Will of Buckeridge Ball Acworth (1747-1818)
This is a transcription of the register copy of the Will of Buckeridge Ball Acworth of Westmister, Middlesex. He wrote the original will in his own handwriting sometimes in May 1818. The will was proved at London on 28 August 1818 with a subsequent annotation on 14 April 1823.^[1][2]

Transcription conventions:
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included struck out
Paragraph breaks at change of bequest, and bold text are my own for ease of reading.
Where present, the obsolete letter ff has been rendered as F.
Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets]
Non standard spelling as per usual for this time period, which has been transcribed verbatim.

Persons mentioned

• Buckeridge Ball Acworth Testator
• Mrs Butcher, Cousin
  • R. H. Butcher, her Husband
  • her Daughter
• Mrs Sedgwick, my Cousin
  • Marian & Ann Sedgwick, her Daughters, Cousins
• Thornton, my Cousin
  • Dr Thornton, her Husband
• Captain & Mrs Love, Cousins
• Captain Ommanney, Cousin
• Francis Molyneux Ommanney, Cousin, Friend and Executor
• Captain Henry Ommanney, Cousin
• Edward V. Ommanney, Cousin
• Cornthwaite Ommanney, Cousin
• Mrs S. Pipon, Cousin
  • her husband Major Pipon
• Mr Andrew Edge, Friend and Executor
• Mrs P.S. Dupuy of the India house and his Wife, Friends
• the Revd James Merest Wortham, Friend
• Mr Sutherland Apothecary, Friend
• Mary Burrowes, Servant
• Eliz[abe]th Rose, Servant
• Miss Butcher, Cousin
• Sr George Poronall, Friends
• Richard Deane, former Servant
• J. A. Ommanney, Cousin (see Research Notes)
• Mr Fisher
• Mr Ellis of North Street
  • his Nephew Mr George Ellis
• Mr Bates of James Street
• Mr Sutherland
• William Annandale of Green Street
• John Capon of Marsham Street

Institutions mentioned

• St Margaret's Hospital
• the Deaf and Dumb Charity
• the Grey Coat Hospital
• the Blue Coat School Chapel Street
• the Westminster Charity School D... Street
• the Western Dispensary .. Charles Street
• the Westminster Hospital
• the Society for propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts
• the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge
• the Magdalen Hospital

Transcription

[page one]
Buckeridge
Ball
Acworth

I Buckeridge Ball Acworth this day of May 1818 considered
in what manner I would have my fortune disposed of in case of my
death do make this my Will

I give to my Cousin M^rs Butcher 300£ Bank
Stock for her life and after her Death to her Daughter I also give her
300£ 3p.C^ts Stock at her own disposal

I give to her husband R. H. Butcher
300£ 3p.C^ts Stock.

I give to her Daughter 200£ 3p.C^ts

I give to my Cousin
M^rs Sedgwick 500£ Bank Stock and after her Death to go to her Daughters
I also give her 400£ 3p.C^ts Stock at her own disposal and to her Daughters
Marian and Ann each of them 200£ 3p.C^ts Stock.

I give to my Cousin M^rs
Thornton 600£ Bank Stock for her life and after her Death to be divided
amongst her children

I give to her husband D^r Thornton 200 3p.C^ts Stock
at his own disposal

I give to my Cousins Captain & M^rs Love 600£
Bank Stock for their lives & after their Deaths to be divided equally
amongst their Children

I also give them 700£ 3p.C^ts Stock at their own
disposal

I give to my Cousin Captain Ommanney 600£ Bank Stock for
his life and after his death to his children

I ^^also give him 600£ 3p.C^ts Stock
at his own disposal

I give to my Cousin Francis M. Ommanney
800£ Bank Stock for his life and after his death to be divided amongst
his children

I also give him 800£ 3p.C^ts Stock at his own disposal

I give to my Cousin Captain Henry Ommanney Eight hundred pounds
Bank Stock for his Life and after his death to his children

I also
give him 800£ 3p.C^ts Stock at his own disposal

I give to my Cousin
Edward Ommanney 600£ Bank Stock for his life and after his death
to his Children

I also give him 800£ 3p.C^ts Stock at his own disposal

I give
my ^^Cousin Cornthwaite Ommanney Six hundred pounds Bank Stock

I also
give him 200£ 3p.C^ts Stock

I give to my Cousin M^rs S. Pipon Six
hundred pounds Bank Stock for her life and after her death to her
Children

