| 0001: | In the Name of God Amen
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| 0002: | I Richard Geere of Henley upon Thames in the
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| 0003: | County of Oxford Brewer Plumber Glazier and Painter
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| 0004: | being weak in Body but of sound and perfect Mind
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| 0005: | Memory and Understanding considering the uncertainty
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| 0006: | of this transitory Life and being willing to settle
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| 0007: | my affairs Do therefore make publish and declare
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| 0008: | this my last Will and Testament in manner and
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| 0009: | form following that is to say Whereas I now carry
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| 0010: | on the Trade or Business of a Plumber and
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| 0011: | Glazier in Henley aforesaid [↑and am joint Partner with
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| 0012: | my good Friend Thomas Binfield in the Business or Trade
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| 0013: | of a Brewer in Henley afores[ai]d] and being desirous to
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| 0014: | order and Will the same and all other my
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| 0015: | Personal Estate for the advantage of my Wife
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| 0016: | and [↑my] Children by her do give and bequeath all my
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| 0017: | Money Securities for Money Household Goods
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| 0018: | Furniture Stock in Trade and all my share of and
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| 0019: | in the joint Stock and Trade of Brewing with
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| 0020: | the said Thomas Binfield and all Yearly Profits
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| 0021: | Increase and Produce to arise or be made thereof
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| 0022: | and all other my Personal Estate whatsoever and
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| 0023: | wheresoever of what nature or kind soever where
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| 0024: | or wherein I shall be any ways interested in or
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| 0025: | possessed of at the time of my death to my
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| 0026: | dear and loving Wife Anne Geere - and my
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| 0027: | good Friends the said Thomas Binfield and John
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| 0028: | Wheeler of the said Town Glazier To hold to
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| 0029: | them their Executors Administrators and Assigns
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| 0030: | Nevertheless In Trust that my said Wife Anne
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| 0031: | Geere Thomas Binfield and John Wheeler and the
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| 0032: | Survivor of them his or her Executors Administrators
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| 0033: | or Assigns do and shall carry on and follow the
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| 0034: | said Trades or Businesses of Plumber Glazier and
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| 0035: | Painter and the s[ai]d joint Trade or Business of Brewer
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| 0036: | or such of them as they shall think proper in
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| 0037: | the best way and manner that they can so long
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| 0038: | as the same shall in their Judgement appear to
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| 0039: | them to be carried on to advantage and that
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| 0040: | my said Wife shall have receive and take all
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| 0041: | the Issues and Profits thereof so long as she
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| 0042: | shall continue my Widow for the Maintenance of
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| 0043: | herself and the maintenance and education of my
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| 0044: | said Children and in case my said Wife shall happen
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| 0045: | to marry again I direct that she shall be paid
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| 0046: | receive and have one full third part or share of all
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| 0047: | my said personal Estate or be paid the full value of
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| 0048: | such third part or share for her own use in full of all
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| 0049: | Right or Title she then may have therein and that from
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| 0050: | thenceforth the said Thomas Binfield and John Wheeler or
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| 0051: | the Survivor of them his Executors or Administrators shall
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| 0052: | stand possessed of and interested in the other two third parts
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| 0053: | or shares of all my said personal Estate and all advantage
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| 0054: | and profits from thenceforth to be made or arise thereby
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| 0055: | In Trust for all my Children which shall be then be living
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| 0056: | and from and after the decease of my said Wife or
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| 0057: | her marrying again which shall first happen I direct
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| 0058: | will and order that the said Thomas Binfield and John
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| 0059: | Wheeler or the Survivor of them his Executors or
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| 0060: | Adm[inistrat]ors shall carry on and manage the said Trades and
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| 0061: | Businesses in the best Way and manner that they can
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| 0062: | until my Son John Geere shall attain the full age
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| 0063: | of twenty one Years if the same can be done
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| 0064: | with any manner of Profit or Advantage and that
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| 0065: | as soon as my said Son John .....................
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| 0066: | ..........[line drawn through six and a half lines]....
