Will of William Wales FRS

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Wales

Transcript of the Last Will and Testament of William Wales FRS. 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the terms of the Open Government Licence [You are free to transcribe, translate, index and quote from published or unpublished Crown copyright material among the records as extensively as you wish and you may publish the results in any format and any medium: in accordance with the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.]

I WILLIAM WALES of the parish of Christ Church Newgate Street and Master of the Mathematical School in Christs Hospital being of sound mind memory and understanding make this my last Will and Testament as follows I desire my body may be buried in as frugal a manner as decency will admit and that all my just debts may be paid

I direct all my Books and Instruments the clothing the Observatory and the Watch I usually wear together with all such other of my effects as are not immediately necessary for the use of my wife and that part of my ffamily who may remain with her to be sold and the money arising from such Sale to be laid out on Land or Government Securities the interest of which together with the interest of all other sums of money which may belong to me at my death after my debts are paid and my wife settled to her mind wheresoever or in whatever hands they may be found I give to my Wife Mary Wales for the term of her natural life and at her death I direct the principal whatever it may be to be divided equally among my five Children Sarah Trollope wife of the Reverend Arthur William Trollope Ann Hagley Wales Mary Judith Wales, John Wales and James Wales or the Survivors of them should any of them decease unmarried before my said Wife Mary Wales but should any of them be married and die before my said Wife Mary Wales and leave Children husband or wife then and in that case his or her share shall go to such Children husband or wife but in every other circumstance the share of any of my five Children Sarah, Ann Hagley, Mary Judith, John and James Wales dying before my said Wife Mary Wales shall be divided equally among those who survive her or their representatives described above. Such stock as may be standing against my name in the Books of the Worshipful Company of Stationers of this City at my decease with the dividends arising from the same together with all the rest of my effects not mentioned above or not expressly disposed of I give to my said Wife Mary Wales to be disposed of as she may think proper

Lastly I constitute and appoint my said Wife Mary Wales the Rev Arthur William Trollope and my daughter Ann Hagley Wales (the rest of my unmarried Children being yet under age) Executors of this my Will and hereby revoking all former Wills by me made declaring this written with my own hand on one sheet of paper my last will and Testament

In witness of which I the said William Wales have set my hand and seal to it this sixth day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety eight
Wm Wales – Signed Sealed published and declared to be the last will and Testament of the above named William Wales before us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses
John Hillier
Joseph Smith

THIS WILL was proved at London the eleventh day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety nine before the Worshipful Samuel Pearce Parson Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Honourable Sir William Wynne knight also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oaths of Mary Wales the widow the Relict of the deceased the Reverend Arthur William Trollope Clerk and Ann Hagley Wales spinster the daughter of the said deceased and the Executors named in the Will to whom administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased having been first sworn duly to administer.

Transcript © Ros Haywood.