Will of John Laxton
Occupation
- 218: Maltster
Location
Maltster of Henley upon Thames
| Document reference: | TNA PROB 11/771 |
| First date: | 18 July 1747 |
| Probate date: | 14 June 1749 |
| Probate court: | London |
Executors, Witnesses and Court Officials etc.
| Executrix: | Elizabeth Ewen |
| (Kinswoman of testator, later Elizabeth Silver) | |
| Witness: | Mary Woodley |
| Witness: | James Lucas |
| Witness: | John Cruchfeld |
| Other: | Thomas Flight |
| (Joint Trustee and Guardian of Executrix) | |
| Other: | John Smith |
| (Joint Trustee and Guardian of Executrix) | |
| Court Official: | Henry Hayman |
| Court Official: | John Bettesworth |
| (Doctor of Laws of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury) |
Bequests
To: Robert Ewen
I give to Robert Ewen twenty pounds
Bequest Types
Names
To: Stephen Horsnail
I give to Stephen Horsnail five pounds
Bequest Types
Names
To: John Freeman
I give to John Freeman five pounds, for the use of his son Thomas, and whatever he owes me at the time of my death and all my clothes, except for one coat which I give to Bartholomew Steel and Thomas Belcher, if and when he discharges a bond of £60.
Bequest Types
Names
To: Elizabeth Ewen (Kinswoman)
I give to my kinswoman Elizabeth Ewen and her legitimate issue my small estate in Binfield, Berkshire, now occupied by James Shervill and my copyhold estate in Wargrave, Berkshire, now occupied by Nathaniel Eyles and William Jennings, and also the house in which I now live in Henley. If she has no such issue, the bequest passes to the heirs-at-law of John Laxton.
Bequest Types
Location of property
Names
To: Elizabeth Ewen (Kinswoman)
I also give to Elizabeth Ewen the residue of my estate
Bequest Types
Names
Transcript
| 0001: | In the Name of God Amen |
| 0002: | the last Will and Testament of John Laxton of Henley upon |
| 0003: | Thames in the County of Oxon is as follows and first I Give and |
| 0004: | bequeath my Soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it |
| 0005: | me hoping for Salvation thro' the Alone Merits of Jesus Christ my |
| 0006: | Saviour And my Body to be buryed in Clewar Church Yard in Sum |
| 0007: | Decent [↑manner] as my Execut[rix] hereafter named Shall think fit and as for |
| 0008: | Such Worldly Goods as God of his Mercy has thought fit to |
| 0009: | bestow upon me I Give as follows that is to say my just Debts |
| 0010: | and funeral charges being first paid I Give to my Kinswoman |
| 0011: | Elizabeth the Daughter of Richard Ewen Deceased and to the Heirs |
| 0012: | of her Body lawfully to be begotton all Such my Small Estate in |
| 0013: | Binfield in the County of Berks and now in the Tenure or Occupation of |
| 0014: | James Shervill or his Assigns forever And also all that my Coppyhold |
| 0015: | Estate at Wargrave in the Same County and now in the Tenure or |
| 0016: | Occupation of Nathaniel Eyles and William Jennings or their Assigns |
| 0017: | forever and also the House and Appurtenances thereunto belonging |
| 0018: | in which I now live in Henley and for want of such lawfull |
| 0019: | Issue as aforesaid then to the Right Heirs of the said John Laxton |
| 0020: | forever And I also give to my said Kinswoman Fifty Five pounds |
| 0021: | due to me from Mrs Frances Sewen upon a Mortgage of her House |
| 0022: | in which She now lives and the Premisses thereunto belonging and |
| 0023: | also One other fifty Five Pounds due to me from John Eeles of |
| 0024: | Henley upon a Mortgage of the House in which he now Lives and the |
| 0025: | appurtenances thereunto belonging And I do give to |
| 0026: | Five Pounds and to Steven Horsnaile [↑five] |
| 0027: | |
| 0028: | |
| 0029: | |
| 0030: | that he may owe me at my Decease And I do make and appoint |
| 0031: | my Kinswoman aforesaid Executrix of this my last Will and |
| 0032: | Testament and do constitute and appoint Mr Thomas Flight and |
| 0033: | John Smith Malster to be her |
