Also, if you are a male Pike/Pyke (or you know one) who may be willing to do a genealogical DNA test, then please check out the Pike DNA Project for which I am a volunteer coordinator. There are several Pike/Pyke families that are not yet represented in the project, and for whom participants are wanted.
This is the last Will and Testament of me Mary Pike of Highworth in the County of Wilts Widow I nominate constitute & appoint Sir John Carr of Norfolk Street Grosvenor Square London Knight Executor of this my last Will and Testament I give and bequeath unto my Goddaughter Mary Kemble of Swinden Wilts and Mary Mathews of Highworth aforesaid Spinsters ten pounds apiece to be paid within six Months after my decease Also to my much respected Friend Elizabeth Harris of Farringdon Berks Spinster the Sum of twenty pounds and also to my Godson Robert Withers the Younger of Heydon Wilts the like Sum of twenty pounds to be paid to them respectively within the like period Also to Mary Warren of the Parish of Shrivenham Wilts Daugher of Warren of the same place Yeoman Spinster the annual Interest of One hundred pounds after the rate of Five per Cent per Annum for during and until seven years after my decease when it is my will that the said principal Sum of One hundred pounds shall be paid to the said Mary Warren her Executors & Admors when the Interest thereof is to cease Also I give and bequeath the Annual Interest of the Sum of One hundred & forty pounds after the rate aforesaid unto Jane Chamberlin of Highworth aforesaid Daughter of Mary Williams of the same place for during & until seven years after my decease when I direct that the said principal Sum of One hundred and forty pounds shall be paid to the said Jane Chamberlin her Executors & Admors when the Interest thereof is to cease Also I give & bequeath the annual Interest of the Sum of Four hundred pounds after the rate aforesaid to Mary Hopkins of Wootton Bassett Wilts widow for and during the term of her natural life & from & immediately after her decease I give and bequeath the said Principal Sum of Four hundred pounds unto the Son and Daughter of the said Mary Hopkins in equal Shares & proportions and in case of the death of either of them in her life time Then I give the whole to the Survivor of them provided also nevertheless and I hereby direct that the said principal Sum of Four hundred pounds shall not be paid to such Son and Daughter of the said Mary Hopkins unto the Survivor of them until seven years after my decease but it is my will that Interest after the rate aforesaid shall be paid to them or the Survivor of them until the said principal Sum of Four hundred pounds shall be paid as aforesaid when the Interest thereof is to cease Also I give and bequeath the Annual Interest of the Sum of One hundred pounds to Hester Dollanson of Wroughton in the County of Wilts wife of Dollonson Grocer for & during the term of her natural life and from & immediately after her decease I give & bequeath the said principal Sum of One hundred pounds to the said Son & Daughter of the said Mary Hopkins in the like manner and subject to the like provisoe hereinbefore contained respecting the last mentioned Legacy of Four hundred pounds Also I give and bequeath unto the said Sir John Carr his Executors and Admors the Sum of Eight hundred pounds upon trust to pay the Interest thereof after the rate aforesaid every half year unto my dear Niece Finetta White for & during the term of her natural life and from and immediately after her decease upon trust to pay the said Interest equally between and amongst the Children of the said Finetta White for and during the term of twenty years from the date of this my will or until the Youngest Child of the said Finetta White shall come of Age at the option of my said Executor and from & immediately after the expiration of twenty years from the date of this my will or on the Youngest Child of the said Finetta White coming of Age at the option of my said Executor upon trust to pay and divide the said Sum of Eight hundred pounds equally between & amongst the Children of the said Finetta White in equal Shares & proportions and in case any or either of them shall die before they shall respectively attain the Age of twenty one years Then I will & direct that the part or share of the said Interest or principal as the case may be of him her or them of and in the said Sum of Eight hundred pounds so dying under Age as aforesaid shall go to & be equally divided amongst the surviving Children of the said Finetta White and if therebe only such one Child then to such only Child to be paid as before mentioned and I hereby direct that in the mean time and until such Child or Children shall respectively become intitled to their his or her portion or portions that my said Executor do and shall pay apply and expend the Share or Shares of such Child or Children of and in the said Interest or principal Sum of Eight hundred pounds as the case may be in such manner as my said Executor shall think fit & necessary for & towards the Maintenance & Education support & putting forth into the world of such Child or Children and in case there shall be no such Child or Children of the said Finetta White living at the time of her decease of all such Children shall die under the Age of twenty one years Then I give and bequeath the said Sum of Eight hundred pounds unto my Niece Lady Carr wife of the said Sir John Carr her Executors & Admors Provided always nevertheless that in case the said Sir John Carr his Executors