Richard Ratliffe 1783

In the Name of God Amen I Richard Ratcliffe of Haversham in the County of Bucks Yeoman being weak in Body but of sound and disposing Mind Memory and Understanding praised be 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 will order and direct that all my just Debts by fully paid and satisfied Next I give and bequeath unto William Curtis of Haversham aforesaid Labourer the Sum of Twenty Pounds to be paid him her by my Executors hereafter named immediately after my decease Next I give and bequeath unto my dear and loving Wife Martha Ratliffe all and singular my household Goods Plate Linen China and household Furniture whatsoever Next I give and devise unto my said Wife Martha Ratliffe all that my Messuage or Farm House Malting Outhouses and Premises And also all my several Closes Pieces or Parcels of Land ley Meadow or Pasture or sward Ground Hereditaments and Premises with their and every of their Appurtenances situate standing lying and being in Shenley in the County of Bucks and now in the Tenure or Occupation of Thomas Masters or his Assigns and which said Premises it lately purchased of the Rev. Mr. James Morgan of the city of Oxford Clerk To hold the said Messuage Malting Close Lands Hereditaments and Premises with their and every of their Appurtenances to my said Wife Marth Ratliffe and her Assigns for and during the Term of her natural Life and I will and direct that the Rents Issues and Profits of the said Premises shall be had and received by my said Wife Marth Ratliffe and her Assigns for her own Sole Use and Benefit during her natural Life as aforesaid and from and immediately after her decease I give and devise the said Messuage Malting Closes Lands and Premises above mentioned with their and every of their Appurtenances unto my two Sons Thomas Ratliffe and Roger Ratliffe their heirs and Assigns for ever as Tenants in common and not as joint Tenants Next I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Ratliffe the Sum of Five Hundred Pounds of good and lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid her by my Executors hereinafter named out of my Stock and Effects at her Age of Twenty one Years or Marriage which ever shall first happen And whereas Alexander Small Esquire has lately granted to me my Executors Administrators and Assigns a Lease of the Farm and Lands Closes Premises which I now occupy at Haversham aforesaid for the Term of Twenty one Years Now I do hereby give and bequeath to my said two Sons Thomas Ratliffe and Roger Ratliffe all such my Right Title Interest Benefit and Term of Years that I shall have therein at the time of my decease to hold to my said two sons Thomas Ratliffe and Roger Ratliffe and to the Survivor of them his Executors Administrators and Assigns for and during the residue of the said Term of Twenty One Years as shall be therein then to come and unexpired Next I give and bequeath unto my said two sons Thomas Ratliffe and Roger Ratliffe their Executors and Administrators all my stock of Cattle Grain Hay Corn Implements or Utensils of Husbandry of what Nature Sort or Kind soever And also all my ready Money Securities for Money and all other my personal Estate and Effects whatsoever except my household Goods Plate Linen and Furniture whatsoever by me hereinbefore given and bequeathed to my Wife as aforesaid subject to the Payment of all my just Debts Legacies and Funeral Expences And my Mind and Will is and I do hereby desire and direct that a true and perfect Inventory of all my Stock and Effects may be had and taken immediately after my Decease by my Brother in Law Mr. Edward Cooke of Wolverton in the county of Bucks and my said Wife Marth Ratliffe or whom they shall appoint And I do hereby likewise request and desire and fully authorise and impower my said Brother in Law Edward Cooke and my said Wife Martha Ratliffe and the Survivor of them and the Executors Administrators or Assigns are of such Survivor to continue and carry on my Farming and Grazing Business during the minorities of my said Sons Thomas Ratliffe and Roger Ratliffe or until such time as my said Trustees shall think them capable of doing Business for themselves and to apply the Increase and Profits thereof in such manner for the Benefit Maintenance Education and bringing up of my said sons Thomas and Roger Ratliffe and Daughter Mary Ratliffe during their respective Minorities until their Legacies shall become due and payable in such manner and Form as their he my said Trustees and the Survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such Survivor shall in their Discretion think proper And my Will and Meaning further is and I do hereby order and direct that as soon as my two Sons Thomas Ratliffe and Roger Ratliffe attain their representative Ages of Twenty one Years or to such an Age as my said Trustees shall think them capable of doing Business as aforesaid that then my said Trustees or the Survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such Survivor shall and will immediately surrender and deliver up and transfer and assign over all my said Stock and Effects whatsoever to my said two Sons Thomas Ratliffe and Roger Ratliffe their Executors Administrators and Assigns to and for their own Use and Benefit and for them to go on in Business together or to divide the same equally between them as they and my said two Sons shall think best and agree upon Next I give and devise unto my said Son Thomas Ratliffe all that my Messuage or Tenement Orchard and Premises and also all those my four Closes of Pasture Ground Hereditaments and Premises in Wolverton aforesaid lately given and devised to me by my late Father Thomas Ratliffe deceased To hold the said Messuage Closes Hereditaments and Premises with their and every of their Appurtenances unto my said Son Thomas Ratliffe his Heirs and Assigns for ever And I do hereby further will order and direct that my said Trustees or the Survivor of them or the Heirs Executors Administrators of such Survivor shall have and take to themselves all such just and reasonable Costs Charges and Expences whatsoever as their he or either of them shall be put unto or shall lay out and expend in and about the Management of my Business and in the due Execution of this my Will and of the Trusts hereby in them reposed and shall in no wise be answerable or accountable for the Acts of one another but for their several proper Acts only and for what they shall respectively receive and shall be liable to make good any involuntary Loss or Losses that shall or may happen in the Management of my said Business or in the Execution of this my Will And I do hereby appoint my said Brother in Law Edward Cooke Guardian to all my said Children and I do hereby give and bequeath unto the said Edward Cooke the sum of Twenty Pounds for his trouble in be due Execution of this my Will and I do hereby make ordain constitute and appoint my said Brother in Law Edward Cooke my said Wife Marth Ratliffe and my said two Sons Thomas Ratliffe and Roger Ratliffe Executors and Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking disannulling and making void all former and other Wills by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said Richard Ratcliff the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained in three Sheets of Paper to witch to the two first Sheets set my Hand and to this last Sheet my Hand and Seal this twenty seventh Day of January in the Year of our Lord one Thousand seven Hundred and seventy Five to the Richd Ratliffe Signed Sealed Published and declared by the said Richard Ratcliff the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us who have attested the same as Witnesses thereto in his Presence and at his request and in the Presence of each other Thomas Pennell Robert Atterbury Richd Patch

Probate: 31 January 1783