Will of Thomas Milner

of Maidstone, Kent

First in order to prevent disputes which might otherwise happen hereafter touching the validity of a Lease granted by my late Father the Reverend John Milner Doctor of Divinity to my Sister Hannah Milner of Bridgwater in the County of Somerset of three Messuage or Tenements with the Appurtenances in St. Mary Street near the Southgate in Bridgwater I do hereby confirm the said Lease & declare my Will and desire is that it may remain to my Sister Hannah Milner during her life according to the intention of my Father & that the validity thereof be not in any manner disputed
& after the decease of my Sister Hannah Milner I give and devise the said Tenements unto my four other Sisters Ann Milner, Mary Milner, Susannah Milner & Hester Milner to be had & holden in like manner as they are to hold the Residue of my Real Estate in Bridgwater by the following Devise, viz.

I give & devise all the rest and residue of my Real Estate Messuages or Tenements Lands Hereditaments & Premises in Bridgwater aforesaid with the Appurtenances thereunto belonging unto my said four Sisters Ann Milner, Mary Milner, Susannah Milner & Hester Milner & to the Heirs & Assigns of the Survivor of them for ever

I give and bequeath to my before mentioned Sister Hannah Milner Forty pounds to be paid to her every year during her life and by equal & quarterly payments
I give & bequeath to my above mentioned Sister Hannah Milner One thousand pounds of my three per Cent Consolidated Annuities
I give & bequeath to my above mentioned Sister Mary Milner One thousand pounds of my three per Cent Consolidated Annuities
I give & bequeath to my above mentioned Sister Susannah Milner One thousand pounds of my three per Cent Consolidated Annuities
I give & bequeath to my above mentioned Sister Hester Milner One thousand pounds of my three per Cent Consolidated Annuities

I give & bequeath to Susannah Street of Bristol the daughter of my late Uncle William Street One hundred pounds
I give & bequeath to my Aunt Mary Milner the Widow of my late Uncle William Milner One hundred pounds
I give & bequeath to Mary Glover the daughter of the last mentioned Mary Milner twenty Guineas
I give & bequeath to Sarah Milner the Wife of the said George Milner Esquire twenty Guineas

I give & bequeath to George Milner Junr. Esquire one the Son of George and Sarah Milner twenty Guineas
I also give and bequeath to the said George Milner Junr. Esquire one Five Guinea piece of King William the Third & hope he will be ever mindful of the principles of the Glorious Revolution

I give & bequeath to Hannah Webb another daughter of the above mentioned Mary Milner twenty Guineas
I give & bequeath to Francis Webb the Husband of the said Hannah Webb twenty Guineas
I give & bequeath to the Revd Joseph Faucett of Walthamstow One Five Guinea piece of King George the First
I give & bequeath to Mary Faucett the Sister of the said Joseph Faucett One Five Guinea piece of King George the second

I give & bequeath to Solomon Pelletier of London Jeweller who married my late Sister Frances twenty Guineas
I also give & bequeath to the said Solomon Pelletier ten pounds to be paid to him every year during his life

I give and bequeath to George Whitfield Apothecary of St. Thomas’s Hospital Ten Guineas
I give & bequeath to the Reverend Richard Price of Hackney Doctor of Divinity twenty Guineas
I give & bequeath to the Revd. William Hazlitt of Wem in Shropshire twenty Guineas
I give to the Revd. John Wiche of Maidstone twenty Guineas
I give & bequeath to the Revd. Abraham Harris of Maidstone twenty Guineas

I give & bequeath to Sir William Bishop Knight of Maidstone my Silver Ink Stand as a memorial of my Approbation of his constant & exemplary care in procuring the most Genuine Rugs & in preparing & displaying the same
I give & bequeath to George Jeffery Esqr. of Throgmorton Street London One hundred pounds
I give & bequeath to the Treasurer for the time being of the Presbyterian Fund in London One hundred pounds for the uses of the said Fund
I give & bequeath to the Treasurer for the time being of the Fund established in London for the better support of Widows and Orphans of Dissenting Ministers One hundred pounds for the uses of the said Fund
I give & bequeath to every Servant who shall be living with me at the time of my decease ten pounds

I give & bequeath all my Jewels Rings Household Goods China Plate Library Annuities in Government Securities Monies owing in Bonds and all the remaining part of my personal Estate not included in any of the preceding bequests to my four Sisters Ann Milner, Mary Milner, Susannah Milner & Hester Milner whom I do constitute & appoint or the Survivors of them to be my Residuary Legatees share and share alike,br> I do also direct that all charges attending the Execution of this my last Will and Testament shall be paid out of my Estate

Finally I do constitute & appoint George Jeffery Esquire of Throgmorton Street & my Sister Ann Milner both above mentioned to be Executor & Executrix of this my last Will and Testament
and if my Sister Ann shall not be living at the time of my decease I do then constitute and appoint my Sister Susannah Milner together with the above mentioned George Jeffery to be Executor & Executrix to my last Will & Testament
& if my neither my Sister Ann nor Susannah be living at the time of my decease I do then constitute and appoint my Sister Hester Milner together with the above mentioned George Jeffery to be Executor & Executrix of this my last Will and Testament which I have written with my own hand

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Name & Seal the nineteenth day of June in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & Eighty eight
Thos. Milner

Signed Sealed Published and declared by the said Testator Thomas Milner to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses in the presence of the Testator and of each other
Js Smyth - Finch Hollingworth - John Green Junr.

Codicil to the last Will & Testament of Thos Milner M I having made my last Will & Testament in my own handwriting & executed the same on the nineteenth day of June in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred & eighty eight in which I have appointed George Jeffery Esqr. of London and my Sister Ann Milner to be Executor & Executrix of the same

I do by this present Codicil repeal that appointment so far as it relates to my Sister Ann Milner because she has been rendered incapable of performing that Service by a stroke of the Palsy & I do now constitute and appoint the said George Jeffery Esquire and my Sister Susannah Milner to be Joint Executor & Executrix of my said last Will and Testament and of this Codicil

I give & bequeath to Gabriel Allen Surgeon Apothecary & Manmidwife now living at Maidstone One hundred pounds for his diligent attention to business and for his exemplary caution in the management of his various concerns
and if the said Gabriel Allen shall not be living at the time of my decease I then give & bequeath the said Legacy of One hundred pounds to be equally divided between the Children of the said Gabriel Allen

This Codicil in my own handwriting was executed on the twenty fourth day of December in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred & ninety five by me
Thos. Milner

Signed Sealed & declared to be a Codicil to his last Will & Testament by the Testator in our presence who have subscribed our Names as Witnesses to the Execution of the same
Waltr Harris Hatter - Robt. Harris Salesman - John Elvy Junr. Draper

This Will was proved at London with a Codicil the twenty eighth day of September in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety seven before the Right Honorable Sir William Wynne Knight Doctor of Laws Master Keeper of Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oaths of George Jeffery Esquire and Susanna Milner Spinster the Sister of the deceased and the Executors named in the said Codicil to whom administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and credits of the said deceased to whom admon. was granted having been first sworn duly to administer the same.

Transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh Mason, 31st May 2020

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