Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies DAWe: 99/114 DAWf: 100/114 Place: late of Cosgrave, Northants

Martha Gurney 1775
In the name of God Amen I Martha Gurney late of Cosgrave in the County of Northampton but now of Haversham in the County of Bucks Widow being of sound mind memory and Understanding praised be to God for the same Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) First I give and bequeath unto my Son in Law Richard Ratliffe of Haversham aforesaid Yeoman and to Edward Cooke of Wolverton in the said County of Bucks Yeoman the sum of One hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain Upon the Trusts and to and for the several Uses Intents and purposes hereinafter limitted and appointed concerning the same (that is to say) In Trust that they the said Richard Ratliffe and Edward Cooke or the Survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such Survivor do and shall as soon as conveniently may be after my Decease put and place out the said sum of one hundred pounds out to Interest upon Government or other Security's in the name or names of the said Richard Ratliffe and Edward Cooke or the Survivor of them his Executors or Administrators and do and shall pay and apply all such Interest as shall from time to time grow due for the same or such profit thereof as shall be made Unto and to the Use of my Grandson Thomas Ratliffe One of the Sons of the said Richard Ratliffe to and for his own Use and benefit Untill the Eldest child of my said son Richard Ratliffe shall arrive at his or her Age of twenty one Years Then my Will and meaning is and I do hereby declare my mind to be that my said Trustees their Executors or Administrators shall as soon as conveniently they can after the said Child shall be at Age as aforesaid call in and receive the said sum of One hundred pounds and divide the same unto five Shares and pay the same unto the five following Children Daughter and Sons of my said Son in Law Richard Ratliffe (That is to say) Mary Ratliffe The said Thomas Ratliffe John Ratliffe Roger Ratliffe and Richard Ratliffe or to the Survivors or Survivor of them in equal proportions share and share alike as they respectively come of Age as aforesaid And my Will and meaning is that after the first Child shall come of Age as aforesaid and receive her or his share of the said One hundred pounds that the remaining part thereof I will and direct shall be put out to Interest again and the Interest or produce thereof be paid to my said Grandson Thomas Ratliffe or applied to and for his Use as aforesaid until the next eldest Child comes of Age when a second Division shall be made and paid to him or her to and for his or her own Use and benefit And the same shall be done as they respectively come of Age as a foresaid only leaving out the second Calculation the Eldest and at the third Calculation the second Child that no one may have two shares and so on the Interest money of the Remaining part of the said One hundred pounds after every Division to be paid to the said Thomas Ratliffe as aforesaid Next I give and bequeath unto my said Trustees the sum of One Guinea each for their trouble in the Execution of this my Will And lastly as to all other my Goods chattels ready money and Securities for money and all other my personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever I give and bequeath the same unto my Daughter Martha Ratliffe Wife of the said Richard Ratliffe and to her Executors Administrators and Assigns To and for her own separate and Benefit separate and altogether apart from the said Richard Ratliffe her now husband and in and with which he shall not intermeddle or be in anyways Subject to his controul she paying therewith and thereout all my just Debts Legacies and Funeral Expences And my Will and meaning is and I do hereby declare that my said Trustees their Executors Administrators shall be allowed all just and reasonable Costs and Charges whatsoever which they or either of them shall be at in the Execution of this my Will and that neither of them shall be answerable or accountable for the Acts Receipts or Defaults of the other of them but each and every of them shall be respectively answerable for his and their own Acts only And I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said Daughter Martha Ratliffe and the said Edward Cooke Executors and Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking Disannulling and making void all former Wills by me at anytime heretofore made and do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said Martha Gurney the Testatrix have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand and seal this third day of April in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty seven The mark of the said Martha Gurney the Testatrix Signed sealed published and declared by the said Martha Gurney the Testatrix as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses hereto in her presence and at her Request and in the presence of each other Richard Patch Richard Gaudern

Proved the 8th day of May 1775 before the Reverend Moses Agar Clerk Surrogate by the Oath of Edward Cooke an Executor to whom Administration was committed he being first sworn duly to administer (Martha Ratliffe the Executrix reserved)