Yeovil's Virtual Museum

1849 will of Joanna Pitman Mills

Spinster

 

Joanna Pitman Mills was born in Limington on 1 May 1799 and baptised there in June 1799. She was the daughter of James and Mary Mills. The 1841 census noted that she was living in Limington with the widowed mother. Joanna was listed as being of independent means.

She wrote her will on 10 March 1849, by which time her mother had died and Joanna was living in Yeovil. Her will was proved in London on 21 July 1849, indicating that she was around fifty years old when she died.

 

 

This is the last Will and Testament of me Joanna Pitman Mills of Yeovil in the County of Somerset Spinster I give to my Sister Mary Trent my gold watch and a silver tea spoon Also I give to my half Sister Jane Mills my black satin dress and a silver tea spoon Also I give to my half Sister Sarah Welsh Mills two silver tea spoons Also I give to my half Brother James Mills a silver tea spoon Also I give to my Nephew Thomas Alexander my silver table spoon Also I give to my Niece Mary [Cogle ?] a silver tea spoon Also I give all the residue of my wearing apparel and plate and all my linen books and furniture unto my said Sister and half Sisters the said Mary Trent Sarah Welsh Mills and Jane Mills in equal shares Also I give and devise unto my said half Sisters the said Sarah Welsh Mills and Jane Mills All that my leasehold messuage or tenement with the outhouses garden orchard and premises thereto belonging containing by estimation half an acre situate at the East end of the Churchyard of Oborne in the county of Dorset And also all that my leasehold piece of pasture ground or orchard containing by estimation three yards situate at a place called [word illegible} And also all that my leasehold close of pasture ground called [Derteinham ?] situate near a place called Crackmoore Hill containing by estimation six acres All which said premises are situate in Sherborne in the said County of Dorset and all other my leasehold messuages or dwellinghouses lands and premises situate in Oborne and Sherborne aforesaid respectively To hold the same to them the said Sarah Welsh Mills and Jane Mills and the survivor of them her executors administrators and assigns for all my estate term and interest therein respectively Upon the trusts following that is to say Upon trust to let the same leasehold premises for such term or terms as they or she may think proper and out of the rents thereof in the first place to pay unto my said half Sister the said Sarah Welsh Mills her executors or administrators an annuity or clear yearly sum of five pounds sterling for the term of two years to be computed from the day of my decease (if my estate and interest in the same premises shall so long continue) by even half yearly payments and the first of such payments to be made at the expiration of six calendar months from the day of my decease And upon trust to pay the clear residue of the rents of the same premises after payment of the said annuity the premium for keeping on foot the life Policy of Assurance hereinafter mentioned and the land tax Lords rent repairs and other disbursements in respect of the same premises unto my said Sister Mary Trent for and during the said term of two years or so much thereof as my estate and interest in the same premises shall continue but in case the said Mary Trent shall die before the expiration of the said term of two years then upon trust to pay the clear residue of the same rents for and during the said term of to years or the remainder thereof (as the case may be) unto such one or more of the children of the said Mary Trent as shall attain the age of twenty one years and if more than one in equal shares and from and after the expiration of the said term of two years then upon trust to pay and divide the clear residue of the rents of the same premises (after the payments aforesaid except the said annuity which will then have ceased) yearly and every year during all the residue of my estate and interest therein in the manner following that is to say As to three equal fourth parts thereof unto and equally between my said Sister and half Sisters the said Mary Trent Sarah Welsh Mills and Jane Mills and their respective executors administrators and assigns And as to the other one equal fourth part thereof Upon trust to pay and divide the same unto such one or more of the children of my late half Sister Elizabeth Alexander deceased as shall attain the age of twenty one years and if more than one in equal shares Also I give and bequeath unto my said half Sisters Sarah Welsh Mills and Jane Mills All that Policy of Assurance bearing date on or about the twenty seventh day of March one thousand eight hundred and sixteen and numbered '1427' under the Common Seal of the Corporation of the Royal Exchange Addurance Company whereby the life of Thomas Thorne was insured in the sum of one hundred pounds together with the said sum of one hundred pounds thereby assured and all other monies to become due or payable in respect thereof To hold the same respectively unto the said Sarah Welsh Mills and Jane Mills and the survivor of them her executors administrators and assigns upon the trusts following that is to say Upon trust out of the money which may be received upon or by virtue of the same Policy to pay the following sums of sterling money that is to say the sum of five pounds unto my said half brother the said James Mills and the sum of six pounds sterling unto each of the five children now living of my late half Sister Ann Coyle deceased and their respective executors administrators and assigns And as to the residue of the money which may be received upon or by virtue of the said Policy of Assurance the legacy of nineteen pounds and nineteen shillings payable to me under the Will of my late deceased Mother which I have not received And all the Residue of my Personal Estate I give and bequeath the same unto my said half Sisters the said Sarah Welsh Mills and Jane Mills and the survivor of them her executors administrators and assigns Upon the trusts following that is to say As to three equal fourth parts thereof Upon trust to pay and divide the same unto and equally between the said Mary Trent Sarah Welsh Mills and Jane Mills and their respective executors administrators and assigns And as to the other one equal fourth part thereof Upon trust to pay and divide the same unto such one or more of the children of my late half Sister Elizabeth Alexander deceased as shall attain the age of twenty one years and if more than one in equal shares Provided always and I do hereby direct my said trustees or trustee when and as often as they or she shall receive and monies which under the trusts of this my Will may presumptively belong to any child or children of my said Sister or half Sisters respectively who shall not at the time of such receipt have attained the age of twenty one years to invest such monies on Government or real securities in the names or name of my said trustees or trustee and to change and vary the securities for the same as they or she shall think proper and I do hereby also direct that the accumulations thereof shall be added to the principal of the share whence the same shall have arisen Provided also and I do hereby authorize and empower my said trustees and trustee and the survivor of them her executors and administrators to adjust settle and compound all accounts reckonings matters and things whensoever at the time of my decease upon any terms my said trustees and trustee may think proper and to accept any security real or personal for any debt or debts owing to me and to allow such time for the payment thereof as they or she may think reasonable And I do hereby also direct that it shall and may be lawful for my said trustees and their respective executors and administrators by and out of the monies which shall come to their respective hands by virtue of this my Will to reimburse themselves respectively all such costs charges damages and expences as they shall respectively sustain or be put unto in or about the execution of the trusts hereby in them reposed and that neither of them shall be chargeable for the receipts payments acts or defaults of the other of them nor for more monies than shall actually come to their respective hands by virtue of this my Will nor with or for any loss or damage which may happen to the same or any part thereof so as such loss happen without their respective gross and wilful default And lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint my said half Sisters the said Sarah Welsh Mills and Jane Mills joint Executrixes In trust of this my last Will and Testament In witness whereof I the said Joanna Pitman Mills the Testatrix have at the foot or end of this my last Will and Testament contained in four sheets of paper and at the foot or end of the first three sheets thereof set my hand this tenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and forty nine

Joanna Pitman Mills

Signed and acknowledged by the said Joanna Pitman Mills 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 hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses

Thomas Hare Clerk     WM Watts Sol[icitor] Yeovil

 

Proved at London 21st July 1849 before the Judge by the oaths of Sarah Welsh Mills and Jane Mills Spinsters the Sisters by the half blood the Executrixes to whom Adm[inistrati]on was granted having been first sworn by Commission duly to adm[inister}

 

 

Transcribed by Bob Osborn