| 0034: | and to have the Management of her and her Affairs till She Arrive |
| 0035: | at the Age of Twenty One Years or be married and I Do give |
| 0036: | them Five Guineas apeice for any Trouble they may meet with |
| 0037: | in the management of the Same and all the rest and residue |
| 0038: | of my Estate real and Personal Goods and Chattels I Give to my |
| 0039: | Executrix before name and I revoke all former wills by me made |
| 0040: | do make and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament |
| 0041: | Witness my hand and Seal this Eighteenth day of July 1747 I |
| 0042: | Do also Give to Robert Ewen |
| 0043: | by my Executrix Eliz[abeth] Ewen |
| 0044: | |
| 0045: | John Laxton |
| 0046: | |
| 0047: | Signed Sealed Published |
| 0048: | and declared by the Testator John Laxton as and for his last Will |
| 0049: | and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and at |
| 0050: | his request became Witnesses thereunto |
| 0051: | |
| 0052: | Mary Woodley her Mark |
| 0053: | James Lucas his Mark |
| 0054: | John Cruchfeld |
| 0055: | |
| 0056: | Mem[oran]d[um] these Goods are Steven Horsnailes Vizt a Clock a |
| 0057: | Bolster One Dozen of Glass Bottels a hand Baskett a Close |
| 0058: | Stool all borrowed of him if carrying my Body to Clewas be |
| 0059: | Troublesome or chargable let it be interred at Henley |
| 0060: | My Epitaph |
| 0061: | |
| 0062: | In the Name of God Amen |
| 0063: | the last Will and Testament of John Laxton of Henley upon |
| 0064: | Thames in the County of Oxon late a Malster is as follows that |
| 0065: | is to say First I Give and bequeath my Soul into the Hands |
| 0066: | of Almighty God who gave it me trusting for Salvation thro' the |
| 0067: | Merits of Jesus Christ and my Body to be buried where and at the |
| 0068: | discretion of my Executrix hereafter named and as for Such Worldly |
| 0069: | Goods as God has been pleased to bestow upon me I Give and |
| 0070: | bequeath as follows and first I give to Robert Ewen Twenty Pounds |
| 0071: | To Stephen Horsnail Five pounds To John Freeman Five Pound for |
| 0072: | the use of his Son Thomas and do forgive John Freeman whatever he |
| 0073: | does or shall owe me at the time of my Death and I Do give him |
| 0074: | all my Wearing Cloaths except One Coat which I give to Barth[olomew] |
| 0075: | Steel and to Thomas Belcher if and when he shall discharge a |
| 0076: | Bond of 60£ for payment of 80£ by him and his father deceased |
| 0077: | and which £5 " 0 " 0 I had in a former Will Willed to him for his |
| 0078: | fidelity to me in the malting Trade And Lastly I Give to my |
| 0079: | Kinswoman Elizabeth Ewen all that my Small Estate in Binfield |
| 0080: | now in the Occupation of James Shurfield or his Assigns and all that |
| 0081: | my Copyhold Estate now in the Tenure or Occupation of |
| 0082: | Nathaniel Eyles and William Jennings or their Assigns and also |
| 0083: | the House in which I now live lying and being in Henley with |
| 0084: | the Appurtenances thereunto belonging to her and the Heirs of her |
| 0085: | Body lawfully to be begotton forever and for want of such Issue |
| 0086: | then to the Right Heirs of the said John Laxton forever (Note |
| 0087: | the Copyhold before mentioned is in the Parish of Wargrave |
| 0088: | I do also give the said Elizabeth Ewen all the rest and residue |
| 0089: | of my Estate real and Personal Goods and Chattels whatsoever |
| 0090: | and wheresoever found and do make and ordain her Sole |
| 0091: | Executrix of this my last Will and Testament and do desire |
| 0092: | request Ordain and Appoint Mr Thomas Flight and Mr John |
| 0093: | Smith to be Trustees and Guardians of her and her Estate and |
| 0094: | to have the Full management thereof till She Shall be married |
| 0095: | and do Give them five Guineas apeice for any trouble they may |
| 0096: | have therein Witness my hand and Seal this |
