First I Give and bequeath unto my Son John my Clock
and unto my Son William my Silver Watch
and unto my Sons Johns Wife a Silk Gown and Petticoat
and unto my Son Johns Daughter Mary a Silk Gown and Petticoat
And unto my Grandson William the Son of my Son William my Bureau a desk
And as to all the rest residue and remainder of my Personal Estate and also all my Real Estates whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kind soever the same shall be that I shall be possessed of at the time of my decease I Give devise and bequeath the same unto my Kinsmen Joseph Sladden and John Sladden both of Folkestone aforesaid Mariners whom I nominate constitute and appoint Executors of this my Will
To hold unto them the said Joseph Sladden and John Sladden and the Survivor and their and his Heirs and Assigns absolutely for ever But Upon this Special Trust and Confidence And for the purposes hereinafter mentioned (that is to say)
They do as soon as conveniently may be after my decease pay and discharge all such just Debts that I shall owe at the time of my decease my Funeral Expences and the charges of proving this my Will and of carrying the Trusts thereof into execution And in case after Sale of my Household Furniture and Effects there shall not be sufficient to pay off and discharge the same then I do hereby inpower authorize and direct my said Executors and Trustees to sell and dispose of such part of my said real or personal Estate as they in their discretion shall see fit for discharging the same as aforesaid But in case my said Executors shall not find it necessary to sell or dispose of any of my said Real or Personal Estates for the purposes aforesaid or in case they shall have happened to dispose of any part thereof then as to such and so much and such part or parts thereof as shall not be disposed of I do hereby give devise and bequeath the same unto my said Executors and Trustees and their Heirs and Assigns and the Heirs and Assigns of the Survivor of them for ever
But Upon this Special Trust and Confidence that they do not sell or dispose of any part thereof for and during the term of twenty six years from the Day of the date of this my Will to be fully complete and ended and the Rents Issues Interests Annuities and Profits arising therefrom in the mean time after deducting the collecting getting in and paying of the same I direct that they do pay and dispose of the same in manner hereinafter mentioned (that is to say)
One Moiety or half part thereof I direct shall be yearly paid to my Son John or his Assigns
And the other remaining half part thereof I direct shall be yearly paid unto my Son William or his assigns
But in case either or both of my said Sons should happen to die during the said time of twenty six years as
aforesaid then I order and direct that the Moiety of him or them so dying as aforesaid shall be equally
paid to and amongst his children towards their Maintenance Education and bringing up
And immediately form and after the end or Expiration of the said term of twenty six years I do request order and direct that they do then sell and dispose of all my said Real and Personal Estate and Estates that shall then remain unsold or undisposed of for the best price and most Money that can be had or gotten for the same and the Purchase Money arising therefrom after all Costs and Charges attending such Sale I do give devise and dispose of thereof in manner following (that is to say)
One Moiety thereof to my Son John and the other Moiety thereof to my Son William
But it is my Will and intention that all Interest and Principal Monies that shall be due and payable at the time of
my decease from the date of a certain Bond bearing date the twenty fourth day of October One
thousand seven hundred and seventy seven entered into by me to the said Joseph Sladden and
which I desire may be paid and discharged directly after my decease being the proper debts of my
said Son John and for which I stood bound as aforesaid shall be deducted out of my said Son Johns
share or Moiety And the same shall be paid to my said Son William
And in case either of my said Sons shall happen to die before the expiration of the said term of twenty six Years then and in such Case the share of him so dying shall be paid to his children then living and the issue of their bodies in case they or either of (them) shall be dead in equal shares and proportions But in case both of my said Sons shall be dead at the expiration of the said term of twenty six years then I order and direct that the whole Monies arising by such Sale or Sales as aforesaid shall be equally divided to and amongst all the Children of the two bodies of my said Sons lawfully begotten and the issue of such of them as shall happen to be dead in equal shares and proportions without any preference whatsoever
And I hereby declare that all and every Person or Persons to whom my said Trustees or the Survivor of them or the Heirs or Assigns of such Survivor shall by Virtue of the power hereby to them given make Sale of and convey my said Real and Personal Estate and Estates or any part thereof upon the Payment of his her or their Purchase Money unto them my said Trustees of the Survivor of them or the Heirs or Assigns of such Survivor and having their or his Receipt or Receipts for the same should be effectually discharged therefrom
And I do further declare that my said Executors and Trustees or either of them shall not be answerable or accountable for any Monies or Effects arising from the said Trust but which shall actually come to their or either of their Hands unless the same shall happen thro’ the Wilful Neglect or default of them or either of them and that neither of them shall be answerable or accountable for his non Acts and deeds only
hereby revoking and making void all former and other Wills by me at any time heretofore made And I do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament
In Witness whereof I the said William Sladden the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament
contained in this and the preceding sheet of Paper set my hand and Seal (that is to say) to the top of
the first sheet where the said Sheets are affixed together and my hand and seal to this last this twenty
third day of Marsh in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty two
William Sladden
Signed Sealed Published and declared by the said William Sladden the Testator as and for his last
Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of
each other have hereunto Subscribed our Names as Witnesses
Ann Reynolds - Wm. Reynolds - J.J. Furley
This Will was Proved at London the twenty first day of April in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty six before the Right Worshipful Peter Calvert Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oaths of Joseph Sladden and John Sladden the Executors named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the deceased they having been first sworn by Commission duly to administer.
Notes:
William Sladden was buried at SS Mary and Eanswith, Folkestone on 6th March 1786. The entry in the
register has a large X after it, and it turns out the Sladden family has been picked out this way in the register –
probably NOT by the vicar!
Transcribed by Mrs. Shelagh Mason, 24th May 2020
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of William Sladden