Help reading a will

[anne fraser]

I have just taken out the £20.00 subscription on ancestry and am suprised how much they have added since I have been away. One thing I found was a will of one of my ancestors Jiles Hope from 1785 but I am having problems reading his writing.
My ancestor was his daughter Elizabeth. http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin...26pgplz0q3dpid

Help would be appreciated.

[ElizabethHerts]

I hope this makes sense (not sure of the word before Risington):

In the Name of God Amen
I Giles Hope of ? Risington in the County of Gloucester
Yeoman being of sound disposing Mind and Memory do
make this my last will and Testament that is to say first
I will that my Body be decently buried at the discretion
of my Executor herein after named Item as to my real and
personal Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me
I give bequeath and dispose of the same as followeth
after my Debts paid and ffuneral Expences discharge that is to
say I give and devise unto my loving Wife during the time
of her natural life my Dwelling House with all the Goods
and premises thereto belonging together with the Interest
due and becoming due on two hundred and seventy five
pounds in Stock after her Decease & I give and bequeath to
my son William Hope the said Dwelling House and Appur[tenance]s
and premises thereto belonging together with the principal and
Interest of the said two hundred and seventy five pounds
to my son William Hope his Heirs and Executors for ever
Item I give and bequeath to my Son in law William
Wheler? one shilling and to my Son in Law and Elizabeth
Clifford his wife one Shilling each Item I do make my son
William Hope my sole Executor of this my last Will and
Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eighth day of ffebruary anno dom one
thousand seven hundred and eighty five Giles Hope
Signed sealed published and declared by the Testator as and for
his last will and testament in the presence of us who
attested the same in the presence of Paman? Ansell – John Porter

This Will was proved at London the eighth day of
December one thousand seven hundred and eighty five before
the worshipful George Harris Doctor of Laws Surrogate of
the Right Worshipful Peter Calvert also Doctor of Laws
Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of
Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of William Hope
the Son of the Deceased and the sole Executor named in the
said will to whom administration was granted of all and
singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the Deceased
having been first sworn duly to administer

[anne fraser]

Thanks that was quick. The place is Wick Rissington. I think it is lucky Elizabeth married a rich husband. One shilling seems stingy even for 1785!

[ElizabethHerts]

Originally Posted by anne fraser

Thanks that was quick. The place is Wick Rissington. I think it is lucky Elizabeth married a rich husband. One shilling seems stingy even for 1785!

Anne, you have to be careful thinking that Giles was stingy because he might have in fact given her a lump sum upon marriage. I know that happened in some of my families, and sometimes it is mentioned in the will.
A contact of mine was quite indignant that her ancestor did worse than his siblings from his father's will but I think that was because he had already been set up in business by his father and had probably received more than the others already.

[Merry]

A shilling might be given to stop the beneficiary contesting the will - it proved she hadn't been overlooked!! As Elizabeth said, she had probably had her share already.

[anne fraser]

I did not know that Merry. I came across a will once (not one of mine) "I leave my son ...five shillings as he caused me much expense in his young age and was no comfort to me in my old age". At least Mr. Hope named his son in law so I know I have the right person. I have also managed to find ANN's marriage to Mr. Weeler.
Any idea why a will would be proved in Canterbury?

[Merry]

Any idea why a will would be proved in Canterbury?

This is a quote from...erm....can't remember! lol Anyway, it's the same as I've read in various places....

The Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) was a church court under the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, which was responsible for the probate of wills and trials of testamentary causes where the value of the goods involved was greater than five pounds, and the property was held in two (or more) dioceses within Great Britain. While wills might also be proven at York, Canterbury's jurisdiction covered Southern England (including London) and Wales. Its archive also contains large numbers of wills relating to individuals who died abroad, but who owned property in Britain. In the period between 1680 and 1820 the Court proved on average 3,700 wills a year, including large numbers of Irish and colonial wills, and those of soldiers and sailors who died while in service.