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The last Will and Testament of
Joseph Morris
19th May 1814
proved 20th February 1819

Start of WillThis is the last Will and Testament of me Joseph Morris of Desborough in the County of Northampton, Farmer, whereby I dispose of my Personal Estate in manner and form following (that is to say)

I give and bequeath unto the Reverend William Brotherhood of Desborough aforesaid, Clerk, and James Biggs of the same Place, Gentleman, and the survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor the sum of four hundred pounds upon trust that they my said Trustees and the survivor of them, his executors or administrators, do and shall place the same out at interest upon such Elizabeth and Hugh Price - their surname was more commonly given as Aprice. The change may have arisen from Joseph's speech. He was illiterate (he made his mark rather than signing his Will) and would not have been able to read the document for himselfsecurity as they shall best approve of and pay and apply the interest arising therefrom as the same shall from time to time become due and be received by them unto my Nephew Hugh Price the Son of my Sister Elizabeth Price and my Nephew William Morris Son of my brother Samuel Morris to be equally divided between them share and share alike to be paid half yearly or as near thereto as my said Trustees shall or may receive the same for and during the terms of the natural lives of my said Nephews Hugh Price and William Morris and from and after the decease of them, my said Nephews, in trust to pay and apply the monies so directed to be placed out at interest as aforesaid in the same manner I have directed the residue of my personal Estate to be paid and applied, and when either of them, my said Nephews Hugh Price and William Morris, shall depart this life then in trust to pay the sum of two hundred pounds, part of the said sum of four hundred pounds, in the same manner I have directed the Residue of my said personal Estate to be paid and applied

I give and bequeath unto my Nephew Joseph Morris, Son of my brother Samuel Morris, the sum of one hundred pounds to and for his own use absolutely. Also I give and bequeath unto my Nephew Henry Iliff, Son of my Sister Martha Iliff, the sum of one hundred pounds to and for his own use absolutely. Also I give and bequeath unto my Niece Martha Haddon, Daughter of my said Sister Martha Iliff, the sum of one hundred pounds to and for her own use absolutely, which said three several Legacies I direct shall be paid by my Executors after named within twelve calendar months next after my decease

All the rest residue and remainder of my ready monies and securities for money, Household Goods, furniture, plate, linen, china, Implements of household, farming Stock, Crop, Cattle, Chattels, Effects and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever I give and bequeath unto my said Trustees, the said William Brotherhood and James Biggs, upon trust that they, or the survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor, do and shall as soon as conveniently may be after my decease convert into money such part of my said personal Estate as shall not consist of money, and by and with the same together with my ready money and the money already out at interest in the first place pay and discharge all my just debts, my funeral expences, and the charges of proving this my Will, and all other incidental expenses, and then in trust to put, place, and continue out at interest all the residue and remainder of the money then in their hands upon such securities as may be best approved of by my said Trustees and my nieces Mary Biggs and Ann Marvin, the daughters of my Sister Ruth Ball, and pay and apply the interest arising therefrom as the same shall from time to time be arise and become due and be received by my said Trustees unto my said two nieces the said Mary Biggs and Ann Marvin during their joint lives equally share and share alike.

And I do hereby declare that the receipt and receipts of my said Nieces Mary Biggs and Ann Marvin shall be good and sufficient discharges to my said Trustees notwithstanding their coverture.

And upon the decease of either of them, my said Nieces Mary Biggs and Ann Marvin, in trust that they, my said Trustees the said William Brotherhood and James Biggs and the survivor of them, do and shall pay and apply the whole of the interest arising from the Residue of my said personal Estate unto the survivor of them my said Nieces Mary Biggs and Ann Marvin during the life of the survivor of them. And also in trust to pay and apply the Principal of such residue of my said personal Estate in such way and manner and to and for such use and uses and intents and purposes as the survivor of them, my said Nieces Mary Biggs and Ann Marvin, by any Deed or Deeds, Writing or Writings, under her hand and seal to be executed in the presence of and attested by two or more credible Witnesses, or by her last Will and Testament in writing, or any Codicil or Codicils thereto duly executed in the presence of and attested by two or more credible Witnesses, shall limit declare direct or appoint and in default thereof then in trust that they my said Trustees, and the survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor, do and shall pay and apply such principal money into the legal Representatives of such survivors of my said two Nieces Mary Biggs and Ann Marvin, as aforesaid  provided always

and I do hereby direct and declare that neither of my said Trustees shall be answerable or accountable for the insufficiency or deficiency of any Securities, Stocks or Funds in, or upon which, the said trust monies shall, or may be placed out, or invested, nor for any Banker or other person with whom or in whose hands any part of the said Trust monies shall or may be deposited, or lodged for safe custody, or otherwise in the execution of the trust aforesaid, nor for any money that shall actually come into their hands and be lost, unless the same shall be lost through their wilful neglect or default, neither shall they or either of them be answerable or accountable the one for the other of them, nor for the acts defaults or deeds of the other of them but each of them for his own acts defaults and deeds only

and I do hereby direct and declare that it shall and may be lawful to and for my said Trustees to detain to themselves the sum of ten pounds apiece which I hereby give and bequeath to them, the said William Brotherhood and James Biggs, for their trouble and also to reimburse themselves further for all charges, journies, and expences which he and they may be put unto in about the execution of this my Will and the trusts thereby in them reposed

and lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint them my said Trustees, the said William Brotherhood and James Biggs, joint Executors of this my Will hereby revoking all former and other Will and Wills by me at any times or time heretofore made and declaring this and this alone to be and contain my true last Will and Testament

In witness whereof I, the said Joseph Morris, the testator here to this my last Will and Testament contained in four sheets of paper set my hand and seal (to wit) my hand to the three preceding sheets and my hand and seal to this fourth or last sheet the nineteenth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fourteen. The mark of Joseph X Morris  Joseph Morris  - Signed sealed published and declare by the above named Joseph Morris the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses - Saml Goodman -  John Lansbury - Charles Penn

 

Proved at London 20th February 1819 before the Judge by the oath of James Biggs one of the Ex'ers to whom admon was granted hav'g been first sworn (by Comon) duly to adm'r  Power reserved to the Revd William Brotherhood Clerk the other Ex'er


Notes:-

The original will has no punctuation or separate paragraphs. As this makes it hard to read, particularly online, I have inserted some punctuation and tried to break the text into separate clauses.

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