Nat Gould

Summary of the main provisions in the Will of John Gillum 1698-1776

I John Gillum of the parish of St Leonard Shoreditch in the County of Middlesex Merchant, being of sound mind memory and understanding, thanks be to God for the same, but considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof, do make and declare this my last Will and Testament as follows :

- I direct that £353 owed by me on a Bond dated 10 October 1760 given to Nicholas Dukes and John Clements as trustees for my wife Elizabeth Gillum (part of her separate estate settled on her before our marriage) be paid within a year after my decease

- I give my wife Elizabeth Gillum £20 for mourning

- I give her for life the house, garden and gateway which I now occupy, without paying any rent or other consideration except rates, taxes, land tax and water rent

- and she is to distribute each Christmas (as I have done) £4 to 20 poor people in coals, meat and bread

- I give her all my household goods, furniture, household plate, china, pictures, jewels, and other things in the house and warehouse where I now live and carry on my trade - except the rings and wearing apparel given to my son John Gillum

- I recommend her to give my son John Gillum such household goods and other things as she shall think proper

- I give my wife the use of my best diamond ring for life

- I give her (in satisfaction of a Bond entered into by me before our marriage) an Annuity of £80 to be paid by four equal quarterly payments free of all deductions

- I give her my printed books and bookcase

- I give my son John Gillum £40 for mourning and £50 towards paying any debts he may have contracted in the country

- I give him the dividends of £300 in the 3% Consolidated Bank Annuities for life

- I also give him my seal, ring, his mother’s mourning ring, and all my wearing apparel and (after my wife’s death) my best diamond ring

- I also give him an Annuity of £80 to be paid by four equal quarterly payments during the lives of him and my wife, free of all deductions, and after her death (if he is then living) I give him (instead of the £80 annuity) an annuity of £100 commencing when the other ceases and payable similarly and clear of all deductions

- these annuities to be paid from the rents from my freehold houses, livery stable, barn, ground and appurtenances in the parish of St Leonard Shoreditch in Middlesex in Worship Street (also called Hogg Lane) and a place there called the Curtain, occupied by Thomas Dowson and William Pearce, Rebecca Edwards, William Peary, Charles Ross, Samuel Tooth, Thomas Cross, George Slack, William Walker, Thomas Taylor, John Scarlen, Caleb Alford, Shadrach Humblesby, Thos. Stokes, Wm. Jones, Matthew Calcott, Wm. Carter, Thos. Butcher, and Robert Burger and others (except the house and appurtenances given to my wife for life)

- and I authorise my said wife and son, if any rent is unpaid for sixty days after becoming due (even if no demand is made), to take possession of the property concerned until the arrears have been paid

- I give my wife £100 of 3% Consolidated Bank Annuities in trust to pay from the dividends as she shall think fit (and the executors after her death) for maintaining, clothing and educating Christopher Gillum Waggitt and Ann Waggitt, children of my niece Mary Waggitt the wife of Christopher Gillum Waggitt of Gun Street in the old Artillery Ground in Middlesex until they are 23 and then the Principal to be transferred to them in equal shares or to the survivor of them - but if neither survive then it goes into the residue of my personal estate

- I give ten guineas each for mourning to my friends Mr. Robert Davis of the parish of St Leonard Shoreditch cheesemonger, and Mr. William Ramsay of the parish of St Mary Winterchapel in Middlesex gentleman, and Mr. William Grice

- I appoint Robert Davis, William Ramsay and William Grice my Executors and Trustees

- I give ten guineas for mourning to my friend Mr. Stevens Cotton of Spittal Square in Middlesex Gentleman, and request him to and assist my wife in her affairs

- I give my daughter-in-law Mary Gillum wife of my son William Gillum deceased and her three children William Gillum, Thomas Gillum and Raphael Gillum £5 each for mourning, to be paid to the mother

- I give each of the following 14 persons a ring of a guinea value :

my wife
my son John Gillum
my late son’s wife
Robert Davis and his wife
William Ramsay and his wife
William Grice and his wife
Mr. Stevens Cotton and his wife
Mr. Dukes
my nephew Mr. William Gillum
Captain Anthony Buskin and his wife [[15 people?]

