Will of Thomas Enchmarch 1734

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Tiverton, Devon, England
Surname/tag: Enchmarch

Transcript of the Last Will and Testament of Thomas Enchmarch. Paragraphs and emphasis added to aid legibility. Original spelling and capitalisation preserved.

Transcribed by Ros Haywood from a copy held by the National Archives (UK); used under the terms of the Open Government Licence [You are free to transcribe, translate, index and quote from published or unpublished Crown copyright material among the records as extensively as you wish and you may publish the results in any format and any medium: in accordance with the terms of the Open Government Licence.]

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IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I Thomas Enchmarch of Tiverton in Devon Merchant being of sound mind but considering the frailty and uncertainty of human Life and desiring to leave my house in order when God Almighty shall call me out of this mortal state and to maintaine as much as in me lyed that mutual Love and concord which have so remarkably subsisted in my family and the continuance whereof I do hereby most earnestly recommend to all my Children as being the beauty and strength of every community and entitling them to divine Blessing do hereby declare my last Will and Testament revoking all others

And in the first place I humbly commend my spirit unto the mercy of my Creator depending on the Mediation of his only begotten son Christ Jesus alone for eternal Salvation and my body to the Grave in a firm belief of a Resurrection and that in my fflesh I shall see God And 'tis my desire that my ffuneral may be as private as conveniently it can be and without pomp

Item I give unto my dear Wife during her Life the Rents of all my houses and Lands in this Town and parish which shall not be otherwise dispos'd of before my death

Item I give unto my eldest son Thomas Enchmarch [died 1747] and his heirs after the decease of my dear Wife the house I now dwell in with all its appurtenances and the house adjoyning now inhabited by one fferris together with the Reversion of Mr Richard Shobrooks and of Mr Richard Hooper Gareene both adjoyning to my own Garden after the death of their respective three Lives with said Mr Shobrook's annual Rent of thirty five shillings after death of my said Wife

Item I give unto my said Son Thomas Enchmarch and his heirs the two dwelling houses and appurtenances now in the possession of John Moore and John Gill serge makers in ffrog street in Tiverton during my Term of three Lives in the same all after the decease of my said Wife

Item I give the house in which Mr John Newton Merchant lately dwelt in Tiverton aforesaid and the new erected dwelling house scituate in the same ...iage now inhabited by the Reverend Mr Westcott with all their appurtenances as also the dwelling houses adjoyning now or late in the possession of the widow Puddington determinable on her decease and of that of her son Peter Puddington all after my Wife death unto my son Richard Enchmarch

Item I give my several tenements and the Grounds of Coldharbour after my wife's decease to my son ffrancis Enchmarch charg'd of ffive pounds per annum or yearly to be paid from the time of my death untill other provision as by my Will hereafter directed shall be made to the poor Western Alms people in Tiverton aforesaid

Item I give I give unto the first Child that shall be born of the body of my Daughter Sarah Coade one hundred pounds or if none then to herself to be paid by my Executors within two years after my decease

Item I give unto my Grandson John Tozer two hundred pounds and to my Grandsons Thomas and Aaron Tozer and to my Grand daughter Elizabeth Tozer one hundred pounds each when they shall respectively attain the age of Twenty one years with the Interest thereof at the rate of four pounds for every hundred pounds yearly

Item I give to my grand daughter Elinor Coade One hundred pounds to be paid for her use to my son in Law George Coade within two years after my decease

Item I give unto my Daughter ffrances Enchmarch within two years after my decease or at her day of marriage One Thousand pounds

Item I give to my Son Richard Enchmarch at the age of one and twenty One Thousand pounds and it is my will that he continue with his mother and with his elder Brother Thomas Enchmarch carefully assisting in the Trade till that Time or untill he shall marry and then I desire he may be admitted an equal partner in the said Trade with them

Item I give unto my daughter Mary Enchmarch at the age of one and twenty or at her marriage one thousand pounds

Item I give unto my son ffrancis Enchmarch at the age of ffour and twenty one thousand pounds

Item I give unto my youngest daughter Ann Enchmarch at the age of one and twenty or at her marriage one thousand pounds

And it is my will that if any or either of my sons and daughters shall happen to dye before their Legacies are payable that then the Legacy or Legacys of him her or them so dying be shared equally among the Survivors of my said children and my Executors hereinafter named And if any Loss shall happen to my Estate which there's no prospect of at my death exceeding five hundred pounds and within one year after my decease the same shall be born equally by my unmarried Children and my Executors

