The
following Will is that of John Wedderburn, bap. at Newhills, Aberdeenshire
[some seven miles to the north-west
of Aberdeen], on 20/9/1780, only son of James Wedderburn in �Whitekilns�,
Newhills. (W.B. p. 479 & IGI)
The Will was written on 23rd November 1846 with a Codicil added
the following day - the day of John�s death - at 1 Prince�s Place,
Duke Street, St. James, Westminster, aged 66.
A
footnote on W.B. p. 485 indicates that James Wedderburn of Inchmarlo (Kincardineshire)
is the same person as James
Wedderburn of Echt (Aberdeenshire),
who m. Isobel Forbes at Old Meldrum on 22/12/1766. [On
W.B. p. 485 the year of their marriage is shown as 1760 but on W.B.
p. 223 - and in the IGI - the year is given as 1766.] In
the footnote �A.W.� writes: �James Wedderburn of the parish of Echt
has not been identified, and the register of births of the parish of Echt,
which has been searched 1678-1819, contains no mention of any Wedderburn.
See ante p. 223. James moved to Inchmarlo, in the parish of Banchory
Ternan, and had three daughters baptised there: Elizabeth, 22 Sept.
1772, Agnes, 23 Oct. 1774, m. � Fowler, and died a widow at
Carnoustie 28 April 1860, and Henrette [sic],
6 Aug. 1776. They are all described as daughters of �James W. at
Inchmarlo by his wife Isabell Forbes�. The Christian names of two of
these three sisters, and the marriage of one of them, enable us to connect
with them three other persons, viz., John Wedderburn of 1 Princes Place,
Duke Street, St. James, who died there 24 Nov. 1846, aged 66, leaving a
Will naming his sisters, Agnes (Mrs. Fowler), Henrietta (Mrs.
Black), Mary (Mrs. Dean), and the late Christian (Mrs. Brand). He directs his funeral in Old Brompton Cemetery�.
On
W.B. page 479 �A.W.�suggests that James Wedderburn, �gardener�
in Newhills, near Aberdeen, whose daughter Christian, �residenter at
Dalry�, married at Edinburgh, 2 March 1793, John Brand, baxter in
Portsburgh, may be the father
[my italics] to James Wedderburn in Whitekilns, parish of Newhills, who
had three children baptised there: Mary 26 June 1778, John,
22 Sept. 1780 and Helen 14 Aug. 1782.
John�s
Will, however, shows that as well as having a sister Mary, Christian (Mrs.
Brand) was his sister. This makes it clear that James Wedderburn
�gardener in Newhills� is the same
person as James Wedderburn �in Whitekilns� - not his father.
Also, as Agnes, who m. --- Fowler, and �Henrietta� are John�s
sisters, James Wedderburn �of Echt� (who m. Isabell Forbes in 1766 and moved to Inchmarlo) must be the
same person as James
Wedderburn at Whitekilns, Newhills.
[The
Aberdeen IGI shows that Agnes (bap.
1774) m. Alexander Fowler at Old Machar on 2/9/1805 and that Mary (bap.1778) m. William Deans at Old Machar on 12/11/1803.
The Fife IGI shows that Henrietta (bap.
1776 as �Henrette�) m. John Black at Dunfermline on
11/6/1813. (Christian�s baptism cannot be found but, presumably, she was
born before Elizabeth in 1772.)]
A
Jane Davis m. a John Wetherburn the church of St. Peter and St.
Paul, Milton-by-Gravesend, Kent, on 21 Oct. 1804. (The
m. is shown in the Kent IGI under �Davies� and also under �Weatherburn�,
as John Wetherburn m. Jane Davis.) On 8 Nov. 1826, �Administration
of all and singular of Jane Weatherburn formerly Davis Spinster
late of Greenwich Kent deceased was granted to John Weatherburn the
lawful husband of the deceased�. Estate �100. [Ref. found in a list of �possible corruptions of the name�, in W.B.
Vol. II, p. 523. - Details from the records of the London Consistory Court
obtained from the London Metropolitan Archives.] Is this John the writer of the attached Will?
