Will of John Wildman of Beckett in County Berks, Esquire, 1710

Date: 1710 [unknown]
Location: Berkshire, England
Surnames/tags: Wildman Shute

Testator: John Wildman of Beckett, County Berks, Esquire

Date of the will: June 1706

Proved: 11 October 1710

Persons Mentioned:

John Shute of Lincoln's Inn, Esquire

Simon Parish, his father's servant

Major John Wildman, his father

John Hoskins of Red Lyon Square of the Parish of Saint Andrews, London, Esquire Executor

John Southby of Casswell, County of Berks, Esquire, Executor

Thomas Westrew, Esquire, brother (in-law?), possibly Thomas Westrow

Reverend John Whitefoot, Clerk, his uncle?

John Whitefoot of Cambridge, Gent, the Son of the above said John Whitefoot (cousin?)

Mary Westrew, Spinster, sister (in-law?)

Dorothy Westrew, Spinster sister (in-law?)

Bennet Westrew, Spinster sister (in-law?)

William Wildman, uncle, his father's brother on his father's side

Geoffery Wildman, uncle, his father's brother on his father's side

His father's only sister, unnamed

Elizabeth Sadler, his cousin, Spinster

John Kinshull, his servant

Stephen Waterhouse, his former servant

John Ledges, his gardener

Henry Sealy, his former servant

Anne Beale, his servant

Doctor Samuell Wall and his Wife (unnamed)

Sir Robert Clayton MP, his father's business partner

Latham, a Stone Cutter

The Duke of Buckingham, possibly John Sheffield KG PC, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normandy

Mr. Lightfoot, of the Charter House

Timothy Goodwin, witness

William Godfrey, witness

Edward Valentine, witness

John Boydell, servant

B. Adney, witness

The solid lines indicate page separation

Three dots between brackets indicate words that were unreadable

In the name of God Amen

I John Wildman of Beckett in the County of Berks

Esquire Doe hereby make and this my last Will and

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Testament in manner and forme following First having humbly

Endeavoured to have a Deep understanding of my absolute dependance

on the Almighty Creating Power for any Moment of my life

and that I ought in Every thing to be obedient to his Will as

the Highest and most perfect Rule of Virtue and Holynesse

and waiting with an humble Resolution of doing my Duty

in all things to leave this life whenever he Shall please to call

me hence with a Ready Submission to his Will hoping for a

Resurection from the Dead unto an Eternall life according to

the Doctrine Revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ I do Will that

the Estate Reall and Personall wherewith God has blessed

me be Disposed of as followeth (deletion) I Give and devise

unto John Shute of Lincolnes Inne Esquire all that my manor

or Reputed mannor of Beckett and the Capitall Messuage

of the Same and all my Mannors of Shrevenham als Shrivham

Salop Shrivham Claycourt Shrivham Walpits Together

with the Hundreds of Shrivham als Shrevenham in the County

of Berks and all other my Lands Tenements Tithes and

Hereditaments whatsoever Together with all the Rights

Members and Appurtenantes of all and Every the Said

Mannors Hundreds Lands and Tenements Scituate and being

within the Parish of Shrivenham als Shrivham aforesaid

or within any of the Parishes or Hamletts in the Hundreds of

Shrivham aforesaid to hold unto him the Said John Shute

and his Heires for Ever Subject Neverthelesse to the payment

of all the debts I Shall owe at the time of my Death and to all

Legacies (...) Such conditions bardens and payments as I

Shall appoint and Declare by this my last Will and Testament

or by any Schedule that may be hereunto Annexed at any time

bedore my Death or by any other Deed or Instrument whatsoever

under my hand and Seale or by words of mouth uttered

with a Disposeing mind before Two Witnesses and also

Subject to an absolute Revocation by all or any of the ways

aforesaid Item I Give and Devise unto the Said John Shute

all my Tenement in Iostone called Iostone half Farme Scituate

Lyeing and being in the Said County of Berks which was

Purchased by my Father in the name of his Servant Simon

Parish To hold to him the Said John Shute and his Heires

for Ever and all other my Lands Tenements and Hereditaments

whatsoever in the County of Berks Subject Neverthelesse to be

charged by me John Wildman as is Expressed to the manors

of Shrivham aforesaid Item I make constitute and ordain

John Hoskins of Red Lyon Square of the Parish of Saint

Andrews London Esquire and John Southby of Casswell in

the County of Berks Esquire my Executors of this my last

Will and Testament To Each of whom I Give and Devise

the Sume of Fifty Pounds a peice And my Will is that

whatever part of my Personall Estate Shall Remaine

undisposed after my debts Legacies and modest Funerall

Charges paid Shall goe the Said John Shute Item I give

and Devise unto my Brother Tho: Westrew Esquire the Sume

of One Hundred Pounds to be paid out of Such Mannors

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Lands Tenements and Leases as are herein Devised to the Said