or Admors shall at any time wish to withdraw from acting in the said last mentioned Trust on behalf of the said Finetta White and her said Children then it is my will that the said Sir John Carr and his Executors and Admors shall and may appoint under his or their hands as aforesaid and such Trustee or Trustees so to be appointed shall be competent to act therein to all intents and purposes and in the same manner as the said Sir John Carr his Exors or Admors might or could act therein Also I give & bequeat unto my Brothers William and Benjamin Mattingly the said Lady Carr and the said Finetta White the Sum of twenty pounds apiece to be paid to them within one Month after my decease for Mourning And all the rest & residue of my Estate and Effects Bonds Bills and Securities for Money Plate Linen China household Goods & Chattels and Effects I give and bequeath to the said Lady Carr her Exors & Admors Provided always always nevertheless And I do hereby direct that all my Debts the Expenses of proving this my will and all necessary Law & other Expenses attending the Exon of this my will shall be paid out of such of the said Legacies and Residue hereinbefore by me given & bequeathed as exceed the Sum of One hundred & forty pounds in proportion to the amount of such respective Legacies & residue And I do hereby direct my said Executor to deduct the sam thereout accordingly and provided also and it is my will that the Security and Securities in which I have lent any Sum or Sums of Money shall continue in force and undisturbed and the Sums of Money so lent thereon shall not be called in till seven years after my decease but in case all or any of such Sum or Sums of Money shall be paid off before the expiration of seven years after my decease Then I direct my said Executor to pay all or any of the said Legacies by me hereinbefore given and bequeathed in such priority as he shall think proper And it is further my will that the said Sir John Carr his Executors or Admors shall not be answerable for any Loss or Damage which may happen by the failure of any Securitys or on account of the Insolvency or Bankruptcy of any Banker or other person with whom any of the said Monies shall be lodged and deposited for safe Custory And Lastly it is my will that after my decease the said Sir John & Lady Carr do & shall assume & take after their own Sir name and in addition thereto the Sirname of Berkley on account of the veneration I feel for my dear Mother the late Finetta Berkley in case they shall be minded so to do and His Majesty or His Royal Highness the Prince Regent in His Majestys Name shall be graciously pleased to permit them so to do And I do hereby declare this to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have to the three first Sheets of this my will set my hand & to this last and fourth Sheet my hand and seal this twenty fourth day of July One thousand eight hundred and thirteen Mary Pike LS Signed Sealed published and declared by the said Mary Pike as and for her last will and Testament in the presence of Philip Langsdorff Anne Wilkinson Appeared Personally Sir John Carr of New Norfolk Street Grosvenor Square in the County of Middlesex Knight and made Oath that he is the Drawer or writer of the last will and Testament of Mary Pike late of Highworth in the County of Wilts Widow deceased hereto annexed which will begins thus "This is the last Will and Testament of me Mary Pike of Highworth in the County of Wilts Widow" ends thus this twenty fourth day of July One thousand eight hundred & thirteen" and is thus subscribed "Mary Pike" and he further made Oath that having prepared or written the said Will from the verbal Instructions & dictation of the said Deceased he proceeded to read over the same to her in order to ascertain whether the same was entirely according to the will and good liking of the said deceased That upon his so reading over the same the said deceased observed that she wished an alteration made therein as to the amount of those Legacies which she had expressed an Intention should bear their relative proportion of the Expenses attending the Execution of the Will and at the same time observed that she wished such proportion of those Expenses to attach to all those Legacies given & bequeathed by her said Will as exceeded the Sum of One hundred & forty pounds That this Appearer cannot take upon himself to swear what was the amount of the Legacies which had been rendered liable to their proportion of such Expense previous to such alteration having been made but believes from the present appearance of the obliteration upon which the alteration is written that the same was Twenty pounds and the appearer having now viewed the said Will & particularly noticed and observed the words One hundred & forty pounds appearing written upon an Erazure in the third line of the third and last Sheet of the said Will reckoning from the Top of the said Sheet he lastly made Oath that the said Obliteration was made & the said recited words written thereon at the Instigation and by the express desire of the deceased previous to the said will having been Executed by her Jno Carr On Saturday 23d day of April 1814 the said Sir John Carr was duly sworn to the truth of this Affidavit before me C Coote Sur Pst NB Engleheart NP Proved at London 27th April 1814 before the Worshipful Charles Coste Dr of Laws and Surrogate by the Oath of Sir John Carr Knight the sole Exor to whom Admon was granted being sworn duly to Admr
Last Modified: Saturday, 31-Dec-2022 15:02:07 NST