The will of Thomas Solomon Wisdom

This is the last will and testament of me Thomas Solomon Wisdom of Glynde in the County of Sussex, carpenter. First, I order and direct that all my just Debts, funeral expenses and the charges of proving this my will shall be paid and discharged by my executors hereinafter named as soon as conveniently may be after my decease; I also direct that my sister Elizabeth Griffiths who is now living with me shall during her life have the use of all my Household Goods and Furniture, Plate, Linen and China that shall be in or about my Dwelling house at the time of my decease upon her signing and delivering to my Executors as soon as may be after my decease an Inventory thereof and from time to time making good and replacing any part thereof that may be injured or destroyed, reasonable wear and tear only excepted, and from and after the decease of the said Elizabeth Griffiths I direct that her Son Richard Henry Griffiths, if living, shall also have the use of my said Household Goods, Furniture, Plate, Linen and China for the term of seven years to commence from the death of the aforesaid Elizabeth Griffiths if he shall so long live, under and subject to such and the same restrictions as my said sister Elizabeth Griffiths, and from and after the Expiration or other sooner determination of the said term of seven years or from and after the death of the said Elizabeth Griffiths as the case may be I give and bequeath the said Household Goods, Furniture, Plate, Linen and China unto my brother Richard Wisdom his Executors and Administrators;

I give and bequeath unto the said Elizabeth Griffiths and Richard Henry Griffiths, or the survivor of them, all my Stock in Trade, Implements and Tools of every description that shall be in or about my Workshop and Premises at the time of my decease and also the Legacy or Sum of one hundred pounds;

I give to my Executors hereinafter named the Sum of five Guineas apiece as an acknowledgement for the Trouble they will have in executing the Trusts of this my Will; I give to my Housekeeper Sarah Brown the sum of ten pounds;

I give to my Brother George Wisdom, now residing at Adelaide in South Australia, the sum of two hundred pounds;

I give to my Sister Jane the wife of Samuel Lessingham of Lewes in the aid County, Ironmonger, the sum of twenty-five pounds;

I give to my said Brother Richard Wisdom the sum of one hundred pounds;

And I direct that the said several legacies shall be paid within six months next after my decease;

I give and devise All that my copyholdType of feudal land tenure
with duties and obligations
to the Lord of the Manor messuageHouse or dwelling,
inc. outbuildings &
orchard, courtyard
or gardens or tenementRented dwelling
or land with the shops, yard, garden and premises situate at Glynde aforesaid and now in my own Occupation, and Also all that my copyholdType of feudal land tenure
with duties and obligations
to the Lord of the Manor messuageHouse or dwelling,
inc. outbuildings &
orchard, courtyard
or gardens or tenementRented dwelling
or land with the shop,yard, garden and premises also situated in Glynde aforesaid and now in the Occupation of my said Brother Richard Wisdom unto him my said Brother Richard Wisdom his Heirs and Assigns for ever, subject, nevertheless and I do hereby charge the said premises with the payment of the Sum of two hundred pounds now due and owing to John Ellman, esquire and secured to him on Mortgage thereof; And also subject to the said Elizabeth Griffiths having the Use and Occupation of the said messuageHouse or dwelling,
inc. outbuildings &
orchard, courtyard
or gardens or tenementRented dwelling
or land with the shops, yard, garden and premises which is on my own occupation during her natural life without paying any Rent for the same; Ans also subject to the said Richard Henry Griffiths having the Use and Occupation of the same MessuageHouse or dwelling,
inc. outbuildings &
orchard, courtyard
or gardensHouse or dwelling,
inc. outbuildings &
orchard, courtyard
or gardens or TenementRented dwelling
or landRented dwelling
or land, Shops, Yard, Garden and Premises now in my own Occupation for the term of seven years to commence from the death of the said Elizabeth Griffiths if he shall so long live, on Condition of his paying to my said Brother Richard Wisdom his heirs or assigns the sum of five pounds yearly and every year during the said Term as and for rent for the same;

I give devise and bequeath unto my Friends William Davey of Lewes in the said County, Plumber and Glazier, and William Withers of Glyndebourne in the Parish of Glynde in the said County, Gentleman, All my MessuageHouse or dwelling,
inc. outbuildings &
orchard, courtyard
or gardensHouse or dwelling,
inc. outbuildings &
orchard, courtyard
or gardenss, Lands, TenementRented dwelling
or landRented dwelling
or lands and real Estate whatsoever and wheresoever as well Freehold as CopyholdType of feudal land tenure
with duties and obligations
to the Lord of the ManorType of feudal land tenure
with duties and obligations
to the Lord of the Manor not hereinafter by me specifically devised; and all the Rest and Residue of my personal Estate of every sort and kind To hold the same and every part and parcel thereof unto the said William Davey and William Withers their Heirs, Executors, Administrators and Assigns Upon Trust that they or the survivor of them his Heirs, Executors or Administrators do and shall sell and convert the same into Money when and as soon after my decease as they or he shall think it most Advantageous so to do either by public Auction or by private contract in such manner as they or he in their or his discretion shall think most advisable, And for the purpose of facilitating the sale of my said real Estate and premises I hereby direct that the Receipt or Receipts of my Executors or Administrators for the time being shall be an effectual Discharge to the purchaser or purchasers of the whole or any part thereof and that such purchaser or purchasers his heir their Heirs, Executors, Administrators or Assigns shall not be afterwards Answerable or Accountable for the purchase money which shall be so acknowledged to have been received or any part thereof or be obliged to see to the Application thereof, And I direct that my Executors or Administrators for the time being do and shall stand and be possessed of the net produce arising from the Sale of my said real Estate, And also the proceeds of the Residue of my said personal Estate Upon the Trusts hereinafter mentioned (that is to say)