| 0097: | day of Signed sealed Published and declared by |
| 0098: | the Testator John Laxton as and for his last Will and Testament |
| 0099: | in the Presence of us who in his presence and his request |
| 0100: | became Witnesses hereunto |
| 0101: | |
| 0102: | Appeared personally Elizabeth Silver Wife of Thomas |
| 0103: | Silver of the Parish of Wargrave in the County of Berks Yeoman |
| 0104: | heretofore Elizabeth Ewen Spinster the Sole Executrix named in the |
| 0105: | last Will and Testament of John Laxton late of Henley upon Thames |
| 0106: | in the County of Oxford deceased and John Silver of Henley upon |
| 0107: | Thames aforesaid Wheeler and Thomas Belcher of the Parish of |
| 0108: | Rotherfield Greys in the said County of Oxford Maltster and |
| 0109: | being Sworn on the Holy Evangelists made oath each for himself |
| 0110: | as follows and first the said Elizabeth Silver made oath that |
| 0111: | She lived with the said John Laxton in Henley upon Thames |
| 0112: | aforesaid that on the Eleventh day of March last he sent her |
| 0113: | for the Barber to come and Shave him and She left him alone |
| 0114: | Sitting in his Chair by the Fire Side in the Kitchen and in about |
| 0115: | a Quarter of an hour She returned and then found him sitting in |
| 0116: | the Same Chair Speechless and he continued Speechless from that |
| 0117: | time till his Death which happened on or about the Eighteenth |
| 0118: | day of the [↑same] Month of March that on the said Eighteenth day of |
| 0119: | March she this Deponent found in the Deceaseds Parlour on a |
| 0120: | Shelf the Two Paper Writings hereto Annexed marked No 1 and |
| 0121: | No 2 that marked No 1 Purporting an Executed Will of the Said |
| 0122: | John Laxton bearing date the Eighteenth day of July 1747 and |
| 0123: | the other marked No 2 Purporting a Will of the said deceased but |
| 0124: | without a Date and unexecuted and She Saith that She Saw the |
| 0125: | Said John Laxton on or about the Tenth day of the same Month |
| 0126: | of March writing with his own hand the said Paper writing marked |
| 0127: | No 2 which which from the contents Appears to be a Transcript from the said |
| 0128: | Will marked No 1 According and agreeable to the Several Alterations |
| 0129: | and interlineations appearing therein and She Saith that both the |
| 0130: | Said Papers marked No 1 and No 2 were at the time She so found |
| 0131: | the same on the said Eighteenth day of March as aforesaid in the |
| 0132: | Very Same Plight and Condition as they now appear and the Said |
| 0133: | John Silver and Thomas Belcher Severally made Oath that they |
| 0134: | very well Knew the said John Laxton and are well Acquainted with |
| 0135: | his manner and Character of hand Writing having often seen |
| 0136: | him Write and they having now carefully Viewed and Perused |
| 0137: | the said two Papers marked No 1 and No 2 Say that they do |
| 0138: | Verily beleive the whole Body of and also the several interlineations |
| 0139: | in and the name John Laxton Subscribed to the said Paper |
| 0140: | Writing marked No 1 and also the whole Body and Contents |
| 0141: | of the said Paper Writing marked No 2 to be of the Proper |
| 0142: | hand writing of the said John Laxton deceased |
| 0143: | |
| 0144: | Eliza[beth] Silver |
| 0145: | John Silver |
| 0146: | Thomas Belcher |
| 0147: | |
| 0148: | the abovenamed Elizabeth Silver |
| 0149: | John Silver and Thomas Belcher were sworn to the truth of the |
| 0150: | contents of the above Affidavit upon the Holy Evangelists this |
| 0151: | Sixteenth day of May in the Year of Our Lord 1749 before me |
| 0152: | |
| 0153: | Henry Hayman |
Preparation of this entry
| Post status: | Published |
| Transcript by: | the author |
| Author: | Tony Lynch |
| Checked by: | Cynthia Robinson |
| Date posted: | 01st March 2013 |
| Date modified: | 16th April 2014 |
Comments
Bequests are as described in the second, unexecuted, will.