Will of William Greenslade, gentleman of Porlock

Proved 21 Aug 1799

© Crown Copyright

National Archives Catalogue Reference PROB 10/3460,
Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury

Transcribed by Desmond Painter.

This is the Last Will and Testamentof me William Greenslade of Porlock in the County of Somerset Gentleman made and published the first day of ffebruary in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight in manner following that is to say In the first place I resign my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God humbly hoping and imploring through the Merits and Intercession of my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to receive full Pardon and Remission of all my Sins and my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently intered according to the Discretion of my Executrix hereinafter named Also I give devise and bequeath unto my Dear Wife Ann Greenslade and her Assigns all and singular my Messuages Lands Tenements and Hereditaments whereof I am seised in ffee Simple or other Estate of Inheritance To hold the same unto my said Wife and her Assigns for and during the Term of her natural life she so long continuing my Widow and unmarried And from and immediately after the Death or second Marriage (which ever shall first happen) of my said Wife I give devise and bequeath my Messuage or tenement with it's Appurtenances called Malmsmead situate and lying in the Parish of Brendon and County of Devon and all and singular other my Messuages and Tenements Lands and Hereditaments situate and lying within the Parish of Brendon aforesaid unto my Cousin Thomas Greenslade of Blackford in the said County of Somerset and his Assigns for and during the term of his natural life without Impeachment of or for any manner of waste and from and after his decease I give and devise the same to the first Son of the Body of my said Cousin Thomas Greenslade and the Heirs of the Body of such first Son lawfully issuing and in default of such Issue I give and devise the same to the second third fourth fifth and all and every other Sons of the Body of my said Cousin Thomas Greenslade lawfully to be begotten severally and successively one after the other as they and every of them shall be in seniority of Age and Priority of Birth and to their Heirs of the Body and Bodys of all and every such Son and Sons lawfully issuing and in default of such issue I give and devise the same unto and amongst all and every the Daughter and Daughters of my said Cousin Thomas Greenslade lawfully to be begotten such Daughters (if more than one) to hold and take as Tenants in Common and not as joint Tenants and to the Heirs of the Body and Bodys of all and every such Daughter and Daughters lawfully issuing And in default of such Issue I give and devise the same unto my Cousin William Greenslade (brother of the said Thomas Greenslade) his Heirs and Assigns forever Also from and immediately after the Death or second Marriage of my said Wife (which ever shall first happen) I give and devise All those my Messuages and Tenements with their Appurtenances called Willshead, Sillybridge and Edgcott situate and lying In the Parish of Exford and said County of Somerset And also all and singular my Messuages and Tenements Lands and Hereditaments situate and lying in the Parish of Exford aforesaid with their and each of their Rights Members and Appurtenances unto my said Cousin William Greenslade and his Assigns for and during the Term of his natural life without Impeachment of or for any manner of waste and from and after his decease I give and devise the said last mentioned Messuages and Tenements Lands and Hereditaments unto the first Son of the body of my said Cousin William Greenslade lawfully to be begotten and of the Heirs of the Body of such first Son lawfully issuing and in default of such Issue I give and devise the said last mentioned Messuages and Tenements Lands and Hereditaments unto the second, third, fourth, fifth, and all and every other the Son and Sons of the Body of my said Cousin William Greenslade lawfully to be begotten severally and successively one after the other as they and every of them shall be in seniority of age and Priority of Birth and the Heirs of the body and bodies of all and every such Son and Sons lawfully issuing and in default of such Issue I give and bequeath the said last mentioned Messuages and Tenements Lands and Hereditaments unto and amongst all and every the Daughter and Daughters of my said Cousin William Greenslade lawfully to be begotten such Daughters (if more than one) to hold and take as Tenants in Common and not as joint Tenants and to the Heirs of the Body and Bodies of all and every such Daughter and Daughters lawfully issuing And in default of such Issue I give and devise the said last mentioned Messuages and Tenements Lands and Hereditaments unto my said Cousin Thomas Greenslade his Heirs and Assigns forever Also from and immediately after the Death or second Marriage of my said Wife (which ever shall first happen) I give devise and bequeath All Those my Messuages and Tenements called Aller and Pollington situate and lying in the Parish of Bishop's Nympton and said County of Devon with their Rights Members and Appurtenances and all and singular other my Lands Tenements and Hereditaments situate and lying in the Parish of Bishop's Nympton aforesaid unto William Passmore the Younger Edmund Passmore and John Passmore (Sons of my Cousin William Passmore late of Bishop's Nympton aforesaid) as Tenants in Common and not as joint Tenants and to the Heirs of the Body and Bodies of the said William Passmore the Younger Edmund and John Passmore lawfully to be begotten and in case any or either of them the said William Passmore the Younger Edmund and John Passmore shall happen to dye without Issue of his or their Body or Bodies lawfully begotten living at the time or times of his or their Decease then my Will is that the Share or Shares of him or them so dying of and in the said last mentioned Messuages and Tenements Lands and Hereditaments shall go to the Survivors or Survivor of them and to the Heirs of the Body and Bodys of such of them as shall be then dead leaving Issue And in Default of issue of all of them the said William Passmore the Younger Edmund and John Passmore I give and devise the said last mentioned Hereditaments to the said Thomas Greenslade and William Greenslade their Heirs and Assigns forever And all my Goods and Chattles Rights and Credits Personal Estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever I give and bequeath the same unto my said Wife Ann Greenslade her Executors Administrators and Assigns Provided always and my Will is that in case my Personal Estate shall be insufficient to pay and satisfy my just Debts then I direct the deficiency to be raised and paid out of my said Messuages and Tenements Lands and Hereditaments called Aller and Pollington and I charge the same thereon accordingly and authorize and impower my said Wife to raise and levy Money sufficient to pay off and discharge such deficiency and all costs and charges attending the same by Lease or Mortgage for any Term not exceeding five hundred Years of all or any part of my said last mentioned Messuages and Tenements Lands and Hereditaments called Aller and Pollington Lastly I do make and appoint my said Wife my sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament and hereby revoking all former Wills by me made do make and ordain this only to be my Last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said William Greenslade the Testator have to this my Last Will and Testament contained in three Sheets of Paper to the two first Sheets have subscribed my Name and to the last Sheet subscribed my Name and affixed my Seal the Day and year aforesaid