Upon Trust to invest and place the same out at Interest in their or his Names or Name in some or one of the public Stocks or Funds or in or upon some good and sufficient real Security or Securities and out of the Interest, Dividends and annual proceeds arising therefrom to pay to the said Sarah Brown the sum of then pounds yearly and every year for and during the Term of her natural Life, And also to pay unto Jane the wife of Samuel Lessingham the like sum of ten pounds yearly and every year for and during the term of her natural life to and for her own sole and separate Use and Benefit notwithstanding her Coverture and I direct that the same shall not be subject to the Debts, Interference or Control of her present or any future Husband but that her Receipt alone notwithstanding her Coverture shall from time to time be a sufficient and only proper Discharge to my said Executors or Administrators for the time being and from and after the decease of either of them the said Sarah Brown and Jane Lessingham the Annuity directed to be paid to such one of them as shall so first happen to die shall together with the residue of the Interest, Dividends and annual proceeds of the said trust Monies and Premises accumulated during the Life of the Survivor of them and be added to the Residue of my personal Estate, And from and after the decease of the Survivor of them the said Sarah Brown and Jane Lessingham, Upon further Trust to pay, distribute and divide the produce arising from the Residue of my said real and personal Estate including such accumulations as aforesaid and the Funds and Securities in or upon which the same shall or may be laid out and invested in Manner following, that is to say As to one equal fourth part thereof unto my said Brother Richard Wisdom his Executors and Administrators, As to one equal fourth part thereof unto my said Brother George Wisdom his Executors and Administrators, As to one other equal fourth part thereof unto the said Elizabeth Griffiths her executors and Administrators, And as to the remaining equal fourth part thereof unto and equally between and amongst all and every the Child and Children of the said Jane Lessingham who shall be then living and the Issue of any of them who may be then dead and have left Issue I share and share alike, such issue to take only and equally amongst them his her or their parents share, Provided always and I hereby direct that my said real Estate hereby directed to be sold as aforesaid and the Rents and Profits thereof shall until Sale thereof be taken and considered as part of my personal Estate and be applied in the same Manner and for the same Intents and Purposes as the Dividends or Interest of the Money to arise from such Sale would be payable under this my Will in case such sale had actually taken place and the purchase money paid, And I hereby declare that no Legacy which I have by this will given to the said Elizabeth Griffiths shall be considered to annul or discharge any Debt or Security for Money lent to me by her and for which she may hold my Security at the time of my decease;

And I appoint the said William Davey and William Withers joint Executors of this my will hereby revoking all former wills by meat any time heretofore made;

And I further direct and declare that my said Trustees and Executors for the time being shall not be Answerable or Accountable for any loss which may happen to the said trust Estates, Monies and Effects by Reason of the same or any part thereof being deposited in my Banker's Hands for safe Custody nor for any other Loss or Damage which may happen thereto by any Ways or Means whatsoever provided such Loss be not occasioned by their or his wilful Neglect or Default;

And that neither of my Executors or Trustees shall be answerable or Accountable for the other or others of them or for the Acts, Deeds, Receipts or Defaults of each other but each of them for himself only and for his own Heirs, Executors and Administrators' Acts, Deeds, Receipts or Defaults only;

And that it shall be lawful for my said Executors and Trustees for the time being by and out of the Monies that shall come to their Hands under or by virtue of the Trusts hereby in them reposed in the first place to deduct and retain to themselves or himself respectively All such Costs, Charges, Damages and Expenses as they or he shall or may sustain or be put unto in the Execution of the Trusts hereby in them reposed or in anywise relating thereto Provided also that in case either of my said Executors and Trustees for the time being or any future Trustee to be appointed as hereinafter mentioned their Heirs, Executors or Administrators shall die or desire to be discharged from or decline or become incapable to act in any of the Trusts reposed in them respectively as aforesaid, Then and so often as the same shall happen it shall be lawful for my Executors and Administrators for the time being by any Deed or Deeds to appoint any other person or persons to be a Trustee or Trustees in the place or Stead of the Trustee or Trustees so dying or desiring to be discharges or declining or becoming incapable to act as aforesaid;

And that upon every such appointment the trust Estates and Premises which shall be or shall have been vested in the Trustee or Trustees so dying or desirous to be discharged or declining or becoming incapable to act as aforesaid shall be assigned and transferred in such manner and so as that the same may be effectually vested in the new Trustees or Trustee jointly with the continuing Trustee or Trustees of the same trust, Estates and Premises or solely as the case may require;

And that every such new Trust shall have and be invested with such and the same Powers, Authorities and discretion as if he had originally been appointed a Trustee by this my Will;

In testimony whereof I the said Thomas Solomon Wisdom have to three first sheets of this my last will and testament contained in four sheets of paper set my hand and to this fourth and last sheet thereof my hand and seal this twenty fifth day of October one thousand eight hundred and forty one.

Witnesses: H Murrel, John Lewis

Proved 29 December 1841:

Value: under one thousand and five hundred pounds.