Transcribed by Susan Snelgrove from wills held at
the London Public Records Office
While I have endeavored to be as
correct as humanly possible, there could be some typographical errors
| THE WILL OF
STEPHEN KNIGHT OF ST. JOHN’S 1812
|
| In the fear of the Lord. I
STEPHEN KNIGHT, formerly of Shaftsbury in Dorsetshire England but now residing
in St. John’s Newfoundland being through God’s mercy in good health in ?
perfect use of my intellect knowing the uncertainty of all earthly things the
certainty of mortality desirous of preparing as much as possible for that
awful thing? Do consider it expedient to make my will and I do make and ordain
this to be my last will and testament ? the Lord for the sake of his beloved
Son to receive my Soul having a firm ffaith in all the Divine attributes of
Christ ? under a sense of my total unworthiness and the unvaried mercies of
God towards me all the days of my life so that I am now a monument of his
unbreakable goodness, ffirst I give and bequeath unto CHARLES JAMES FFOX
BENNETT two hundred pounds sterling money of Great Britain to be paid him at
the expiration of his apprenticeship together with the balance of his amount
which may be then due to PARKER KNIGHT and ?BULBY?? Secondly I give and
bequeath unto JOHN MARCH who saved his apprenticeship with no? two hundred
pounds sterling money of Great Britain to be paid to him as soon as possible.
Thirdly I give bequeath unto JAMES MARCH of OLD PERLICAN all my right title
and interest in and to the premises which he now occupies in Old Perlican
aforesaid to be his for ever. Ffourthly I give bequeath to STEPHEN MARCH son
of STEPHEN and ANN MARCH all my right title and interest in and to a room or
plantation in OLD PERLICAN aforesaid lately occupied by his ffather at the
death of the said STEPHEN MARCH to be the property of his children or if he
dies without issue to be the property of his sister ANN MARCH and her heirs
forever. Ffifthly I give and bequeath unto ANN MARCH my wife’s niece now
living with us two hundred pounds in trust with my Executors to be paid to her
on the day of her marriage provided she marries with the consent and
approbation of my Executors in this place or at any other period my Executors
may judge proper if she does not marry. Sixthly I give and bequeath unto MARY
MARCH the sister of ANN MARCH before named one hundred pounds under the same
restrictions as the proceeding bequest to her Sister in that event of her
decease before the money is paid to them it is to become the property of my
wife. Seventhly I give and bequeath unto my sister ANN KNIGHT in England two
hundred pounds. Eighthly I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife ANN KNIGHT
the Daughter of STEPHEN AND ANN MARCH all my right title and interest in and
to a certain premises or plantation known by the name of ALLWARDS situated
between the rooms now occupied by PHILIP BAULAU? And JOHN CODNER east and the
GABIES?Room leased to me by the Governor West in the Harbor of St. John’s
together with all buildings and improvements the room ? at this time the
dwelling house and garden occupied by myself the shop counting house stores
and wharves occupied by PARKER KNIGHT and BULBY the house occupied by GEORGE ?
a ? occupied by MARY FFREEMAN? And JAMES NOUNAN? A fflake and my interest on a
lease of part of the garden or ships room west to be hers during her life if
she remains unmarried and at her decease to become the property of my daughter
ANN KNIGHT and her heirs unless my wife should have another child born within
nine months after my decease and then this property shall at my wife’s death
become the property of such child for ever but if my wife has not another
child within nine months after my decease and should marry again then it shall
be at the option of my daughter ANN KNIGHT to have the premises now divided
and given up to her ? or my trustees paying my wife three thousand pounds for
her life interest in them or if she does not choose to purchase with interest
the premises on the death of my wife with all improvements shall become the
property of my daughter ANN KNIGHT for ever ? ? under every ? the right of to
the branches of my family in the Northeast Corner of the Land. Ninthly I give
and bequeath unto my dearly beloved daughter ANN born of my wife ANN KNIGHT
now in England twelve hundred pounds sterling money of Great Britain now at
interest to my brothers THOMAS and JEREMIAH securities whereof are with my
ffriend ANTHONY (STARRY?) of London together with the sum of nine thousand
pounds sterling money of Great Britain to be raised out of my stock in Trade
and the effects goes which monies shall be shared out at Interest on good ?
