This is the last will and testament of me Elizabeth Meek wife of William Meek of Bilson Green in the Township of East Dean in the County of Gloucester Engineer Whereas by an indenture bearing even date herewith but executed previously made between my said husband and myself of the one part and Henry Balfour (therein described) of the other part via [or viz]certain hereditaments household goods furniture chattels effects monies and premises in the said indenture mentioned and hereinafter described or referred to have been limited assured and settled from and after my decease to such uses upon such trusts and to and in for such ends intents and purposes and with under and subject to such powers and provisions declarations limitations and agreements as I should notwithstanding my said coverture and whether covert or sole at the time of executing the same by my last will and testament in writing or any Codicil or Codicils thereto or any writing in the nature of or purporting to be my last will and testament direct limit or appoint give devise or bequeath the same and whereas I am desirous of making my will and of exercising the aforesaid powers and provisions so reserved and given to me as aforesaid in manner hereinafter expressed. Now therefore in exercise and execution of the powers and provisions so reserved and given to me in and by the said hereinbefore in part recited indenture and of every other power or authority enabling me in the behalf of do by this my last will and testament in writing give and bequeath all and singular the household goods and furniture chattels and effects so settled and assured as aforesaid and now in and about the house and premises at Cinderford occupied by my daughter Mary Ann Tyler and over which I have power of appointment and disposition unto my said daughter the said Mary Ann Tyler absolutely I give and devise direct limit and appoint all that messuage or tenement piece or parcel of land and hereditaments containing by admeasurement five roods and eleven perches or thereabouts situate on Bilson Green aforesaid in which I now reside and which I purchased of Mr Richard Heath unto and to the use of Annie a daughter of the said Mary Ann Tyler (born before marriage) her heirs and assigns for ever I give and devise direct limit and appoint all that messuage tenement or dwelling house with the outbuilding garden and land thereto adjoining and belonging containing one rood and eleven perches situate at Cinderford aforesaid and now in the occupation of Henry Keeble and which I purchased of the assignees of Mr Thomas Nicholson unto and to the use of my said husband the said William Meek and Henry Roberts of Cinderford aforesaid at present a clerk in the Cinderford Company’s Works their heirs executors administrators and assigns upon trust that they my said trustees and the survivor of them and the executors administrators and assigns of such survivor or their or his assigns during the minorities of my granddaughters Elizabeth Annie and Mary Kate daughters of my deceased daughter Elizabeth Edwards stand possessed of and interested in the rents issues and profits of the said last mentioned hereditaments and pay and apply the same for and towards the maintenance education and advancement in the world of my said last named granddaughters equally and until they shall respectively attain the age of twenty one years and on their respectively attaining the said age of twenty one years I give and devise direct limit and appoint the said last mentioned hereditaments unto and to the use of my said last named granddaughters their heirs and assigns for ever as tenants in common and not as joint tenants Provided always and I hereby direct and declare that in the event of either of my said last named granddaughters being under the age of twenty one my said trustees or trustee for the time being of this my Will do and shall pay and apply the whole of the said rents issues and profits in manner aforesaid for the benefit of the survivor of them my said granddaughters until she shall attain the said age of twenty one years to whom in such case I give and devise direct limit and appoint the said last mentioned hereditaments absolutely Provided also and I do hereby declare that in case both my said last named granddaughters shall die under the said age of twenty one years then I give and devise direct limit and appoint the said last mentioned hereditaments unto and to the use of my said trustees to be sold and disposed of by them or the survivor of them or other the trustees or trustee for the time being of this my will as part of my residuary trust estate I give devise and bequeath direct limit and appoint all the rest residue and remainder of my real and personal estate not hereinbefore specifically disposed of and over which I have any disposing power under or by virtue of the said hereinbefore in part recited indenture or otherwise (including herein the hereditaments comprised in the said devise to my said last named granddaughters should they both die under the age of twenty one ) unto and to the use of my said trustees and the survivor of them and the heirs executors and administrators of such survivor their or his assigns upon trust at such times as they or he think best to sell in realise and convert into money all such parts of my said residuary trust as shall not at the time of my decease consist of ready money or money in a Bank and do and