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Will of Joseph Coplestone of Ottery St. Mary, Devon 1745.

In the Name of God, Amen. I Joseph Coplestone of Knightstone within the parish of Ottery Saint Mary in the County of Devon Esq. being of a sound and perfect mind and memory praised be Almighty God for the same and considering the uncertainty of this life, but being willing to settle all my worldly affairs Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following. First, I surrender up my Soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it me hopeing that through the merits and intercession of my Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ to obtain remission of all my sins And my body I commit to the earth to be decently interred without any funeral pomp and at as small an expense as possible by my Executors hereinafter named. Whereas I have made several Deeds of Settlement of my Manor of Shernwycke als Shernweeke and of my Barton demense lands and messuages called Woodland Eastford and Parnacotts and other my lands situate lying and being in the several parishes of Great Torrington, Little Torrington, Frithestocke and Langtree, in the said County of Devon, and in every such Deed of Settlement reserved a power of revocation to myself for making void every such Deed and all and every the Trusts and uses therein respectively contained by any Deed Will or writing to be by me subscribed and sealed in the presence of one two or more witnesses and by any such new Deed Will or writings to be by me in like manner subscribed and sealed to declare and limit any new uses concerning the premises. And whereas pursuant to such power I have executed a Deed of Revocation dated the fourteenth day of this instant December for the making void the only Deed of Appointment or Grant of the said premises then subsisting bearing date the twelfth day of December One thousand seven hundred and twenty eight And all and every the Trusts and uses therein contain cd and appointing the premises to the use of myself my heirs and assigns for ever. Now I do hereby pursuant to all and every the power of revocation reserved to me in every such Deed revoke alter change and make void all and every Deed of Appointment and grant by me at any time heretofore made of or concerning the said premises and particularly the said Deed of Appointment and grant dated the said twelfth day of December One thousand seven hundred and twenty eight aforesaid And all and every the Trusts and uses therein contained of for or concerning the said premises and every part thereof, and do hereby limit & appoint the same and the use and uses thereof to myself my heirs and assigns for ever And do hereby ratify and confirm the Deed I have executed for that purpose bearing date the fourteenth day of this instant December. And whereas the expenses of my family and the making a proper provision for them was and is the occasion of my revoking the sd last mentioned Deed of Appointment and Grant and appointing the uses concerning the said premises to myself and my own right heirs to put it in my power to make such provision as aforesd. And in order thereunto I have taken up and borrowed on a Mortgage of the said premises the sum of Nine hundred pounds from William Gill of Honiton in the County of Devon, Gent. Now for the payment thereof and for making a provision for my younger children in such manner as is hereinafter mentioned I do hereby give and bequeath the Sd Manor Barton messuages and premises hereinbefore mentioned with their and every of their hereditaments and appurtenances and all other my lands of Inheritance either in possession or reversion unto my friends Staplehill Heath of Ottery St. Mary aforesd Esq., Gideon Marker of the same, Sergemaker, and Samuel Ley of Dolton in the Sd County, Clerk, their exors adillors and assigns for and during the full term and time of Three thousand years fully to be complete expired and ended without impeachment of or for any manner of waste. In Trust nevertheless that they the said Staplehill Heath, Gideon Marker, and Samuel Ley, and the survivors of them and the exors and admors and assigns of such survivor do and shall as soon as conveniently can or may be from and after my decease sell and dispose of my said Manor Barton demesne lands and premises or any part or parcel thereof and out of the purchase money arising by and out of the sale thereof payoff and discharge the said principal sum of Nine hundred pounds with all interest which shall or may be then due for the same and from and after payment of the said sum of Nine hundred pounds and its interest In Trust that my said Trustees and the survivor of them and the exors admors and assigns of such survivor do and shall (subject to the said Annuity or yearly rent charge of Fifty pounds payable to my said Wife) by and out of the rents issues and profits of the said premises or by sale or Mortgage thereof or of any part thereof for the residue of the said term of Three thousand years or by cutting down and selling any timber trees which shall be then growing on the said premises raise and levy the sum of Fourteen hundred pounds to and for the portions of my younger children by my present Wife, Sherman, Anthony, John, Henry and Edmond, to be paid them respectively as hereafter mentioned (that is to say) One hundred pounds part thereof unto my said son Sherman (I having already laid out for him in his education and preferment a considerable sum of money) to be paid unto him within one year after my death with interest for the same after the rate and proportion of Four pounds & ten shillings for One hundred pounds for a year. Two hundred pounds other part thereof to be paid unto my said son Anthony within one year next after my decease with interest