Item I give and bequeath to my beloved Wife Martha Holmes all my Estate both Real and Personal that I am now or may be possessed of hereafter and likewise I give her all my Goods and Chattels and all Stock in Trade during her Widowhood but if she Marries then my Will is that all my Estate both Real and Personal Goods and Chattels and all Stock in Trade that I am now possessed of or may be thereafter possessed of shall return to my Daughters in the manner and form I shall hereafter mention
And if my said Wife Martha Holmes shall by the persuasion of any man or by her own Inclinations shall come to a full determination to be married then my Will is she shall give Notice of her Intentions to her Daughters Mary Hawes and Ann Holmes One Month before she does marry and give in upon her Oath an Account of what Money she has in her possession and all the Estate Goods Chattels and Stock in Trade to be Valued and the Money that shall be in my said Wifes Custody to be given to my Daughters Mary Hawes and Ann Holmes in manner and form following
Item I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter Ann Holmes One hundred Guineas of Good and lawfull Mony of Great Britain
then my Will is that all my Effects above mentioned that shall descend from my
Wife Martha Holmes in case of her marrying again or by her death shall be equally divided between my
two Daughters Mary Hawes and Ann Holmes (Except) the One hundred Guineas above mentioned to
be paid to my Daughter Ann Holmes over and above their Moiety of the said Effects above mentioned
And I do hereby Constitute and Ordain my beloved Wife Martha Holmes to be Executor or Executrix of
this my Will In Witness whereof I the said John Holmes have to this my last Will and Testament set my
Hand and Seal this Twentieth day of June One Thousand Seven Hundred and fifty seven
Jno. Holmes
Appeared Personally John Brenchley of Maidstone in the County of Kent Draper and Tobias Hammond
of the same place Draper and jointly and severally made Oath and severally say that they severally knew
and were well acquainted with John Holmes of the Kings Town and Parish of Maidstone in the County
of Kent Surveyor of Land and Draper deceased and also with his manner and Character of Handwriting
by having seen him write and subscribe his Name and having now seen and carefully Viewed and
perused the paper Writing hereunto annexed deceased beginning thus: �In the Name of God Amen I John
Holmes of the Parish of the Kings Town and Parish of Maidstone in the County of Kent Surveyor of Land and
Draper being of Sound Mind and Memory thanks be to God for the same Do make and ordain this my last Will and
Testament in manner and form following� and ending as aforesaid and the name �Jno. Holmes� thereto set
and subscribed to have been totally wrote set and Subscribed by and with the proper hand of the said John Holmes deceased
John Brenchley Tobias Hammond
The said John Brenchley and Tobias Hammond were duly sworn to the Truth of the above Affidavit the tenth day of February 1761 Before me D. Waterhouse
This Will was proved at London the Fourteenth day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand
Seven Hundred and Sixty one before the Right Worshipful Edward Simpson Doctor of Laws Master
Keeper of Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully Constituted by the Oath of
Martha Holmes Widow the Relict and Sole Executrix named in the said Will To whom Administration
of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the deceased was granted having been first Sworn
by Commission duly to Administer
Exd.
Notes:
John Holmes was buried at Maidstone on 29th April 1758 as �Mr. John Holmes�.
I have no idea why there was a delay in obtaining probate.
John Holmes married Martha Arran 28th March 1725 at St. Dunstan, Canterbury.
I can find but one child of �Mr.� John and Martha Holmes: Ann Holmes, christened at All Saints, Maidstone on 26th March 1735.
Mary Holmes is not found. Mary Holms married Nathaniel Hawes on 3rd February 1743 at SS Peter & Paul, Aylesford (a short distance from Maidstone).
Martha Holmes died, aged 75 and was buried at St. John, Margate, Widow of John Holmes, on 28th March 1783.
Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 30th August 2019. All rights waived for personal use � BUT please quote source and reference.
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