Providing historical probate information for people from the Henley area
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Will of Joseph Bent

Occupation

  • 414: Status only, no stated occupation. Use for Widow, Gentleman, Esquire, Indweller etc., if no occupation is given.

Location

Gentleman of Henley upon Thames

Document reference: TNA PROB 11/606
First date: 03 June 1725
Probate date: 23 December 1725
Probate court: London

Executors, Witnesses and Court Officials etc.

Witness: Ambrose Hill
Witness: William Norman
Witness: Samuell Sells
Court Official: John Bettesworth
Executor: Grace Bent

Bequests

To: Grace Bent (Wife)

To my wife Grace Bent my property with lands (identified below as the 'five grounds'), etc., in Broughton Ashly in the County of Leicester for life. Following her death to my cousin John Wooldridge the elder for life and after his death to the three sons of my cousin John Wooldridge the elder, Joseph, Charles, and George for them, their sons and assigns forever.

Bequest Types

Location of property

Names

To: Grace Bent (Wife)

To my wife Grace Bent my house and the adjoining land, being approximately one acre, in Broughton Ashly for life and after her death to Noah Duckett, Gentleman, for ever.

Bequest Types

Location of property

Names

To: Grace Bent (Wife)

To my wife Grace Bent my property and all the lands, etc., lying in Barroby in the County of Northampton for her life and after her death to my cousin Benjamin Wooldridge the Elder for his life. After his death to Joseph Wooldridge and Benjamin Wooldridge, sons of my said Cousin Benjamin Wooldridge the elder,  forever.

Bequest Types

Location of property

Names

To: Grace Bent (Wife)

To my wife Grace Bent my property on the west side of Bell Street in Henley upon Thames, now in my own possession, for life. On her death to Henry Pearman and his two Sisters Grace Pearman and Eleanor Pearman (son and daughter[s] of my Brother in Law John Pearman) for ever.

Bequest Types

Location of property

Names

To: Grace Bent (Wife)

To my wife Grace Bent my property and all my Lands situated in Swallowfield in the County of Wilts for life. After her death to my cousin Benjamin Wooldridge the elder for his lifetime. When my wife and my cousin Benjamin Wooldridge the Elder are both dead to his daughters Mary Wooldridge and Elizabeth Wooldridge, and Sarah Wooldridge and Mary Wooldridge, the daughters of my Cousin John Wooldridge the Elder for ever

Bequest Types

Location of property

Names

To: Grace Bent (Wife)

To wife Grace Bent all my Close of land called Barrowfield or by whatsoever other Name the said Close is called being in Horton in the County of Bucks for ever.

Bequest Types

Location of property

Names

To: Mary Benwell (Niece)

To my cousin Mary Benwell, the daughter of my Brother in Law Henry Benwell,  my property in Stanwell in the County of Middlesex for life and after her death to the lawfully begotten heirs of the said Mary Benwell (if any) and if there be none then, immediately after her decease, the said property should return to my heirs.

Bequest Types

Location of property

Names

To: Grace Bent (Wife)

All the rest and residue of my goods, chattels and personal estate I give to my said dear and loving wife Grace Bent.

