Chelsfield Wills - Part 1
Abstracts of will from Chelsfield proved in
the Prerogative Court of Canterbury
Rev Dr John Sandford of Chelsfield dated
3 July 1781
Abstract of the will of the Rev. Dr. John Sandford DD,
Rector of Chelsfield and Farnborough, dated 3 July 1781.
My body to be decently and privately buried either at Leonard
Stanley or at Stretton in Gloucestershire where I was 10 years Rector, or
else in the parish where I shall happen to die, according to the
discretion and order of my Executor, family and other surviving relatives.
I give to the poor of the parishes of Chelsfield and
Farnborough, of Stanley St Leonard and Stratton £10 to each of these four
parishes at the discretion of my Executor.
In the parish where my body is buried I would have my
Executor pay to six poor persons whom he may choose to appoint out of that
parish six guineas, one guinea each, for being underbearers and carrying
my remains to the church and grave, together with hatbands and gloves to
them all and I would have my tything man Charles Rollins of Chelsfield who
some time ago served me in the capacity of footman attend my funeral
wherever I am buried and he is to receive £5 of my Executor together with
all charges and costs for his journey besides.
I give to my beloved wife Martha all my house, messuage and
tenement at Cirencester in a street called Dyer’s Street and lately in
the occupation of Mr. Elizabeth Asheton widow now deceased, for the term
of as many years as I have therein as she shall happen to live. After her
decease I give to my brother Robert Sandford Esq. and his heirs the
residue of the term and letting then to come.
I give to my wife £100 to be paid to her immediately after
my death, together with my chariot and two coach horses together with two
saddle horses, saddles and bridles that she may like to choose with the
right to keep them with the hay oats and pasture upon the premises at
Chelsfield at free cost so long as she continue in the Rectory House and
the stock of goods hay corn and so forth remain there unsold and not
carried away there after my decease.
I bequeath to her also all my plate, china, household goods,
bedding etc. with other furniture that I may be possessed of at the time
of my decease either in my house at Cirencester or in the Rectory and upon
the premises of Chelsfield except only my library of books at Chelsfield
together with a silver cup with a cover to it and an old silver tobacco
box marked J S which I leave to my brother Robert, with a right and
reservation however to my wife to select twenty or thirty volumes of those
books of mine in English whether prose poetry moral essays or history
which she may best choose to have out of the library and which may be
added to some of her own that are now mixed there with mine.
I give to her also for life an annuity of £60 over and above
the £8000 settled upon her by the Marriage Settlement to be paid to her
out of my effects by my Executor.
I give to my brother Robert Sandford all lands, houses etc.
together with the mill in the parish of Stonehouse, Gloucestershire,
commonly called Ryeford, to which freehold estate I have a reversionary
right after the life of Mrs. Mary Brown now living at Bristol. If my said
brother should survive me as well as the said Mary Brown then I give the
said estate of Ryeford to him and his heirs, chargeable with an annuity of
£20 per annum to be paid to my wife Martha for life, and giving her the
right to live in the best house belonging to Ryeford, and to the use of
the two gardens and orchard adjoining at free cost and without paying any
rent, if she so choose, as long as she lives, otherwise to the use and
benefit of my Executor and his heirs for ever.
I give to the six servants that are retained in my
service annually at the time of my decease £5 each over and above the
wages that may be due to them.
To my good trusty friend and neighbour Mr. Thomas Judd of
Chelsfield £100.
I forgive unto Daniel Parker Coke Esq. of the Inner Temple
£50 out of the Principal Sum which he owes me on bond of £1700, on
condition he pay my Executor another £50 within 3 months after my decease
and reduce the Principal sum by those means to £1600.
This £50 I would have my Executor apply towards the expense
of rings for the following friends which may be given to them as a token
of regard from me, viz:
to Brass Crosby Esq. and his wife a ring each, and to Mrs.
A.[sic] Judd wife of Thomas Judd a ring, to the Hon. and Rev. Dr. Tracey,
Warden of All Souls College, a ring and likewise one to Daniel Parker Coke
Esq. of the Inner Temple and to Dr. William Sanford [sic] of Hatherop,
Glos., to the Rev. William Lockwood of Fifield, Essex, to Dr. Staker and
Dr. Lysons at Bath and to Dr. Hugh Smith, Physician at London, a ring
each, and one to the Rev. Richard Brereton of Wootton near Gloucester and
to the Rev. Mr. John Pettace of Stonehouse, Glos. and to the Rev. Mr. John
Saunders of Farningham, and likewise to the Bishop of Rochester for the
time being, a ring to each.
I leave all my implements of husbandry, hay, straw, corn and
grain with other stock of cattle that I shall happen to have upon the
premises at Chelsfield at the time of my decease and which are not
specified in this will, to be sold by my Executor to help pay my funeral
expenses, legacies, debts etc. My Executor is to get Mr. Thomas Judd of
Chelsfield or any honest friend and neighbour to assist him in this
business as he shall think proper.
I give to Miss Frances Yateman of Chelsfield and to Mrs. Ann
Yateman of Abingdon, Berks. £10 each to these two sisters, and likewise
£10 to Mr. Mary Cripps of Cirencester and another £10 to Mr. John Selfe,
brother to Mrs. Mary Cripps of Ciciter, and £20 to Mr. Richard Selfe, a
younger brother of hers who lives in the same town.
I give to my dear cousin and relation Mrs. Rebecca Timbrell
housekeeper of Cirencester £100 and to her son Mr. Robert Timbrell and
her 3 daughters Mrs. Rebecca Holland, Miss Ann and Miss Susanna Timbrell
£100 each.
I give to Mr. Robert Jegon and to Margaret his wife of Stoke
Nayland, Suffolk, £25 each as friends and relations both to myself and my
wife.
Whereas at the death of my wife Martha without issue I am
entitled to the disposal of £4000 now standing in the 3 percents in the
names of Bryan Barrett Esq. of Milton, Berks., Robert Sandford Esq. of
Cirencester and Mr. Robert Jegon of Stoke Nayland, Suffolk, and settled by
the Marriage Settlement for the joint lives of myself and my wife or the
survivor of us and afterwards to the issue of the marriage if there was
any, I do out of respect to the Society of All Souls College in Oxford, of
which Society I had formerly the honour of being a member for many years,
give out of the above £4000 after the demise of my wife without any issue
between us the sum of £1000 now standing in the three percents to the
Warden and College of All Souls, to be added to the Penhow Fund, which is
a fund for purchasing Livings and Advowsons for the benefit of the
Society.
Another £1000 out of the £4000 I would my Executor give to
Mrs. Rebecca Holland and to her brother Mr. Robert Timbrell of Cirencester
equally between them, whatever this £1000 stock may then produce.
The remaining £2000 and all other residue of my estate and
effects I leave to my brother Robert Sandford Esq. whom I nominate my
Executor, on trust however that if my mother Joanna Sandford should be
living at the time of my decease one moiety of this residue should devolve
on her.
John Sandford witnesses Thomas Bagshaw, Minister of Bromley
Henry Smith, Curate of Bromley John Till, Rector of Hayes.
Proved 27 July 1781 by Robert Sandford Esq. the
brother. [PCC will PROB11/1080]
Transcribed by Geoffrey
Copus