Matthias Lucas's will (1848)

Post date: Dec 14, 2011 4:42:28 PM

Matthias Lucas was the owner of Wateringbury Place. His obituary shows his life story and his will shows the wealth he had generated and his charitable interests, which in his will were orientated outside of Wateringbury, although during his time at Wateringbury Place he is known to have taken an interest in the local poor by encouraging their emigration. The inscription to the picture above describes him as 'many years one of the Riders of the Werrymen, Watermen and Lightermen' and 'First President of the Company's Asylum to which he was a liberal contributor. He bequeathed £500 the interest to be distributed annually to the inmates.' According to Vol 3 (pp 415/416) of the 'History of the Origin and Progress of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen' his portrait was undertaken in 1844/45 by Mr. T.P. Knight, of 20, James Street, Buckingham Gate on the 'anxious desire' of several members of the court to which Matthias 'kindly consented'. The original remains in the Watermen's Hall in London although it was also engraved to allow copies to be taken.

Morning Post - Thursday 16 March 1848 reports as follows:

THE WILL OF ALDERMAN LUCAS. The will of the late Matthias Prime Lucas, Esq., of Wateringbury,Kent,an Alderman of the City of London for the Tower Ward, bears date the 28th of December last, five days only before his death. He died on the 2d of January at the age of eighty-seven. The will was prepared by Mr. J. E. Cooper, of the Session House, Old Bailey and witnessed by Mr. E Furley, surgeon West Malling and Mrs Sharpe, Wateringbury. It is of great length, the original being written on eight skins of parchment. Two of the executors renounced probate of the will namely,Thomas Reynolds Bartrum, Esq., of Upper Thames Street, merchant; and Josiah Laing, Esq., of Magdalen Hall, Oxford; to each of whom a legacy of £500 was left on condition of his undertaking the trusts of the will; the only other executor being his grandson Samuel Lucas Lancaster, a minor. Letters of administration with the will attached were granted to Mrs. Lancaster, the mother and guardian of the said minor until he attains twenty one, and who administered to the personalty under £60,000.

He has left bequests to the following charitable institutions.

1. To the Company and Corporation of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames £500 to be called ''Lucas's Gift," and the interest annually distributed amongst the inmates of the Free Watermen and Lightermen's asylum at Penge, near Sydenham, Kent.

2. To the Royal Naval School at Counter hill near New Cross, Kent-road, £200.

3. To the Portsmouth and Portsea Seamen and Marine Orphan Schools, St. George's Square, Portsea, £200.

4. To the Corporation of The Holy Trinity, Deptford £300 to be called "Lucas's Gift," the interest to be annually divided between two widows of Thames or Downs pilots or of mates of merchantmen sailing from the port of London.

5. To the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariner's Society £100.

6. To the Marine Society, London, £100.

7. To St. Bartholomew's Hospital £200 to be called ''Lucas's Gift," the interest distributed between and amongst the most attentive and deserving nurses of the hospital as an encouragement to be kind and attentive to the poor patients under their care.

He has left a legacy to several of his workmen in different trades, as well as to his bailiff, gardener,house-keeper, butler, and many others in his employment. To his steward £100. To Mr. John Pope, Upper Beadle of the Vintners' Company £100 and £50 to each of his two sons and to Mr. William Pope, lighterman, their grandfather who was an old and trusty servant for many years, £100.

Among the pecuniary bequest, to his family are the following:

He leaves £2,000 stock of the Royal Exchange Assurance Company, and £1,000. stock of the Hudson's Bay Company, to his daughter, Charlotte Gibson and to her children, as she may by will direct and a like amount of stocks to his daughter, Catherine H Shepherd in the same manner; and a like amount in moieties, one to his granddaughters, Wyndham G. Rennie, and her children and the other moiety to his granddaughter, Catherine Rennie and her children; they also take other interests and specific bequests under the will. He leaves to his grand daughters Mary and Elizabeth Lancaster, and Charlotte and Elizabeth Gibson, and grandsons, Francis, Charles, Cecil, and Matthias Shepherd, each a legacy of £400. To his sons in law, Major Gibson and the Rev. E.J. Shepherd, £200 each. Legacies to his daughters, Mrs Miller and Mrs Lancaster, and an annuity of £200 to his sister, Mrs. West, secured on the freeholds in Kent. To his solicitor Mr. J.E. Cooper, £200.

Devises his manors and freeholds in the following parishes and parts of Kent:-At Wateringbury, Mereworth, West Malling, Offham. Ryarsh, Leybourn, Nettlestead , Hadlow, Yalding, East Peckham, Hollingbourn, East Stanstead, Burstead, and Thurnham, to trustees for the use of his grandson, Samuel Lucas Lancaster, and his issue;on failure, to his grandson, Matthias W Lancaster or grandson, Charles E Gibson or to his daughter,Charlotte Gibson. Such person on becoming entitled to the rents and profits of the estates shall use the surname and bear the arms of Lucas, and apply in due time to the Crown for the royal license for that purposeand, if a male should be the inheritor,the estates may be charged with £500 a year as a wife's portion;or, if a female should take the inheritance, then £500 a year for her husband, and also a portion for younger children, if only one younger child, £5,000; if two, £7,500; if three or more £10,000 amongst all the children, as by will may be appointed.

Devises the freeholds at Whitechapel, and elsewhere in Middlesex (except in London) to his grandson Mathias W. Lucas; and his freehold in Water-lane, London to his grandson, Charles Gibson. His freehold at Billingsgate and all the residue of his real estate, to his grandson Samuel Lucas Lancaster. The leasehold premises in Kent are left in the same manner and use as the freehold in Kent are devised;the rest of the leasehold estates to fall into the general residue His copyholds he leaves to trustees, to such uses as will nearest correspond with the freeholds in the same county and so long as any grandchild who shall be entitled to the estates shall be under age and unmarried, such one of testator's daughters being the mother of such grandchild shall occupy the family mansion at Wateringbury;and bequeath his plate, busts, vases, statuary, books, pictures, furniture, horses and carriages, and all things in and about the premises to his grandson, Samuel Lucas Lancaster, together with all farming stock, cattle, and grain. To each of his daughters, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Lancaster, Mrs. Rennie and Mrs. Gibson, he has left residences.

The residue of his personal estate he leaves to trustees to convert into money, and invest such as shall not consist of Government or real securities in England and Wales, or of stock of the Royal Exchange Assurance Company, Hudson's Bay Company, East India Company, or the Bank of England, upon such like security, and stand possessed thereof, and of the annual produce upon trust for his grandson, Samuel Lucas Lancaster, or, in case of his decease under twenty-one, for his several other grandchildren successively according to priority, in the order of inheritance of its freehold estates in Kent so devised under the will.

The following notice in London Gazette of 3 July 1849 confirmed that the condition of the will in respect of Samuel was fulfilled:

The Queen has been pleased to grant unto Samuel Lucas Lancaster, of Wateringbury-place, in the parish of Wateringbury, in the county of Kent, Esq. her royal licence and authority that, in compliance with a condition in the will of his maternal grandfather Matthias Prime Lucas, late of Wateringbury-place aforesaid, Esq. and one of the aldermen of the city of London, deceased, he may take the surname of Lucas, in addition to and after his present surname of Lancaster, and may also bear the arms of Lucas; such arms being first duly exemplified according to the laws of arms, and recorded in the Herald's Office, otherwise the said licence and permission to be void and of none effect:

And also to command that the said royal concession and declaration be registered in Her Majesty's College of Arms.