[Note:
the text below is taken from a copy of the will that was made on
parchment for the court of probate.]
This is
the last Will and Testament of me Edward Grimes Abbott of Ipswich in
the county
of Suffolk Currier of which I nominate and appoint my friend William
Garrod of
Ipswich aforesaid Ship Surveyer and my Daughter Harriet
Wells of Ipswich aforesaid Widow executors I
direct them my said executors in the first
place after my decease to pay and discharge all my just debts and my
funeral
and testamentary expenses I give and
bequeath to Mary Ann Wilkinson the wife of James Wilkinson of Ipswich
aforesaid
Master Mariner the sum of ten Pounds I
give and bequeath (subject as hereinafter mentioned) the sum of Fifty
pounds to
be equally divided by my said executors between all the children of my
daughter
Mary Ann Howe the wife of Thomas Potter Howell of Ipswich aforesaid
Schoolmaster I give and bequeath (also
subject as hereinafter mentioned) to my Granddaughter Harriet Louisa
Wells the
sum of One hundred pounds And I direct
that the last mentioned legacies shall be paid to the several Legatees
as soon
as can be next after my decease I give
and bequeath the Oil Painting of myself to my Daughter Harriet Wells
for and
during her natural life and at her decease I give the said Oil Painting
to my
Daughter Mary Ann Howe if then living if not then I give the same to my
Daughter Hannah Abbott of Ipswich aforesaid Spinster
And case both of them the said Mary Ann Howe and Hannah Abbott
shall be dead at the time of the decease of the said Harriet Wells then
I give
the said oil painting to my said Granddaughter Harriet Louisa Wells I give and bequeath all my household
furniture plate linen and china Books and other household effects in my
dwelling house at the time of my
decease unto my said Daughter Hannah
Abbott absolutely And as to all the
rest residue and remainder of my estate and effects whatsoever I give
the same
unto and to be equally divided between my said three daughters the said
Harriet
Wells Mary Ann Howe and Hannah Abbott share and share alike And in case the said Hannah Abbott shall die
in my lifetime then I give her share under this will equally to be
divided
between her two sisters Harriet Wells and Mary Ann Howe
And in case the said Harriet Wells shall die
in my lifetime then the legacy of One hundred pounds hereinbefore
bequeathed to
the said Harriet Louisa Wells shall be void and in lieu thereof I give
to the
said Harriet Louisa Wells the one third part or share in the residue of
my
personal estate which her said Mother if living would have been
entitled
to And in case the said Mary Ann Howe
shall die in my lifetime then the Legacy of Fifty pounds hereinbefore
bequeathed to all the children of the said Mary Ann Howe shall be void
and in
lieu thereof I give to the said children of the said Mary Ann Howe the
one
third part or share of the residue of my personal Estate which their
said
Mother if living would have been entitled to
I give devise and bequeath unto the said William Garrod and
Harriet
Wells all real estates vested in me as Mortgagee or Trustee To Hold
to them the said William Garrod and Harriet Wells their heirs
and
executors administrators and assigns according to the qualities and
natures of
such estates respecively upon such trusts and subject to such equities
as the
same are now held by me And I
declare
that my said executors and each of them shall be chargeable for such
monies
only as they respectively shall actually receive by virtue of the
trusts hereby
in him or her reposed notwithstanding his or her giving or joining in
giving
any receipt for the sake of conformity
And that neither of then shall be answerable for the other of
them nor
for the acts receipts neglects or defaults of the other of them nor for
involuntary
losses And that it shall be lawful for
them respectly out of the monies which shall come to his and her
respective
hands to deduct retain and reimburse himself and herself all costs
charges
damages and expenses which he or she shall suffer sustain or be put
onto in the
execution of this my Will or in relation thereto Lastly
I revoke all former wills and declare this to be my
last In Witness whereof I have at the
end or foot of this my Will set my hand this fourth day of December One
thousand eight hundred and sixty one
Edward
Grimes Abbott
Signed by
the said Edward Grimes Abbott as and for his last Will and by us as
witnesses
thereto all of us being present together at the time of said signing
(the words
"unto my said Daughter" being first interlined and the words
"and that" struck through)
/s H. Chamberlain /s Rachel
Chamberlain} both of Ipswich
[separate
piece of parchment, attached to will at bottom; printed form with
handwritten
parts in italics]
In her
Majesty's Court of Probate.
BE IT KNOWN that on the twenty
ninth day of July 1873 the last Will and Testament
hereunto
annexed, of Edward Grimes Abbott late of Ipswich in the
County of
Suffolk Currier deceased, who died on the fourteenth day of July
in
1873, in Ipswich aforesaid, and who at the time of his
death
had a fixed place of abode at Ipswich aforesaid within the district of
the
Easterly Division of the County of Suffolk and the North Division of
the County
of Essex, was proved, and registered in the Distinct Registry attached
to her
Majesty's Court of Probate at Ipswich, and that administration of all
and
singular the personal estate and effects of this said deceased was
granted by
the aforesaid court to William James (in the Will written William)
Garrod of
Ipswich aforesaid Ship Surveyer and Harriet Wells of Ipswich aforesaid
Widow
the daughter of the said deceased the executors named in the said Will
they have been being first sworn well and faithfully to administer
the
same, by paying the just debts of the deceased and the legacies
contained in his
Will, and to exhibit a true and perfect inventory of all and
singular the
said estate and effects, and to render a just and true account thereof
whenever
required by law so to do.
/s/ GW Tho Dennis
(?)
District
Registrar
Source:
Collection of Peter Tiersma