A
Jane Davis, d. of a Robert Davis & Sarah --- was bap. at Gravesend,
Kent, on 31 Dec. 1786. (There are,
however, a great many other �Jane Davis� baptisms in the London/Middlesex
IGI.)
An
Eliza Flower m. a Robert Henry Davies
at St. George�s, Hanover Square, on 14 Nov. 1835. - Whether Eliza Davis living at 28 Marsham St. in 1841 was this Eliza Flower has yet
to be discovered, but a Robert Henry Davies, tobacconist, is shown
in �Pigot�s 1839 Directory� at 206 Shoreditch, and a Robert Davis,
tobacconist, is shown at 22 Queen�s Row, Pentonville. (There are a few other �Roberts�, both Davis and Davies, shown in
�Pigot�.)
In
the London/Middlesex IGI, an Edmund Flower, s. of John Flower & Maria
---, was bap. at St. Botolph�s, Bishopsgate, on 4 March 1801. (No marriage can be found for John and Maria but in a John Flower,
Merchant, is shown in �Pigot� at 62 Bread St. in the City of London. -
A Philip William Flower is shown at that address in the �Addenda� and
a John Wickham Flower, Solicitor, lived at No. 61.) - An Edmund Flower
m. a Mary Ann Beard at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on 12 Feb. 1826. Edmund Flower and
Mary Ann had a s. Henry bap. there on 25 Dec. 1828, and a s. James
bap. there on 13 May 1838. Edmund Flower of 28 Marsham St. is shown
in �Pigot� as �painter &c.�.
A
George Davis Flower, s. of a George Flower & Ann ---, was bap. at St.
Mary�s, St. Marylebone, on 24 Nov. 1793, and a George Davis Flower m.
Mary Baldridge on 8 July 1822 at St. Luke�s, Old St., Finsbury. (See *
below.) - In the 1841 �Westminster Poll Book� a David Davies
is shown as living at No. 43 Marsham Street (where William�s son Joseph and his wife Sarah were living in 1841).
The Census shows that David Davies (�not
born in the County�), was a grocer �aged 55�.
Is
the recurrence of the name Davis/Davies simply �coincidental� - as is
the similarity of the surnames �Flower� and �Fowler�, maybe? (A Charles
Fowler rebuilt �Hungerford
Market� in 1833)
[*
In footnote� on W.B. p. 506, in which �A.W.� names the daughters of
Robert-the-Black Preacher�s son Jabez, no daughter named �Mary Ann�
is shown. The baptismal register of St. Luke�s, Old Street, Finsbury,
however, shows that Mary Ann Wedderburn �d. of Jabez Wedderburn &
Sophia Clarkson Surrage� was b. at Great Arthur St. on 18/9/1822
& was bap. on 22 Dec. 1822. No d.o.b. or baptism is
shown in the W.B. for Sophia Phoebe, �e.d. of Jabez & Sophia�
but, according to the IGI, Sophia Phebe
(sic) �d. of Jabez Wedderburn & Sophia�, was bap. at Christ
Church, Spitalfields, Stepney, on 29 Dec. 1822
- though
this entry does not appear to be in the Christ Church register. (If
Jabez was 79 at his death in 1880, as his family believed, he was only 16
at this time!) - An unidentified Isabella Wedderburn m. an Andrew Fish
at St. Luke�s, Old Street, Finsbury, on 20/2/1831 and two of the
children of Robert-the-B.P.�s son Jacob (& his wife Mary Williams),
Hope and William Wedderburn, were baptised there on bap. 13/12/1835 and
16/7/1837. (Both apparently died in August 1837 but they were not twins, as
�A.W.� suggests on W.B. p. 506.)
- Could some of these �mystery� children belong to Jabez�
& Jacob�s earlier-born brothers who are not mentioned in the account
in the W.B.?]
