Nat Gould

Will Of John Gould 1725

Will of John Gould 1725

Sept 22nd 1725
I Give unto the Poor of Hartington in the County of Derby the place of my Nativity five pounds also tis my desire that my Executors after named expend £70 in my funeral Item I give to Mrs Mary Hayward 30 guineas and my Will is that rings be given to my intimate friends especially the Family where I am Item I give unto my Man William all my Wearing apparell linnen and woolen Item I give unto Samuel Dunning my Watch and a ring also I give unto him for the Church to which he belongs in South Molton in Devonshire five pounds all these Legacies to be in one half year after my decease all the remainder of my goods and Chattells unbequeathed I give unto my seven Brothers and brothers in Law equally to be divided among them and my Will is that my Cozens Mr Thos Hollis Senr (1) & Mr John Williams (2) be Executors in trust to see my Will executed what is above written was dictated to me by Mr Gould and done by his desire Witt Samuel Dunning Read over this paper distinctly to Couz: John Gould and he assented to the contents as his last Will Tho. Hollis Junr (3).

October 14th 1725
Which Day appeared personally Samuel Dunning of the Parish of St Dunstans in the East London Cheesmonger and Thomas Hollis the younger of the parish of Trinity Minories in the County of Middlesex Cutler and by Vertue of their corporal Oaths deposed as follows that the deponents have been well acquainted with John Gould late of the Parish of St Dunstans in the East aforesaid Batchelour deceased for several Years next before and untill the time of his Death which happened as the Deponents are informed and verily beleive on or about the twenty sixth day of September last past and the said Samuel Dunning deposed that upon the twenty second day of September in the morning the deponent being sent for by the deceased to his late dwelling house the deponent accordingly went there and found the said Deceased sick in Bed and the said Deceased being of Sound mind memory and understanding declared to the deponent that he had an Intention to make his last Will and Testament and desired the deponent to take down in writing Minutes of his Mind or Instructions for his Will and the deponent accordingly then wrote from the deceaseds own mouth the Schedule Testamentary hereunto annexed beginning thus Sept 22d 1725 I give unto the poor of Hartington in the County of Derby the Place of my Nativity five pounds and ending thus be Executors in Trust to see my Will executed saving the words interlined Senr and Mr John Williams and in the Evening of the same day the said Thomas Hollis being at the said deceaseds dwelling house sent for the deponent to come to the said house and the Deponent accordingly went there and told the said Mr Hollis that the deponent had taken Instructions for making the said deceaseds Will and shew the Same to the said Mr Hollis upon which the said Hollis desired the deponent to go up along with him into the deceaseds Bed Chamber in order to read the same over to the deceased and to know Whether the same was according to his mind that he might put his hand thereto and the Deponent and the said Hollis accordingly the same Evening went up into the deceaseds Bedchamber and the said Hollis read the same over to the said deceased in the Deponents presence and the said deceased was then of sound mind memory and understanding and well understood the contents of the said schedule Testamentary and approved thereof saving that the deponent having wrote in the said Schedule Testamentary the words following to my Seven Brothers and to my Seven Brothers in law the said deceased having but seven Brothers and Brothers in law in the whole he ordered the words to my Seven to be struck out and also the deponent having wrote these words to my Cozens the two Mr Thomas Hollis upon the said Hollis mentioning to the said Deceased that he was a going out of town and that Mr John Williams was a nearer Relation he ordered Mr Thomas Hollis Senr and Mr John Williams to be Executors and the deponent accordingly altered the Same according to the Said deceaseds directions in manner as now appears and the said Thomas Hollis deposed that upon the said 22d day of September last past in the Evening the deponent being at the said deceaseds late dwelling house the deponent sent for the said Samuel Dunning to come to the said deceaseds said house who immediately came and then told the Deponent that he had taken Instructions for the deceaseds Will and shew to the deponent the aforesaid schedule testamentary hereunto annexed but the same not being signed by the said Deceased the Deponent and the said Samuel Dunning went up into the said deceaseds Bed chamber and the said deceased being of sound mind memory and understanding the deponent read the same distinctly over to him paragraph by paragraph and asked him whether he approved of each paragraph and he declared he approved thereof with the following alterations the words to my seaven which he ordered to be struck out by reason he had but seaven brothers and Brothers in Law and the deponent declaring to him that he was going out of town and that Mr John Williams was a nearer Relation to him he ordered Mr John Williams to be Executor in the room of the Deponent which was accordingly altered and the name John Williams inserted by the said Samuel Dunning in the presence of the deceased and the deponent and afterwards read over to him the deceased by the Deponent and they both deposed that after the said Schedule Testamentary was read over to the said Deceased in manner aforesaid the said Deceased whilst he was of Sound mind Memory and understanding desired the deponents to help him up in his Bed and desired to have a pen and Ink in order to Sign the said Schedule testamentary which was accordingly brought and the deponents accordingly helped to move him up in his bed in order for him to sign the same but upon moving him up and not before he became or seemed to be somewhat delirious which the Deponents verily beleive proceeded from the moving of him and therefore the deponents did not think it proper for him to sign the said Testamentary Schedule and the deponents verily beleive he never afterwards came perfectly to his Senses Samuel Dunning Tho: Hollis Junr [Signed in the presence of witnesses]

[Probate granted 14 October 1725]

(1) Thomas Hollis senior was the first cousin of the testator John Gould, namely Thomas Hollis 1659-1731.
(2) John Williams was the husband of Elizabeth Hollis, daughter of the testator's uncle John Hollis of St Albans born in 1648.
(3) Thomas Hollis junior was Thomas Hollis the son of his first cousin Nathaniel Hollis.