Estate Duty Office Will of Valentine Narracott (1852)

© Crown Copyright

Devon Record Office 1078/IRW/N/249

Transcribed by Joe Northcote

This is the last Will and Testament of me Valentine Narracott of East Stonehouse in the County of Devon Wine and Spirit Merchant I devise the payment of my debt and Funeral expenses as soon as conveniently may be after my decease – I give to my dear Wife Elizabeth Narracott  all and singular my bed linin and Table linin for her absolute use and Right I direct that my said Wife shall during her life have the free use and enjoyment of any [Item?] she may choose to select in the House in which I now reside and of the Furniture in each Room – And I bequeath to my said Wife during her life an Annuity of Thirty Pounds stirling charged and chargeable after my said House and payable by half yearly payment with a proportionate part thereof use to the day of her death – One with full power to make and distrain for the same in the same manner as the Rent reserved upon [or] Lease for years – I give and bequeath unto my two Sons Alfred Narracott  and Edward Narracott their Executors Administrators and Assigns All that my Leasehold Messuage or Dwellinghouse with the Appurtenances in which I now reside and wherein my business of a Wine and Spirit Merchant is now carried out by use together with my stock in Trade of Wines Spirits and other Liquors therein And also all that [Invest?] Wine ware Cooperige [left] and Yard together with the Cooperage Utensils of every description with the stock in Take on the Premises [situtate?] in Market Street  in East Stonehouse aforesaid And also all and singular my Real and other debts, Moneys and Securities for Money which at the time of my decease shall belong or be due and owing to me for or on account of my said Business of Wine and Spirit Merchant and Cooper To hold the same unto the said Alfred Narracott and Edward Narracott their Executors Administrators and Assigns Upon the Trusts hereinafter approved that is to say Upon trust that they the said Alfred Narracott and Edward Narracott and the Survivor of them and the Executors or Administrators of each Survivor their or his Assigns do and shall carry on manage and conduct the said business of a Wine and Spirit Merchant and the said business of a Cooper to the best of their or his discretion until my Grandson Valentine Narracott Son of my said Son Alfred Narracott shall attain the age of Twenty-one years Also I direct that my said Trustees or Trustee do and shall make my annual statement of account of all sum and Sums of money received and paid for or on account of the said business and that the balance of profits (if any) which shall appear on each statement shall be held by each Trustee or Trustees as to one third part thereof Upon Trust for the said Alfred Narracott his Executors administrators and Assigns as to one other third part thereof Upon Trust for the said Edward Narracott his Executors Administrators and Assigns And as to the other or remaining third part thereof Upon Trust to invest the same in their or his names or name in real or parliamentary Securities with the power to vary the same and to be possessed thereof with the accommodation of the Dividends and Interest thereof (if any) Upon Trust for the said Valentine Narracott his Executors Administrators and Assigns to be an [interest?] vested in him and theirs upon his attaining the age of Twenty-one years [Old?] 
[signed: V Narracott]
[in the left hand column: witnesses Augustus G. Berres
JI Boulter?]
I invest my said Trustees or Trustee with power to apply all or any part of the last mentioned third part or share or if the Dividends and Interest arriving from any investment thereof in or towards the maintenance Duration or advancement of the said Valentine Narracott in each manner as my said Trustees or Trustee may think proper And I declare that it shall be lawful for the said Alfred Narracott and Edward Narracott and the Survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of each Survivor their or his Assigns during the minority of my said Grandson Valentine Narracott to reserve the present or any future leases of the said Leasehold Securities and trust such reserved Leases shall be held upon the same trusts as are hereby declared of and [reserving?] the existing Leases thereof or as near thirds as [survivors?] trusts will [require?]- And I hereby give to my said Trustees or Trustee full power and authority during such minority as aforesaid to enter into such contracts and agreements respecting the said Business and Premises as they or he shall think proper and to increase extend or abridge the said Business and to make such sales and dispositions of all or any part or part of and in the Stock in trade and Premises and with the money which shall come to their or his hands by virtue of this my Will to make such Purchases of Stock [Houses?] Or Land as they the said Trustees or Trustee shall think proper And also to adjust and settle all account and transactions in which I shall be interested at the time of my decease and to compromise and [compend?] Such acts and Deeds respecting the said Business and Premises as they or he my said Trustees or Trustee shall in their or his discretion think proper And I declare that all lones charges and expenses or carrying on conducting and managing the said Business and the Fines Fees and Expenses of renewing any Leases aforesaid shall be borne paid and maintained out of the money which shall come to the hands of my said Trustees or Trustee by virtue of the trusts aforesaid And I direct that immediately when the said Valentine Narracott attaining the said age of Twenty-one years my said Trustees or Trustee do
