9 October 1840 Will of Sarah Merrett Pike of Berkeley, Gloucestershire (proved 29 January 1856)

Source: TNA, PROB 11/2226

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This is the last Will and Testament
of me Sarah Merrett Pike otherwise Pick of the Town of Berkeley in
the County of Gloucester Spinster I give and bequeath unto Sophia Brown
of Awre in the County of Gloucester Widow of Richard Brown late of
Blakeney in the said County of Gloucester the sum of nineteen pounds
and nineteen shillings I give and bequeath to Hester Hamner late
of Dursley Widow of Thomas Hamner the sum of forty pounds I give
and bequeath to Hester Cross wife of    Cross late of Carn in the said
County of Gloucester the sum of nineteen pounds and nineteen shillings
I give and bequeath to Ann Jones of Halmore near Berkeley aforesaid
the sum of forty pounds I also give and bequeath the several legacies



and sums of money following (that is to say) to William Merrett of Berkeley
aforesaid Mason thirty pounds To Joseph Merrett of Berkeley aforesaid
Gardener forty pounds to Sarah Knell of Berkeley aforesaid thirty pounds
To Mary the wife of henry Sherbourne late of Birmingham but now
of ?? Mornington Place Hampstead Road London Draper one hundred
pounds to William Knowles of Park Place int he parish of Clifton in the
City of Bristol Gentleman fifty pounds To Harriet Knowles wife of the
said William Knowles fifty pounds to Adelaide Harriet Knowles daugh-
ter of the said William and Harriet Knowles fifty pounds to Elizabeth
Ash wife of John Wall Bryant Ash of Redcliff Hill in the said City of
Bristol Surgeon fifty pounds to Joseph Knowles and John Knowles
brothers of the said William Knowles fifty pounds each to Stephen
Jenner of Heathfield in the County of Gloucester Artist and to Mary
his wife twenty five pounds each To Elizabeth Woodward of Christmas
Street in the said City of Bristol Tallow Chandler fifty pounds To Mary
??? wife of William Ellis of Stroud Confectioner two hundred pounds
together with my jewelry and rings in lieu of the recipe for making
S??????ers which I once intended to give her To Hannah Woodward
and Edward Woodward children of the said Elizabeth Woodward nine-
teen pounds nineteen shillings each To Hannah Matthews (sister of
the said Elizabeth Woodward) and to Hester Oldland (cousin of the said
Elizabeth Woodward) fifty pounds each to Mary Powell of Berkeley
aforesaid Shopkeeper fifty pounds to the Reverend John Maynard of
Berkeley aforesaid twenty five pounds and to Elizabeth his wife fifty
pounds to Elizabeth Skinner daughter of Mr George Long of the parish of
Berkeley nineteen pounds nineteen shillings to Robert Long son of the
said George Long nineteen pounds nineteen shillings to Hester
Summers wife of William Summers of Berkeley fifty pounds to the
five children now living of the said Hester and William Summers ten
pounds each To Mrs Ashfield Sturge widow of Joseph Sturge late of the
City of Bristol Musician forty pounds to Miss Mary Bence niece of
the late mrs Kingscote of Berkeley ten pounds to Isaac Pick of Ham
near Berkeley ten pounds to Francis Hands of Berkeley Surgeon fifty
pounds and to his wife forty pounds To Sarah Sutton wife of Daniel
Sutton of Berkeley ten pounds to James Michael of Berkeley and to
Ann his wife fifty pounds each to Mrs Pouting wife of Henry Pouting
?????der of Mobley near Berkeley Yeoman ten pounds to Allice Pool of
Parkens in the Forest of Dean Spinster forty pounds and to Mr Thomas
???ton of Great Torrington in the County of Devon nineteen pounds and
nineteen shillings And I do hereby further will and direct that if
any of the said legatees who are now minors shall depart this life
under the age of twenty one years leaving any brothers or sisters or bro-
ther or sister him or her surviving then that the said legacies or legacy
of the person or persons so dyeing shall be paid unto the brothers or sisters
or brother or sister of the legatee or legatees so dying under the age of
twenty one years and if it shall happen that such legatee or legatees
so dying under the age of twenty one years shall not leave any
brothers or sisters or brother or sister him or her surviving then I
direct that the said legacies or legacy shall be paid to the father or
mother of such legatee or legatees and if no father or mother then to
sink into and form part of my residuary estate I give all my wearing
apparel unto the said Hester Summers I give and bequeath unto the
Feoffees or trustees of the Free School of Berkeley the sum of two hundred
upon trust that they the said Feoffees or Trustees do and shall lay out
the same upon Government or Real Security at interest and do and
shall pay the annual interest dividends and proceeds thereof for and to-
wards the Charitable Purposes of the said School for ever hereafter I



