And I do hereby give and bequeath unto my Niece Laetitia the Wife of William Waddup and my
Nephew Edward Batten the sum of Five Guineas each
Also I give unto my Niece Jane the Wife of William Watts five Guineas
Also I give unto Mrs. Martha Newman the Sum of Ten Guineas and in case she should depart this life in
my lifetime Then I give the same to her daughter Charlotte Duly of Hampstead
Also I give unto Mrs. Maria Lowdall the Sum of ten Guineas
And to Mrs. Mary Pratten of Brompton the Sum of five Guineas
Also (from and after payment of my just Debts Legacies before and after given Funeral and Testamentary Charges) I give and bequeath all and every the rest residue and remainder of my Personal Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature kind or quality soever he same shall consist of and be at the time of my decease unto my dear and loving daughter Mary the Wife of Jacob Cazeneuve Troy for and during the term of her natural life
And from and after her decease I give the same and every part thereof to and among all and every the Child and Children as well daughters as sons on the body of my said daughter lawfully begotten as shall be living at the time of her decease equally to be divided between them
And I do hereby make name and appoint the Reverend Mr. Henry Jones, Minor Canon of Rochester, my
Nephew John Batten and my said daughter Mary Troy Executors and Executrix of this my Will
And I do give unto each of them the said Henry Jones and John Batten the Sum of ten Guineas each
hereby revoking and making void all former Wills by me made declaring this only my last Will and Testament
In Witness whereof I the said Testatrix to this my last Will and Testament contained in two Sheets of
paper have to the first sheet set my hand and to this my hand and Seal this first day of October In the
Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety one
Fras. Cooke
Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the said Frances Cooke the Testatrix as and for her last Will
and Testament in the presence of us who in her presence at her request and in the presence of each other
have Subscribed our Names as Witnesses hereto
Mary Southenden Wray Servt. to Mrs. Cooke - Robt. Bristow Att(orney) at Rochester
There then follows a large number of numbered additions, to which I have inserted some grammar, but are still difficult to read, thus:
Carefully Examined with the Original Codicils by us: P.A. Carr, J. Brooks
The 28th Day of February 1798
Appeared personally the Reverend Henry Jones of Rochester in the County of Kent Clerk John Batten of
St. Margaret’s Rochester in the same County Upholsterer John Boys of Fenchurch Street in the Parish of
Allhallows Staining London Grocer, and Edward Batten of the City Road in the Parish of St. Luke in the
County of Middlesex Broker and being severally Sworn on the Holy Evangelists to depose the truth made Oath as follows
and first the said Henry Jones and John Batten for themselves made Oath that they are the Surviving Executors named in the last Will and Testament with nine Codicils of Frances Cooke latte of Chatham in the County of Kent aforesaid Widow deceased who departed this life on the eleventh instant and that shortly after the death of the said deceased they the appearers went to the said deceased’s house and took possession of her Keys and on opening a drawer or Chest in which she usually kept her papers of moment and concern found the said last Will and testament of the said deceased bearing date the first day of October in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety one together with the several Paper Writings purporting to be and contain nine Codicils thereto now marked from No. 1 to No. 9 inclusive and which said Will and nine Codicils are all hereunto annexed
And these appearers having carefully viewed and perused the said last Will and Testament and nine Codicils of the said deceased do say that the same are now in the same plight and Condition as when found by them as aforesaid not having received any manner of alteration either by Obliteration Interlineation Erasure Subduction or otherwise save the numbering thereof
Then appeared personally the said John Boys and Edward Batten and made Oath that they knew and were acquainted with the aforesaid Frances Cooke deceased for sometime before and to the time of her death and during such their knowledge of and acquaintance with her have often seen her write and Subscribe her name and by that means have become well acquainted with her manner and Character of Handwriting and Subscription and having carefully viewed and perused the several paper Writings hereunto annexed marked from No. 1 to No. 9 inclusive purporting to be and contain nine Codicils to the last Will and Testament of the said deceased as aforesaid
the first of the said Codicils beginning thus “5th July 1792 I wd. wish my dr. Children at my decease” ending thus “the waiter
with our Arms for Nancey in case of her death to Sally, with a Gravy Spoon the other g. Spoon for
Mary” thus Subscribed Fras. Cooke and thus underwrote “my Screen for either that has a Cold Room”
The second of the said Codicils beginning thus: “30 July 1796 Mrs. Cooke desires at her decease” and ending
thus: “Then I give the whole of the above to her daughter Fras. Mantelow of Stockbury”
The third of the said Codicils being contained in these words: “The key for my low drawers for my Room
which I design for Benjamin Evans at my decease” and thus dated and Subscribed "August 18th 1796. Fras. Cooke”
The fourth of the said Codicils being contained in these Words and figures: “6 Oct. 1796 At my decease I give to Mrs. Fearne
the Bed and Bolster and under Blanket that I sleep upon and 1 Pillow under the Bolster” thus Subscribed “Fras. Cooke” and afterwards
“My old Poplin Gown and Coat My best Jumps for Mrs. Fearne”.
