Last Will and Testament of William Minier of Adelphi Terrace, Middlesex, and of Oakfield Lodge, Croydon (National Archives reference: PROB 11/1852/91)

Summary

The will of William Minier of Adelphi Terrace, Middlesex, and of Oakfield Lodge, Croydon, was made on 3 September 1835 and proved on 30 September 1835. The executors were John Harman, Thomas Stead Carter, and Charles Ford. According to the probate register copy, William left:

• Various property to Rachael Harvard Minier (the widow of his brother Charles, who had died in 1808):
  • His leasehold house on Adelphi Terrace, along with its contents.
  • His leasehold property on the Strand and freehold warehouse on Villiers Street, both of which were then occupied by “Messrs Nash Adams & Nash”. (An advert on page 3 of the 14 February 1835 Cork Constitution for “Garden and Flower Seeds” recently received from “the House of Nash, Adams and Co., late Minier and Co., Strand, London” suggests that these properties were used for the storage and sale of seeds.)
  • His chambers in the Albany. (The Albany was a mansion on Piccadilly that had been divided into individual “sets”. It is still in existence today, and a reasonable overview of its history can be found on Wikipedia.) (This is slightly out of sequence, and actually comes after the part about Bullen Lane.)
• His leasehold property on an indecipherable street in Middlesex to Rachel for the rest of her life, and after her death in equal shares to all the living children of Mrs Dupin of Cecil Street, Strand.
• Various property to Charles Dupin, “who has resided with me for many years”:
  • His freehold nursery ground on Croydon Common.
  • His freehold property on and near Tower Street in the City of London
  • His freehold and copyhold property in Croydon that was formerly part of the Old Palace of the Archbishops.
  • The lease of his farm at Croydon, along with all the farming stock.
  • All the farming stock at Oakfield Lodge, except the cows.
• His freehold property on Bullen Lane and Maiden Lane to Rachael and Charles during their joint lives, and then to the survivor of the two.
• His freehold and leasehold property on Buckingham Street to Rachael for the rest of her life, and after her death to Charles.
• Various monetary bequests:
  • £500 to Rachael.
  • £200 to Rachael’s sister Elizabeth Stump Gauntlett.
  • An indecipherable sum to his friends Thomas Adams and David Nash.
  • £200 to each of Mrs Dupin’s daughters.
  • £100 to John Sewell.
  • £25 to his “Old Servant” John Brigden.
  • £20 to George ?Hammington?.
  • £10 to each of his “other domestic Servants both in London and at Croydon”.
  • An extra two guineas to Mary, “the Servant who has attended principally on me during my illness”.
• Oakfield Lodge and its “appurtenances” (grounds, outbuildings, etc), along with all his money, other freehold/copyhold/leasehold properties, and anything else not already allocated, on trust to John Harman of Croydon, Thomas Stead Carter of Ballards near Croydon, and Charles Ford of Great Queen Street.
  • These trustees were required to sell all of this as soon as possible, and to use the proceeds to settle any debts, to pay the funeral and testamentary expenses, and to pay the monetary legacies in this will.
  • They were then required to set aside enough money to pay all the legacies specified in his brother’s will that would come due on Rachael’s death.
  • The residue of the money was then to go to Rachael and Charles in equal shares.
• £200 each to his executors (John Harman, Thomas Stead Carter, and Charles Ford).

Below is my transcription of the probate register copy of the will. Bold and italic formatting reflect the different writing styles used in the document, and I have added paragraph breaks to make it easier to read.

Transcription

In the Name of God Amen

I William Minier of Adelphi Terrace in the County of Middlesex and of Oakfield Lodge Croydon in the County of Surrey Esquire being weak in body but of sound mind memory and understanding do make this my last Will and Testament in manner following that is to say

First I give and bequeath unto Mrs Rachael Harvard Minier the leasehold messuage and premises in which I reside on the Adelphi Terrace To hold to her her Executors Administrators and Assigns for and during the Term of years which I have therein And I also give and bequeath unto the said Rachael Harvard Minier all the Furniture Plate Books Wine and other things in or about the said messuage and premises

I also give and bequeath unto the said Rachael Harvard Minier all that Leasehold messuage and premises situate in the Strand in the County of Middlesex in the occupation of Messrs Nash Adams & Nash to hold to her Executors Admors and Assigns for the term of years I have therein

I also give devise and bequeath unto the said Rachael Harvard Minier my Freehold warehouses and premises also occupied by the said Messrs Nash Adams & Nash situate in Villiers Street Strand To hold the same unto and to the use of her her Heirs and Assigns for ever

I also give and bequeath unto the said Rachael Harvard Minier my Leasehold messuage and premises situate in [something] Street in the County of Middlesex To hold to her and her Assigns for so many years of the term I have to come therein as she shall live and immediately on her decease I give and bequeath the said Leasehold premises unto all the children who shall be [something] ?living? of Mrs Dupin of Cecil Street Strand aforesaid their respective Executors Administrators and Assigns in equal shares and proportions