security by my Trustees in England and do much of the Interest ? therefrom as
may be necessary shall be for the maintenance and bringing up my said daughter
ANN unto she is of age when her principal and unappropriated interest shall be
her own and at her own disposal for ever. Tenthly I give bequeath unto my
daughter ANN aforementioned all my books drawings? Instruments globes and
papers provided she returns to Newfoundland otherwise my papers only and I do
desire that she may be educated liberally but plan and for that purpose I by
all means ? ask her to remain in England until she be seventeen years of age I
also ? and her to the Society of Ffriends whose principles are in my opinion
the best ? to promote her temporal and everlasting ? and provided my said
Daughter ANN should die before she be of age then the property now bequeathed
to her shall be disposed of as follows one hundred pounds sterling to each of
my brothers JAMES THOMAS JOSEPH AND JEREMIAH KNIGHT one hundred pounds to my
sister ANN KNIGHT one hundred pounds each to JOHN MARCH ANN MARCH AND MARY
MARCH before named five hundred pounds to CHARLES JAMES FFOX BENNETT the
remainder to be the property of my wife for ever provided that my wife should
have another child born within nine months after my decease and my daughter
ANN should die before she be of age then all the property devised to my
daughter ANN shall become the property of such child and in the event of such
child’s death all the property to be disposed of as before provided for the
event of my daughter ANN’s death. Eleventhly I give and bequeath unto my
beloved wife ANN KNIGHT the daughter of STEPHEN and ANN MARCH of OLD PERLICAN
all the residue and remainder of my property of every description after my
debts and bequests are paid and I hope she will be careful of her mother and
her UNCLE WILLIAM and make them comfortable while they live I hope she will
never forget the cause of the poor ? withdraw her assistance from the charity
school I desire that I may be interred in my own garden next to the remains of
MR. MARCH in the plainest manner or as a ffriend ? no mourning be given for me
or even for ? Lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my friends SAMUEL
BULBY my present partner and RICHARD LANGLEY of ST. JOHN’S, Merchant to be
my Executors and trustees with full power and authority to act as such in this
Island in every ? as thought there were no others and I do constitute and
appoint my worthy friends BENJAMIN (BIRKLEY)? Esquire of Bristol Merchant and
GEORGE REAVE? Of Poole, Dorset Merchant to be my Executors and Trustees for my
will in England or otherwise out of this Island and request all of them to ?
the welfare of my Daughter in a particular manner and to see my will executed
according to the ? interest and ? hereof and I do ratify and confirm this and
no other to be my last will and testament in Witness whereof I have hereunto
set my hand and seal this twenty fourth day of the second month called
Ffebruary in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred (twelve)? Stn
Knight. Signed sealed published and pronounced and declared by the said
STEPHEN KNIGHT on his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his
? and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names. Pat
Murphy wm Langley Robert Job.
In the Probate Court Newfoundland. Saint John’s to wit. Personally appeared PATRICK MURPHY of Saint John’s aforesaid Gentleman one of the subscribing witnesses to the will of STEPHEN KNIGHT late of St. John’s Merchant hereunto annexed who being sworn on the Holy Evangelists to depose the truth ? oath and saith that he was present and did see the said STEPHEN KNIGHT sign seal publish pronounce and declare the said will hereunto annexed to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of WILLIAM LANGLEY and ROBERT JOB the other subscribing witnesses to the said Will who in the presence of each other and in the presence of the said Testator severally signed their respective names hereunto as witnesses and this deponent further saith that the said STEPHEN KNIGHT at the time of his signing the aforesaid Will appeared to this deponent to be of a sound disposing mind memory and understanding and that the signature of Stn Knight hereunto put and affixed is of the proper handwriting of the said Stephen Knight and that the signature Pat MURPHY Wm LANGLEY and ROBERT JOB is of the proper handwriting of them the said PATRICK MURPHY, WILLIAM LANGLEY AND ROBERT JOB. PAT. MURPHY. Sworn at St. John’s Newfoundland this 16th July 1813 PROVED at London 2nd December 1814 before the Judge by BENJAMIN BIRKLEY? And GEORGE REAVE? The Executors for England limited as to the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased in England or otherwise except in the Island of Newfoundland but no further or otherwise the said BENJAMIN BIRKLEY having been first sworn and the said GOERGE REAVE? having first made a solemn and sincere declaration or affirmation avowing to Act of Parliament (By ?) duly to administer |
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