Estate Duty Office Will of James Brayley, Devon (Halwill)

© Crown Copyright

Devon Record Office 1078/IRW/B/1394

Transcribed by Roy Drew

For the Stamp Office

Copy of the will of James Brayley, late of Halwill in the County of Devon, Yeoman, Deceased

Executor

Thomas Brayley of Halwill,



Proved in the Archdeacons Court of Totnes 20th June 1840

Effects

Sworn under £2000

George Horwell

Deputy Registrar

In the name of God Amen, James Brayley of the Parish of Halwill and County of Devon, Yeoman being aged and weak of body but of a perfect mind and memory Thanks be to Almighty God for it and considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner as follows. Firstly, I assign my soul into the hands of Almighty God my creator and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter mentioned and as for such Worldly Estates and Effects as I shall die possessed of or entitled unto I give and dispose thereof is as follows.
First, I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Ann Brayley one Estate of Land now in my possession which I bought of one W. Edgecombe formerly occupied by John Symons. I also give and bequeath unto my son James Brayley the Estate of Land which I now live in commonly called or known by the name of Stowford. I also give unto my aforesaid son James Brayley after the death of his mother Ann Brayley the aforesaid estate which I bought of one W. Edgecombe formerly occupied by John Symons. If so be my son James Brayley die without any issue then the estate which I have given him shall be given to my sons Thomas Brayley and John Brayley or to their issue. If so be my wife Ann Brayley and her sons should not agree to live together then she shall have a thing of a sort so long as she lives and when she dies so be returned to my Executors hereinafter named.
I also give unto my daughter Grace Oliver the wife of John Oliver One Hundred Pounds to be paid to her six months after my death. I also give to my daughter Grace Oliver five children viz. William, Mary, John, Thomas and Ann One Pound to each of them to be paid to them when they attain the Full age of Twenty One years each of them
I also give unto James Oliver the son of John Oliver of the Parish of Ashwater the sum of Twenty Pounds to be paid to him when he attains the full age of Twenty One years.
I also give unto Margaret Brayley my daughter the sum of Three Hundred Pounds to be paid to her Twelve months after my death and the rest and residue of my Lands and Tenements, Personal Estates, Good and Chattels, Ready money, Bonds, Dues and Securities or any not before given and bequeathed I do hereby give and bequeath unto my sons John Brayley and Thomas Brayley and I do hereby make and constitute and appoint them jointly whole and sole Executors of this my Last Will and Testament they paying my just debts and legacies as before mentioned hereby revoking and renouncing all former Wills and Wills by me therefore made. In Witness whereof I the said James Brayley do make and have herewith set my hand and seal and published and declared the same to be his Last Will & Testament this Fifteenth day of November in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fourteen.
Declared and Published the same by the said James Brayley to be his Last Will and Testament. In Witness of us who have herewith subscribed and hereinto in the presence of the witness same and each other:

Roger Reddicliffe & Josias Box and the mark (x) of John Box.
Signed: James Brayley (his seal).

The writing on this and the preceding sheet contain a true copy of the original Will of James Brayley, late of Halwill, Devon, Yeoman deceased the same having ben carefully examined therewith by us:

W B Hannaford & W Hannaford
Clerks to Geo. Horwell Dep. Reg. of the Archdeacon Court of Totnes.

No. 1 for Executors

Appeared personally Thomas Brayley of the Parish of Halwill in the County of Devon and Archdeaconry of Totnes, Yeoman, one of the Executors named in the Last Will and Testament of James Brayley late of Halwill in the said County, Yeoman, Deceased who died on the Seventeenth day of November 1814 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, Chattels and Credits, of which the said deceased died possessed, within the Archdeaconry of Totnes, in the Province of Canterbury (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 anything on account of the Debts due and owing from the deceased) are under the value of Two Thousand Pounds, to the best of this Deponents knowledge, information and belief.

Sworn on the Twentieth day of June 1840.
Thomas Brayley