Item I give ffifty pounds to my Cousin Elinor Starr

Item I give twenty pounds to my Neice Mary Legg

Item I give fifty pounds to be divided equally between the other children of my Neices Agnes Starr Sarah Howard Mary Legg each child to have [illegible]

Item I give Twenty pounds to the poor of Mr Pykes Congregation to be distributed to such of my poor relatives as he and my Executors shall see fit

And I desire that my subscription towards the Support of the Ministry in that Congregation may be continued in my ffamily so long as he shall minister therein

Item I give unto my said Reverend Pastor Mr Joseph Pyke ffive Guineas to buy a Ring for himself and another for his Wife

Item I give unto the Reverend Mr Moor and Mr Westcott both Ministers in this Town each a Ring of Twenty Shillings price

Item I give to each of my Tuckers a Ring of Ten Shillings price

Item I give unto each of my men servants and Maid Servants twenty shillings

Item I give unto my Trustees hereinafter named the sume of Two hundred pounds to be paid them within the space of Twelve months after my decease upon Trust nevertheless ... me only and intent and purpose that my said Trustees and the Survivors and Survivor of them their Executors and Assigned shall and may from time to time and at all times hereafter place out the same at interest to such person or persons and on such securitys as they shall think fit or therewith purchase Lands or a Long Term for years absolute or an annuity and the subject of said money or the ...Rents ... or profits of the Estate or annuity purchased therewith shall pay yearly as follows viz ffive pounds thereof about the beginning of every November unto the Eight poor men inhabiting from time to time Waldrone or the Western Almshouse in Tiverton by Eight equal shares and the remainder towards the support of such Minister or Ministers as shall statedly officiate in the Congregation now under the care of the Reverend Mr Joseph Pyke in Tiverton aforesaid and in case of any legal restraints on the worshiping of God in separate Congregations then and in such case the same shall be applyed for the benefit of such honest and pious persons as my [illegible] survivors and Survivor of them his heire and Assigned shall think fit and my desire is that my Trustees aforesaid take due care that this my Charity be from time to time continued and perpetuated

Item I ordain my dear Wife Sarah Enchmarch and my Eldest Son Thomas Enchmarch Joynt Executors of this my last Will to whom I give all the residue of my Estate not doubting but they will punctually discharge all my just debts and pay all my Legacys and it is my desire that my unmarried children remain and cohabit with my said Wife at her expence at least five years after my decease if they shall continue so long unmarried and I desire my good friends Mr Samuel Lewis of High Town Merchant Mr Thomas ffinimore of Cullompton Serge Maker my Son Richard Enchmarch and Mr William Wood of this Town ffuller to be my Trustees to assist my Executors in the Execution of this my Will and I appoint them or the Majority of them to be sole Judges of whatever may be darkly or doubtfully expressed therein and I give each of them two Guineas for their trouble

Item I give unto my daughter Sarah Coade as an addition to her Marriage ffortune ffive hundred pounds to be paid within the space of two years after my decease

This my last Will is written with my own hand the second day of January 1734.
THOMAS ENCHMARCH

On Saturday the twenty third day of August 1735
Appeared personally Isaac Westcott Jun^r of Tiverton in the County of Devon and John Percy of Tiverton aforesaid and severally made oath upon His Holy Evangelists that they have known and been well acquainted with Thomas Enchmarch late of Tiverton aforesaid Merchant deceased for several years before his death and having during the said Time often seen him write and subscribe his name and are thereby acquainted with his manner and character of hand writing and having now carefully seen and perused the paper writing hereunto annexed & purporting the last Will and Testament of the said deceased beginning In the name of God Amen I Thomas Enchmarch and signed Thomas Enchmarch They ... do Swear and depose that they do verily believe the said Last Will and Testament to be entirely written and subscribed by and with the proper handwriting of him the said Thomas Enchmarch deceased.
ISAAC WESTCOTT JUN^r
JOHN PERCY on the day above written.
The above names of Isaac Westcott Jun^r and John Percy were sowrn to the truth of the above attestation before me Will^m Somaster.

THIS WILL was proved at London the Twenty Eighth day of August in the year of Our Lord One Thousand seven hundred & Thirty five before the Right Worshipfull John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oath of Sarah Enchmarch widow the Relict and Thomas Enchmarch the Son Executors named in the said Will To whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased being first sworn by commission duly to administer.