Transcript of the will of Henry Fley of Lympstone Devon and London proved 4 February 1852 (PRO ref,: Prob 11/2147)
I Henry Fley late of Lympstone in the County of Devon in business as a Printer family[?] with Messrs Bartley Wilson at Bangor House Shoe Lane in the City of London being in good health yet impressed with a sense of the uncertainty of life Revoking all former documents of this character do in mine own hand writing declare this to be my last Will and Testamant
After paying all my just debts and expenses attending the removal and interment of my mortal remains with those of my parents at Lympston and all legacies hereinafter to be named
I appoint my cousins Anna Sophia Bass and Mary Bass Fley to be my residuary Legatees in equal proportions and in case of these my cousins not surviving me I appoint as their representatives Mary Prickman daughter of my late cousin Mary Bass and Henry Fley the orphan Son of my late cousin George Fley
Item I also give and bequeath unto my Cousin Mary Bass Fley aforesaid my freehold cottage at Lympstone with all its appurtenances and also whatever of my property may be on the premises at the time of my decease should my Cousin Mary Bass Fley die without issue this property at her decease to be inherited by the before named Henry Fley orphan of the late George Fley to remain in perpetuity without encumbrance in the family
Item I further give and bequeath unto my Cousin Anna Sophia Bass beforenamed the Stock invested in my name in the Government annuities fund[?] of years expiring 1860
Item I give and bequeath unto my Cousin Henry Fley of Sutton Street Clerkenwell the sum of Two hundred and fifty pounds sterling free of legacy duty
Item I give unto Mary Prickman (widow) before named now of Crediton in the County of Devon the sum of two hundred & fifty pounds Sterling free of legacy duty
Item I give and bequeath unto Henry Fley the orphan Son of George Fley before named the sum of two hundred fifty pounds Sterling free of legacy duty
Item I give and bequeath unto my early friend Sarah Ann Cowery Ringston now of Berkeley Street Portman Square the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds Sterling free of legacy duty
Item I bequeath unto my dear and surest friend Harriet Halls of 32 Albion Street Hyde Park the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds sterling free of legacy duty.
Item I give and bequeath unto the family of my friend Edward Prentis of Upper Phillimore Place Seavington the sum of Two hundred and fifty pounds Sterling free of legacy duty in case they may wish to manifest a respect for the memory of one whose regret is real that his alliance has not for the last twenty years been Stronger
Item I give and bequeath unto my executors hereafter named the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds sterling free of legacy duty to be raised out of my personal estate and effects which by law I may or can charge with the payment thereof upon trust and to the intent that they or either of them do pay the same to the treasurer (for the time being) of a Charity known by the name of the “Printers Pension Society” for the relief of aged and Infirm Printers and their widows which sum I desire may be applied toward surveying[?] other benevolent designs of the said Charity and the receipt of the Treasurer shall be sufficient discharge for the same
Item I give and bequeath my books as under
the Family bible with clasp @t descended from my great grandfather John Bass to my Cousin Eliza Seville daughter of John Bass of Lympstone.
The Elizabethan black letter Bible to my Cousin Mary Bass Fley to remain in perpetuity in the family
The residue of my books to be disposed of as my executors may see fit but not to be sold
Item I give and bequeath my engravings and paintings in and out of frames as under
the Virgin & child from Vandyke Lords Boger and views of Lympstone church and Calliford [Gulliford] Meeting house together with painting by my friend Edward Prentis from sketches and recollections of “Mary” and profiles of herself by my late friend Rev. John Jervis my mother @t@t to be removed to the cottage at Lympstone and there to remain
The residue to be distributed among the members of my family as my executors may see fit unless my Cousin Mary Bass Fley may wish to retain the whole from the walls of the cottage @t
Item I give and bequeath my oak dressing table wash hand stand stool dressing case @ looking glass together with all my wearing apparel to my before as named Cousin Henry Fley as also the book case.
Item my watch late the property of my friend The Rev. John Jervis with gold and hair guards the latter presented by my dearest “Mary in 1835” I bequeath unto my friend Edward Prentis before named I also request that my late dear Mary’s hair (presented at our last farewell!) may be without delay forwarded with whatever papers have reference to her to her sister my dear friend Sarah the Wife of Edward Prentis before named
Item I give and bequeath unto my respected friend William Bentley of River Terrace Islington the sum of ten pounds and also unto my Cousin William Fley the sum of ten pounds for mourning rings @t requesting them to act as the Executors to this my last Will and Testament and trustees on behalf of the before named Henry Fley Son of the late George Fley should my demise take place before he attains the age of twenty one years as it is not my intention that any portion of the property herein given and bequeathed to him should be at his disposal or beyond the interest realized by him during his minority and should he on attaining his majority prove himself unworthy by habits of profligacy or improvidence I hereby authorize his before named trustees William Bentley of River Terrace Islington and William Fley of Lympstone Devon to withhold the principal and advance only the interest as it may become due from government securities or rent of the cottage at Lympstone the reversionary after his decease to be vested in my before named residuary Legatee Mary Bass Fley
In confirmation of this my last Will and Testament contained on six pages I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty eighth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty eight ---- Henry Fley (LS -- Signed Sealed published and declared by the said Henry Fley in and for his last Will & Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and in the presence of each other have at his request subscribed our names as witnesses - Wm Bickerton No 2 Yodliman[?] St - Mary Ann Mitchell - Doctors Commons
In the Prerogative Court of Canterbury In the Goods of Henry Fley deceased
Appeared personally Sarah Draycott of No. 8 Hornton Street Kensington in the County of Middlesex Widow and made oath that she is one of the subscribed witnesses to the of the marginal addition or Codicil made to the last Will and Testament of Henry Fley formerly of Lympstone in the County of Devon afterwards of Bangor House Shoe Lane in the City of London but late of Nutford Place in the Parish of Saint Marylebone in the County of Middlesex Printer deceased the said Will bearing date the twenty eight day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty eight being now hereunto annexed and the said addition or Codicil thereto being in the words following
to wit “I revoke the condition” and written in the margin immediately opposite to the clause giving a legacy of two hundred and fifty pounds to the family of Edward Prentis in the third page of the said Will as the same now appears And the deponent further made oath that on the twenty seventh day of February in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty one the said Testator duly executed the said marginal addition or codicil to his said Will by writing and signing the letters H. F being the initials of his Christian and Surname at the foot of the said marginal addition or Codicil as the same now appears in the presence of the deponent and of Catherin Evans the other subscribing witness thereto both of whom were present at the same time and that she the deponent and the said Catherin Evans thereupon in the presence of the said Testator as also in the presence of each other attested and subscribed the said marginal addition or Codicil as Witness to the due execution thereof by the said Henry Fley the Testator deceased - Sarah Draycott - On Thursday the twenty ninth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty two the said Sarah Draycott widow was duly sworn to the truth of the foregoing affidavit before me T. Spinks Jun[?]: Present Wm G. Clarkson Not Y.. Pub:[?]
Proved at London the 4th Feby. 1852 with a Codicil before the Worshipful Thomas Spinks of Laws and Surrogate by the oath of William Fley out of the executors to whom admon was granted having been first sworn duly to administer Power reserved of making the like grant to William Bentley the other executor when he shall apply for the same.
