The will of Catherine Willis of Brighton

Catherine Willis left £1500 of consols to her nieces and nephews Henrietta Willis, Francis Willis, Catherine Maria Willis and Catherine Wilmot, upon attaining the age of 21 or marrying, and £500 worth to her other nieces and nephews (except her brother John's son John). Her brother John was given £7000 in consols, but owed her £2159 4s 10d consols and £1500 cash which was deducted from it. The rest (bar a few small legacies) was split equally between her brothers Francis and Thomas.

I Catherine Willis formerly of Harley Street Marylebone in the County of Middlesex but now of Brighton in the County of Sussex Spinster do hereby revoke all Wills Codicils and other Testamentary dispositions heretofore made by me and declare this to be my last Will and Testament Whenever it may please God that I shall depart this life there or thereabouts at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named I desire that my remains may be decently interred in a Vault or Brick Grave I give and bequeath to my brother Francis Willis of Shillingthorpe in the Parish of Braceborough in the County of Lincoln Doctor of Medicine my other Brother the Reverend Thomas Willis of Rayne in the County of Essex John William Lowe of the Middle Temple London Esquire and Robert Manley Lowe of the Inner Temple London Gentleman their executors administrators and assigns the sum of Ten Thousand Pounds three per cent Consolidated Bank Annuities upon the the trusts following (that is to say) As to four several sums of One thousand five hundred pounds three per cent Consolidated Bank Annuities (making together the sum of Six thousand pounds like Bank Annuities) part thereof one of the said four several sums to be In trust for each of them my oldest niece Henrietta Willis my Nephew and Godson Francis Willis my niece and Goddaughter Catherine Maria Willis and my niece and Goddaughter Catherine Wilmot who being a nephew shall attain the age of twenty one years or being nieces shall respectively attain that age or marry and for his or her executors administrators and assigns absolutely And as to the eight several sums of five hundred pounds three per cent Consolidated Bank Annuities each making together the sum of four thousand pounds like Bank Annuities residue of the said sum of Ten thousand pounds like Bank Annuities one of the said eight several sums to be ? trust for each of my other nephews and nieces children of my said brother Francis Willis namely Alfred Willis Eliza Willis Augusta Willis Louisa Willis and Emily Willis And also for each of my other nephews children of my said brother Thomas Willis namely Thomas Frederick Willis William Jarvis Willis and Edward Francis Willis who being nephews shall respectively attain the age of twenty one years or being nieces shall respectively attain that age or marry and for his or her executors administrators and assigns absolutely And I do hereby direct that in the meantime and until the absolute vesting of the respective sums hereinafter bequeathed In trust for my said several nephews and nieces they the same Francis Willis Thomas Willis John William Lowe and Robert Manley Lowe and the survivors and survivor of them and the executors or administrators of such survivor at their or his own discretion Do and shall accumulate all the dividends and annual produce thereof respectively in the way of compound interest by investing the same and all the resulting income thereof from time to time in their or his names or name in the purchase of a competent share or competent shares of the same Stock or in or upon any such other stocks funds or securities as they or he shall think proper with power for them or him to alter vary or transpose the said original and other stocks funds or securities or any of them as they or he shall see fit And I declare that the same dividends and annual produce and the stocks funds and securities in or upon which the same shall be laid out or invested and the accumulations thereof shall be held and applied upon the same trusts as are hereinbefore declared concerning the principal funds from which the same respectively shall have proceeded and be considered part thereof Provided always And I do further declare that if any of them my said nephews and nieces being a nephew or nephews shall depart this life under the age of twenty one years or being a niece or nieces shall depart this life under that age without being married then as well as the original sum hereinbefore bequeathed in trust for as the sum or sums by virtue of this present Clause or proviso surviving or accruing to each such nephew or niece so dying as aforesaid shall from time to time go and accrue to the survivors or survivor or other or others of my said several nephews and nieces hereinbefore named and so far as circumstances will allow shall vest in him her or them and if more than one in equal shares at such and the same time and times and in such and the same manner as is hereinbefore expressed concerning the said sum or sums originally bequeathed in trust for them respectively I also give and bequeath the sum of Seven thousand pounds three percent Consols dated Bank Annuities to my brother The Reverend John Willis of Haddenham in the the County of Berks for his own use and benefit Provided nevertheless And I direct that inasmuch as as a sum of Two thousand one hundred and fifty nine pounds four shillings and ten pence like Bank Annuities and another sum of One thousand five hundred pounds Sterling are due and owing from him the said John Willis to me by virtue of two several Bonds executed and given by him to me respectively bearing date the ninth day of September one thousand eight hundred and forty two and the eleventh day of September one thousand eight hundred and forty five and three several Agreements bearing date the ninth day of September eight hundred and forty two the nineteenth August one thousand eight hundred and forty three and the eleventh day of September one thousand eight hundred and forty five the said sum of Two thousand one hundred and fifty-nine pounds four shillings and ten pence three percent Consolidated Bank Annuities and such other sum of the like Bank annuities which may be at the time of my decease the equivalent to the said sum of One thousand five hundred pounds Sterling or so much thereof respectively if any as shall remain due and owing to me at the time of my decease shall be considered as part of the said legacy or sum of Seven thousand pounds three percent Consolidated Bank Annuities And I do hereby release and discharge my said brother John Willis his heirs executors and administrators of and from all and every (if any) the sum or sums which shall be due and owing to me by virtue of the said Bonds and Agreements and of and from all dividends and interest due for or in respect of the same respectively at the time of my decease or their after to become due And also I do direct the same Bonds and Agreements to be given up to him my said brother John Willis to be cancelled I give and bequeath the following sums as affectionate remembrances (that is to say) To