6 April 1854 Will of Mary Priestley of Winchester, widow (proved 13 July 1855)

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This is the last Will and Testament
of me Mary Priestley late of Haugh End near Halifax in the County 
of York but now of Winchester in the County of Southampton widow


whereas I am possessed of the sum of Two thousand pounds or thereabout
in the three and a quarter Per Centums Government Stock and of Stock in the
Caider and Hebble Navigation and of Stock in the Eastern Counties Railway 
besides monies out at interest all which said Stock and monies I estimate to 
be worth Four thousand pounds or thereabouts And whereas I have also a
disposing power over the sum of Seven hundred and fifty pounds now in the
hands of my brother in law Francis John Lys of Wangfield Hants Esquire 
to take effect after the death of my Brother William Page late of Gosport but 
now of Winchester aforesaid Esquire Now I will and direct that all my debts
and funeral and testamentary expences shall be paid and discharged out of my
Estate as soon as conveniently may be after my decease I give to my Goddaugh
ter Mary Rowe Priestly of Broughton Grange near Manchester Spinster the
sum of fifty pounds Sterling I give to my Goddaughter Margaret Anne Bull
of Old Newton Suffolk the sum of fifty pounds Sterling I give to my friend
Mary Wilkinson of Plymouth Spinster the sum of Fifty pounds Sterling I 
give to my friend Emma Minchin of West Cowes Isle of Wight Spinster the
sum of twenty pounds Sterling and to the first child who shall be born in 
my lifetime of my nephew Samuel Priestley Salisbury of the Hermitage 
Cowick near Worcester Esquire by his present wife to whom I have promised 
to stand Godmother in case there shall be any such Child I give the sum 
of Fifty pounds Sterling the same to be invested in the Government Funds of 
Great Britain in the names of my Executor and Executrix hereinafter named 
and to be paid or transferred to such Child with the accumulations of dividends
and interst thereon on his or her attaining the age of twenty one years and
in case there shall be no such Child who shall live to attain such age then 
the same shall fall into and form part of the residue of my Estate And as to 
the said sum of Seven hundred and fifty pounds over which I have a dis
posing power as aforesaid I bequeath and dispose of the same equally unto
my three Nieces Isabella Mary Anne Lys Henrietta Astley Lys and Elizabeth
Mary Lys daughters of the said Francis John Lys and in case any or either 
of my said three nieces shall die in my lifetime leaving no lawful issue the
share or shares of her or them so dying shall go to the survivors equally if
more than one and if only one then wholly to such one and in case any or 
either of them shall die in my lifetime leaving lawful issue such issue shall
take his her or their Parents share or shares respectively as well original as
accruing I give unto my nephew the said Samuel Priestley Salisbury the sum
of One thousand pounds Sterling but in case of his death in my lifetime I 
give the same unto and equally between and amongst my said three Nieces 
Isabella Mary Anne Lys Henrietta Astley Lys and Elizabeth Mary Lys and
their respective issue with benefit of survivorship in the same manner as I 
have disposed of the said sum of Seven hundred and fifty pounds I give unto 
my said niece and Goddaughter Isabella Mary Anne Lys the sum of Eight 
hundred and fifty pounds Sterling I give unto my said niece Henrietta Astley
Lys the sum of Six hundred and fifty pounds Sterling And I give unto my said 
niece Elizabeth Mary Lys the like sum of Six hundred and fifty pounds Sterling 
the four last mentioned legacies or sums of money to be subject nevertheless to
the payment of the Dividends and interest thereof in rateable proportions of a 
clear annuity or yearly sum of One hundred pounds to my brother the said 
William Page payable half yearly during his natural life to whom I give 
and bequeath the same accordingly and I direct that the first payment of the 
said annuity shall become due and payable at the end of six Calendar months 
next after my decease And I hereby order and direct my said Executor and
Executrix to retain the Capital of the said four last mentioned legacies or sums
of money until after the death of the said William Page and either continue 
the same or any part or parts thereof upon such investments as may be exis
ting at the time of my decease or invest the same or any part or parts 
thereof upon such other Security or Securities and change the same from time to


