Monday, June 20, 2011

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Alderman William Pickett

Today  I am going to share the transcription and the Will of Alderman Pickett.  The past couple of weeks I have been analyzing it carefully trying to find clues to his family life.  It is turning out to be very hard because there are some parts that are very vague.





 I William Pickett, one of the Alderman of London do make this my last will and testament.  I appoint my friends Mr. Wm Bird of Broad Street and Mr. Caleb Talbot of Smithfield my executors and administrators to whom I leave One hundred pounds each.
I would leave my improved household estate in Essex with all the furniture, plate, live stock, carriages, pictures, books together with my furniture in the old Towry to be sold by auction on the premises, Ditchleys, at the proper season of the year.  I would leave my freehold estate in old Fish street as is let to Mr. Ballinger and Co at two hundred and sixty pounds per annum subject to a rent of ten pounds to the parish and some parliamentary and parochial rate.  Likewise my two freehold cottages at Pilgrims Hatch now let for a room to Mr. Crackland with two arable offices part of the Ditcheleys Estate at 19-18 per ann.  Likewise the ____ shares in the _____ office to go to the purposes of my will.  If there is any part of the plate, furniture which Miss Pickett _______ I would have her have full liberty to do as she thinks proper. I leave to Mrs. Shove a natural daughter forty pounds a year for her natural life to be paid half yearly.  I leave forty pounds a year to each of my sons natural children for their natural lives.  I leave forty pounds a year to Paul Wm Parkinson, a natural child for his natural life.  I leave six pounds to a proper saint to be placed out in the world.  I would leave a provision of one hundred pounds paid with living to some trade in the city of ______.  I leave one hundred guineas to ___ Miss E. Bird as executor of estate(?)  I leave ___ guineas to miss Sarah.  I leave twenty guineas to Mr. Parkinson. I leave two hundred pounds a year to my daughter Mary Pickett for her natural life.  All the annuities mentioned in this will I would have secured in the best manner so that persons mentioned viz Miss Pickett, Mrs. Shove, the two children of my sons and P. W. Parkinson so that they may want of ________ able to dispose of them but to remain a permanent security to them against the impositions which are so general in the world.  All the rest of my property I leave to my daughter subject to any _____ or ____ that I shall insert on this sheet of paper.  William Pickett, Nov. 25. 1796.


The freeholds I would have sold in London.  The office as mentioned at Ditchleys by ____ Mr. Smith, Spurrier, Willard, or Burton.


There are some parts that I can't make out.  If you can fill in some blanks, that would be awesome!


Notice how he says "each of my sons natural children for their natural lives" ? What exactly is that supposed to mean?  The only son that the rest of the world knew about predeceased him.  And he doesn't give a first name for his daughter Mrs. Shove.


Oh Alderman, could you be more vague?!

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