Aspects of Kentish Local History

Wills of Sheerness Shipwrights 1693 - 1855
Prerogative Court of Canterbury (P.C.C.) Wills  (Pre 1858)

JOHN JOHNSON 1838

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN  I JOHN JOHNSON of Sheerness in the County of Kent  Superannuated Shipwright formerly belonging to his Majesty's Dockyard  there being weak in body but of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding praise be unto Almighty God  for the same  do hereby revoke all former  and other Wills Codicils and other Testamentary  dispositions by me at any time heretofore  made and do publish and declare this  to be and contain  my last Will and Testament
I charge all my personal Estate with the payment of all my just debts and funeral and Testamentary charges and expenses 
And I give devise and bequeath unto WILLIAM BRIDGES the Elder of Sheerness  aforesaid and JOSHUA MONDAY of the Halfway House near Minster  in the Isle of Sheppy in the said County of Kent Shipwright their Executors Admons and Assigns  all and every my leasehold messuages or tenements and lands situate and being respectively in Sheerness aforesaid Queenborough or Elsewhere  with their and every of their appurts and all monies in the public stocks or funds of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England  and all other such sum and sums  of money  mortgages and other debts household goods and furniture  plate linen china and all my personal Estate  and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever  which may be due  owing payable or in any other way belonging to me or over which  I may have a controlling or disposing power at the time of my decease To have and to hold the same unto them the said WILLIAM BRIDGES and JOSHUA MONDAY their Executors Admons and Assigns according to the nature or quality of the same premises Upon Trust that they my said Trustees or the Survivor of them his Executors or Admons shall and will so soon as conveniently may be after my decease make sale and dispose of all and every my said messuages tenements and lands household goods and furniture and all other my Estate and Effects which shall be of a saleable nature either by public sale or private contract  for the best price or prices  in money that can be reasonably had and gotten  for the same and also get  ?  for and  ?  and receive all mortgage and other debts or sum or sums of money that may be due owing or payable to me at the time of my decease  Upon Trust  in the first place to pay and discharge the costs charges and expenses attending on or incidental to such sale or sales and all other costs charges and expenses of proving and executing of this my Will or the trustees hereby created  or incidental thereto 
and then upon further trust to pay to Mrs ANN KNOTT of Greenwich Union Poor House Widow of WILLIAM KNOTT formerly of Sheerness  aforesaid deceased  if she shall be living at the time of my decease  the sum of ten pounds sterling and also to such of the children  of the said MARY (sic) KNOTT by the said WILLIAM KNOTT who shall be living at the time of my decease the sum of ten pounds sterling each
And upon this further trust to invest the clear residue and remainder of the proceeds of the sale or sales debts and monies aforesaid with such other monies as may be invested  or standing in my name in any of the funds  of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England in the names of them my said Trustees or the Survivor of them and the Executors and Admons of such upon trust from time to time pay the Interest dividends or proceeds thereof when and as the same shall become due and payable unto my Nephew in Law WILLIAM LOVELL and JANE REEVE LOVELL his wife of number thirty one Penton Place near London and to the Survivor of them for and towards the maintenance education and support  of all and every the lawful children  of the said WILLIAM LOVELL  and JANE REEVE LOVELL his wife until the youngest or the Survivor  of such children  shall attain his or her age of twenty one years  or bing a daughter shall be married and when and so soon  as either of those events shall first happen then upon trust to pay divide and share the whole of the principal stock so invested  or to be invested  as aforesaid unto amongst and between all and every of the surviving children  of the said WILLIAM LOVELL and JANE REEVE LOVELL  his wife in equal parts shares and proportions share and share alike  provided nevertheless  that if any of the children of the said WILLIAM LOVELL and JANE REEVE LOVELL his wife shall depart this life before the youngest Survivor of them shall have attained the said age of twenty one years leaving lawful issue  him or her surviving  then it is my Will and desire  and I do hereby direct that the share or proportion  of him or her so dying and leaving lawful issue as aforesaid shall be divide  amongst such issue  if more than one share and share alike provided also that in case the said WILLIAM LOVELL and JANE REEVE LOVELL his wife shall at any time quit  or neglect  to appropriate the said  interest  dividends and annual proceeds to and for the maintenance education and support of their children  as aforesaid or shall both depart this life before the youngest surviving Child shall attain the age of twenty one years  or leaving a  daughter shall be married then it is my Will and I do hereby direct my said trustees and the survivor of them  his Executors or Admons to take upon themselves the management and application of the said dividends  and annual proceeds for the purposes and object aforesaid 
And I do hereby nominate and appoint the said WILLIAM BRIDGES and JOSHUA MONDAY Executors of this my Will and I do hereby declare that the receipt or receipts of the said WILLIAM BRIDGES and JOSHUA MONDAY and the Survivor of them and their Executors Admons  and Assigns of such Survivor for any money payable to them or him respectively under or by virtue  of this my Will  shall effectually discharge  the person or persons paying the same from being obliged to see to the application or from being accountable  or responsible for the misappropriation or non application thereof And that they my said trustees  and the survivor of them and the Executors and Admons  of such survivor  shall be charged and chargeable only for such monies as they shall respectively actually receive notwithstanding their giving or signing any receipt or receipts for the sake of conformity and that any one or more of them shall not be answerable  or accountable  for the other or others of them or for involuntary losses and also that it shall be lawful for them and each of them with and out of the monies  that shall come to their respective hands by virtue of the trusts aforesaid to retain and reimburse  themselves respectively and also to allow his Co- trustee all costs charges damages and expenses which they or either of them may be engaged or occupied  and for the trouble they may be at  or subject to in or about the Execution  of the aforesaid trusts  or in relation thereto 
In Witness whereof  I the said JOHN JOHNSON the Testator have to each sheet of this my Will contained in three sheets of paper set my hand  and to this third and last sheet my seal  the twenty sixth day of August in the year of our Lord  one thousand eight hundred  and thirty seven JOHN JOHNSON Signed Sealed  delivered  published  and declared by the above named JOHN JOHNSON as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other  have hereunto subscribed our names  as witnesses the words “also and debts” or “ in the first sheet and “ten” and “between” and “shall depart this life” in the second sheet having been first severally interlined or written on erasures 
EDW. HOOKER Solicitor Sheerness WILLIAM HUGILL Shipwright Sheerness  JAMES GEORGE HUGILL Shipwright Sheerness 
Proved 12th July 1838