And shall [state?] And be presented of the said Leasehold Premises Capital Stock Credits and Effects employed herein and belonging [Hereto?] As to one third part thereof Upon Trust of the said Alfred Narracott his Executors Administrators and Assigns – As to one third part thereof Upon Trust for the said Edward Narracott his Executors Administrators and Assigns And as to the remaining one third part thereof Upon Trust for the said Valentine Narracott his Executors Administrators and Assigns And I further direct that nothing herein contained shall discharge or be deemed or implied to authorise within [it?] my said Sons or their Representatives to sell or dispose of or otherwise part with his or their share of and in the said Business Stock and Premises until my said Grandson shall attain the said Age of Twenty-one years and that as such sale or disposition shall be made by either or them my said Sons and Grandson or their or either of their Representatives at any time after my said Grandson shall have attained Twenty-one years without their joint consent Provided always and I declare that if the said Valentine Narracott shall die under the age of Twenty-one years then the whole of the said Leasehold Premises Capital Stock Credits and Effects and also any Investments
[signature: V.Narracott]
Made under the trust hereinbefore declared for the benefit of the said Valentine Narracott shall go and be equally divided between the said Alfred Narracott and Edward Narracott their Executors Administrators and Assigns as Tenants in common [Provided?] always and I further declare that [if either?] of my said Sons shall be answerable the one for the other of theirs or for the Acts Deeds or Defaults of the other of them [now?] for any involuntary lones And that they shall and may reimburse themselves out of any monies which may come to their hands and all cash and expenses incurred by them in the execution of the truth aforesaid All the next residue and remainder if any personal Estate and Effects I give and bequeath unto the said Alfred Narracott and Edward Narracott and my said Grandson Valentine Narracott in equal shares as Tenants in common nevertheless so that the share of the said Valentine Narracott therein shall be an Interest vested in him on his attaining the age of Twenty-one years and that in the event of his dying under that age the same share shall go and accrue to the said Alfred Narracott and Edward Narracott in equal shares as Tenants in common And I appoint the said Alfred Narracott and Edward Narracott Executors of this my Will In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth Day of March One thousand eight hundred and Forty-seven –
Signed and acknowledged by the said Valentine Narracott in the presence of us who}
Being present at the same house in his presence and in the presence of each other
[Have hereunto subscribed?] our names as Witnesses
Augustus G. Berres – [Surrogate?] Plymouth
J I Bolter – Clerk & M[aster] Regis[ter] Regis[tered] [?]
[East Stonehouse?]
I Valentine Narracott of East Stonehouse in the County of Devon declare that [this?] a Codicil to my Will bearing date the Twelfth day of March  Instant Whereas by my said Will I have directed that immediately upon my Grandson Valentine Narracott attaining his age of Twenty-one years my Trustees or Trustee do and shall claim and be possessed of the Leasehold Premises Capitol Stock credits and Effects therein particularly referred to As to one third part thereof Upon Trust for my Son Edward Narracott his Executors Administrators and Assigns – Now I hereby declare that inthe event of the said Edward Narracott dying without leaving any Child or Children living at his death or born in due time afterwards the share is given to him shall go and accrue to his Brother Alfred Narracott his Executors Administrators and Assigns for his and their absolute use and benefit In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand the Eighteenth day of March One thousand Eight hundred and forty-seven –
Signed and authorised by the said Valentine Narracott at and for a Codicil to his Will in the presence of us, who being present at the same time in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses
Augustus G. Berres
J I Boulter
The above and foregoing writing contains a true copy of the original Will with one Codicil annexed of Valentine Narracott deceased the same having been carefully examined therewith by us
W Hannaford
[B Tanfild]?} Clerks to Geo[rge] Farrell Dep[uty]? Reg[istrar] of the Archdeaconry Court of Totnes

Appeared personally Alfred Narracott of East Stonehouse in the County of Devon and archdeaconry of Totnes Wine and Spirit Merchant one of the Executors named in the last Will and Testament [written above: with one Codicil annexed] of Valentine Narracott late of East Stonehouse aforesaid Wine and Spirit Merchant deceased who died on the Twenty sixth Day of January 1852 and made Oath that he has made diligent search and due enquiry after, and in respect of the Personal Estate and Effects of the said Deceased, in order to ascertain the full amount and value thereof; and that to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief, the whole of the Goods, Chattles, and Credits, of which the said deceased died possessed, within the Archdeaconry of Totnes, in the Province of Canter-bury, (exclusive of what the Deceased may have been possessed of, or entitled to as a Trustee for any other Person or Persons, and not beneficially, but including the Leasehold Estates for years of the Deceased, whether absolute or determinable on Lives, and without deducting any thing on account of the Debts due and owing from the Deceased,) are under the Value of Four thousand Pounds, to the best of this Deponents knowledge, information, and belief.
Sworn on the twenty first
Day of February 1852 
before me} [Allan Worth?]
Mr Browne Marsland Surrogate