Mary Church Will - Medmenham 1770

 Mary Church widow of Medmenham proved 4th October 1770.

[She was the widow of Thomas above].

Says sick and weak of body but of sound and perfect mind and memory.

She wishes to confirm and ratify a deed her husband and she lately made to ?declare? or ?..? the uses of a fine [not a fine in the modern sense but a property transaction].

To her youngest daughter Grace the featherbed, tables, chairs and all other furniture in the chamber testator now has.

Eldest son Thomas gets another bed in the hall chamber with the bedstead bolster and other furniture belonging to it [furniture in this context meant fittings and accessories]. 

All her children get equally share and share alike her stock, crops of corn, grain and hay, utensils and implements of husbandry, cattle, household goods, furniture, chattels and all other personal property after debts and funeral expenses paid. If any of the children express displeasure at this they lose their share.

Sons Thomas, Richard and Mark made the will's executors.

Mary made a mark rather than sign.

Witnesses =Leah Wood, Richard Jenkins,  Thomas Atkinson clerk to Mr Newell of Henley.

CODICIL written the same day.

She is seized of the fee simple of a messuage or tenement with a garden and appurtenances in the parish of Cookham which is let at £2 15 shillings a year. Two rooms and a pantry have lately been added to this property. Mary wills that her daughter Grace receives Mary's rental income and profit from this for her natural life. She is to pay a proportional part of the land tax that will be due on the property.

Witnesses as above.

Sons Thomas and Richard were granted probate with third son Mark allowed to claim the same if he comes to the probate court and applies. 

The will of her daughter Grace is already in the blog here. Mark her brother features in this will.

Mary was the widow of farmer Thomas Church who died earlier the same year.

This will summary was created from Charlotte Day's transcription of the original p.c.c will held at the National Archives Kew.

We focus on Marlow but try to include some surrounding area content. Over 100 will summaries are available on this blog. See the Will Transcriptions Index. More Medmenham related posts are indexed here.

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