Bequest Types

Names

Transcript

0001: In the Name of God Amen
0002: I Joseph Bent of Henley upon Thames in the County of
0003: Oxon Gentleman being of sound mind memory and understanding
0004: doe make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament
0005: in manner and form Following and First and principally I
0006: commend my soul into the hands of allmighty God who gave
0007: it me hoping to receive full pardon and forgiveness of all my
0008: sins through the bloud and meritts of the Lord Jesus Christ
0009: my only Saviour and to be made partaker of Everlasting life
0010: my body I committ to the Earth to be decently buried at the
0011: Discretion of my Executrix hereinafter named and as for
0012: my worldly Estate which the Lord out of his Mercy hath bestowed
0013: upon me I give and dispose of the same as Followeth Imprimis
0014: I give and Devise unto my Dear and loving Wife Grace
0015: Bent all that my Messuage or Tenement with the Lands
0016: Hereditaments and other appurtenances to the same belonging
0017: Scituate lying and being in Broughton Ashly in the County
0018: of Leicester for and during the Term of her naturall life and
0019: from and imediately after her Decease I doe hereby give and
0020: Devise unto my Cousin John Wooldridge the Elder my
0021: five Grounds lyeing in Broughton Ashly aforesaid during
0022: the Term of his Naturall life and from and immediately after
0023: his Decease then I give the said five Grounds to three sons of
0024: my said Cousin John Wooldridge the elder (that is to say)
0025: to Joseph Wooldridge Charles Wooldridge and George
0026: Wooldridge to hold unto them the said Joseph Wooldridge
0027: Charles Wooldridge and George Woldridge their Heirs and
0028: Assignes for ever Item I give and devise unto my Dear and
0029: loving Wife Grace Bent my house and Piddle of Ground
0030: adjoyning to it being one acre of Land be it more or less
0031: Scituate lyeing and being in Broughton Ashly aforesaid
0032: for and during the Term of her Naturall life and from
0033: and immediately after her Decease then I give and Devise
0034: the said house and Piddle of Ground to Noah Duckett Gentleman
0035: to hold to him the said Noah Duckett his Heirs and Assignes
0036: for ever Item I give and Devise unto my said Dear and
0037: loving Wife Grace Bent all that my Messuage or Tenement
0038: and all those my Lands and Hereditaments with their
0039: appurtenancies Scituate lying and being in Barroby in the
0040: County of Northampton for and during the Term of her
0041: Natural life and from and im[m]ediately after her Decease I
0042: doe hereby give and Devise the Same unto my Cousin Benjamin
0043: Wooldridge the elder for and during the term of his naturall
0044: life and from and immediately after his Decease I doe hereby
0045: give and Devise the said Messuage or Tenement Lands
0046: and Hereditaments with their appurtenances lyeing and
0047: being in Barroby aforesaid unto Joseph Wooldridge and
0048: Benjamin Wooldridge Sons of my said Cousin Benjamin
0049: Wooldridge the elder to hold unto them the said Joseph
0050: Wooldridge and Benjamin Wooldridge sons of my Said
0051: Cousin Benjamin Wooldridge the elder their Heirs and
0052: Assignes for ever Item I give and devise unto my said Dear
0053: and loving Wife Grace Bent all that my Messuage or
0054: Tenement with all and singular the Hereditaments and
0055: appurtenances to the same belonging Scituate Standing and
0056: being on the west side of Bell Street in Henly upon Thames
0057: aforesaid and now in my own possession for and during the
0058: Term of her Naturall life and from and immediately after
0059: her Decease I doe hereby give and Devise the said last mentioned
0060: Messuage or Tenement with all and Singular the appurtenances
0061: to the same belonging unto Henry Pearman and his two Sisters
0062: Grace Pearman and Eleanor Pearman son and daughter of
0063: my Brother in Law John Pearman to hold unto them the said Henry
0064: Pearman and his two Sisters Grace Pearman and Eleanor
0065: Pearman their Heirs and Assignes for ever Item I give and devise
0066: unto my said Dear and loving Wife Grace Bent all that my
0067: Messuage or Tenement and all my Lands and Hereditaments with
0068: their and every of their appurtenances Scituate lying and being in
