Will

The Will of George Nesbitt

by

Abstract of the will of George Nesbitt of Bailiffgate Street Alnwick in the County of Northumberland, Stonemason.

28th November 1815

By his will of his date George Nesbitt Directed first that all his just debts, Funeral Expenses and probate of his will should be paid and discharged by and out of his personal estate and effects except his household furniture and in case the same should not be sufficient for that purpose he did thereby charge and make chargeable all his messuages(sic) tenements or dwelling houses Hereditaments and premises to and with the payment thereof respectively.

And so charged and chargeable as aforesaid he did thereby give All those two Messuages(sic) tenements and dwelling houses with the Backbuildings yards Gardens Hereditaments and Appurtenances thereto Belonging situate standing lying and being on the south side of Bondgate Street in Alnwick aforesaid and then in the possession or occupation of Mrs Castles and Mrs James Thompson Spirit Merchant as Tenants thereof to and under him and also all that his other messuage(sic)Tenement or dwelling house with the Yard, Garden Hereditaments and Appurtenances therewith belonging situate standing lying and being in Baillifgate in Alnwick aforesaid and then in his own possession or occupation of Miss Richardson Henry Howey Esquire Mrs Garrett and others as tenants thereof to and under him.

And also all that his one undivided priority or full half part and in all that meesuageg(sic) Tenement or dwelling houses with the back buildings hereditaments and appurtenances herewith belonging situate standing lying and being in Cannongate Street in or near Alnwick aforesaid and then in the possession or occupation of Margaret Stage as Tenant thereof to and under him and the representatives of Adam Yelloly(sic) late of Chester Hill in the County of Northumberland aforesaid Gentleman deceased and also all other his hereditaments and real estate Whatsoever situate lying and being in the parish of Alnwick in the said County of Northumberland or elsewhere. Unto Edward Hamp of Alnwick aforesaid Merchant and John Nicholson of Greensfield in the parish of Alnwick aforesaid farmer. Upon the Trusts and two and for the uses intents and purposes thereinafter mentioned (that is to say). Upon Trust that they the said Edward Hamp and John Nicholson or the survivors of them or the heirs Executors or Administrators of such survivor or heir or his Assigns do and should from time to time when occasion should require grant or demise or let the said Hereditaments and premises or any part or parts thereof to such person or persons and for such rents and on such conditions and terms as the said Trustees or Trustee for the time being should seem expedient.

And for the purpose he did thereby give full power to the said Edward Hamp and John Nicholson and the survivors of them and the heirs Executors or Administrators of such survivor on their or his assigns to grant demise and let by Indenture Deed poll or otherwise the said hereditaments and premises or any part or parts thereof to any person or persons for any term or number of years not exceeding seven years in possession or to commence within one year after such granting demising or letting.

~And Upon Further Trust that they the said Trustees for the timed being do and should immediately after his decease enter upon take possession and receive all messuages(sic) Tenements or Dwellinghouses Hereditaments and premises and do and should pay the said Rents and profits thereof half yearly as the same should become due and payable or be received unto his dear wife Catherine Nesbitt or assigns or permit or allow his said wife or her assigns to receive and take the same for her own sole use and benefit during the minority or Day or Days of Marriage of his two daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt which should first happen.

And Upon further Trust that they the said Trustees or Trustee for the time being do and should as and when his two said Daughters should be respectively arrive at Twenty one years of age or be both married as aforesaid pay unto his wife Catherine Nesbitt or her assigns for and during the Term of her natural life one annuity or clear yearly Rent charge or annual sum of Fifty pounds of lawful British out of the Rents or profits arise Or become due and payable from his said Hereditaments and pr4emises full and clear of and from all deductions and abatements whatsoever parliamentary parochial or others by two half yearly payments in the year (that is to say) Martimas(sic) and Whitsuntide the first half yearly payment of the said yearly Rent Charge or annual sum to be made on such of the days and times as should happen  next after is said two daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt arriving at the age of twenty one years or to be married as aforesaid and do and should after payment of the said Yearly Rent Charge or Annual Sum of fifty Pounds so given to his said wife pay the remainder of the said Rents and profits unto his said daughter Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt equal between them share and share alike.

