George Benjamin Westcott, Islington, London (1824-1876)
Last Will and Testament (1874)
[some paragraph breaks inserted to improve readability; visual emphasis added e.g. Westcott]
This is the last Will and Testament of me George Benjamin Westcott of Number 12 William Street Saint Peters Street Islington in the County of Middlesex Gentleman / I bequeath the following legacies / that is to say
To my friend Henry Westbury of Number 1 Watson Street South Hornsey in the County of Middlesex the sum of ten pounds
To my friend John Stafford Spencer of Number 143 New Kent Road in the County of Surrey the sum of ten pounds
I give to Mrs. Mary Gray (now residing with me as Housekeeper) such articles of furniture as my executors may choose to enable her to decently furnish one room
I devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate not hereby otherwise disposed of unto my executors hereinafter named their heirs executors administrators and assigns / upon trust that they or the survivor of them or the heirs executors or administrators of such survivor shall sell call in and convert into money the same or such part thereof as shall not consist of money / and shall with and out of the money produced by such sale calling in and conversion / and with and out of such part of my personal estate as shall consist of money pay my funeral and testamentary expenses and debts and the legacies bequeathed by this my Will / and shall stand possessed of the residue of the said money upon trust for the said Mary Gray and Elizabeth Sears of Number 23 Grafton Square in the County of Surrey Spinster / to be divided between them in equal shares
I appoint my said friends Henry Westbury and John Stafford Spencer Executors of this my Will / requesting them to have me buried at Finchley Cemetery and to employ Mr. Seward of Bath Street City Road in conducting my funeral / and to see that good horses be employed to carry my body
and hereby revoking all other Wills by me at anytime heretofore made / I declare this only to be my Last Will and Testament / In witness whereof I the said Testator George Benjamin Westcott have hereunto set my hand / the tenth day of November one thousand eight hundred and seventy four
George Benjamin Westcott
Signed by the said Testator George Benjamin Westcott as and for his Last Will and Testament in the presence of us / who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other all being present at the same time have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses (the word "spinster" on the fourth line from the bottom of the preceding page having been previously struck through
John Beattie 26 New Church Court Strand
William Clark 22 Percey Terrace Hackney Wick.
Proved at London 10th June 1876 by the oaths of Henry Westbury and John Stafford Spencer the Executors / to whom Admon was granted. / Effects under £450.
On the date Admon was granted, Henry Westbury was a brass finisher; John Stafford Spencer was a gentleman - his address was No. 54 Bishops Road, North Brixton, Surrey.
Source: Probate Registry