| The Last Will and Testament of me Charles CHURCHILL of Fordington in the County of Dorset, Gentleman being sick and weak in Body but of sound and perfect mind and memory (Thanks be given to God Almighty) First: my will and meaning is hereby declared to be that my kinsman William CHURCHILL Gentleman (one of the sons of my late uncle Henry CHURCHILL of Dorchester in the County aforesaid Gentleman) and his assigns shall immediately from and after my decease during the term of his natural life have hold and enjoy receive and take to his and their own proper use and behoof the Rents Issues and profits of all that my farm and lands commonly called 'Louds Farm' (3) with all and singular the appurtenances situate within the Parish of Fordington aforesaid (except the water grist Mills Stable & Barn by me leased out to John COAT for fourscore and nineteen years if he and his son shall so long live being parcels of the said farm) and in like manner that the said William CHURHILL and his assigns shall during his life have receive and take the rents issues and profits of all those my hundreds acres of arable lands be the same more or less lying dispersed in the common fields of Fordington aforesaid All which lands and premises (except as aforesaid) I give and devise unto the said William CHURCHILL during the term of his natural life And from and after the decease of the said William CHURCHILL I give and devise the fee simple and inheritance of all and singular the said farm lands hereditaments & premises with their appurtenances unto my Nephew William CHURCHILL Esq (only son of of my late deceased brother William CHURCHILL Esq) and his heirs male forever And in default of such issue male then I give and devise the same lands and hereditaments and premises to Henry CHURCHILL of Bishops Morton (4) in the County of Devon Clerke (The other son of my said uncle Henry CHURCHILL deceased) and the heirs male of his body begotten or to be begotten for ever Item: I give unto John COAT my servant the sum of ten pounds to be paid him by my executor hereinafter named within the space of one year next after my decease And Lastly: I do hereby give all other my personal estate unto my said kinsman William CHURCHILL xxxxx First above named whom I hereby constitute and make executor and residuary legatee of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills and testaments by me made In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set may hand and seal the sixth day of July Anno Domini One Thousand Seven Hundred Twenty and Three. Charles CHURCHILL Signed sealed published and declared to be the last will and testament of the said Charles CHURCHILL in presence of us who subscribed names witnessed hereto in the testators presence. William BARTLETT; Morgan HARBIN; Morgan HARBIN Junior Genealogical Notes:- (1) Charles CHURCHILL (1658-1723) was buried at St Georges Church in Fordington on 14 Jul 1723. He had been baptised at Piddlehinton in Dorset on 1st March 1658 and inherited the Munston estate at Piddlehinton from his father in 1702 and his brothers property of Colliton House in Dorchester and Louds Farm and 100 acres in Fordington Fields in 1709. (2) William CHURCHILL (1686-1737) the main beneficiary under this will was the 2nd son of Mr Henry CHURCHILL of Dorchester by his 2nd wife Elizabeth nee Cheeke and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 4th Aug 1686 (3) Louds Farm Fordington. According to John Hutchins Louds Mills was a small farm situate about 1 mile east from Fordington. In 1613 Louds Field anciently called Graywick consisted of 800 acres rented at £5 per annum and belonged to John CHURCHILL but he added other lands to it. Extract from Dorset Life A little further on, the millstream and the Frome proper unite before reaching Loud’s Mill. First built in the 1590s when it was a fulling-mill, in 1607 ‘Lutsmill’ was another of John Churchill’s possessions. It was re-built in 1825 by William Stanton as an over-large woollen cloth factory, but it could not compete with the textile industry of northern England. It was demolished in the 1980s. (4) Bishops Morton is in fact 'Morchard Bishop' a large village, 6 miles N.W. by N. of Crediton, including many scattered houses and the small hamlets, &c. |