Totnes Contents & Search

[Note by K. Barnett - there is no punctuation in the original document. Where a word is difficult to read, I have placed my best guess in square brackets, thus [ ]. Where a letter or letters within a word cannot be deciphered, I have placed a dash, thus - .]

In the Name of God Amen I Susannah Cranch widow of Samuel Cranch¹ late of Totnes in the county of Devon Dyer deceased being of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding do hereby make my last Will and Testament in manner following that is to say Firstly I humbly resign my Soul to the hands of Almighty God hoping for pardon of my sins through his Mercy and the Merits of our Lord Jesus Christ and my Body I recommend to be Buried in decent Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named and for disposing of my temporal Estate I give and bequeath thereof as follows that is to say Whereas my Aunt Margaret Browne late of Totnes aforesaid Widow deceased by her last Will and Testament in writing bearing date on or about the fourteenth day of April one thousand seven hundred and forty four among other things therein contained gave devised and bequeathed unto Richard Hurrell of Totnes aforesaid since deceased all that her dwelling House Messuage or Tenement with the Appurtenances situate in the high Street of Totnes aforesaid then in the possession of the said Margaret Browne Mrs Elizabeth Rhodes and Mrs Hurrell To hold the said dwelling House and premises unto the said Richard Hurrell his Executors Admors. and Assigns immediately from and after her decease for and during the Residues and Remainders of the several and respective terms which should be therein to come and unexpired Upon special Trust and Confidence that the said Richard Hurrell his Executors Administrators and Assigns did and should permit and suffer me the said Susannah Cranch then the Wife of the said Richard Cranch** to have hold and enjoy the said dwelling House Messuage or Tenement with the Appurtenances and to receive and take the Rents Issues and Profits thereof to my sole and separate use and behoof exclusive of my said husband it being her express Will that he should not intermeddle or have anything to do therewith for and during so many years of the said several and respective terms as should expire and run out in my Lifetime and after my death disposed of the said dwelling House Messuage and Premises in manner as therein mentioned and whereas the said Margaret Browne died without altering or revoking her said Will in or about the year one thousand seven hundred and forty five and my said husband Richard Cranch survived her and died in this present year he having from the time of the death of the said Margaret Browne home to the time of his death received all the Rents Issues and Profits of the said dwelling house and Premises and the Estate of the said Richard Cranch is now answerable to me the said Susannah Cranch for the said Rents Issues and Profits amounting in the whole to the clear sum of three hundred and fifty pounds at least and whereas my said husband duly made and executed his last Will and Testament in writing and thereby among other things gave and bequeathed the Residue of his Goods Chattels and Personal and Testamentary Estate whatsoever not hereinbefore given and bequeathed unto me the said Susannah Cranch for and during my natural Life and immediately after my decease he gave and bequeathed the same to our Son Richard Cranch his Executors Administrators and Assigns as his and their own for ever and made me sole Executrix of his said Will which I proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and being minded to dispose of the said three hundred and fifty pounds by my last Will and Testament and in manner as hereinafter mentioned have to avoid any doubt as to my Right of so doing applied to my said Son Richard Cranch who being satisfied that I have such Right hath signified the same by subscribing his name to a paper writing to that purpose bearing date the thirtieth day of June last past and that the residuary Estate of my said Husband so given and bequeathed as aforesaid should be subject and liable to the payment thereof Now I the said Susannah Cranch do give and bequeath unto my son Richard Cranch and Son in Law John Michell the sum of three hundred pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain part of the said sum of three hundred and fifty pounds to be had and received by them or the Survivor of them his Executors or Administrators immediately after my death and to be raised and levied by and out of the residuary Estate of my said Husband to hold the said sum of three hundred pounds unto the said Richard Cranch and John Michell and the Survivor of them his Executors and Administrators upon Trust and for the use and benefit of all and every the Children of my late Daughter Elizabeth Michell deceased in equal shares and proportions and to pay the share or shares of him her or them who shall be twenty one years of age at my death within three months next after my death and do and shall lay out and improve the remainder either on public or private Security or Securities as he or they shall think proper and from time to time to call in and again to put forth at Interest or invest in such Security or Securities the said Trust monies and when and as often as they or in do and shall receive the Interest or produce thereof shall pay over the same in equal shares and proportions to and amongst such of the said Children as shall be under twenty one years of age for their own proper use and benefit and when and as they shall severally and respectively attain the age of twenty one years do and shall pay over the said Principle Money in equal shares and proportions to and amongst such of the said Children as their own proper Monies and Effects and I do hereby will and direct that if any or either of such Children shall die under twenty one years of age that the Survivors of them shall have the parts or shares of him her or them so dying equally to be divided amongst them Also I give and bequeath unto my Son James Cranch the sum of Fifty pounds ( remainder of the said three hundred and Fifty pounds) and a five [maidore] piece of Gold to be paid and delivered to him at the end of three months next after my death by my Executor hereinafter named and to be raised as to the said fifty pounds in manner aforesaid Also I give and bequeath unto my two Grand Daughters Elizabeth and Mary Michell all my wearing apparel of what nature or kind soever and also a Chest of Drawers and a Bureau equally to be divided between them share and share alike and if either of them shall happen to die before she attains the age of twenty one years the part or share of her so dying shall go to the other of them and if both die under that age the same shall go to all my Female Grand Children share and share a like All the rest residue and remainder of my Goods Chattels Personal and Testamentary Estate whatsoever not hereinbefore given and bequeathed I do hereby give and bequeath unto my said Son Richard Cranch whom I make constitute and appoint Whole and Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament in Witness whereof I the above named Susannah Cranch the Testatrix have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the twenty ninth day of July in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty four Susannah Cranch [Plus seal)]
Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the above named Testatrix Susannah Cranch as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in her presence and the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses hereto
Jn Scobell       Mary Northy

This Will was Proved at London the second day of November in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty six before the Right Worshipful Peter Calvert Doctor of Laws and Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of Richard Cranch the son of the deceased and sole Executor named in the said Will to whom Admon. was granted of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased having been first Sworn by Commission duly to Administer.

¹ Possibly a transcription error by the clerk, it should read 'Richard' - she uses Richard elsewhere (see ** )

Last updated - Brian Randell, 7 Oct 2005