I give and bequeath unto Charles Dupin who has resided with me for many years my Freehold Estate being a Nursery Ground situate on Croydon Common my Freehold Estate consisting of several messuages or tenements situate in and near Tower Street in the City of London and my Freehold and Copyhold Estates consisting of several messuages or tenements and land situate at Croydon aforesaid and purchased by me a few years since and being formerly part of the Old Palace at Croydon aforesaid To hold the said several Freehold and Copyhold Estates respectively unto and to the use of him the said Charles Dupin his heirs and Assigns for ever

I also give and bequeath unto the said Charles Dupin the Lease of my Farm at Croydon aforesaid together with all the Farming stock thereon and also the Farming stock situate at Oakfield Lodge except the Cows

I give devise and bequeath my Freehold Estates situate in Bullen Court Strand and Maiden Lane in the County of Middlesex unto the said Rachael Harvard Minier and Charles Dupin To hold to them and their Assigns for and during the term of their joint lives and immediately on the decease of either of them I give and devise the said Estates respectively unto and to the use of the survivor of them her or his heirs and Assigns for ever

I give and devise unto the said Rachael Harvard Minier my Chambers situate in the Albany in the County of Middlesex To hold the same to her her Heirs and Assigns for ever

I also give devise and bequeath unto the said Rachael Harvard Minier my Freehold and Leasehold Estate situate in Buckingham Street in the County of Middlesex To hold the same to her and her Assigns for and during the term of her natural life and immediately on her decease I give devise and bequeath the same Freehold and Leasehold Estates unto the said Charles Dupin To hold the same respectively unto and to the use of the said Charles Dupin his heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns according to the nature thereof respectively

I give and bequeath unto the said Rachael Harvard Minier the Legacy of Five hundred pounds and unto her Sister Elizabeth Stump Gauntlett the Legacy of Two Hundred pounds and unto my Friends Thomas Adams and David Nash [something] Hundred pounds each I give and bequeath unto each of the daughters of the said Mrs Dupin the sum of two Hundred pounds and unto John Sewell the Legacy of One hundred pounds I give to my Old Servant John Brigden Twenty five pounds and to George ?Hammington? Twenty pounds To each of my other domestic Servants both in London and at Croydon the Legacy of Ten pounds with the addition of two Guineas to Mary [something erased?] the Servant who has attended principally on me during my illness

And as to my Estate called Oakfield Lodge aforesaid with the appurtenances and all other my Freehold Copyhold and Leasehold Estates and all my monies securities for money money in the stocks or Funds and all other my real and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever not hereinbefore devised or bequeathed I give devise and bequeath the same unto my Friends John Harman of Croydon aforesaid Esquire Thomas Stead Carter of Ballards near Croydon aforesaid Esquire and Charles Ford of Great Queen Street Lincolns Inn Fields in the said County of Middlesex Gentleman to hold the same respectively unto and to the use of the said John Harman Thomas Stead Carter and Charles Ford their Heirs Executors Admors and Assigns according to the natures and qualities thereof respectively nevertheless upon the Trusts and for the ends intents and purposes hereinafter expressed and declared concerning the same that is to say

Upon Trust as soon as conveniently may be after my decease and when my said Trustees shall in their discretion think proper make sale and absolutely dispose of my said Estate called Oakfield Lodge with the appurtenances and all other my said real and personal Estate so devised and bequeathed to my said Trustees as aforesaid as are in there [sic] nature saleable and either by public Auction or private Contract as they my said Trustees think proper and call in and convert into money all other my Residuary Estate

And I do hereby declare that the receipt or receipts of my said Trustees or the Survivors or survivor of them shall be a good discharge and good discharges to the purchaser or Purchasers of any part or parts of my said real and personal Estate so devised and bequeathed to my said Trustees as aforesaid and that no Purchaser shall be required or obliged to see to the application of his or her Purchase money or purchases monies

And I do hereby declare that my said Trustees shall stand possessed of the produce of my said real and personal Estate so devised and bequeathed to them as aforesaid Upon Trust to pay and discharge all my just debts and Funeral and Testamentary expenses and the Legacies by this my Will given and bequeathed and also to set apart a sufficient sum to answer and pay all the Legacies and charges which by the Will of my late Brother will become payable on the decease of the said Rachael Harvard Minier and subject thereto respectively and to the Costs charges and expenses attending the carrying the Trusts of this my Will into execution

I give and bequeath the residue of the said Trust monies unto the said Rachael Harvard Minier and the said Charles Dupin to be equally divided between them share and share alike

And I nominate Constitute and appoint the said John Harman Thomas Stead Carter and Charles Ford Executors of this my Will and I give to each of them the Legacy of Two hundred pounds as an acknowledgement for the trouble they will have in the execution of this my Will

and I revoke and make void all and every other Will and Wills heretofore made by me and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament

In Witness whereof I have to this my last Will and Testament contained in four sheets of paper to the three sheets thereof set my hand and to this the fourth sheet thereof my hand and seal the third day of September One thousand eight hundred and thirty five William Minier [seal]

Signed sealed Published and declared by the said William Minier the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as Witnesses Benjamin Golding MD Thos Noble Elwyn Albemarle St Surgeon, Francis Harris Surgeon Croydon

Proved at London 30th September 1835 before the Worshipful John Haggard Doctor of Laws Surrogate by the Oaths of John Harman Esqr Thomas Stead Carter Esqr & Charles Ford Esqr the Exors to whom Admon was granted having been first sworn duly to administer