Direction that if the Yearly Rent Charge or annual sum of Fifty pounds or any part thereof should be in arrear and unpaid for the space of twenty one Days next after said Days or times whereupon the same was therefore made payable then and as often as the case should happen then it should be lawful for his said wife and her assigns into or upon the said messuages(sic) Tenements or Dwelling houses Hereditaments and premises or into or upon any parts or parts thereof in the name of the whole or otherwise to enter and there disclaim for the said yearly Rent Charge or annual sum of Fifty pounds or as much thereof as should be then in arrear and also as much thereof as should then be then in arrear and also such further sum or part thereof if any as should be or might become due during her possession under or by means of such entry and distress or distresses then and there found and taken to detain and keep until the said yearly Rent Charge or annual sum of Fifty Pounds.

After such distress or distresses should be so taken to appraise sell and dispose of the distress and distresses or otherwise to deal therewith according to Law in like manner in the case of the distresses for Rent received by lease or common demise for the purpose of paying the same.

Declaration that the said Rent Charge or Annual so given and bequeathed to his said wife was in lieu and satisfaction of all Dower and Thirds at Common Law she might so claim.

And from and immediately after the deceased   of his said wife Catherine Nesbitt.  He gave and devised all his said messuages(sic)  Tenements or dwelling Houses Hereditaments and premises unto his said two Daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt and their Assigns for and during the term of of their antural lives and the life of the longer liver of them without impeachment of or for any manner of waste. And from and immediately after the determination of the Estate in the lifetime of his said two daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt by profiture or otherwise.  To the use of Thomas Grey of Hope House near Alnwick aforesaid Farmer and Thomas Russell of Alnwick aforesaid Builder and their heirs during the lives and longer liver of his aforesaid Two Daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt. Upon Trust to preserve the Contingent uses and Estates thereinafter limited from being Defeated and destroyed for that purpose to make entries and bring actions as occasion should require yet nevertheless to permit and suffer his two said Daughters  Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt and their assigns to receive and take the rents and profits thereof during their lives and the life of the longer liver  of them to and for their own use and benefit. And from and immediately after the deceases of his said two daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt.  He gave and devised all his said Messuages(sic) Tenements f Dwelling houses Hereditaments and premises unto the child or children of his said two Daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt lawfully to be begotten to be equally divided between and amongst them share and share alike as Tenants in Common and not as joint tenants.

Proviso that in case his two daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt should happen to die without issue then in such case he gave and devised all his said Messuages(sic) Tenements or Dwellinghouses Hereditaments and premises unto his said wife Catherine Nesbitt he heirs and assigns forever. And gave and bequeathed unto his said wife Catherine Nesbitt for a during her natural life all his silver plate China Linen Woolen household and furniture of what nature and kind   soever and from and immediately after the decease of his said two Daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt to be equally divided between them and shall share and share alike.

Declaration that all his said Household goods and furniture should be freed and donated of and from the payment of all just debts Funeral Expenses and probate of his will and he gave and bequeathed unto His said wife Catherine Nesbitt and his two Daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt after payment of his just Book Debts and Money and Securities for money also all other the rest residue and remainder of my money personal Estate and effects of what nature or kind soever o be equally divided between and amongst them share and share alike.

Direction that the said Trustees or either of them or their or either of their Heirs Executors Administrators or Assigns should not be answerable or accountable damage which should or might happen or befal(sic) at his said real or Personal Estate of them or any part or separate parts thereof or any sum or sums of money they should respectively receive or disburse by virtue of the Trustees thereby in them reposed respectively unless the sum should happen to be their Wilful default nor one of them for the other of them but each of them for his or their own acts Deeds receipts Disbursements and conduct only and not otherwise.

And that it should and might be lawful for them and each of them by and out of the monies which should respectively receive and also to his and their Trustees and Co Trustee all costs charges and Expences which they or any of them should or might sustain expend or be put onto in and about the Execution of the Trusts thereby in them respectively reposed or in anywise relating thereto.

And he did thereby name and appoint the said Edward Stamp and John Nicholson Trustees and Executors of his Will and also Trustees and Guardians of the persons Fortunes and Estates of his said two daughters Mary and Cecilia Nesbitt by revoking all    other Will and Wills at any time therefore made by him and he declared present abstract writing to be and contain his last Will And testament.

And lastly he did thereby desire and recommend to his said wife Catherine Nesbitt to be kind and attentive unto John Nesbitt and Richardson Nesbitt late of Bitton in the County of Northumberland aforesaid deceased.

Signed and Sealed by the said

George Nesbitt in the presence

Of and attested by 33 witnesses.

