Will of Helen otherwise Helene Sharrock Spinster October 26th 1832 (proved June 11th 1834)

This is the last Will and Testament of me Helen Sharrock of Spetisbury in the County of Dorset Spinster First I will and direct that all such debts as I shall justly owe at the time of my decease and my funeral and testamentary charges and expences be in the first place paid by my trustees and executors hereinafter named I give and bequeath my Watch and all my rings and Jewels and all my linen plate and wearing apparel unto my niece Elizabeth Woodacre of Walton le Dale near Preston in the County Palatine of Lancaster Spinster if she shall me survive but in the event of her decease during my lifetime I give and bequeath the same unto my nieces Catherine Woodacre Spinster Clare Woodacre Spinster and Ann Heptonstall Widow all of Walton le Dale aforesaid and Sisters of the said Elizabeth Woodacre I give unto my two great nephews The Reverend George Heptonstall now residing at Carlton Hall near Snaith in the County of York The Revd James Appleton now resident at Donai in the Kingdom of France the sum of five pounds each and I give unto Mrs Catherine Berington of Spetisbury House in the said County of Dorset out of gratitude for all her kindness towards me the sum of fifty pounds and my Clock and all my other furniture not hereinbefore bequeathed And I direct that the sum of ten pounds be paid by my said trustees and executors out of my residuary estate to the said Catherine Berington to defray the expences of my funeral And my wish is and I hereby request to be buried in the private burial ground attached to or adjoining Spetisbury House aforesaid I give unto my great niece Mary Courbon and to the Reverend Andrew Byrne and Angela Preston all of whom are now resident at Spetisbury House aforesaid the sum of five pounds each I also give unto the Reverend Joseph Lee of Spetisbury House aforesaid the sum of twenty four pounds for his own proper use and also the further sum of ten pounds which I request he will cause to be distributed in Charity And I do direct my said trustees and executors to pay and discharge as soon as may conveniently be after my decease the several Legacies hereinbefore by me given and that clear of all legacy and other duties and expences of what nature or kind soever which I direct to be paid out of my residuary personal estate And I so hereby constitute and appoint the said Joseph Lee and The Reverend Thomas Heptonstall of Acton in the County of Middlesex Executors of this my will And as touching the capital sum of nine hundred and twenty five pounds at present invested in my name in the Russian five per cent Bonds and also the further capital sum or stock of one hundred pounds three and a half per cent Bank Annuities now standing in the names of Messieurs Wright and Company of Henrietta Street Convent Garden Bankers in trust for me in the Books of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England And all other my personal estate and effects of what nature or kind soever and wheresoever not hereinbefore specifically bequeathed I give and bequeath the same and every part thereof unto the said Joseph Lee and Thomas Heptonstall their Executors and Administrators Upon trust to convert the whole into money and after payment thereout of my just debts and testamentary expences and legacies and legacy and other duties as aforesaid and subject thereto Upon trust that they the said Joseph Lee and Thomas Heptonstall or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor do and shall place out and invest in their or his own names or name the Residue or Surplus remaining after payment as aforesaid in the public stocks or funds of Great Britain or any other country or on real securities in England at interest and from time to time to alter and transpose such securities or funds at their or his discretion And do and shall stand and be possessed of and interested in the same Upon trust to pay unto my niece the said Elizabeth Woodacre the dividends and interest of the said stocks funds and securities when and as the same shall be received for and during her natural life for her sole use exclusive of any husband she may happen to marry who is not to intermeddle therewith nor is the same or any part thereof to be subject or liable to such husbands control debts or engagements And I will and declare that the receipts of my said niece or of such persons as she shall from time to time appoint to receive the same shall notwithstanding any such coverture be good and effectual discharges for the same or for so much thereof as in such receipts shall be expressed to be received and from and immediately after the decease of my said niece Elizabeth Woodacre or in case she shall depart this life during my lifetime then Upon trust to transfer assign and pay all such principal monies stocks funds and securities unto the said Catherine Woodacre Clare Woodacre and Ann Heptonstall equally to be divided between or among them share and share alike provided that if either or any of my said nieces Catherine Woodacre Clare Woodacre and Anne Heptonstall shall depart this life in the life time of the said Elizabeth Woodacre and before her or their share or respective shares shall become payable then Upon trust to transfer assign and pay the said monies stocks funds and securities unto the survivor of them if more than one equally to be divided between them share and share alike but if only one then to that one so surviving And in case of the death of all of them the said Catherine Woodacre Clare Woodacre and Anne Heptonstall in the life time of the said Elizabeth Woodacre then Upon trust to transfer assign and pay the same unto the said Elizabeth Woodacre that the same may rest absolutely in her And I direct and declare that the said Joseph Lee and Thomas Heptonstall or either of their executors or administrators shall not be answerable or accountable by virtue of or under the trusts hereby reposed in them respectively any otherwise than each person for his own actual receipts acts neglects and wilful defaults nor shall they or either or any of them be answerable or accountable for any Banker Broker or other person with whom any of the said trust monies may be deposited for safe custody or otherwise in the execution of the said trusts nor for the insufficiency or deficiency of any stocks funds or securities in or upon which the same or any part thereof may be invested in pursuance of and in conformity to this my Will for any other misfortune loss or damage which may happen in the execution of these aforesaid trusts or otherwise in relation thereto unless the same shall happen by or through his or their own wilful defaults respectively And also that they or either or any of them shall and may by or out of any monies which shall come to their hands respectively by virtue of this my will defray and retain to and reimburse themselves and each other all such costs charges and expences as they respectively shall or may incur pay or sustain in or about the execution or by means of the trusts hereby in them reposed And I hereby revoke all former wills by me made at any time heretofore and declare this only to be my last will In Witness whereof I the said Helen Sharrock have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty sixth day of October one thousand eight hundred and thirty two

Helene Sharrock

Spetisbury House Dorset

This present writing was signed and sealed by the above named Helen Sharrock and by her published and declared as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us

James Simes Shoemaker Spetisbury

Francis Lee Spetisbury

Proved at London 11^th June 1834 before the Judge by the oaths of The Reverend Joseph Lee and The Reverend Thomas Heptonstall Clerks the Executors to whom Admon was granted having been first sworn (to wit) the said Reverend Joseph Lee by Commission and the said Reverend Thomas Heptonstall before The Worshipful William Calverley Carteris Doctor of Laws and Surrogate duly to administer

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