Copy of the Will of John Venton late of Bradford Devon yeoman deceased

One of the Executors Joseph Chapman of Sheepwash Devon Timber Merchant

Proved in the Archdeacon's Court of Totnes 19th December 1834.

© Crown Copyright

Devon Record Office - ref. 1078/IRW/V/87

Transcribed by Sheila Howard

Effects sworn under £200

George Harwell Deputy Registrar

This is the last Will and Testament of me John Venton of Bradford in the County of Devon Yeoman. I charge all my real and personal estate of what Nature or kind [.....] with the Payment of my Debts funeral expenses and legacies as well such as I shall hereby give as also such other legacies and Annuities as I may hereafter give by any Codicil to this my Will I give and devise to my wife Elizabeth Venton and her Assignes during her life so long as she shall remain unmarried the Annual Sum or Yearly Rent charge of Twenty Pounds to be issuing and payable out of all that my Estate called Highstead in the Parish of Bradford aforesaid without any deduction whatsoever and to be paid to her by four quarterly Payments on the following days in each year (that is to say) Lady Day Midsummer Day Michaelmas Day and Christmas Day the first quarterly payment thereof to be made on such of the same days as shall first happen after my decease And my Will is that in case the said annual sum or yearly Rent charge or any part thereof shall be unpaid for the space of fifteen days next after any of the aforesaid days of payment Then and so often it shall be lawful for my said wife and her assignes to enter upon all and every or any part of the said Hereditaments charged with the said annual Sum and yearly Rent charge as aforesaid and to [...]train for the same or for so much thereof as shall be so in arrear and all Costs and Charges occasioned by the Non payment thereof and such [........] to sell in like manner for Rent reserved by [.......] or [......] demise All the rest residue and remainder of my real and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever I give devise and bequeath unto and to the use of my said wife Elizabeth Venton and Joseph Chapman the Younger Timber Merchant their Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigne according to the Nature and Quality thereof upon Trust for my five children William Venton, Mary Venton, Stephen Venton, John Venton and Elizabeth Venton and all and every other children whom I may hereafter have and who shall be living at the time of my decease their respective Heirs Executors Administrators and Assignes forever to hold as Tenants in Common and not as joint Tenants and in case any or either of them my said Children shall die under the age of Twenty one without leaving lawful issue them him or her surviving then I give devise and bequeath the part or share parts or shares as well original and accruing of them him or her so dying of and in the said hereinbefore devised and bequeathed Hereditaments and Premises unto the survivors or survivor of them their his or her Heirs Executors Administrators and Assignes forever to hold as Tenants in Common and not as joint tenants Provided always and I do hereby declare that during the Minority of any of my said children the said Trustees or Trustee for the time living shall appropriate all or any part of the Annual Produce of the share or shares to which the child or children so under age shall for the time being be entitled under the Trusts aforesaid in the said real and personal Estate and Effects for the maintenance and Education or otherwise for the benefit of such Child or children and shall Pay to my said wife during her widowhood the annual Produce so di[.......] to be appropriated as aforesaid to be by her applied in such manner for the maintenance and education and otherwise for the benefit of such child or children as she shall think proper and shall after the death or marriage of my said wife apply the same annual Produce thereforth to be appropriated under the Directions aforesaid in such manner for the maintenance and education and otherwise for the benefit of such Child or Children as the said Joseph Chapman the Younger his Heirs Executors or Administrators shall think proper Provided always and I do hereby further declare That the said Trustees hereby appointed as aforesaid and each of them and the Heirs Executors Administrators and Assignes of them and each of them shall be charged and chargeable respectively for such monies only as they respectively shall actually receive by virtue of the trusts hereby in them reposed notwithstanding their or either of their giving or signing or joining in giving or signing any script or scripts for the sake of conformity and the one of them shall not be answerable or accountable for the other of them or for involuntary losses And also that it shall and may be lawful for them with and out of the monies which shall come to their respective hands by virtue of the trusts aforesaid to retain to and reimburse themselves respectively and also to allow their respective cotrustee all such costs charges damages and expences which they or any of them shall or may suffer sustain expend disburse or be put unto in and about the execution of the trusts aforesaid and in relation thereunto. And I hereby nominate and appoint my said Wife and the said Joseph Chapman the Younger Executrix and Executor of this my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said John Venton have to this my last Will and testament contained in this and the two preceding sheets of paper sett my hand and seal this fifth day of July 1832.//

John Venton

The writing contained in this and the two proceeding sheets of paper was signed and sealed by the above mentioned John Venton and by him published and declared as and for his last Will and testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names in his presence and in the presence of each other

Montague E Smith
Wm H Rowse
Thomas Gineber

The writing on this and the two preceeding sheets contains a true copy of the original will of John Venton late of Bradford Devon Yeoman deceased the same having been carefully examined by us
John W Hodges
Jas Willis
Clerks to George Harwell Deputy Registrar of the Archdeacon's Court of Totnes