I give and devise all that messuage or tenements wherein I usually reside, situate and being on the west side of the Town of Tonbridge aforesaid with the outhouses, edifices, buildings, stable, slaughterhouse, yards, gardens, grounds and appurtenances to the same belonging. Also all that messuage or tenement, situate and being at or near Sevenoaks in the County aforesaid with the outhouses, edifices, buildings, yards, gardens or appurtenance as the same belonging or appertaining as the same are now in the tenure or occupation of Mrs ____ Hills her assigns or undertenants unto my Brother Thomas Relph of Tonbridge aforesaid, Yeoman, and to his heirs and assigns forever.
Also I give and devise all those two messuages or tenements with the outhouses, buildings yards, gardens, ground and appurtenances hereto respectively belonging and appertaining situate and being in or near the Church Lane in the Town of Tonbridge aforesaid and now in the several tenures or occupations of the Reverend Jefferson and Mr Thomas Kingswood, their respective assigns or undertenants unto the said Thomas Relph and Thomas Relph the Elder of Kemsing in the said County of Kent, Yeoman, equally to be divided between them share and share alike as tenants in common and not as joint tenants and to their several and respective heirs and assigns forever.
I give and bequeath unto my Brother Thomas Relph of Tonbridge aforesaid the Interest Dividends and Proceed of three thousand four hundred pounds three per cent consolidated annuities now standing in my name in the books of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England to be paid to or received by my said brother, his assigns for and during the term of his natural life and from and after his decease I do give and bequeath the said three thousand four hundred pounds three per cent consolidated annuities unto the said Thomas Relph the Elder of Kemsing to and for his own use and benefit and my will is that the same shall be considered as a vested interest in the said Thomas Relph the Elder of Kemsing and in the case of his decease in the lifetime of the said Thomas Relph of Tonbridge shall after the decease of the said Thomas Relph of Tonbridge go be paid unto the Executors or Administrators of the said Thomas Relph the Elder of Kemsing.
I give and bequeath unto the said Thomas Relph of Tonbridge and Thomas Relph the Elder of Kemsing and the survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor One thousand and three hundred pounds drawn five per cent now standing in my name in the Books of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England upon Trust nevertheless and I do so give and bequeath the same to and for the sole and seperate use benefit and advantage of my sister Sarah Camfield the wife of Thomas Camfield of Speldhurst in the said county, Gentleman, and with which the said present or any future husband shall not intermeddle, neither shall the same be subject to his or their Debts Controul Disposition or Engagement and my will is and I do hereby direct that the said One thousand and three hundred pounds drawn five per cent annuities and every part thereof and the Interest, Dividends and Proceeds thereof shall from time to time be paid and disposed of as well after the decease of the said Sarah Camfield as in her lifetime to such person or persons and in such manner as she, the said Sarah Camfield by any writing or writings under her hand to be by her signed in the presence of two or more credible witnesses shall from time to time appoint, and if the said One thousand and three hundred pounds drawn five per cent annuities or the interest thereof or any part thereof shall remain unreceived and unappointed by her at her decease then the whole of such annuities and interest or such part thereof respectively as shall so remain unreceived and unappointed shall go and be paid and transferred unto the executors and Administrators of the said Sarah Camfield to be applied in a course of Administration, but I direct that it shall be lawful for the said Trustees respectively by and out of the same trust monies or some part thereof to reimburse themselves all such costs, charges, damages and expenses as they shall from time to time respectively suffer, sustain or be put unto in the execution of the said trusts or any of them.
I give and bequeath unto John Relph, son of my Brother Richard Relph, late of Speldhurst in the
said county, deceased, the sum of One hundred and fifty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain.
To Thomas Relph, another son of the same Richard Relph the like sum of One hundred and fifty poundsof like money.
To Thomas Mead, the son of Grantham Mead and my late sister Mary his wife the like sum of One hundred and fifty pounds of like money.
To Mary Wizzell, wife of _____ Wizzell, daughter of the said Grantham Mead and Mary his wife, the like sum of One hundred and fifty pounds of like money.
To William Camfield, son of the said Thomas Camfield and Sarah his wife, the sum of One hundred pounds of like lawful money.
To Sarah Cave, the wife of Mr Joseph Cave and one of the daughters of the said Thomas
Camfield and Sarah his wife, the sum of Fifty pounds of like lawful money.
