Aspects of Kentish Local History

Wills of Gillingham Shipwrights 1621 - 1852
Prerogative Court of Canterbury (P.C.C.) Wills  (Pre 1858)

Edward Muddle 1822

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I EDWARD MUDDLE of Gillingham in the County of Kent Shipwright being of sound and perfect Mind Memory and understanding do make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following I recommend my Soul to Almighty God my Creator through the Merits of my blessed Saviour Jesus Christ and my body I commit to the Earth to be decently interred at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named And as to my Worldly Estate I dispose thereof as follows that is to say I give and bequeath to my loving Wife LAURENTIA MUDDLE should she survive me all that I may die possessed of for her Life and at her death to be divided among my Children in the same manner it is to be divided among them at my death should I be the Survivor that is to say I give and bequeath to my Sons EDWARD MUDDLE and JOHN MUDDLE and to their Heirs for ever My Shipwright Yard with the Wharf and Hard attached thereto with all the Buildings and Erections thereon and now in my own occupation with the stock of the said Yard of whatever consisting Together with the Dwelling House now occupied by me and the House adjoining the back part of my said Dwelling house and now in the Occupation of JOHN NEWMAN with the Yards and Gardens and all the Appurtenances belonging to the said House and also the piece of Meadow Land adjoining to the said Shipwright's Yard and lying between that and my Dwelling house and now in my own Occupation together with the Blacksmith's Forge Kiln and all the Appurts belonging to the said piece of Meadow Land to be equally divided between them share and share alike I give and bequeath to my Son JAMES MUDDLE and to his Heirs and Assigns for ever the two houses next adjoining the before mentioned Dwelling house and now in the several Occupations of FREDERICK RUCKERT and the Widow HILLARD with a small Chamber which now occupied by me over the Kitchen of the House now in the Occupation of the said FREDERICK RUCKERT together with the Yards and Gardens of the same Houses (and the use of the Well in the Yard of the House in the Occupation of the before mentioned JOHN NEWMAN ) and all the Appurtenances belonging to the said Houses I give and bequeath to my Daughter IDEN MUDDLE and to her Heirs and Assigns for ever all those four dwelling Houses situate at the top of Gad's Hill Gillingham aforesaid and now in the several Occupations of the Widow ERITH JAMES SMITH ROBERT ROBERTSON and NATHANIEL VEIGER?, together with the Yards Gardens and all the Appurts belonging to the said Houses I give and bequeath to my Daughter LAURENTIA MUDDLE and to her Heirs and Assigns for ever the House now in the Occupation of my before mentioned Son JOHN MUDDLE together with the Yard Garden and the Appurtenances belonging to the said House (the Garden and Yard of which adjoins on the East Side of the Gardens of the Houses before mentioned and bequeathed to my Daughter IDEN MUDDLE in Gillingham aforesaid) I also give and bequeath to my Daughter ELIZABETH now the Wife of JOHN CHENOWETH Esq. Agent to H. M. Naval Hospital at the Cape of Good Hope and to her heirs and Assigns for ever the House adjoining the the one bequeathed to my Daughter LAURENTIA MUDDLE in Gillingham aforesaid and now in the occupation of the Widow LOFT together with the Yard Garden and all the Appurtenances belonging to the said House I also leave all my Plate Linen & Household Furniture to the disposal of my said Wife LAURENTIA MUDDLE if she survives me but if I am the Survivor I then leave it to be divided between my six Children before named in their own discretion And al the Rest Residue and Remainder of my Goods Chattels Rights Credits rent and personal Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature kind sort or quality the same shall be and consist of at the time of my decease I give and bequeath the same to my Executors hereinafter named for the purpose of paying all Debts that I may owe at the time of my decease also the Expenses of my funeral and the Expenses of proving this my last Will and Testament my said Children hereafter named Executors are to divide equally between them Share and Share alike whether the same shall consist of real or personal Estate I hereby make name institute and appoint my three Sons before named Viz EDWARD MUDDLE JOHN MUDDLE and JAMES MUDDLE Executors of this my last Will and Testament I hereby revoke annul and make void all former Will and Wills and all other Testamentary dispositions by me at any time before made and do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said EDWARD MUDDLE the Testator have to this my said last Will and Testament contained in one Sheet of paper set my and affixed my hand and Seal this Sixteenth Day of November in the Sixtieth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third by Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King Defender of the Faith And in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nineteen EDWARD MUDDLE Signed sealed published and declared by the said EDWARD MUDDLE the Testator to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us the Witnesses hereunder written who have at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses to the due Execution of this his said last Will and Testament the words (and to her Heirs and Assigns for ever) being first interlined THOMAS DULAKE EDWD. FROUD THOMAS COUVES

Proved 9th July 1822

Headstone, Formerly in the Churchyard of St Mary Magdalene, Gillingham
(No 167 in my Monumental Inscriptions)

TO
THE MEMORY
OF MR. EDWARD MUDDLE OF THIS PARISH
WHO DIED THE SEVENTH OF OCTOBER 1821
IN THE 80th YEAR OF HIS AGE
ALSO MRS. LAURENTIA MUDDLE
WIFE OF THE ABOVE AND DAUGHTER OF
JOHN AND IDEN HOLMDEN
DIED THE 2nd DAY OF APRIL 1831
AGED 83 YEARS
IDEN MUDDLE DIED THE 15th OF JANUARY
1854 IN THE 77th YEAR OF HER AGE
EDWARD MUDDLE DIED THE 17th OF
JANUARY 1857 IN THE 85th YEAR OF HIS AGE