Will of Mary Duck 1775

 Will of Mary Duck of Great Marlow proved 1775.

Says she healthy and of sound mind.

To brother John Duck of Marlow the interest of any money she has invested in public funds etc at the time of her death and also the rent from the messuage or messuages in Peters Street near ?Hick Hall? in the parish of St Sepulchre in the county of Middlesex London. After his death that interest and rent to testator's sister Ann Hett wife of Richard Hett of Wild Court in the parish of St Giles Middlesex, printer, for her lifetime. After that the principle and interest of the investments and the rents to go to Mary Hett daughter of Richard and Ann Hett at the age of 21. Should John Duck, Ann Hett and Mary Hett all die then Richard Hett Mary's father gets the inheritance. This Richard and his wife Ann get £50 each in any case. Ann also gets all her wearing apparel and rings. If she dies her daughter Mary receives this.

Thomas Bensley printer gets £10 for the trouble of being her executor.

John Duck, Richard Hett and Thomas Bensley executors.

Mary signed the will but there were no witnesses. As a result of this Rachel Marett of Reading appeared at the probate court to swear as to the authenticity of the handwriting in the will. She had she said known Mary for 15 years. Her husband Mayhew also swore to the handwriting.

A faded and not easy to read note added to the will in the National Archives says that in 1799 administration was regranted to Mary Mackintosh wife of John Mackintosh, the executor of Ann Hett as all of the original executors were then dead. This may be the then married Mary Hett of this will.

This P.C.C will was transcribed from the original at the National Archives Kew and then summarized here by me Charlotte Day.

The will of John Duck, Mary's brother is on the blog in this post.

For other will posts see the Will Transcriptions index.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use my research for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.

A Serving Maid's Inheritance 1785

 John Duck of Great Marlow in writing his will in 1785 was keen to look after "my serving maid" Mary Lillington.  The following is a list of what she was left by him:

The bed, bedstead, sheets, blankets and furniture [bed curtains etc] of the linen bed.

The walnut bureau

The six chairs covered with linen

The matted chair in the kitchen

The stove

?malt? Shovel

Poker

Tongs

The two kitchen tables

The chest with two drawers in the shop

The shovel with holes in it [presumably this had a specific use?]

Two iron candlesticks

Tinder box

Snuffer 

The two flat irons and the box iron

A trivet

The collander

The least pot in the kitchen cupboard

The five cups and saucers

2 copper saucepans and tin saucepan

The least pottage pot [least presumably meaning smallest]

The tea chest

6 tea spoons

Two table spoons

The tea kettle

All the earth plates and dishes [earthenware]

All the coals and wood in his home at the time of his death

£10

For life all the interest earned from £350 he had invested.

John's sister Ann Hett inherited his dwelling house and was the will's executor. She sold the house and the rest of the contents in 1786. The house was described as being in North East Marlow, only about 12 years old with a walled garden, four bedrooms and a large parlour wainscotted and papered "chin high" [Reading Mercury 8th May 1786. Copy held at the British Library Archives. Accessed by me via the BNA March 2021].

You can read the full will by ordering this PCC will from the National Archives. 

More wills on this blog can be found under Will Transcriptions on the menu. All mentions of a person can be found on the Person Index.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use my transcription summary extract for family of other history purposes with credit to this blog.