- I give my grandson William Gillum my gold watch when he is capable of wearing and taking care of it - and if he shall not live to have it, then I give it to my grandson Thomas Gillum on the same terms - and if he shall not live to have it, then I give it similarly to my other grandchild Raphael Gillum

- I desire that my funeral expenses may not exceed £30

- I give £20 to my godson Anthony Buskin (son of Captain Anthony Buskin) to be paid to his father for the use of his son

- I direct that the legacies for mourning be paid immediately on my death and that the other money legacies within three months after my death

- I give my Executors and Trustees £1,500 of 3.5% Bank Annuities of 1758 standing in my name at the Bank of England in trust to invest it, with the profits going equally to my three grandchildren William Gillum, Thomas Gillum and Raphael Gillum if they survive me and when attaining the age of 23 years – failing which equally between such children of my son John Gillum then living when they are 23 – failing which to my next of kin equally according to the law of distributing intestate estates

- and the residue of my personal estate and effects I give to my wife Elizabeth Gillum, subject to the directions given to my Executors and Trustees concerning my freehold estates and to the annuities given to my wife and son John and to my wife’s interest in my house

- I give all my freehold estate and other property as follows :

I give my three freehold houses and Livery Stables (occupied by Thomas Dowson and William Pearce, William Peary and Charles Ross) to my grandson William Gillum and his descendants – failing which to Thomas Gillum and his descendants – failing which to Raphael Gillum and his descendants – failing which to my own heirs

I give my freehold house, garden and gateway which I now occupy, and my freehold barn and my nine freehold houses with their ground and garden (occupied by Rebecca Edwards, Caleb Alford, Shadrach Humblesby, Thomas Stokes, William Jones, Matthew Calcott, William Carter, Thomas Butcher, and Robert Burger) to my grandson Thomas Gillum and his descendants – failing which to William Gillum and his descendants – failing which to Raphael Gillum and his descendants – failing which to my own heirs

I give my six freehold houses (occupied by Samuel Tooth, George Slack, Thomas Cross, William Walker, Thomas Taylor, and John Scarlen) to my grandson Raphael Gillum and his descendants – failing which to William Gillum and his descendants – failing which to Thomas Gillum and his descendants – failing which to my own heirs

- I direct that (although my wife and son shall take their annuities from the rents of my estates as they think proper) yet each of my three grandsons shall between themselves contribute one equal third part of those annuities – even if I not have given them exactly equal third parts

- I direct that all documents relating to these estates remain with William Ramsay, he acknowledging that they are in his custody ready to be produced as required

- I direct that £50 be spent out of the dividends of the £1,500 3.5% Annuities in repairing the Stables tenanted by Thomas Dowson and William Pearce when their lease expires

- I empower my Executors and Trustees during the infancy of any person designed to be entitled to my freehold estates to receive the rents and manage them for the benefit of that person, and spend out of the rents such money necessary for repairs, insurance and paying the outgoings

- my Trustees may lease the any of the property (except save the house given to my wife) to anyone for a term not exceeding 61 years

- I direct that if anyone entitled to any money or freehold estate (or any friend on their behalf) tries to obtain a share of my estate contrary to my Will, or cite my executors in an Ecclesiastical Court to produce an inventory or account relating to my estate, or makes any demand on my executors contrary to my Will other than to receive their legacies, or hinders them in executing my Will or Trusts, and if anyone entitled to any money under my Will able to execute a necessary document fails to do so within three months of my decease, then their legacy shall not be payable but shall go to my wife

- I revoke all other Wills made by me

In Witness whereof I John Gillum have set my hand and seal 24 October 1776

John Gillum LS

Signed sealed published declared and delivered by John Gillum the Testator as his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses
Jacob Kirkley Chambers Jons Robert Kell, Clerks to Mr Cotton.

This Will was proved at London 2 June 1777 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oaths of Robert Davis, William Ramsey and William Grice, the executors named in the Will, to whom administration was granted.