my sister in law Henrietta Willis the sum of One hundred pounds sterling To my sister in law Augusta Willis the like sum of One hundred pounds sterling To my brother in law Paul Wilmot Esquire One hundred pounds sterling To my Cousin Sophia? Still One hundred pounds sterling To my Goddaughter Mary Constance Barnes daughter of Keith Barnes Esquire one hundred pounds sterling and to my Cousin Mary Sherwood fifty pounds sterling I also bequeath to the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign parts To the Society for promoting the Enlargement building and repairing of Churches and Chapels and to the National Society for the education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church throughout England and Wales all instituted in London the sum of Two hundred pounds sterling each and to the Middlesex Hospital in Charles Street in the County of Middlesex and to the Sussex County Hospital at Brighton the sum of one hundred pounds sterling each and I direct that the said four several sums of Two hundred pounds each and the said two several sums of One hundred pounds each may be paid to the Treasurers for the time being of the said Societies and Hospitals respectively whose receipts in writing shall be good discharges for the same respectively I also bequeath to my Servant Sarah Anne Standwich the sum of forty pounds sterling and to my other servant Elmet Tyson Clifton the sum of Nineteen pounds nineteen shillings and to each of the other Servants who shall be in my service at the time of my decease the sum of ten pounds sterling I direct that the legacies to my said several servants shall be paid over and above their respective wages due at the time of my decease I also direct that all and every the bequests and legacies aforesaid shall be paid free of legacy duty And I give devise and bequeath all my jewels trinkets books plate linen household furniture and other movable articles and all my ready money and all my securities for money and all other my Real and Personal Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever either in possession reversion of which I do not by this my Will or shall not by any Codicil or Codicils hereto specifically dispose unto my said brother Francis Willis the said John William Lowe and Robert Manley Lowe and other survivors and survivor of them and the heirs executors or administrators of such survivor do and shall at any time or times at their or his own discretion after my decease call in dispose of and convert into money such part of the same promises as shall not consist of ready money and do and shall by and out of the monies to arise and be produced therefrom and such part of the same promises as shall consist of ready money pay my debts and funeral and testamentary expenses and all legacies hereby bequeathed or which I shall or may bequeath by any Codicil or Codicils hereto and also the legacy duty payable in respect thereof respectively and also by and out of my stocks or funds or by and out of such monies set apart and appropriate or purchased the said several sums of Ten thousand pounds and Seven thousand pounds three percent Consolidated Bank Annuities hereinbefore bequeathed or so much as shall at the time of my decease be found wanting to make up and answer the said sums respectively And do and shall stand and be possessed of and interested in all the surplus or residue of the said trust promises Upon the trusts following (that is to say) as to one moiety thereof In trust for my said brother Francis Willis his executors administrators and assigns absolutely and as to the other remaining moiety thereof In trust for my said brother Thomas Willis his executors administrators and assigns absolutely Provided always And I declare my Will to be that the receipt or receipts in writing of my said trustees or trustee for the time being shall be a sufficient discharge or sufficient discharge is for any sum or sums of money which shall be payable to them or him under or by virtue of this my Will in or about the execution of any of the trusts hereinbefore declared Provided also and I further declare that if my said Trustees or any of them or any trustee or trustees to be appointed as hereinafter is mentioned shall die or desire to be discharged from or declining will become incapable to act in the said trusts Then and so often as the same shall happen it shall be lawful for the surviving or continuing trustee or trustees for the time being or the executors or administrators of the last surviving or continuing Trustee for the time being to nominate and appoint any other person or persons to be a trustee or trustees in the stead of the trustee or trustees so dying or desiring to be discharged or declining being incapable to act as aforesaid And that upon every such appointment the trust monies estates and premises which shall be then subject to any of the trusts of this my Will shall be a signed and transferred in such manner and so that the same may be vested in the new trustee or trustees jointly with the surviving or continuing trustee or trustees jointly with the surviving or continuing trustee or trustees or solely as the case may require and every such new Trustee shall have such an the same powers and direction to all interests and purposes as if he had been originally in and by this my Will and nominated a Trustee Provided always and my Will is that the said trustee or trustees for the time being under this my Will shall not be answerable the one for the other or others of them and by no means for involuntary losses And also that it shall be lawful for any Trustees or Trustee for the time being under this my Will out of the monies which shall come to their respective hands by virtue of the trusts aforesaid to retain in and reimburse themselves respectively And also to pay or allow his and their Cotrustee or Cotrustees all costs and expenses to be incurred in or about the execution of the aforesaid trusts or in relation thereto And I do hereby nominate and the point my said brother Francis Willis the said John William Lowe and Robert Manley Lowe Executors of this my Will requesting that they my said Executors will accept each of them the sum of One hundred pounds Sterling for any trouble they may have in the execution hereof In witness whereof I the said Catherine Willis the Testatrix have hereunder set my hand and I have also set my hand to each of the seven proceeding sheets of this my Will the twenty second day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty seven – Catherine Willis – Signed by the said Catherine Willis the Testatrix as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of others present at the same time who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses – John Tone 54 Preston St Brighton – George Bushnell 1 Preston Street Brighton

Proved at London 17th Feby 1854 before the Worshipful William Robinson Doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the Oaths of Francis Willis Esquire the Brother John William Lowe Esquire and Robert Manley Lowe Esquire the Executors to whom Admon was granted having been first sworn duly to admr.