The Will of John Sharp - 1816

This is the last Will and Testament of me John Sharpe of Congleton in the County of chester Farmer First I will and direct that all my just Debts funeral Expenses and the charges of the Probate and Execution of this my Will be in the first Place paid and discharged and also herby give devise and bequeath unto my dear Wife Martha all that my Meassuage or Dwellinghouse situate in Doglane in Congleton aforesaid in which I now dwell together with the Barn Stable Fields or closes of Land and other Hereditaments thereto belonging and all and every other my Messouages Lands tenements Hereditaments and real estate whatsoever and wheresoever with their and every of their Rights Members and appuntenances And also all my Household Goods and Furniture Farming Stock ready Money Money out at Interest Bonds Bills Mortgages Notes Debts Securities for Money and all and every other my personal Estate and Effects of what Nature or Kind so ever To hold the same real and personal Estate and Effects unto my said dear Wife and her assignsduring the term of her natural life for the Maintenance Support and Education of my Son Jacob during his Minority and from and immediately after the Decease of my said Wife I do hereby give devise and bequeath all and singular the said real and personal Estate and Effects unto my said Son Jacob his Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns respectively if he shall attain the age of Twentyone years But if my said Son Jacob shall depart this life before he shall attain his age of Twentyone years my Will and Mind is and I do hereby give devise and bequeath all and every my said real and personal Estate and Effects unto my said dear Wife Martha her Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns respectively to and for her and their own Use and Benefit absolutely And also authorize and empower my Executrice and Executors and the Survivors and Survivor of them and the Executors and Administrators of such Survivor to continue and from Time to Time as they she or he shall think proper to alter and change the Security or Securities on which and Part of any personal Estate and Effects is or are or shall or may be placed out And from Time to Timeas often as they she or he shall think fit again to place out the same upon Government or such other good and sufficient Security or Securities as they she or he shall think proper And I do hereby also authorize and empower my said Executrice and Executors and Administrators of such Survivor to apply any Sum or Sums of Money which they she or he in their his or her Discretion shall think reasonable for putting my said Son Jacob out to Business or any suitable Employ or for setting him up in Business or adoaneing (?) him in any Thing in this my Will contained to the Contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding And it is my Will and Mind that my said....

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.... Executrice and Executors or any of them shall not be liable to answer or make good any Loss that shall or may happen to the aforesaid Estate and Effects or any Part thereof respectively in placing out or removing any Sum or Sums of Money according to the Directions of this my Will in transacting any Money Affairs or otherwise relating to the Execution of this my Will unless the same shall happen by or through their or any of their respective willful Default nor shall any of them be answerable or accountable for the Acts Deeds Receipts or Disbursements of the others or other of them but each of them shall be answerable only for his or her own separate Acts Deeds Receipts and Disbursements And I do hereby direct that they my said Executrice and Executors and the Survivors and Survivor of them and the Executors and Administrators
themselves herself and himself out of the aforesaid Estate and Effects all reasonable and necessary Costs Charges and Expenses whatsoever which they she or he shall or may bear (?) pay be put unto or sustain in or about the Execution of this my Will or the Trusts hereby in them reposed (?) or otherwise in any manner realting thereto And I do hereby nominate constitue and appoint my said dear Wife Martha Sharpe Thomas Rowley of Overton in the County of Stafford Farmer Executrice and Executors of this my Will and Guardians of my said Son Jacob during his minority And hereby revoking all former and other Will and Wills by me at any Time herefore made

The twenty third day of January 1817 - Martha Sharpe of Congleton Moss (?) in the Parish of Astbury ???????????????

Diocese (?) of Chester and John Challenor of the Parish of Biddulph in the County of Stafford Farmer the Executrice and (and of the) Executors in this Will named were sworn in common form (power being survived to (?) Thomas Rowley Gent the other Executor therein also named to take upon ? the execution od the said Will when he shall lawfully request the same ? further made oath that the personal estate and effects of the ? within the Diocese of Chester were under the value of œ800

before my Heptinstale (?) Surrogate (?)

Formal effects noted (?) at œ705

The Pertator died the thirteenth day of August 1816

Probate issued
Dated 23rd January 1817