for the same after the rate of Four pounds & ten shillings for One hundred pounds for a year (I having also already lain out for him some money in his education and preferment.) Three hundred pounds other part thereof to be paid unto my said son John at his attainment of the age of twenty one years with interest for the same after the rate and proportion of Four pounds & ten shillings for One hundred pounds for a year. The sum Four hundred pounds other part thereof to be paid unto each of my two sons Henry & Edmond at their attainment of their respective ages of one and twenty years with interest for the same after the rate of Four pounds & ten shillings a year for One hundred pounds and if any or either of my said children shall happen to die before his or their legacy shall become payable then my Will is that the legacy or legacys of him or them so dying shall not go unto the survivor or survivors but sink into the reversion and inheritance of my said Manor messuages lands and premises and from and after the expiration or other sooner determination of the said term of Three thousand years I give devise and bequeath my said Manor Barton and demesne lands messuages tenements and preiries unto my said son Joseph Coplestone his heirs and assigns for ever (subject to the said Annuity of Fifty pounds.) Provided that if my said son Joseph shall pay the said Mortgage money and the legacys when they shall become respectively payable as aforesaid That then the said term of Three thousand years shall be assigned unto my said son Joseph his heirs exors or admors or to such person or persons as he or they shall direct or appoint and being willing that my said lands may be eased as much as possible in paying the said several legacys I give devise and bequeath unto them the said Staplehill Heath, Gideon Marker and Samuel Ley, and the survivor of them and the exors and admors of such survivor all my ready money securitys for money bonds bills mortgages debts and all other my goods and personal estate whatsoever which I shall have at the time of my death Upon Trust in the first place to pay thereout my debts and funeral charges and the legacys I have hereinafter given to my sons Richard Coplestone and Joseph Coplestone my daughter Bridget Bidgood and my Trustees and then upon this further Trust that they my said Trustees do and shall apply the same for and towards the payment of the several legacys or portions which I have hereinbefore given unto my said children when and as they shall respectively become due and payable with interest for the same as aforesaid. Item: Whereas I stand estated interested in and entitled unto either in my own right or in Trust for me or for my lise of and in divers leasehold estates or to reversions thereof determinable on Lives which messuages lands and tenements are situate lying and being in Ottery Saint Mary aforesd or elsewhere in the sd County of Devon and were heretofore the lands of Gideon Sherman deceased my late uncle and the reversion and inheritance thereof after my death doth belong unto my eldest son Richard Coplestone with other lands of the said Gideon Sherman I give and bequeath unto my said Trustees and the survivor of them and the exors admors & assigns of such survivor to sell & dispose thereof for the best price or prices that can or may be had or gotten for the same and to pay thereout any sum not exceeding the sum of Eighty pounds for each of my said children Henry and Edmond (if they shall not at my death be placed out to any profession trade or employment) to be applied for and towards placing them out to be instructed in some profession trade or employment as my said Trustees or the major part of them shall in their discretion think fit. But my Will is that such sum or sums so to be applied and laid out shall be deducted out of his or their portion or portions for whose use it shall be so applied. And as to the residue thereof to be paid and applied towards the discharging the said several portions hereinbefore given and the interest thereof. Item: I give and bequeath unto my sd Wife the chest of drawers in the little parlour chamber at my house called Knightstone and the easy chair in the same room. I give unto my Exors in Trust a mourning ring of One guinea value each. Item: I give unto my sons Richard Coplestone and Joseph Coplestone One guinea each and to my daughter Bridget Bidgood One guinea. Item: It is my Will that my Trustees shall have the sole and absolute direction guide and management of my children which shall not be of age at the time of my death and my Will is that my said Trustees shall and may deduct detain and keep to themselves out of any of my estate and effects all such costs losses charges damages and expenses as they or either of them shall or may bear pay sustain or be put unto in the execution of this my Will and and all or any of the said Trusts herein contained. And my Will further is neither of my said Trustees shall be answerable or accountable for the other of them or for any more moneys than shall come to their hands respectively. And I hereby nominate constitute and appoint the said Staplehill Heath, Gideon Marker, and Saml Ley, Esors in Trust of this my Will for the purposes aforesd hereby revoking all former and other Wills by me made. In witness whereof I have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand and seal this seventeenth day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and forty five, Jos: Coplestone (Seal). Signed sealed published and declared by the said Joseph Coplestone the Testator (being written on three sheets of paper) to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who subscribed our names as Witnesses there at his. request and in his presence, Jno Anstice, Willm Seaman, Robt Eveleigh.