give and bequeath unto the Churchwardens for the time being of the
parish of Saint John in the City of Bristol the sum of two hundred
pounds upon trust that they the said Churchwardens do and shall lay
out and invest the same upon government or real security at inte-
rest and do and shall pay and apply the interest dividends and
proceeds thereof in the purchase of bread to be distributed and given away to
the poor of the said parish on the twenty seventh day of August in every year
and I do direct that the said two last mentioned legacies shall be paid out of
such part of my personal estate as does not consist of chattels real or real
securities and as to all my lands tenements hereditaments and real estate
whatsoever and wheresoever including the messuage or dwelling house
situate in Thomas Street in the said City of Bristol to which I am seized and
entitled from and immediately after the decease of Mrs Aisop and also all that
messuage or dwelling house with the garden and orchard thereunto
belonging situate and being at Berkeley aforesaid now in my own occupa-
tion and also the two cottages and gardens adjoining thereto in the respec-
tive tenures or occupations of William Summers and the other late in the
possession of Mr Tanner but now void and all my estate and interest there
in and also all the Rest Residue and Remainder of my Personal Estate
and Effects whatsoever except such as are herein specifically disposed of
and all my estate and interest therein respectively subject as to my
personal estate to the payment of my funeral and testamentary expences
debts and legacies) I give devise and bequeath the same and every part
thereof unto the said William Knowles his heirs executors administra-
tors and assigns but in case my said personal estate should not be
sufficient to pay my debts funeral and testamentary expences and lega-
cies then and in such case I do charge my said real estate so given to
the said William Knowles with the payment of such debts funeral and tes-
tamentary expences and legacies (except the two legacies hereinbefore
given for charitable purposes which which I have directed to be paid out of my
said personal estata) or such part thereof as may said personal estate
shall be insufficient for that purpose and in case the said William Knowles
should die in my lifetime and leave his wife Harriet him surviving then
and in such case I give devise and bequeath my said real estate and the
rest residue and remainder of my said personal estate unto the said Harriet
the wife of the said William Knowles her heirs executors administrators
and assigns subject and chargeable in like manner in all respects as I
have hereinbefore given my said real and personal estate to the said
William Knowles his heirs executors and administrators and in case
the said Harriet Knowles should die in my lifetime leaving her daugh-
ter Adelaide Harriet Knowles her surviving then I give devise and be-
queath my said real estate and the residue of my said personal estate unto
the said Adelaide Harriet Knowles her heirs executors administrators
and assigns subject and chargeable in like manner in all respects as
I have hereinbefore given ?? the same to her father and mother the
said William and Harriet Knowles their heirs executors administra-
tors and assigns and I do hereby nominate and appoint the said
William Knowles and James Michael of Berkeley aforesaid Innkeeper
joint Executors of this my Will And my Will further is and I do here-
by direct and declare that they the said William Knowles and James
Michael or either of them or their or either of their executors or admin-
istrators shall not be answerable for or liable to make good any casual
or involuntary loss which at any time or times may accrue or happen
of or unto the said trust monies or securities for the time being in which
the same shall be invested or any part thereof or with respect to any
other part of the said trust estate without his or their wilful deafult nor
shall they or either of them be answerable or accountable the one



for the other or others of them or for the acts deeds receipts payments neglects
or defaults of the other or others of them but each of them for his own
acts deeds receipts and payments only and for such monies only as shall
actually come to his or their several and respective hands and not for any
money or stock for which they or either of them shall join in any transfer
or sign any receipt or receipts for conformity only nor with or for any loss
or damage which may happen by depositing all or any of the trust
monies aforesaid in any Bank or Bankers hands or elsewhere for safe
custody nor with or for any other loss or damage which shall or may hap
pen in or about the execution or exercise of all or any of the trusts afore-
said without their wilful defaults and that it shall and may be lawful
to and for them the said trustees respectively and their respective execu-
tors and administrators from time to time by and out of the trust monies
which shall come to their or either of their hands in the first place to
deduct and retain and reimburse to themselves respectively and allow to
his cotrustee all such loss costs and expenses whatsoever as he they or
either of them shall or may respectively pay suffer sustain expend or
be in any manner put unto in or about the execution of all or any of
the trusts or powers hereinbefore mentioned or created or any matter
or thing in any wise relating thereto And lastly I do hereby revoke all
former Wills by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this to
be my last will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said Sarah
Merrett Pike otherwise Pick have to this my last Will and Testament con-
tained in five sheets of paper set my hand as I have also to a Duplicate
hereof contained in the same number of sheets this ninth day of
October one thousand eight hundred and forty  S M Pike  Signed
by the said Sarah Merrett Pike otherwise Pick the testratrix in the pre-
secence of us present at the same time who in her presence have subscribed
our names as Witnesses  H M Ambury Solr Bristol  W G Atkins
his Clerk

Proved at London 29th Jany 1856 before the Worshipful 
George Edward Hughes Doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the oath of
William Knowles one of the Executors to whom Admon was granted having
been first sworn duly to admr Power reserved of making the like grant to
James Michael the other Executor when he shall apply for the same

Last Modified: Sunday, 19-Apr-2020 12:29:01 NDT