Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Joseph Buckrell

Grocer of the Borough

 

Joseph Buckrell was born in Middle Chinnock and baptised there on 18 July 1813. He was the son of yeoman John Buckrell and his wife Jane. The Buckrells were a relatively well-off farming family, at the time of Joseph's birth running Higher Farm, although later in the nineteenth-century the family took over Manor Farm, both in Middle Chinnock.

Nothing is known of Joseph's early life, but on 23 October 1837, at Milborne Port, 24-year-old Joseph married 25-year-old Martha Highmore (1812-1842), the eldest of the three daughters of James Noake Highmore (1777-1837) and Patty Sherring (1790-1839). On their entry of their marriage in the Milborne Port parish register, Joseph was recorded as a Tea Dealer of Yeovil.

After their marriage, Joseph and Martha lived in Yeovil. Joseph was a grocer and tea dealer with premises in the Borough. They were to have two daughters; Martha Jane (1839-1915) and Elizabeth (1842-1843).

The 1841 census listed Joseph, Martha and their one-year-old baby Martha, together with a grocer's assistant, living above Josephs' shop premises in the Borough. Joseph gave his occupation simply as 'Grocer'.

On 19 February 1842 Joseph and Martha's daughter Elizabeth was born. She was baptised at St John's church on 1 August 1842. Sadly, Martha died around this time while at Milborne Port. She was just 30 years old and was buried at Milborne Port.

In March 1843, clearly unwell, Joseph wrote his will in which he left the bulk of his estate in trust for his two daughters but made bequests totalling one thousand pounds (approaching £100,000 at today's value) to his two sisters, Mary and Ann, and two sisters-in-law.

Sadly Joseph Buckrell died in April 1843, aged just 27. He was buried on 27 April 1843 at Milborne Port. Baby Elizabeth died in May 1843 at East Chinnock (in the care of relatives). She was buried in Milborne Port on 13 May 1843.

Joseph and Martha's daughter, Martha Jane, the only survivor of this small family, was listed in the 1851 census living with her aunt Elizabeth Highmore in Dorchester, Dorset. She went on to marry George Dibble Templeman (1837-1903) and lived until 1915.

 

 

The entry in the Milborne Port parish register of the marriage of Joseph and Martha on 23 October 1837. Joseph is stated as a Tea Dealer of Yeovil, the son of yeoman John Buckrell.

 

 

 