shall stand possessed of all such realizations conversions and monies upon trust after payment thereout of all my funeral and testamentary expenses and the expenses of proving this my Will and of carrying out the trusts thereof and of erecting a suitable monument in Trinity Church in the Forest of Dean to the memory of my late husband James Cowmeadow (which I hereby authorise and request the trustees or trustee for the time being of this my Will to do leaving it to their or his discretion to determine the expense thereof) and after payment thereout of any debts incurred by me in carrying on the business of an Innkeeper which I now do with the knowledge and sanction of my said husband to stand possessed hereof upon the trusts following (namely) As to one equal fifth part or share hereof in trust for all and every the children of my deceased son William Cowmeadow living at the time of my decease share and share alike as tenants in common As to one other equal fifth part on trust for all and every the children of my deceased son James Cowmeadow living at the time of my decease share and share alike as tenants in common As to one other equal fifth part or share thereof in trust for all and every the children of my deceased son John Cowmeadow living at the time of my decease share and share alike as tenants in common As to one other equal fifth part or share thereof in trust for all and every the children of my deceased daughter Elizabeth Edwards living at the time of my decease share and share alike absolutely And as to the remaining one equal fifth part or share thereof on trust for my said daughter the said Mary Ann Tyler her executors administrators and assigns absolutely Provided always and I do hereby direct and declare that on ascertaining and calculating the said fifth share of and in my said residuary trust estate to which my said grandchildren and child respectively will become entitled under the trusts lately hereinbefore contained the children of my said deceased son William and the children of my deceased daughter Elizabeth shall respectively receive the sum of one hundred pounds less than the children of my deceased son James and my said daughter Mary Ann Tyler and that the children of my said son John shall receive the sum of eighty pounds less than the children of my said deceased son James and my said daughter Mary Ann Tyler the said sums of one hundred pounds one hundred pounds and eighty pounds respectively having been advanced by me to my said deceased son William and my said deceased daughter Elizabeth and my said deceased son John respectively in their lifetime Provided always and I hereby declare that the receipt and receipts of the trustees or trustee for the time being of this my Will for any monies which they or he shall receive under or by virtue of this my Will shall effectually discharge the person or persons paying the same from being obliged or construed to see to the application thereof or from being answerable or accountable for the misapplication or nonapplication thereof and that my said trustees shall not be answerable or accountable the one for the other of them or for involuntary losses and that it shall be lawful for them to reimburse themselves out of the said trust or monies and premises all losses costs charges damages and expenses which they or either of them shall be put unto or sustain for or by reason of the trusts of this my Will or in the execution of the trusts hereby in them reposed And lastly I hereby make nominate constitute and appoint my said husband the said William Meek and Henry Roberts executors in trust of this my Will hereby revoking all former and other Wills by me at any time heretofore made and declaring this only to be my last will and testament witness whereof I the said Elizabeth Meek have to this my last Will and Testament contained in four sheets of paper set my hand to the first three sheets thereof and my hand and seal to the fourth and last sheet this ninth day of September one thousand eight hundred and sixty four
The mark and seal of Elizabeth Meek
Signed seal published and declared by the said Elizabeth Meek the Testatrix as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same time who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names at witnesses thereto of this will having previously read over to the said Testatrix who appeared perfectly to understand the same and made her mark thereto in our and oath of our presence –
James Wintle Solr. Newnham
Thomas Langdon, his Clerk
PROVED at London 30th Nov 1869 by the oath of Henry Roberts one of the Executors to whom Admon* was granted limited to all such personal estate and effects of she the deceased by virtue of an Indenture of Settlement bearing date the 9th day of Sept 1864 and of all other powers and authorities her enabling had a right to appoint or dispose of and has in and by the said Will appointed or disposed of accordingly but no further or otherwise. William Meek the husband the other Executor named in the said Will having renounced the Probate and execution thereof. The Right (Honorable) James Plaisted Baron Penzance the Judge of Her Majesty’s Court of Probate having on the 1st day of July 1869 in a certain Cause or Suit then defending in the said Court entitled “Roberts against Cowmeadow and Cowmeadow and others” by Final Decree pronounced for the force and validity of the said will
Elizabeth Meek - Cowmeadow Will.pdf