Will of Ezekiel Edmonds (1772)
(red words are my best guess, spaces
probable missing punctuation)
I give to my father John Edmonds all
my Real Estate and Personal Estate and make him full and whole executor paying legacies out to John Clark Edmonds my watch Ten Pounds of lawful money of Great Britain Jonnar Durut
Ten Pound Sarah Edmonds Ten
Pound this is my last will and
testament this money to be paid four
months after my devase witness my hand and seal Ezekiel Edmonds (signed) witness Edward White John Long
This will was proved at London the
tenth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and
seventy two before the worshipful Andrew Colles Durard
Doctor of Laws and surrogate of the Right Worshipful George Sayer Doctor of
Laws Master Keeper or Commisary of the Perogative Court of Canterbury lawfully
constituted by the oath of John Edmonds the father of the devased and sole executor named in this said will to
whom administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and
Credits of the said devased having been first
sworn only to administer.
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- Ezekiel Edmonds made the will out some time before December 1772
- He presumably died some time just before the will was "proved"
on 10/12/1772
- His father is John Edmonds
- His estate is not all that substantial, although the balance going to
his father, after 2 (or 3?) bequests of ten pounds, isn't stated
- Considering he has named his father as executor, implies he is young
and has a good reason to make out this will, suggesting poor health, or
something terminal
- He has a relative Sarah Edmonds who probably isn't his wife as that is
usually stated, although none of the three beneficiaries other than his father
are qualified in any manner.
- If he is young and unmarried, say aged about early to mid 20s, then he
would have been born c 1750
- He has a relative John Clark Edmonds, and as the word that looks like
"watch" is preceeded by "my" suggests that
"watch" is really some kind of qualifier? Or is he simply bequeathing his watch (and) Ten Pounds?
- If John Clark Edmonds is his son, it's usual to say as much, but then
id he is related in any way at all it's usual to say as much. He's have to at least be a close relative,
either a brother or a young-ish son?
- The "Jonnar Durut" looks like a person's name, and must be
significant in his life to get the same as the two mentioned relatives
- The witnesses are Edward White and John Long