Will of Anne Courtney or Courtnay, Spinster

Proved 17 September 1711

© Crown Copyright

PROB 11/523/95, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury

Transcribed by Kathleen Noye

[Will of Anne Courtenay of Wolborough, Devon, England]

In the Name of God Amen I Anne Courtney of fford in the parish of Wolborough in the county of Devon Spinster being I praise god of perfect mind and memory and mindfull of the vncertainety of humane life doe constitute and make this my Last will and Testament Imprimis I Com[m]end my Spiritt to god that gave it hoping for Eternall Salvation thrõ the infinite mercy of God and Satisfaction and meritts of Christ Jesus on whose mediation alone I rely for the remission of my Sinns and obtaining of Everlasting life and body to Christian buriall in parish of Wolborough in the Vault or neare it According to the discretion of Executors hereafter named of the goods of this Life that god hath blessed withall I make the ffollowing disposition ffirst I give and bequeath to the poor of Newton Abbott 5 pound and to the poor of Pouderham ffive pound to be given amongst them as the Minister and Officers of the said parish […] shall think fitt Item I give and bequeath to my nephew Courtenay ten pound and my ffathers picture I give and bequeath to Sister Courtney ten pound for a ring and to Each of my neeces Courtenays of Powderham five pound a peice for a ring five pound to my neice Waldrons litle daughter Anne Item I give and bequeath to my Sister Leare 50 pound Item I give to my Sister Reynell 10 pound and to her daughter Margarett Reynell my Goddaughter the Sume of ten pound to buy her a peice - plate and to George Reynell my Godson 5 pound to buy a peice of plate to each of my sister Reynell Children besides those two named a ring apeice for them and for my brother Reynell a ring I give and bequeath to my brother James a hundred pound and to his daughter Anne ten pound to buy a peice of plate and to Each of the rest of my neices and nephews at Waldredon rings and Locketts I give and bequeath to all my neices at Bradstone Except Lucy my goddaughter a Lockett a peice and to Lucy I give ten pound and a Silver porringer and Spoone and my nephew Clobery a ring To Sir Thomas Leare a ring To my nephew Stafford and his wife and Sister a ring or Lockett to litle Nancy Stafford of Pynes ten pound for a peice of plate to my brother Richards daughter Anne Courtenay five pound to my Cousin Sourton [?] I give and bequeath 50 pound toMr Manley 20 pound to Mr Elford a ring and to Mrs Molton a ring to Mrs Chaple and her husband a ring to Mary Beartlock 5 pound to my maid then Liveing with me all my worst [?] and my wearing Cloaths and 15 pound in money all the rest of my goods and chattells not before disposed of my ffunerall Expences and my debts and Legacies paid I give and bequeath to my brother George Courtenay and my brother Henry Courtenay of Wolborough whom I hereby make my whole and Sole Executors of this my Last will and Testament In witness whereof I herevnto putt hand and Seale Aprill 4th Anno domini 1704

Arthur Champernowne of Dartington in the County of Devon Esquire aged 30 yeares or thereabout maketh oath that he well knew and was acquainted with Anne Courtnay late of fford in the County of Devon deceas'd (She being his aunt by Marriage) and hath often times Seen her write and having Carefully veiwed the paper writeing herevnto annexe'd purporting the Last will and Testament of the Said Anne Courtenay deceas'd beginning thus vizt / In the name of God Amen / and Ending thus vizt / Aprill 4th Anno domini 1704 / doth verily beleive in his Conscience that the Same is all of the proper hand writeing of her the Said Anne Courtenay deceased and he farther maketh that on Sunday the nineteenth day of August last past being the day on which the Said Anne Courtenay dyed this deponent and Elizabeth Stafford who was a Servant to the deceased and attended her in her Sickness did (by the desire of Mr Henry Courtenay the brother of the deceased) Search and Examine the deceased's papers in order to informe themselves whether she had made any will and in a Japan box within a Trunk under Lock (the key whereof was in the Deceased's owne Pockett) they found (among some other papers) the very Schedule Testamentary herevnto annex'd with a Seale at the foot of it as the Same now appeares and Saith that the Said deceased Anne Courtenay dyed in the City of Exon and there resided vpwards of a month before her death Arthur Champernowne.//

Primo die Septembris Anno 1711 Fecit fidem Coram me Johanne Smith Commiss presence me Nicholas Webber Notario PublicoX

Elizabeth Stafford of the City of Exon Spinster aged thirty four or thereabouts maketh oath that she lived with and was a Servant vnto Mrs Anne Courtenay late of fford in the County of Devon deceased for many yeares next before her death and hath often times Seen her write and having carefully veiwed the paper writeing herevnto annexed purporting the last will and Testament of the Said Anne Courtenay begining thus vizt In the name of God Amen / and Ending thus vizt Aprill 4th Anno domini 1704 / doth verily beleive in her Conscience that the Same is all of the proper hand writeing of her the Said Anne Courtenay deceased and She farther maketh oath that on Sunday the nineteenth day of August last being the day on which the Said Anne Courtenay dyed) this deponent and Arthur Champernowne Esquire did (by the desire of Mr Henry Courtenay the brother of the deceased / Search and Examine the deceased's papers in Order to informe themselves whether She had made any will and in a Japan box within a Trunk vnder Lock (the key whereof this deponent tooke out of the deceased's owne pockett) they found (among Some other papers) the very Schedule Testamentary herevnto annex'd with a Seale at the ffoot of it as the Same now appeares and Saith that the Said deceased dyed in the City of Exon and there resided upwards of a month next before her death Elizabeth Stafford .

Primo die Septembris Anno domini millesimo Septingentesimo vndecimo fecit fidem coram me Johanne Smith Com' prosente me Nicholas Webber Notario publico//

Probatum fuit huiusmodi Testamentum apud London Coram præhonorando viro domino Carolo Hodges milite Legum Doctore Curia prærogative Cantuariensis magistro Custode Sive Commissario Legitimo Constituto decimo Septimo die mensis Septembris Anno domini millesimo Septingentesimo undecimo Juramentis Georgij Courtenay et Henrici Courtenay Executorum in dicto Testamento nominatoram Quibus Commissa fuit Administratio Omnium et Singulorum bonorum Jurium et Creditorum dicti Defunctæ de bene et fideliter administrando Eadem ad Sancta dei Evangelia Jurat vizt dicto Henrico Courtenay vigore Commissionis et dicto Georgio Courtenay Coram venerabili viro Willielmo Clements Legum Doctore Commissarij Antedicti Surrogato//. Ex:

Translation: This will was proved in London before the honourable [?] Sir Charles Hodges knight, Doctor of Law, Master, Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, lawfully constituted, on the tenth day of the month of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred eleven, on oath by George Courtenay and Henry Courtenay Executors named in the said will, to whom administration was granted of all and singular the goods, rights and credits of the said deceased, sworn well and faithfully to administer the same by the Holy Gospels, that is to say, the said Henry Courtenay by force of a commission and the said George Courtenay before the venerable Sir William Clements, Doctor of Law, surrogate for the previously said Commissary. Examined.