I also give to her & her husband Major Pipon 800£ 3p.C^t
Stock at their own disposal

I give to my Friend M^r Andrew Edge
of Essex Street & his wife the interest of Six hundred pounds 4.p.C.^t
Stock for their lives and after their deaths to be divided among their
children as they shall direct

I give to my Friend M^rs P.S. Dupuy
of the India house and his Wife five hundred pounds in the 4.p.
C^t for their lives and after their Deaths the Stock to be divided
among

[page two]
among their children as they shall direct

I give to S^t Margaret's Hospital
of which I'm ^^a Governor 600£ in the 4.p.C.^t Stock

I give to the Deaf and Dumb
Charity of which I'm a Governor 300£ in the 4.p.C.^t Stock

I give to the Grey
Coat Hospital of which I'm a Governor 400£ Stock in the 4.p.C.^ts.

I give to
the Blue Coat School Chapel Street of which I'm a Governor 600£ Stock
in the 4.p.C.^ts

I give to the Westminster ^^now Charity School D... Street
of which I'm a Governor 400£ Stock in the 4.p.C.^t Stock

I give to the Western
Dispensary .. Charles Street of which I am now treasurer 400£ Stock in
the 4.p.C.^ts

I give to the Westminster Hospital of which I'm a trustee
300£ Stock in the 3.p.C.^t

I give to the Society for propagation of the Gospel
in foreign parts one hundred pounds Bank Stock

I give to the Society
for promoting Christian Knowledge Fifty Guineas and also to the
British and Foreign Bible Society Fifty Guineas

I give to the Magdalen
Hospital of which I'm a life Governor two hundred pounds

I give
to my Friend the Rev^d James Merest Wortham one hundred pounds
and to his nephew M^r Fisher of the Exchaquer twenty pounds

I give
to my Friend M^r Sutherland Apothecary one hundred pounds ^^and the same
sum to his daughter miss Sutherland

I give to my Servant Mary Burrowes
three hundred pounds 3.p.C.^t Consols and Fifty guineas beside and to
my Servant Eliz^th Rose one hundred pounds 3.p.C.^t Consols and thirty
guineas beside

I give to my Friend M^r Edge my large Folio Bible
requesting him at his death to leave it to his son A. A. Edge

I give to
my Cousin Capt.ⁿ Ommanney the History of Westminster Abbey 2 Vols
small Folio &

I also give him my telescope in a case

I give to my
Cousin F. M. Ommanney Lavater & hogarth? Works

also I give him
my Persian pictures kept in my bureau desiring that they may not go
out of the family

I give to my Cousin Cap^t Henry Ommanney my
Chambers Dictionary

I give to my Cousin Edward V. Ommanney
the edition of the Tatler? Spectator and Guardian.

I to my Cousin
Cornthwaite Ommanney the quarto volumes of Forbes Account of
India

I give to my Cousins Major and M^rs uu Pipon the Bibliographical
Dictionary in thirty odd volumes

I give to my cousins Marian & Ann
Sedgwick the edition of Pamela S^r Charles Grandison & Clarissa
Harlowe;

I give to my Cousin Miss Butcher my large microscope
in a case

I give to my Cousin Capⁿ Love my quarto Bible & ..alones?
Shakespeare

I give to my Friend S^r George Poronall? the universal
history in many volumes which his uncle the Colonel presented to me

I give to Richard Deane formerly Servant in Our family ten guineas

I give the picture of myself hanging in the front parlour to my cousin
Francis M. Ommanney & to his Brother J. A. Ommanney the miniature
of my Father also the miniature of myself in a bracelet

I request
my Cousin Francis M. Ommanney and my Friend M^r Andrew Edge
to be the Ex[ecut]ors of this my Will and

I give unto them as such one hundred
guineas each

the large pictures of my father mother & M^r Ball & the
two of my uncle & aunt Buckeridge & the one of M^r Buckeridge hanging
in the parlour over the chimney may be destroyed a unless any of
my cousins should wish to have them as I do not like to have
family pictures exposed in a brokers shop

I would have my books
(except those bequeathed) sold also I would have my jewels plate
& household Furtniture sold (the jewels are in my Chest at the
Exchequer in the care of M^r Fisher)