The fifth of the said Codicils being contained in these words “17 Oct 1796 I give to Mrs. Conn
the Table & Glass in the fore Garret the old chairs covered with red Silk damask in the back Chamber” and thus
subscribed “Fras. Cooke”
The sixth of the said Codicils being contained in these Words and figures “1796 An Inventory of the things I wd. have Mr. Troy
to take at my decease the two Night Tables the Sopha the Clock, the dum Waiter the Screen the Looking Glasses in each parlour, 2
white quilts all my Linnen to be divided equally divided between the 3 Girls, the Carpet in the back parlour all my China
to be divided between the 3 Girls the Table covered with Leather in the fore parlour for Mr. Troy”
The seventh Codicil being contained in these words and Figures “I desire at my death that Thomas Hoges shall have the Chairs and
Table in fore Chamber Dec. 12 .79 Fras. Cooke”
The eighth of the said Codicils beginning thus: “I desire at my death” ending thus: “the Tea Table in the back
Parlour" and thus dated and subscribed December the 12 1797 "Fras. Cooke“
and the Ninth and last Codicil beginning thus “I desire at my death” and ending thus “the square Table in the Kitchen" and thus dated
& subscribed December 12th 1797 "Fras. Cooke”
do say that they verily and in their Consciences believe the whole body series and Contents of the said
nine Codicils beginning ending written Subscribed and dated as aforesaid to have been so done by and
with the proper hand of the said Frances Cooke Widow deceased and of no other person whatever.
Hen: Jones John Batten Jn: Boys Edward Batten
Same day the said Revered Henry Jones, John Batten, John Boys and Edward Batten were duly Sworn to the truth of this affidavit before me, J. Sewell Surr. present Richd. Cheslyn Creswell Not. Pub. (Notary Public)
This Will was proved at London (with nine Codicils the first day of March in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight before the Worshipful John Sewell Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Honorable Sir William Wynne Knight also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oaths of the Reverend Henry Jones, Clerk, and John Batten the Surviving Executors named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased having been first sworn duly to administer.
Notes:
Frances Cooke was buried at St. Mary, Chatham on 17th February 1798.
Frances Sisley and Richard Cooke were married at Chatham 23 Jun 1757
Daughter Mary Cooke was christened 13 Sep 1758, d. of Richard and Frances Cooke, at Chatham.
Mary Cooke married Jacob Cazeneuve Troy 8th October 1776 at Chatham. They had had 9 children by 1791.
The children mentioned in Codicil No.1 are probably Richard 1783, John 1779, Mary 1782, Sarah/Sally 1785 & Thomas 1784.
Richard Cooke died 5 Aug 1780 aged 69 and Frances his wife died 11 Feb 1798 aged 75 (MI)
Richard had a PCC will 1780
Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 3rd January 2020. All rights waived for personal use – BUT please quote source and reference.
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of Frances Cooke