doubt should arise as to the exact meaning of any thing I have written a
above I wish it to be referred to my Brother the Duke of Grafton and Colonel
Wood if one only is alive or in England and their or his decision a a a a
within four days to be final the above Will written entirely with my own
hand is hereby signed by me this seventeenth day of October in the a
year of our blessed Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ one thousand eight hundred
and twenty nine _{{signed} Charles Fitzroy }_ a Resigned By Lord Charles Fitzroy
the Testator and am in published and declared by him as one for his last
Will and Testament this eighth day of December one thousand eight hundred
and twenty nine in the presence of us who in his presence at his request a
and in the presence of each other do hereunto subscribe our names as Witnesses
the several erasures and interlineations opposite to which the Testator has put
his initials been first made_ {{signed} Jn^o Parkinson } // {{signed} Alexander Rainy }

[PAGE 3]
a Codicil to the above Will

I GIVE to my Housekeeper Mrs Short forty pounds and my old watch for her
attentive service to me and I give to Jane Allen the sum of twenty pounds in
addition to what I have already given her and it is my will the the
one thousand pounds given by my Will for my Daughter should be paid
to her absolutely on her own receipt and not be subject to the contingency
or Trust mentioned in my Will but be paid as an absolute legacy as a a
witness my hand this eight day of December one thousand eight hundred
and twenty nine. {{signed} Charles Fitzroy }_ Signed and published by Lord Charles
Fitzroy the Testator in the presence of us who in his presence at his request
and in the presence of each other do hereunto subscribe our names as
Witnesses_ {{signed} Jn^o Parkinson } // {{signed} Alexander Rainy }

PROVED at London with a Codicil 29th December 1829 before the a a a
Worshipful John Trouhard Pinkard Doctor of Law and Surrogate by the a
oath of George Fitzroy Esquire the son and sole Executor to whom a a a a
administration was granted having been first sworn duly to administer.

Notes of Interest

• Gold repeater watch (struck through, possibly the same watch later bequeathed to Mrs Short): A repeater watch can chime the hour, quarter-hour, or minutes at the press of a button or lever, allowing the wearer to determine the time in the dark. They were expensive status symbols due to the difficulty of fitting the extra mechanical complication into the pocket watch. A few repeater wristwatches are still made today.^[2]
• Chauchard's Map of Germany (to George Rice-Trevor): ^[3]
• Portrait of Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (to 4th Duke of Grafton): Painted by John Hoppner in 1805, it is a bust of the Duke in a crimson fur coat bearing the star of the King's Guard.^[4] Images of the original full-color painting are sparse, but reproductions of the mezzotint by C. Turner engraved the same year are quite popular. Hoppner also painted George Henry, Charles' eldest brother and the 4th Duke of Grafton, his wife Charlotte Maria, the Countess of Euston, Charles' wife Lady Frances Mundy^[5], and his sister Lady Elizabeth FitzRoy after her marriage to the son of the 1st Baron Southampton. Charles, it appears, never sat for a portrait (there are, however, a number of 'Unknown' portraits of British officers, any of whom could be him). The Duke's portrait was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1806 (Item 122), British Institution, 1843 (Item 175) and South Kensington, 1867 (Item 469).
• Ampton Hall: ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Register copy of will: England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 Ancestry.com Will register for General Lord Charles FitzRoy, Piece 1764: Liverpool, Quire Numbers 701–745, pp.8–10. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data:Prerogative Court of Canterbury: Wills of Selected Famous Persons. Digitized images. Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11. The National Archives, Kew, England. View shared image: page 8 page 9 page 10
2. ↑ Notes: repeater watch: Wikipedia contributors, "Repeater (horology)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Repeater_(horology)&oldid=1126112930 (accessed July 28, 2023).
3. ↑ Notes: map bequest: Chauchard, Jean Baptiste Hippolyte. A General Map of the Empire of Germany, Holland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the Grisons, Italy, Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia. London: T. Gillet for John Stockdale, 1800. Christie's (accessed 26 Jul 2023).
4. ↑ Notes: painting of 3rd Duke of Grafton: McKay, William Darling and Roberts, W. John Hoppner, R.A. (P & D Colnaghi & Co. : London) Internet Archive pp.102–103.
5. ↑ Notes: Portrait of Lady Mundy: Hoppner, John. Portrait of Lady Frances Fitzroy, nee Mundy, (c. 1795) Painting. Newportal Identifier: 1999.940. Newport Restoration Foundation, Newport, Rhode Island, United States.
6. ↑ Notes: Ampton Hall: Wikipedia contributors, "Ampton Hall," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ampton_Hall&oldid=1115439521 (accessed July 26, 2023).