To Elizabeth Birch, wife of Richard Birch and one other of the daughters of Thomas Camfield
and his wife Sarah, the like sum of Fifty pounds of like lawful money.
To Mary Camfield, Spinster, one other of the daughters of the said Thomas Camfield and his
wife Sarah the like sum of Fifty punds of like lawful money.
To Mary Wray, the wife of Richard Wray of Sevenoaks in the said County, Yeoman, and the
daughter of my late brother Robert Relph and Elizabeth his wife the sum of Five hundred pounds of like lawful money.
To Ann Everest wife of William Everest and another daughter of my said late brother Robert
Relph and Elizabeth his wife the like sum of Five hundred pounds of like lawful money.
To Mr Joshua Sturley of Groombridge in the parishes of Withyham in Sussex or Speldhurst in
Kent or one of them, Surgeon and Apothecary the sum of One hundred pounds of like money.
To Sarah Smith, now living as a servant within, if she shall be in my service at my decease the sum of Ten pounds of like money.
To William Whittin of Tonbridge aforesaid the like sum of Ten pounds of like money.
To Edward Fry the Elder of Leigh next Tonbridge aforesaid, Butcher, the like sum of Ten pounds of like money.
To the said Thomas Relph the Elder of Kemsing aforesaid the sum of Three hundred and twenty pounds of like lawful money,
and to my much esteemed acquaintance and friend John Mills of Camberwell in the County of
Surrey, Esquire, the sum of Thirty pounds of like lawful money.
All which money legacies I will and direct shall be paid to the said legatees within twelve calendar months next after my decease and my will further is that the same shall be considered as vested interests in the same respective legatees and in the case of the decease of any one or more of them before the said legacies shall become payable the legacy of him or them so dying shall go and be paid to his or their administrators and in respect to the legacies of such said female legatees as shall be under Coverture at my decease my will is that the same shall be paid to such legatees respectively to and for their sole and seperate use and benefit and with which their respective husbands shall not intermeddle neither shall the same be subject to their respective Debts, Controul, Disposition or Engagement and the receipt of such from all legatees about and without their respective husbands shall be good and sufficient discharges to my executors for such respective legacies
all that Rest, Residue and Remainder of my Ready Moneys, Securities for Money Debts, Goods,
Chattels and Personal Estate and Effects whatsoever, the Debts owing by me, my Funeral Expenses,
the Charges of proving this Will and all other incidental charges being first paid and satisfied
I give and bequeath unto the said Thomas Relph of Tonbridge and Thomas Relph the Elder of
Kemsing equally to be divided between them and to their respective executors and administrators
and I do hereby make and ordain the said Thomas Relph of Tonbridge and Thomas Relph of Kemsing
Joint Executors of this my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former and other wills by me at any time heretofore made.
In witness whereof the said John Relph the Testator have to this my Last Will and Testament
contained in five sheets of paper set my hand and seal, that is to say my hand to the first
four sheets and my hand and seal to this fifth sheet hereof, the day and year in the first sheet first mentioned
John Relph
Signed, Sealed, Published and Declared by the said John Relph the Testator in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request and in the
presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses of the same.
Wm Feldwick - John Jeffrey - Wm Scoones
This Will was proved at London on the fifteenth day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety nine before the Right Honourable Sir William Wynne, Knight, Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of Thomas Relph the Elder and Thomas Relph the Younger, the Executors named in the said will to whom administration was granted to all and singular the Goods, Chattels and Credits of the deceased having been first sworn by commission duly to administer.
Notes:
John Relph was born to Robert Relfe (1683-1763) and Elizabeth Plumer (1689-1741).
His sister, Mary (baptised 19 Aug 1722 Tonbridge), married Grantham Mead 25 March 1747 Old Charlton, Kent. Their daughter, Mary Mead, married
William Burton Wigsell 2 September 1789 Saint Margaret Lothbury, London.
John’s sister Sarah Ralph was baptised 8 May 1735, Tonbridge. She married Thomas Camfield 27 December 1759, Chislehurst, Kent.
His brother, Robert Relph was baptised 18 February 1717, Tonbridge and married Elizabeth Wigsell (c.1726-1789).
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of John Relph