| 0001: | In the Name of God Amen
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| 0002: | I Thomas Bennett of Henley upon Thames in
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| 0003: | the County of Oxford Butcher being weak in Body but
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| 0004: | of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding Do
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| 0005: | make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament
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| 0006: | in manner and form following (that is to say) my Soul I
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| 0007: | recommend to Almighty God who gave it and my Body I
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| 0008: | commit to the Earth to be decently interred at the discretion
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| 0009: | of my Executrix hereinafter named and as to the worldly
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| 0010: | Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me I dispose
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| 0011: | thereof as follows First I desire my dearly beloved wife
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| 0012: | Mary whom I have hereinafter appointed my Executrix to
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| 0013: | collect and get in such Debts as are due and owing to me
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| 0014: | and to settle such accounts as are subsisting between me
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| 0015: | and any other Person or Persons as soon as conveniently
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| 0016: | may be after my decease to better to ascertain what
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| 0017: | I shall die possessed of and I desire my said Wife to
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| 0018: | carry on my Business and I give and bequeath unto
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| 0019: | my said [↑widowed] Wife all my Ready Money Securities for Money
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| 0020: | Book Debts Stock in Trade Household Furniture and all
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| 0021: | and singular other my personal Estate and Effects whatsoever
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| 0022: | and wheresoever and of what nature and kind soever for
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| 0023: | and during the term of her natural Life if she shall so long
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| 0024: | continue my widow and unmarried (Subject nevertheless to the
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| 0025: | Payment of my just Debts and funeral Expences) to and for
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| 0026: | her own use & for the purpose of Educating Maintaining
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| 0027: | Apprenticing and bringing up my five Children Thomas
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| 0028: | John George Charles and Richard and from and after
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| 0029: | her decease Then I will and direct the same shall be divided
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| 0030: | amongst my said Children or such of them as shall be
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| 0031: | then living in such Parts shares and Proportions at
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| 0032: | such times and in such manner and form as she my said
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| 0033: | Wife shall by her last Will and Testament [↑in writing or any writing purporting to be her last Will and Testament] Executed in
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| 0034: | the Presence of two or more credible witnesses direct
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| 0035: | or appoint And I will and direct that if my said Wife
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| 0036: | shall marry again that she shall pay and I hereby in
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| 0037: | that case give and bequeath unto my said Children Thomas
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| 0038: | John George Charles and Richard or to such of them as
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| 0039: | shall be then living the Sum of three hundred Pounds
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| 0040: | each in case my Effects at the time of my decease shall
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| 0041: | amount to sufficient and the same shall not have been
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| 0042: | necessary lessened or expended in the Education Maintaining
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| 0043: | apprenticing and bringing up my said Children But if
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| 0044: | my Effects shall not amount to sufficient to pay to each
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| 0045: | of my said Children or such of them as shall be living
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| 0046: | at the time of my Wifes marrying again the Sum of
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| 0047: | three hundred pounds each Then I will and direct my
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| 0048: | said Wife to divide the then surplus of my said Estate and
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| 0049: | Effects unto and amongst such of my said Children as shall
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| 0050: | be living at the time of her marrying again
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| 0051: | equally share and share alike And I do hereby nominate
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| 0052: | constitute and appoint my said Wife Mary sole Executrix
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| 0053: | of this my Will and Lastly I do hereby revoke and
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| 0054: | made void all former and other Will and Wills by me
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| 0055: | at any time heretofore made and do declare this and this
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| 0056: | only to be my true last Will and Testament In Witness
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| 0057: | whereof I the said Thomas Bennett have to this my last
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| 0058: | Will and Testament contained in two Sheets of Paper
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| 0059: | to the first Sheet set my hand and to the last Sheet
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| 0060: | my hand and Seal this first day of October in the year
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| 0061: | of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty
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| 0062: | three
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| 0063: |
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| 0064: | The Mark of X Thomas Bennett [seal]
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| 0065: |
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| 0066: | Signed
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| 0067: | sealed published and declared by the said Testator
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| 0068: | Thomas Bennett as and for his last Will and Testament
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| 0069: | in the presence of us who in his presence at his request
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| 0070: | and in the presence of each other have subscribed our
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| 0071: | Names as Witnesses hereto
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| 0072: |
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| 0073: | John Wheeler
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| 0074: | Thomas Cooper Jun[io]r
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| 0075: | |