To this my last Will and Testament I do appoint my Dear and Loving Wife Elizabeth Wood and my Loving Brother Fetherick Hill Joynt Executors and Administrators desiring and requiring them to see and perform the Items following, Vizt.
Item I give and bequeath unto my abovesaid Wife Elizabeth Wood (over and above the Estate our Joynt Purchase in the Isle of Sheepway) the House I now live in lately purchased of Mrs. Mary Rouse with all the Goods, Chattells and Appurtenances thereunto belonging As also all the Furniture as well Plate, Linnen, Liquor Bottles, Tubs, Vessells or any other thing or things as they now are or shall be at my decease during her Natural Life
And I do further give unto my said Wife Elizabeth Wood the Sum of Four hundred pounds Lawfull money of Great Britain after my Funeral Charges and all my Lawfull Debts are paid and discharged, to be and remain to her and her disposal as she shall appoint at the time of her decease or Sooner as she shall think Proper, the Estate in Shepway being already settled so as to be equally divided amongst my Children at and after our decease
My Will and meaning is that my Worldly Goods &c.? be also equally divided amongst my now Six Children or the Survivor or Survivors of them, Share and Share alike Except as hereafter Excepted (that is to say)
Item that all the remainder of my Worldly Endowments be they in Money, Bill, Bonds, Notes, Stock in Trade and whatever else shall appear
to belong to me at my Decease I give between my Six Children, Vizt. Rebecca, George, Frances, Mary, Elizabeth and Hanah the
Survivor or Survivors of them Share and Share alike to be paid them in One Whole Year after my Interment if they require it
I mean such of them as shall be above the Age of twenty one years, but those under the age of twenty
one, unless they shall sooner marry and my Wife Consent thereto and not otherways
My Intent and meaning is that their several Moietys shall not be paid (tho’ they or any of them should marry) until they arrive at the
full Age of twenty One, unless She Consents thereto
And in Case my Wife shoul[d] dye before my said Children come of Age, vizt. twenty One, I leave in the Power and at the Discretion of my
other Executor his Heirs or assigns whether he will pay them their respective Shares at the time of Marriage or at the full Age of twenty
One
Item I give unto my said Six Children or the Survivors of them (at the Death of my Wife) the House I
now live in with all the Goods and Appurtenances thereunto belonging at the Demise of my said Wife, Share and Share alike
But in regard my Son George has been at a greater Expence to me in his Education than any of his Sisters and as he cost me a hundred
pounds on my placing him with an Attorney my Will and Intent is the above Sum of One hundred pounds be lookt upon as part of his Share
of what money I shall be possest of at my Death in which he or any the rest of my said Children shall by the Intent and meaning of this
my Will have any right or title at the time of my decease And my Will is that it be deducted accordingly
And this I do forgetting and forgiveing any mistakes he has made to disoblige me but with a pure intent and meaning only that my Children should Share equally as in my Love and Affections So in my Fortune and Worldly Endowm[en]ts which God in his Infinite Mercy prosper to them
Signed and Sealed this 19. of April 1737 and in the tenth year of the reign of Our Sovereign Lord
George the Second of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith etc.
Danl. Wood
Witnesses: R. Boyle, Mary Boyle, Frances Hill
H.M.S. Augusta at Gibraltar
Having sometime since made my last Will and Testament which I left in the hands of my Dear Wife
and in which I had left my Son George Wood as a Child (with some few Exceptions) Equal in case of
my Death with the rest of my Children to all that I should be possesst of at my own and
my Wifes decease but in regard that he has on so many Occasions been undutifull and frequently
given both his Mother, my Self and his Friends the utmost uneasyness more particularly in having marryed himself to a Barbers Daughter
at Gosport directly against my advice and Consent nay against my Positive Commands to the contrary and those backt with
this Resolution to him under my hand when I first was informed (by his Uncle Julius) of his Designs that way
That in case he marryed that person (the Barbers Daughter) or any other without mine of his Mothers Consent first obtained That I would
imediately alter my Will and not leave him more than One Single Shilling were I to dye possest of thousands
In hopes that that would prevail upon him to have some Consideration to my Commands and the uneasiness he knew he must give to his
Indulgent Parents and in Consideration of the many ways he had disobliged before and been forgiven
But as nothing could prevail upon him to have tenderness Duty or regard to them I here Confirm my former resolution and do in the presence of Almighty God entirely cut him, his Heirs or Assigns from any Share or Property in any manner whatsoever of my Goods, Chattells, moneys, Bills, Bonds, Plate, Household Goods or any matter of thing else that I shall be possesst at my Decease Except One Sterling Shilling
And I do in every other respect hereby ratify and confirm all and every the Items of my former Will Left as beforesaid in the possession of my Loving Wife And Hope She, should it Please God that she should Outlive me, will have a due Consideration to the Duty and regard that is payd to her by the rest of her Children who at present are Exceeding Dutifull which God of his infinite Mercy continue
Dated as above the Eleventh of January in the Year of Our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and thirty nine
Danl. Wood
Appeared Personally Elizabeth Wood of the Parish of Greenwich in the County of Kent Widow One of the Executors named in the Last Will and Testament of Daniel Wood late of Greenwich aforesaid late Purser on Board His Majesty’s Ship the Augusta deceased and James Wood of the Victualling Office London, Gentleman, and being severally sworn on the Holy Evangelist to depose the truth, deposed as followeth, to wit.
that they severally knew and were well Acquainted with Daniel Wood aforesaid deceased for several
years before and to the time of his Death and thereby and by often seeing him write and Subscribe his
Name and by receiving Letters from him became well Acquainted with his manner and Character of
Hand Writing and having now seen and perused the Paper Writing or Codicil annexed to the said Will of the said deceased beginning thus:
Augusta at Gibraltar Having sometime since made my last Will and Testament... and so forth And Ending thus:
Dated as above the Eleventh of January in the year of Our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and thirty nine and thus Subscribed: Danll Wood
they severally Swear and depose that they verily believe in their Consciences that the same was and is
totally wrote and Subscribed by and with the Proper Hand of the said Daniell Wood deceased
Eli. Wood, James Wood
On the 17th day of November 1740 the said Elizabeth Wood Widow and James Wood were sworn to
the truth of this Affidavit before me E. Kinaston Surr[ogate]
This Will was proved at London with a Codicill Annexed the Seventeenth day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred
and Forty Before me the Wppfull Edward Kinaston, Doctor of Laws, Surrogate of the Right Wpfull John Bettesworth, Doctor of Laws, Master
Keeper or Comissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, lawfully constituted By the Oath of Elizabeth Wood, Widow, the Relict, and
one of the Executors in the said Will named to whom Administration was granted of all and Singular the Goods, Chattells
and Credits of the said deceased being Sworn duly to Administer
Reserving Power to make the like Grant to Fretherick or Frederick Hill the other Executor named in the said Will, when he prays the same.
Exd.
Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 14th September 2021
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of Daniel Wood