This is the last Will and Testament of me Joseph Buckrell of Yeovil in the County of Somerset Grocer I devise all my Real Estate unto and to the use of my two Daughters Martha Jane and Elizabeth and their respective heirs and assigns in equal shares as Tenants in common Provided always and I declare my will to be that if either of my said Children shall die under the age of twenty one years without being or having ever married then the share of such of them so dying of or in my said Real Estate shall from and after such her decease go remain and be to the survivor of my said Children her heirs and assigns for ever and if both my said Children shall die under the age of twenty one years without being or having been married then I devise my said Real Estate unto and to the use of my Brothers George Buckrell and John Buckrell and their respective heirs and assigns in equal shares as Tenants in common I bequeath all my Personal Estate to William Highmore of Sherborne in the County of Dorset Surgeon and George Wadman of Yeovil aforesaid Draper Upon Trust to get in the same when and as the Trustees or Trustee for the time being shall in their or his discretion deem it most advantageous so to do And upon trust to invest the money to arise therefrom in the names or name of the said Trustees or Trustee in or upon any of the Parliamentary Stocks or Public Funds of Great Britain or at Interest upon Government of Real Securities in England or Wales with [liberty ?] to vary and transpose the investment from time to time at the discretion of the said Trustees or Trustee for any other investment of the description contemplated by this trust And as to the money to arise as aforesaid and the Stocks Funds and Securities upon which the same shall be invested In trust for my said Children Martha Jane and Elizabeth in equal shares but if either of them shall die under the age of twenty one years without being or having been married then in trust as to the share of such of them so dying for the other of my said Children But if both of my said Children shall die under the age of twenty one years without being or having been married Then as to my said Jewels Trinkets and ornaments to divide the same equally between my said Sisters in Law Elizabeth Highmore and Mary Highmore and my Sister Jane the Wife of Mr Arthur Dibble and as to the residue of my said Personal Estate Upon Trust to pay to my said Sister in Law Elizabeth Highmore the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds Sterling to my said Sister in Law Mary Highmore the like sum of two hundred and fifty pounds to my Sister Mary the Wife of Mr George Templeman the like sum of two hundred and fifty pounds to my Sister Ann the Wife of Mr Walter Symes the like sum of two hundred and fifty pounds and the residue of my said trust fund unto and equally between my said brothers George Buckrell and John Buckrell I direct that it shall be lawful for my said Trustees or Trustee to apply the whole or so much as they shall think fit of the annual income of the contingent portion to which each of my said Children shall be entitled under my Will in or to my said Real and Personal Estate towards the maintenance education or bringing up of such Child and shall accumulate the unapplied income and add the accumulations to the portion whence the same shall have arisen I direct that my Trustees or Trustee shall have power in their discretion to apply in or towards the advancement in life or establishment in Business of each Child entitled as aforesaid any part not exceeding one half of the Capital of her share provided further that the said Trustees or Trustee shall have power during the minority of my said Children to grant [word illegible] of my said Real Estate for any term not exceeding seven years in possession at the best [rent ?] and generally to manage and improve the same at his discretion and also to compound debts and demands grant indulgences to debtors and submit disputes to arbitration and I declare that the receipts of my said Trustees or Trustee shall exonerate all persons paying or transferring monies or funds to such Trustees or Trustee by virtue of my Will from all liability in respect of the application thereof provided further that when and so often as a vacancy shall occur in the Trusteeship of my Will by reason of any of my said Trustees or their successors dying or being unwilling or incompetent to act the Trustees or Trustee for the time being competent to act whether intending to continue in the Trust or not ["for the time being" deleted] shall have power to nominate a Trustee or Trustees to supply the vacancy and thereupon my trust property shall be vested in the old jointly with the new Trustees or Trustee or in the now Trustees solely as the case may require provided nevertheless that the original number of Trustees shall not by the execution of the preceding power be increased or diminished but each new Trustee be nominated to fill the place of an old Trustee provided further that my said Trustees for the time being their heirs executors and administrators shall be answerable for their own respective receipts and wilful [word illegible] and defaults only and shall be at liberty to retain and allow to each other their respective reasonable disbursements and expences I devise all the real Estate vested in me as Mortgagee or Trustee to the said William Highmore and George Wadman their heirs and assigns subject to the equities affecting the same respectively And I appoint the said William Highmore and George Wadman to be Executors of my Will and Guardians of my said Children Lastly I revoke all former and other Wills declaring this writing alone to express the whole of my Will and declaring also the Legacies hereby given to my said Brothers and Sisters and Sisters in law to be in addition to any provision made for them by my marriage Settlement In Witness whereof I the said Joseph Buckrell to this my last Will and Testament contained in two sheets have set my hand that is to say at the foot of the first sheet thereof and at the end of this last sheet thereof this fourth day of [February = deleted] March one thousand eight hundred and forty three

Joseph Buckrell

Signed by the above named Joseph Buckrell in the presence of us present at the same time who in his presence have here subscribed our names as attesting witnesses the words "for the time being" having been first obliterated & the word "February" having been obliterated and the word "March" substituted in its stead

G E Hooper Yeovil Surgeon           John Slade Yeovil Solicitor

Proved at London 17th Jan[uar]y 1844 before the Judge by the Oaths of William Highmore and George Wadman the Executors to whom Adm[inistrati]on was granted having first sworn by Comon dult to Ar[ministe]r

 

 

Transcribed by Bob Osborn