John Shute and to be paid by my Executors Item I Give and

Devise unto the Reverend John Whitefoot Clerk the Sume of

One Hundred Pounds Item I Give and Devse unto john

Whitefoot of Cambridge Gent the Son of the above said John

Whitefoot the Sume of One Hundred Pounds with Two

Legacies Shall be paid out of Such Leases Lands and Tenements

as are herein Devised to the Said John Shute or (deletion) to be paid by

my Executors Item I Give and Devise unto my Sister Mary

Westrew Spinster the Sume of Two Thousand Pounds And

I Give and Devise unto my sister Dorothy Westrew Spinster

the Sume of One Thousand Pounds And I Give and Devise

unto my Sister Bennet Westrew Spinster the Sume of One

Thousand Pounds All which Three last Legacies Shall be paid

out of Such Lands Leases and Tenements as are herein and

hereby Devised to the Said John Shute at the Respective days of

their Respective Marryages or within Two years after my

Death Item I Give and Devise unto my Said Sister Mary

Westrew my Pearle Necklace Item I Give and Devise unto

my Said Brother Westrew and My said Three Sisters Mary

Dorothy and Bennett Westrew Each of them Ten Pounds

apeice to Buy Mourning Item I Give and Devise unto

George Searle Gent who was long my Fathers faithfull

Servant the Sume of One Hundred Pounds to be paid out

of Such Lands and Tenements mannors and Leases as are

herein and hereby Devised to the Said John Shute Item I give

and Devise unto Wm. Wildman my Fathers Brother by his

Fathers Side an Annuity of Fourscore Pounds per Annum

to be paid half Yearly by Equall portions out of the land

and Tenements Mannors and Leases herein and hereby

Devised to the Said John Shute And the said Annuity of

Fourscore Pounds per Annum Shall be Paid to the Said

William Wildman Yearly and Every Year dureing his life

Item I Give and Devise to Elizabeth Sadler Spinster Tenn

Pounds to buy mourning Item I Give and Devise unto

Geoffery Wildman the Brother of my Father by the Fathers

Side the Sume of One Hundred Pounds and to his only Sister

the Sume of Fifty pounds to be paid out of Such Lands and

Tenements Mannors and Leases as are herein and hereby

Devised to the Said John Shute Item I Give and Devise unto

my Servant John Kinshull an Annuity of Tenn Pounds per

Annum dureing his life And I Give and Devise unto Stephen

Waterhouse late my Servant an Annuity of Five pounds

per Annum dureing his life And I Give and Devise unto

John Ledges my Gardener an Annuity of five pounds

per Annum dureing his life And I Give and Devise unto

Henry Sealy late my Servant an Annuity of Five pounds

Per Annum dureing his life And I Give and Devise unto

my Servant Anne Beale and Annuity of Five Pounds per

Annum dureing her life All which five last mentioned

Annuities or Yearly Payments Shall be paid out of Such

Lands and Tenements Mannors and Leases as are herein

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and hereby Devised to the Said John Shute Item I Give unto Doctor