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| 0067: | shall attain the age of twenty one Years I will
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| 0068: | that he shall carry on the said Trades or Businesses
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| 0069: | jointly with his Mother (if she be then living and my
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| 0070: | Widow) and my said Trustees for her benefit so long
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| 0071: | as she shall continue my Widow and after her decease
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| 0072: | or second marriage and in the latter case being paid
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| 0073: | her said third share as aforesaid then I will and
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| 0074: | direct that my said Son John and my said Trustees
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| 0075: | shall carry on the said Trades and Businesses until
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| 0076: | the youngest of my children shall attain the age of
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| 0077: | twenty one Years if the same can be done with
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| 0078: | advantage and apply the Profits arising therefrom for
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| 0079: | the benefit of all my said Children and when the
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| 0080: | youngest of my said Children shall have attained the
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| 0081: | said age of twenty one Years then in trust that
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| 0082: | my said Trustees and my said Son John shall and do
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| 0083: | dispose of all my said personal Estate which shall
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| 0084: | then remain for the best advantage and the Monies
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| 0085: | and Profits arising thereby do and shall pay apply and
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| 0086: | divide unto and amongst all and every my Children
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| 0087: | share and share alike But it is my Will and desire
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| 0088: | and I do hereby order and direct that my said
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| 0089: | Son John shall have the liberty to take to all the
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| 0090: | said Trades and Businesses and all other my Personal
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| 0091: | Estate to and for his own use at a fair valuation
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| 0092: | and Appraisement to be made by two indifferent
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| 0093: | persons one to be chosen by my said Son John
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| 0094: | Geere and the other by the remainder of my said
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| 0095: | Children and I direct and order that my said Children
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| 0096: | shall on payment to them respectively of their share
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| 0097: | of the Sum of Money the same shall be valued
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| 0098: | and appraised at in manner aforesaid Sign Seal and
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| 0099: | deliver unto my said Son John a good and sufficient
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| 0100: | release and discharge of all their Right and Interest
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| 0101: | therein and if any or either of my said Children
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| 0102: | shall happen to die before his her or their share or
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| 0103: | shares shall become due and payable then I direct
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| 0104: | that the share or shares of him her or them so
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| 0105: | dying shall go and be paid to and amongst the
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| 0106: | Survivors of them equally share and share alike and
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| 0107: | in case all my said Children but one shall happen
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| 0108: | to die before their attaining their age or ages of
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| 0109: | twenty one Years then I direct the whole to go
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| 0110: | and be paid to the surviving child and I hereby
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| 0111: | appoint that my said Wife shall have the Guardian[shi]p
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| 0112: | and Tuition of my said Children so long as she
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| 0113: | shall continue to be sole during their Minority and in
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| 0114: | case of her death or marriage then I will and
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| 0115: | appoint that the said Thomas Binfield and John
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| 0116: | Wheeler and the Survivor of them his Executors or
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| 0117: | administrators shall have the Guardianship and
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| 0118: | Tuition of my said Children during their Minority
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| 0119: | and the sole Management of all my said Personal
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| 0120: | Estate and I earnestly intreat my said Wife and the
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| 0121: | said Thomas Binfield and John Wheeler to use their
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| 0122: | utmost care in the education and Management of my
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| 0123: | S[ai]d children and I will and direct that an Inventory
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| 0124: | shall be taken as soon as conveniently may be after
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| 0125: | my death of all my said Personal Estate To the
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| 0126: | end that the same may be the better preserved for
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| 0127: | the purposes aforesaid according to the truest
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| 0128: | meaning of this my Will and I direct that the s[ai]d
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| 0129: | Thomas Binfield and John Wheeler their Executors or
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| 0130: | administrators shall not be answerable one for the
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| 0131: | other of them or the Acts and Deeds of the other
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| 0132: | but each for himself his Executors and Adm[inistrat]ors Acts
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| 0133: | and Deeds only nor shall they or either of them be
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| 0134: | chargeable or accountable for any more Money
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| 0135: | than they or either of them shall actually receive
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| 0136: | nor for any loss of the said Personal Estate unless
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| 0137: | the same happen through their wilful neglect and
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| 0138: | shall be paid ...................... or shall and
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| 0139: | may deduct and retain to themselves respectively all
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| 0140: | such Costs and Charges as they or either of them
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| 0141: | may be put unto or sustain by reason of the Trusts
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| 0142: | hereby in them reposed and lastly I nominate and
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| 0143: | appoint my said wife Executrix and the said Thomas
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| 0144: | Binfield and John Wheeler Executors of this my
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| 0145: | Will hereby revoking and making void all former
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| 0146: | wills by me at any time or times heretofore made
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| 0147: | and do declare this and this alone to be my true
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| 0148: | last Will In witness whereof I the said Richard
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| 0149: | Geere the Testator have to this my Will cont[aine]d in
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| 0150: | two Sheets of Paper to each Sheet set my Hand
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| 0151: | and Seal this twenty ninth day of December in
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| 0152: | the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred
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| 0153: | and seventy seven
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| 0154: |
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| 0155: | Rich[ar]d Geere [Seal]
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| 0156: |
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| 0157: | Signed Sealed Published
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| 0158: | and Declared by the said Richard Geere the Testator
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| 0159: | as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence
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| 0160: | of us who in his presence and at his request and in
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| 0161: | the presence of each other have subscribed our Names
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| 0162: | as Witnesses [↑hereunto]
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| 0163: |
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| 0164: | Tho[ma]s Geere
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| 0165: | Geo[rge] Robinson
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| 0166: | J[oh]n Shipton |