Joseph PEARCE
1826
IN THE NAME OF GOD
AMEN
I JOSEPH PEARCE of the parish of Gillingham
Caulker in the County of Kent being of sound and disposing Mind Memory and
Understanding praised be God do make and ordain this my last Will and
Testament in manner and form following that is to say
First and principally I
surrender my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God my Creator hoping to be
saved by and through the only Merits and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ my
Saviour and Redeemer
And my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently interred and
buried by and at the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named and to
such Worldly Estate wherewith it it hath pleased God to bless me with I
dispose thereof as follows
I give and bequeath unto
my son JOSEPH GEORGE PEARCE my violins and Music for
the same in books and all my Wearing Apparel and my Watch but the Watch to
be in the hands of one of my Executors 'til he arrive at the age of
Eighteen years but by a good Character from his Mother if the Executor
pleases he may have it sooner
I give and bequeath unto
my daughter SARAH PEARCE the piano forte with the Musical
Books belonging to the Instrument
all the Rest and Residue
of my Effects plate linen china household furniture of all descriptions I
give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife ELIZABETH PEARCE I
likewise give and bequeath to my wife One hundred pounds which is in the
Westminster Insurance on lives all ready Money that shall be found in the
house at my Decease and likewise part of any pension due to me in Chatham
Yard at my Decease notwithstanding being subject to the (notwithstanding
being subject) (sic) payment of my just Debts Funeral Expenses and the
proving of this my last Will and Testament
I desire my Executors will pay out of my Wife's portion
And I do constitute and
appoint Mr JOHN WHIFFEN Shipwright Mr WM LESTER
PATRICK Shipwright and Mr HENRY WITHERIDGE Gent to be
Executors of this my last Will and Testament and I do authorise Mr JOHN
WHIFFEN and Mr WM LESTER PATRICK to take on
them the care of Mr JOHN and ELIZABETH * PETTY
Charity they being Trustees of that Charity and I do make void all or
other Wills at any time by me heretofore made declaring this only to be my
last Will and Testament
In witness whereof I have
hereunto set my Hand and Seal dated the twelfth day of December in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty two JOS.
PEARCE Signed Sealed published and declared by the said
Testator JOS. PEARCE to be his last Will and Testament in
the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses in
his presence WM WHITTLE ELIZABETH
MIDDLETON
Proved 10th August 1826 Power reserved to JOHN WHIFFEN
and WILLIAM LESTER PATRICK
* The name Elizabeth is crossed through.
See Monumental Inscriptions of St Mary, Chatham for John and Elizabeth
Petty 174
Joseph Pearce was the principal trustee, from 1784, of the Petty charity,
which was founded by Elizabeth Petty in 1723. One of the houses which,
through the rents financed the education of 7 poor children, was occupied
by Pearce himself. He was criticised for this by a Commission appointed to
enquire into the education of the poor and the appointment of
"active" trustees was recommended, presumably Whiffen and
Patrick. (Ronald Baldwin, The Chronicle of Gillingham, 1998)