0069: Swallowfield in the County of Wilts for and during the Term of her
0070: Naturall life and from and immediately after her Decease I doe
0071: hereby give and Devise my said last mentioned Messuage or
0072: Tenement Lands and Hereditaments with their appurtenances unto
0073: my said Cousin Benjamin Wooldridge the elder for and during
0074: the Term of his Naturall life and from and immediately after the
0075: Severall Deceases of my said Wife and my Cousin Benjamin
0076: Wooldridge the Elder I doe give and devise my said Messuage
0077: or Tenement Lands and Hereditaments with their appurtenances
0078: Scituate, lying and being in Swallowfield aforesaid unto Mary
0079: Wooldridge and Elizabeth Wooldridge the Daughters of my
0080: said Cousin Benjamin Wooldridge the Elder and Sarah Wooldridge
0081: and Mary Wooldridge the Daughters of my said Cousin
0082: John Wooldridge the Elder to hold unto them the said Mary
0083: Wooldridge and Elizabeth Wooldridge the Daughters of my
0084: Said Cousin Benjamin Wooldridge the Elder and Sarah
0085: Wooldridge and Mary Wooldridge the Daughters of my said
0086: Cousin John Wooldridge the Elder their Heirs and assignes
0087: for ever Item I give and Devise unto my said Dear and loving
0088: Wife Grace Bent all that my Close of Land called Barrowfield
0089: or by whatsoever other Name the said Close is called or known
0090: lyeing and being in Horton in the County of Bucks to hold
0091: the said Close of Land with the appurtenances unto my said
0092: Wife her Heirs and Assignes for ever Item I give and Devise
0093: to my Cousin Mary Benwell the Daughter of my Brother
0094: in Law Henry Benwell all that my Messuage or Tenement
0095: and all my Lands and Hereditaments with all and Singular
0096: the Appurtenances thereunto belonging Scituate lying and
0097: being in Stanwell in the County of Middlesex for and during
0098: the Term of her Naturall life and from and immediately
0099: after her Decease I doe hereby give and Devise the said
0100: Messuage or Tenement Lands and Hereditaments with
0101: their appurtenances to the Heirs of the said Mary Benwell
0102: the Daughter of my Brother in law Henry Benwell of her
0103: body lawfully begotten (if any such there shall be) to Hold
0104: unto the said Heirs of Mary Benwell the Daughter of my
0105: Brother in law Henry Benwell of her body lawfully begotten
0106: (if any such there shall be) their Heirs and Assignes for ever
0107: otherwise in case there be no Such Issue or Heirs of her
0108: body lawfully begotten (↑then] from and immediately after the
0109: Decease of the said Mary Benwell my Will is that the said
0110: Messuage or Tenement Lands and Hereditaments with
0111: their appurtenances should return to my Heir All the rest
0112: and Residue of my goods Chattells and personall Estate
0113: whatsoever and wheresoever not herein before given or
0114: Devised after the payment of my Debts and Funerall
0115: Expences I give and Devise unto my said Dear and loving
0116: Wife Grace Bent whom I make full and sole Executrix
0117: of this my last Will and Testament I Revoke all Wills by
0118: me heretofore made or published either by word or in
0119: Writing and in Testimony that this Writing is and contains
0120: my last Will and Testament I the said Joseph Bent have
0121: hereunto Sett my hand and Seale the third day of June in
0122: the eleventh year of the Reigne of our Soveraigne Lord
0123: George King over Great Brittain &c. Annoq[ue] Domini
0124: 1725
0125: Joseph Bent
0126: Signed Sealed published and Declared
0127: by the above named Joseph Bent as and for his last will
0128: and Testament in the presence of us who subscribe our
0129: names in his presence
0130: Ambrose Hill
0131: W[illia]m Norman
0132: Sam[ue]ll Sells

Preparation of this entry

Post status: Published
Transcript by: Viv Greenwoodr
Author: Viv Greenwood
Checked by: Cynthia Robinson
Date posted: 22nd February 2013
Date modified: 26th January 2014

Comments

The will refers to Broughton Ashley in Leicestershire, this could be a reference to Broughton Astley.  At the time of the will Swallowfield was in the county of Wiltshire.  The reference to Barroby in Northamptonshire may be referring to Barby in Northamptonshire or Barrowby in Lincolnshire.

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