The Will of Ruth Eleanor Purvis, 1846

by

Probate

of the will of

Mrs. Ruth Eleanor Purvis, deceased

Dated 18th May, 1846

This the last will and Testament of me Ruth Eleanor Purvis of Alnwick in the County of Northumberland widow of Samuel Purvis late of the same place Grocer and Tallow Chandler deceased I give and devise and bequeath unto my two sons William Clark Purvis  and Henry Taylor Purvis their Heirs and Executors and Administrators all of my real and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever upon trust in the first place to pay thereof all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses and expenses of obtaining probate of this my said will and incident thereof and in the next place to pay and satisfy the Legacies herein after bequeathed I give and bequeath unto my son Samuel Purvis the sum of one hundred pounds I give and bequeath unto my daughter Frances Jane Wilson the sum of one hundred pounds I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Athey the sum of ten pounds which with other sums of money which I have paid her husband Henry Athey I consider to be equal to the sum bequeathed to her brothers and Sisters  I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Clark Morrison the sum of one hundred pounds and with respect to my son Edward Hutchinson Purvis having already done a great deal for his family I do not bequeath anything to him but recommend him to the kind consideration of my two sons William Clark Purvis and Henry Taylor Purvis to do for him what in their discretion they may think best. I direct the volumes of my Methodist Magazine to be equally divided amongst all my children and I give and bequeath all my wearing apparel to my Daughters to be equally divided amongst them and subject to the payment of the aforesaid debts expenses and legacies and personal Estate unto my said two sons William Clark Purvis and Henry Taylor Purvis their Heirs, Executors, Administrators  and Assigns and in case either of my sons William Clark Purvis and Henry Taylor Purvis die in my lifetime then I give and devise and bequeath the share of him so dying unto the Survivor of them his Heirs, Executors, Administrators and Assigns I nominate and appoint my said two sons William Clark Purvis and Henry Taylor Purvis Executors of this will and testament

WINESS whereof I have hereunto made I publish and declare this to be my last will and testament in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty five

 

Ruth Eleanor Purvis

 

signed and declared by the testatrix Ruth Eleanor Purvis as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in the presence at her request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our Names and Witnesses

Gerard Selby – Sol’s Alnwick

Wm. Johnson, Clerk to Mr Selby

Effects sworn under £600

Testatrix died 4th May 1846

Signed by Joseph Davison, Deputy Reg.

 

We would like to thank the volunteer who carefully transcribed this document. This particular item comes from a very rich sub-collection within the larger Dickson, Archer and Thorp collection, giving us a fascinating view of a bygone time.

 

 

The Last Will and Testament of Richard Robson

by

The following piece is an extract from the last will and testament of Richard Robson;

This is the last will and testament of me Richard Robson of Field House in the Parish of Ledsbury in the County of Northumberland, Gentleman.

First I do hereby charge and make chargeable all my messuages, lands, tenements and hereditaments situate in Alemouth and Alnwick in the said county or elsewhere which the payment of all my first debts.

Second I do hereby give and devise unto my son, John Robson, his heirs and (….) for ever all that messuage, Burgage, Tenement, Yard, Back Buildings and Garden behind the same situate assigns and being in Alnwick aforesaid which was lately in possession of David Cunningham Grocer deceased and now in possession or occupation of family Gledstone as tenant or under tenant thereof.

And also, all that messuage, Burgage or tenement situate standing and being in Alnwick aforesaid which lately belonged to James Scott Tanner deceased and is now in the possession tenure or occupation of David Cozens as tenant thereof to and under me with their respective rights members and appurtenances also I give and devise unto my son William Robson his heirs and assigns for one undivided moiety or free half part of all my messuages. Houses, granaries, kilns, tenements and hereditaments situate standing, lying and being in Alemouth aforesaid with their respective rights, members and appurtenances.

Also I give and devise unto my son Robert Robson his heirs and assigns for ever  the other one undivided moiety or free half part of all my messuages, houses, granaries kilns, land, tenements and hereditaments situate standing, lying and being in Alemouth aforesaid with their respective rights, members and appurtenances. All the said premises so devised by me to the said Robert Robson being subject to the provisions and declarations throughout thereafter mentioned.

And whereas my son Richard Robson hath married and I have raised and paid to him the full sum of one thousand pounds. Now I do hereby will and declare that the said sum of one thousand pounds so paid to my said son Richard was and is intended by me to be in full satisfaction and discharge of any sum of sums, legacies, portions or other provisions which I have made for him in my former wills.

And I do hereby declare that the securities giving by me and my said son Richard Robson for the said sum of one thousand pounds.

The study and conservation of wills and testimonies is incredibly valuable work, as these documents give us a real and intimate insight into the inner workings of familial relations and lifestyles within contemporary households. We would therefore like to thank the volunteer whom kindly transcribed Richard Robson’s last will and testament.

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