This
is the last Will and Testament of
me John
Wedderburn now living at N� 1 Prince�s Place Duke Street in the Parish of Saint
James Westminster in the County of Middlesex ffirst I desire that my body
may be decently but not expensively buried at the Cemetery situate at Old
Brompton in the said County of Middlesex I give and bequeath unto Mr
Edward Winder of N� 1 Prince�s Place Duke Street in the Parish of Saint
James aforesaid also to Eliza Winder his wife and Mary Winder his daughter
the sum of ten pounds each for mourning and as a token of my esteem I give
and bequeath to my nephew William ffowler of N� 10 Saint Martins Street
Leicester Square in the Parish of Saint Martin in the Fields the sum of
forty pounds and to my nephew John ffowler of the same place the sum of
twenty five pounds and I direct that the legacies hereinbefore given shall
be paid by my executor hereinafter named out of my personal estate and
effects and after payment thereof I give and bequeath all the rest residue
and remainder of my Estate
and Effects whether
real or personal over which I may have disposing power at the time of my
decease to my nephew the said William ffowler upon trust that as soon as
practicable after my decease he shall convert the same into money and pay
and divide the produce thereof unto and among my three sisters now living
that is to say Agnes ffowler Henrietta Black and Mary Deans and the
daughters of my deceased sister Christian Brand share and share alike such
portion [p. 2] to the children of my last named /sister/ Christian Brand
to be considered as the respective share only their parent would have been
entitled to if living and I direct that such shares to my three sisters
now living shall be paid to them free from the control or interference of
their respective husbands notwithstanding coverture and that the receipts
of them my said three sisters shall be sufficient discharges to my
executor for the same and lastly I hereby nominate /constitute/ and
appoint my nephew the said William ffowler sole Executor
of this my Will hereby hereby revoking all former Will or Wills by me at
any time heretofore made I declare this only to be my last Will and
Testament in witnefs whereof I have hereunto affixed my name this twenty
third day of November one thousand eight hundred and forty six. John Weddburn
[sic]
Signed by the said Testator John Wedderburn and by him declared to
be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same
time at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other - John Lenden of Number 3 Princes
Place Duke Street St James�s Tailer - John Ely Cousins 4b Duke Street
St. James�s Carpenter�s app.
This
is a Codicil to the last Will and Testament of me John
Wedderburn of N� 1 Prince�s Place Duke Street in the Parish of Saint James
Westminster (which Will bears date the twenty third day of November one
thousand eight hundred and forty six and which I hereby order and direct
may be taken as part of my said Will Whereas in my said Will (after
payment of several pecuniary legacies therein mentioned) is contained a
bequest to my nephew William ffowler of all the rest residue and remainder
of my personal Estate and Effects upon trust after converting the same
into money to pay and divide the produce thereof unto and amongst my three
sisters then living viz Agnes ffowler Henrietta Black and Mary Deans and
the daughters of my deceased sister Christian Brand share and share alike
such children to take the part or share only their parent would have been
entitled to if living Now I do hereby revoke such last named bequest to my
nephew the said William ffowler and in lieu thereof do give and bequeath
(after payment of the said pecuniary legacies) all such residue and
remainder of my said personal estate and effects to my said nephew William
ffowler upon trust that after such conversion as aforesaid to pay thereout
unto each of my said sisters the said Agnes ffowler Henrietta Black and
Mary Deans the sum of fifty pounds a piece and amongst the daughters of my
said deceased sister Christian Brand the sum of fifty pounds to be divided
between them share and share alike and the receipts of my said sisters and
such children or on [sic] alone to be sufficient discharges for the same
and after the payment of such last named sums then I give and bequeath
what shall remain of such residue of my said personal estate and effects
unto my said nephew William ffowler to and for his own absolute use
benefit and disposal and I hereby ratify and confirm in all other respects
my said Will and the orders bequests and directions therein contained In
Witnefs whereof I have hereunto affixed my name this twenty fourth day of
November one thousand eight hundred and forty six John
Wedderburn X
his mark Signed by the said John Wedderburn and by him declared to be a
Codicil to his last Will and Testament in the presence of us present at
the same time who in his presence at his request and in the presence of
each other have hereto affixed our names as witnefses
- John
Lenden of Number 3 Princes Place Duke Street St James�s Tailer - John
Ely Cousins 4b Duke Street St. James�s Carpenter�s app.
Proved
at London /with a Codicil/ 3rd December 1846 before the
worshipful John Danbury Doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the Oath of
William ffowler the nephew the sole executor to whom Admon was granted
having been first sworn duly to administer.
Selected
from the Register of the Prerogative Court of (?)York
|