I desire that my clothes and
linen may be divided between my servants and that they may
have handsome mourning given to them

I would wish to be
buried in our grave in the Cloysters Westminster Abbey at as
moderate expense as possible

I desire to be given to M^r Ellis of North
Street and to his Nephews M^r George Ellis to M^r Bates of James
Street to M^r Sutherland and to my two Executors five guineas each
for

[page three]
for a ring as a token of remembrance in case there are any money
remaining I should wish it to be given in private charity /–/B.B.
Acworth /–/

---

Appeared Personally William Annandale of Green Street
Westminster in the County of Middlesex and John Capon of Marsham
Street Westminster in the same County Esquire and made oath
that they knew and were well acquainted with Buckeridge Ball
Acworth formerly of Smith Street Westminster afterwards of
Marsham Street Westminster but late of Queen Street Westminster
in the County of Middlesex for a considerable time before and down
to the time of his death and during such their Acquaintance with
him have often seen ^^him write and subscribe his name to writings
and are thereby ....ine well acquainted with the manner and
character of his handwriting and subscription and having now
attentively viewed and perused the paper writing hereto Annexed
purporting to be and contain the last Wil and Testament of the said
deceased the said paper writing beginning thus "I Buckeridge
Ball Acworth this day of May 1818" ending thus "In case there are
any Money remaining I should wish it to be given in private
Charity" and thus subscribed "B.B. Acworth" these deponents having
also observed the figures "3" interlined between the sixth and
seventh lines also the words and figures "4 p.C.^t Stock" interlines
between the thirtyseventh and thirty eighth lines also the words
"a Governor" interlined between the fortythird and fortyfourth
lines also the words "Treasurer" interlined between the fiftyfirst
and Firfyfourth lines of the first page instead of the ^ word "large"
interlined between the twentysecond and twentythird lines and
also the word "as" between the thirtythird and thirtyfourth lines
of the second page they the deponents severally say and depose
that they verily and in their consciences believe the whole
body ser..es and COntents of the said Will (beginning ending and
subscried as aforesaid) and also the several interline actions
and alterations appearing therein and hereinbefore Writes
and the Name "B.B. Acworth" set and subscribed thereto to be
of the proper handwriting and subscription of the said Buckeridge
Ball Acworth deceased /–/ W. Annandale /–/ John Capon /–/ On the
27^th day of August 1818. the said William Annandale and John Capon were
duly sworn to the truth of this affidavit before me S. Paron. Surr
present Edw.^d Coller? ... ... Pub. –//

Proved at London 28^th August 1818 before the Worshipful
Sanuel Pearse Parson Doctor od Laws and Surrogate by the
Oaths of Francis Molyneux Ommanney and Andrew Edge the
Ex[ecut]ors to whom Adm[inistrati]on was granted having been first sworn
duly to Administer

On the left hand side of the third and last page of the will:

A copy of a paper writing
or Codicil to this Will was
Proved at London 14^th
April 1823 before the
Worshipful Jesse Addams
Doctor of Laws and Surrogate
by the Oaths of Sir
Francis Molyneux Ommanney
heretofore Francis Molyneux
Ommanney Esquire and
Andrew Edge Esquire the
Executors limited until
the original paper writing
or Codicil or a more authentic
Copy thereof shall be found
and brought into and left
in the Registry of our
Prerogative Court but
no further of otherwise
having been first sworn
duly to Administer./–

Research Notes

The will ends with the sentence In case there are any money remaining I should wish it to be given in private charity. This provision was unclear in more ways than one and resulted in the executors suing the next of kin in "Ommanney vs. Butcher". The case concluded in April 1823 and was reported in its entirety in Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the High Court of Chancery^[3]

J.A. Ommanney is most likely John Acworth Ommanney.

It's not clear if Capt. Ommanney and Capt. Henry Ommanney are the same person.

Sources

1. ↑ Will of Buckeridge Ball Acworth of Westminster, Middlesex

   Reference: PROB 11/1607/409

   Description: Will of Buckeridge Ball Acworth of Westminster, Middlesex

   Date: 28 August 1818

   Held by: The National Archives, Kew

2. ↑ Will: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858", database with images, The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 1607, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5111 #159367 (accessed 18 April 2024), Will of Buckeridge Ball Acworth, granted probate on 28 Aug 1818. Died about 1818.
3. ↑ "Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the High Court of Chancery" Pages 260–274