time as they or the survivor of them shall seem advisable and out of the 
dividends and income thereof to pay the said Annuity to the said William
Page and the overplus if any in rateable proportions to the said four last men
tioned Legatees according to their respective Legacies And I also give and bequeath
unto my said brother all the Articles of household furniture and effects belong
ing to me in the house in which we may reside at the time of my decease 
for his use for and during the term of his natural life and then to go into and
form part of the residue of my Estate hereinafter mentioned And it is my will
and I do hereby direct my said Executor and Executrix to present a mourning 
ring of the value of four pounds to each of the persons named and set forth
in a list to be made by me and left herewith at the time of my decease and 
as to all other my Estate and Effects household goods furniture books plate linen
china ready money Stocks funds debts and all other my Estate and Effects
whatsoever and wheresoever as well real as personal of which I shall be 
seized or possessed of at the time of my decease I give devise and bequeath 
the same (subject to the payment of my debts funeral and testamentary expen
ces and the payment in full of the said several Legacies hereby bequeathed 
unto my said three nieces Isabella Mary Anne Lys Henrietta Astley Lys and 
Elizabeth Mary Lys in equal shares as tenants in common and her and 
their heirs executors administrations and assigns for her and their absolute 
use and benefit And I hereby nominate and appoint the said Samuel 
Priestley Salisbury and Isabella Mary Anne Lys Executor and Executrix 
of this my Will And declare that their receipts shall be good discharges for 
all monies payable to them in the execution of the trusts of this my will
and I hereby absolve them from all involuntary losses And I authorize 
them to retain and repay to themselves himself or herself all expences which 
they or either of them may incur in or about the execution of the trusts of 
this my Will And I revoke all other testamentary dispositions by me made
In witness whereof I have to this my last Will and Testament contained 
in this and the two preceding sheets of paper subscribed my name this sixth 
day of April One thousand eight hundred and fifty four  Mary Priestley 
  Signed published and declared by the said Testatrix Mary Priestley as 
and for her last will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same
time who in her presence at her request and in the presence of each other have
hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses  Chas Bridger Solr 
Winchester  Arthur Bridger his Clerk

Appeared Personally Charles Bridger of 
Winchester in the County of Southampton Gentleman Arthur Bridger
of the same place Gentleman and Isabella Mary Anne Lys of the same
Place Spinster and first the said Charles Bridger and Arthur Bridger for
themselves make oath and say that they are the subscribed witnesses to the
last willa nd Testament of Mary Priestly formerly of Haugh End near
Halifax in the County of York but late of Winchester in the County of South
ampton widow deceased the said will being now hereunto annexed and 
bearing date the sixth day of April One thousand eight hundred and fifty
four and referring to a Clause appearing at the top of the third side of the 
said will viz "And it is my will and I do hereby direct my said Executor
"and Executrix to present a mourning ring of the value of four pounds to
"each of the persons named and set forth in a List to be made by me and 
"left herewith at the time of my decease further make Oath and say that no
"list or paper writing whatever was referred to or produced by the Deceased
to the Deponents at the time of the execution of the said will and the said 
Isabella Mary Anne Lys for herself made Oath that she is the niece and 
one of the Executors named in the said will of the said deceased and referred 
to the hereinbefore recited Clause appearing in the said will she further 


made Oath that she has made careful and diligent search among all the 
papers of moment and concern belonging to the deceased and also in all 
the places in which the deceased was in the habit of keeping her papers but
has not been able to find any list or paper writing whatever having reference 
to the aforesaid Clause and that she verily believes that the said Deceased 
left no such List or Paper as aforesaid  Chas Bridger  Arthur
Bridger  Isabella M A Lys  On the third day of July 1855 the
said Charles Bridger Arthur Bridger and Isabella Mary Anne Lys were duly
sworn to the truth of this Affidavit by virtue of the annexed Commission
Before me  W William Commissioner

Proved at London 13th July 1855 before the Judge by the Oaths of Sam
uel Priestley Salisbury and Isabella Mary Anne Lys Spinster the niece the
Exors to whom Admon was granted having been first sworn by Comon duly
to Admr

Last Modified: Monday, 25-Jan-2021 19:32:24 NST