Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Thomas GrObham

Thomas Grobham, Mercer of Yeovill

 

Thomas Grobham, also Grubham and Grebham, was a Yeovil mercer (a dealer in cloth and fabrics) and landowner. He was Warden of Woborn Almshouse in 1704, 1708 and 1712, becoming Custos of the Almshouse in 1718.

The monthly Poor Rate Return of of 1729 recorded that he paid 3s 10¾d for his own house in Kingston - a substantial amount indicating that his house was in the top 5% of Yeovil's large houses. The annual Window Tax, also for 1729, confirmed the large size of his house since he was charged six shillings tax because his house had between 10 and 20 windows.

Thomas Grobham wrote his will in 1732 and died the following year.

 

 

This is the last Will and Testament of Thomas Grubham of Yeovill in the County of Somerset Mercer being weak of Body but of perfect understanding and memory Published and declared this third day of July Anno Domini 1732 as followeth First and principally I Commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Maker hoping for the Forgiveness of all my Sins through the only meritts death and passion of Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer My body I Commit to Christian and buryal at the Discretion of my Sister Mrs Martha Beale And as for my Worldly Estate I bequeath give and dispose thereof as herein mentioned Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my Sister Mrs Martha Beale thirty pounds yearly for her life to be paid her at quarterly Payments I bind my whole Estate for the payment of it Likewise I give her ten pounds to be paid her within a month after my decease Also I give and bequeath my House in Kingstone [NB, this is probably the Manor of Kingston, rather than the road of that name] wherein lives the Widow Perry with the Barn Stable Wringhouse Orchard and Garden to my Sister Beale for the term of her natural life Item I give unto John Beale the Elder ten pounds a year to be paid him at Fifty Shillings quarterly for the term of his natural life Item I give unto John Beale the Younger ten pounds a year to be paid him at Fifty Shillings quarterly for the term of his natural life Item I give to Mr John Milner two Guineas for a Funeral Sermon and to continue the Seven Shillings and 6d to be paid him quarterly as long as he is Pastor of a Congregation in this town I bind my Estate for the payment of it Item I give unto Thomas Leveridge the house he now lives in for the term of his natural life paying my Executors twelve pence per year Chief rent Also I do forgive him all past Debts Dues and Demands whatsoever whether house rent or otherwise Except the last Book debt Item I give unto Mr Walter Foy One Gold ring value twenty five shillings Item I give unto Mr Ware of Dorchester one Gold ring value twenty five shillings Item I give unto Jeane Hutchins my Servant two Guineas if she is with me at the time of my death and a Mourning Gown Item I give unto Elizabeth Avoke Widow the Elder five pounds and to her sister Grace Fifty Shillings and to her Daughter Margaret Fifty Shillings and I give to George Herbert of Batcomb and his Brother William to each Five pounds Item I give unto Ann Bengey Mary Sugg Peter Bartlett and William Harris to each the sum of twenty shillings Item I give unto William Arnold and John Barret the Elder the Sum of Tenn pounds each if they outlive my Kinsman Thomas Beale Item I give all the rest of my Estate reall and personal not before devised As also All my household Goods Shop Goods Likewise all my ready money and Bands Mortgages and Notes of hand Book Debts and whatsoever else I have a right to in the County of Somerset unto my Kinsman Thomas Beale for his natural life and afterwards to his Children lawfully begotten And for want of such Issue I give and bequeath all the rest of my Estate real and personal not before Devised unto my Sister Mrs Martha Beale for her natural life And after her decease I give and bequeath ll the said Estate real and personal not before devised unto the Children of my Kinsman John Beale the Younger lawfully begotten and for want of such Issue of my two Kinsmen Thomas Beale and John Beale the Younger Then I give devise and bequeath all the rest of my Estate not before devised as follows Viz I give unto my Kinsman Mr William Daniell All that Estate commonly called Monks with the house in Kingston belonging thereto to him and his heirs for ever Item I give unto my Kinsman Mr Walter Foy all my Estate and Lands at Marsh to him and his heirs for ever Paying out of it whenever it falls the sum of Five hundred pounds to be divided as follows Vix One hundred pounds to Mr Samuel Daniell the Younger Fifty pounds to Mr Ware of Dorchester One hundred pounds To Mr Edmund Anstice to the three Daughters of the Widow Avoke the Elder Viz Elizabeth Mary and Margaret the sum of Fifty pounds each to the Widow Avoke the Younger Fifty pounds To Mrs Ruth Leeves thirty pounds and to Mrs Mary White twenty pounds Item I give unto mu Kinsman John Oster and his heirs for ever All the Lands called Grubhams Tenement Viz One Mead at Compton Mill two acres at Larkhill and one in Greenmoore Item I give my Close in Preston Lane to the use of the Minister of the Presbyterian Church that then shall be in this town and to such for ever after as shall Succeed him in the Same Office Item if my Kinsman Mr Thomas Beale should live til after the Age of One and twenty years and that my Sister Beale should dye before that time then I do give and appoint that my two Kinsmen John Beale the Elder and John Beale the Younger shall be paid out of my Estate the sum of twenty pounds a year each to be paid at quarterly payments during the term of their natural lives Item all the rest of my Estate real and personal not devised as before I give to my Kinsman Mr William Daniell to him and his heirs for ever Also I do constitute and appoint the said Mr William Daniell and Mr John Oster to be Sole and Absolute Executors and Trustees of this my last Will and Testament In Trust only for the uses and purposes herein declared and do give them ten pounds each on taking the trust upon them Also if my Kinsman Mr Thomas Beale dyes before the age of twenty one years then I give and bequeath unto Mr William Daniell the Sum of three hundred pounds and to Mr John Oster one hundred pounds Memorandum It is my Will and desire that my Kinsman Mr Thomas Beale shall not have my Estate either real or Personal til he arrives to the Age of twenty one years As also that my said two Executors and Trustees shall have the full power of the Education of my Kinsman Mr Thomas Beale And that they shall be allowed out of all my Estate All the Charges and Expences they shall be at either in his Education or upon any other Account whatsoever concerning nthe trust reposed in them And if my Kinsman John Beale the Elder shall refuse my Trustees any such Power over his son or shall give them any trouble in it Then for so long time I Order the ten pounds a year as above to to be paid Witness my hand and seal the day and year first above written
Thomas Grobham
Sealed and delivered published and declared in the presence of us
Ones Penny Saml Willy Hen: Lewis

This Will was proved at London the Seventeenth day of September in the year of Our Lord One thousand seven hundred and thirty three before the Worshipfull William Branston Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipfull John Bettesworth also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary or the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of William Daniell one of the Executors in the said Will named to whom Administration was Committed or all and singular the Goods Chattells and Credits of the said deceased he being first Sworn duly to Administer reserving power to make the like Grant to John Oster the other Executor when he shall come to pray the same.

 

Transcribed by Bob Osborn