Thread: The Blackmores
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Old 13-04-22, 10:33
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Default The granchildren part 2 - Raymond

In 1740, just three of the grandsons were left alive



Raymond b 1692, was the eldest. Under his parents’ marriage settlement, he was entitled to his mother’s jointure. He was apprenticed to Edward Lascelles of the Grocer’s company, then in 1720, he was admitted to the Inner Temple. In December of the following year, he acquired Bayley Park in Heathfield, a hugely impressive Queen Anne style house, for which he paid £2,400.



In addition, he held masses of property in Hertfordshire, which he leased to his brother John.


It would be fascinating to know what sort of lifestyle he led. His name appears as a subscriber to a variety of publications. In 1732, he was Sheriff of Sussex. Clearly he had more than enough money to please himself. #


By 1740 he was not in the best of health, and on 29 March 1740, in Grays Inn Chapel, he married Elizabeth Treegood of St Andrews Holborn. I have only a printed volume as evidence for this, and suspect her surname may be mistranscribed. https://search.findmypast.co.uk/reco...%2F0038520%2F1



The reason for this extremely late marriage (had they been enjoying an agreeable connection for years beforehand?) was made abundantly clear by his will, written 6 April 1740. He revokes all former wills (they would have been made void by his marriage anyway, but he is underlining the point) and leaves everything to his dear wife (of eight days!) Elizabeth: Baily Park and property in North Mimms, all to Elizabeth. He is “very infirm of body, but of sound mind and memory” and no doubt but memories were rankling. He had previously made a Deed of Gift of the Fee Farm, North Mimms, to his brother John Blackmore for the term of his natural life, but now he leaves the reversion to Elizabeth and “I give to my said Brother John Blackmore in consideration of his extraordinary Ingratitude towards me the sum of one shilling” and his brother Henry, for the said reason also got only one shilling. It is notable that wereas earlier members of his family had made small legacies to friends and servants, the only people he even considers are the members of his immediate family.



Alas for such plans! Elizabeth was buried 16 November 1740. It looks as if some epidemic swept through North Mimms. William Parker, Gent, had also died, as well as several servants. Raymond was buried on 26th December 1740. https://search.findmypast.co.uk/reco...2F72392429%2F1



Of course, had Raymond died first, as he fully expected to, things would have been very different, but it must have given John Blackmore a certain grim sense of satisfaction, as his brother’s natural heir, to prove the will and obtain the assets his brother had striven so vainly to keep from him. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...095?pId=168490
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