Samuell Wall and to his Wife Each of them a Ring of the best

Sort of Mourning Rings Whereas Sr. Robert Clayton and my

Father were Engaged Together in the Charge of Setting up a

Coperas work in the Island of Brownsea in which bussiness

Sr. Robert Clayton Disbursed Great Sums of money whereupon

there was a deed Executed by Sr. Robert Clayton and my Father

in the Year 1677 in which there was a State of all the charge about

the Said Coperas work set down and an assignement made by

my Father of all his Share and Interest in the said work as a

Security to Sr. Robert Clayton with a provisoe that if my

Father paid his Share of the Charge in Two Years or in Three

Years time that then he Should come in again as a Partner

in the Said Coperas work How I beleive my Father did not pay

to Sr. Robert Clayton the Said Moyety of the Charge according

to the Provisoe and Sr. Robert Clayton therefore became

absolute owner of the Said whole work But Sr. Robert Clayton

Demanded of me a Great Sume of money Five Thousand

Pounds which he alleged my Father Ought to have paid

him on account of the said Coperas work Sr. Robert Clayton

also Informed me that he had advanced (...) towards

manageing a Farme in Hampshire called Nutly in which Sr. Robert

Clayton and my Father were Partners and for purchaseing

a Parsonage in that Country Sr. Robert Clayton told me he

had Received again 600 £ of my Father upon the sale of the

Said Parsonage and 1000 more was paid by my Father

into Sr. Robert Clayton hands and Sometime afterwards

ordered by more under my Fathers hands in the Year 1680

or 1687 as I take it to be applyed to the affaires between Sr.

Robert Clayton and my Father What I have Said of the 1000

I know to be true I have Severall times offered to assigne the

Lease of Nutly Farme to Sr. Robert Clayton so that he might

have the Sole Interest in it which I valued in a paper I gave

unto Sr. Robert Clayton Purporting an Account at 700: My

Will therefore is that whatever is due to Sr. Robert Clayton on

Account of the Said Coperas work or on Account of Nutly

Farme above mentioned from my Fathers Estate Either in

share or Equity or that I ought in Good conscience or Respect

to my Fathers memory to pay Sr. Robert Clayton Shall be

paid him out of the Lands and Tenements mannors and

Leases herein and hereby Devised to the Said John

Shute There was another matter between Sr. Robert Clayton

and my Father which I or sire Should be Highly understood

my Father was Sued by One Latham a Stone Cutter for a

Debt the late Duke of Buckingham owed him for Stone

Furnished and work done at Clifden House he alleged

that my Father had promised to see him paid and he Sued

and obtained a jugment a Verdict ans Judgment against

my Father upon that Pretended Promise for 2500: or Some

Such Sume Sr. Robert Clayton my Father Gave him a

Judgment confessed to Mr. Lightfoot of the Charter House in

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Trust as I am told for Sr. Robert Clayton and also a Bond on

my Father and Some others never bound to him but of this

Bond I never heard any thing not So much as that there

was Such a Bond till Sr. Robert Clayton in the time of

his Dangerous Sicknesse the last Winter told me of it and

Said he had ordered (deletion) it to be Given up to me upon his

Death Saying it might otherwise cause Disturbances in

familyes The money Sr. Robert advanced to Loan Latham

he ownd was all Repaid him part my Father paid as

will appear in Sr. Robert Claytons books And the Rest

was allowed him by the Chancery in his accounting before

a Mr. as Trustee to the late Duke of Buckingham and he

Promised me to Discharge the Judgement an in Justice it

ought to be and the Bond Given up Lastly I do hereby

Revoke all former and other Wills and Codicills by me

made In Witnesse whereof I have hereunto Set my hand

and Seale this Day of June Anno Dio One Thousand

Seven Hundred and Six and in the Fifth Year of the

Reigne of our Sovereigne Lady Queen Anne. John

Wildman./ Signed Sealed published and Declared in

the Presence of Timo. Goodwin Wm. Godfrey Edw.

Valentine .//.

Whereas I John Wildman of Beckett in the

County of Berks Esquire did make Signe // and Seale

publish and Declare my last Will and Testament on the

(blank) Day of June in the Year of our Lords One Thousand

Seven Hundred and Six in which I Have an Annuity of

Ten Pounds per Ann to my Servant John Kinshull dureing

his life I do hereby Declare my further Will to be that an

Annuity of Ten Pounds per Annum more be paid to the

Said John Kinshull dureing his life out my Lands

Tenements and Hereditament Devised in my Said Will

to John Shute of Lincolnes Inn Esquire And my Will is

alsoe that a Legacy of Fifty Pounds be paid to my Servant

John Boydell out of my Lands and Tenements Devised

above Said to the Said John Shute of Lincolns Inn Esquire

In Witnesse whereof I have hereunto set my hands and

Seale the 31 day of Jan: One Thousand Seven Hundred

and seven I have Ever found him a Just and faithfull

Servant ./. John Wildman. Signed Sealed Published and

Declared in the presence of B Adney Tim: Goodwin

Edwd. Valentine .//.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ England, The National Archives, Kew. Will of John Wildman of Beckett, Berkshire, 11 October 1710, PROB 11/517/300.