William Bray's will was signed and witnessed on 27 Jan 1766 and William died later that year, with the will being proved on 2 May 1766 at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. The fact that this higher court was used suggests that he had property in more than one diocese but this could apply, for example, if he held government stock as well as actual land.
Below is part of the will in its original form.
In full, the will reads as follows (apart from a few words that I am still trying to decipher) including capitals and punctuation as in the original.
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In the Name of God Amen |
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I William Bray the elder of Abington by Shingay in the county of Cambridge Miller being sick and weak in Body but of sound Mind and Memory do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say, first I give and bequeath unto my loving Wife Mary Bray and my Son William Bray the Sum of two hundred pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain upon Trust to be by them or the Survivor of them and the Executors and Administrators of such Survivor put and placed out at Interest upon good Security and the Interest thereof to be from time to time paid to my Daughter Ann the Wife of John Theobalds whose Receipt alone (notwithstanding her Coverture) shall from time to time be a good Discharge for the same And in case of the Death of my said Daughter Then my Will and Meaning is that my said Trustees shall pay the said principal Sum of two hundred pounds and all Interest then due for the same unto such person or persons to whom my said Daughter shall (notwithstanding her present or any future husband) give or appoint the same by her last Will and Testament or any Writing under her Hand and Seal attested by two or more credible Witnesses it being my will and meaning that the said John Theobalds or any after taken husband shall not intermeddle with or have any control over the said two hundred pounds or the Interest to grow due for the same but for want of such Gift or Appointment to be made as aforesaid Then my said Trustees shall pay and divide the said two hundred pounds and Interest to and amongst such Children of my said Daughter as shall be living at the time of her Death Share and Share alike And I hereby (in such case) appoint my said Trustees Guardians of my said Daughters Children during their Minority as to the said Legacy and Interest and in case of the Death of any of my said Daughters Children under age Then the Share of him her or them so dying shall go to the Survivors Share and Share alike Nevertheless my Desire is that in case my said Daughter shall be minded and desirous to be paid the said two hundred pounds or any part thereof Then and in such Case my Will and Meaning is and I so hereby direct my said Trustees to pay the same or any part thereof unto such person or persons as my said Daughter shall direct or appoint the same she my said Daughter giving to my said Trustees three Months Notice in Writing signed with her own proper Hand of such her Mind and Intention Item I give and bequeath unto my Brother John Bray five pounds of like lawful Money to be paid by my Executors within three Months after my Decease Item I give and bequeath unto my Grandson William Bray Theobalds to be paid by the Executors or Administrators of the said Mary my Wife within one year after her Decease (if he shall then be of age) out of what is hereinafter bequeathed to her and in case my said Grandson shall not have attained his age of twenty one years at the time of my Wife’s Death then my Desire is that the Executors or Admors of my said Wife shall (during the Minority of my said Grandson) pay the Interest of the said one hundred pounds to my said Daughter whose Receipt alone notwithstanding her Coverture shall from time to time be a good discharge for the same And in case of the Death of my Grandson under age then the said one hundred pounds shall be paid to and I hereby give and bequeath the same unto my said Daughter Ann Item I give and bequeath to the poor of Abington aforesaid fifty shillings and to the poor of Litlington fifty shillings to be laid out in ----- and distributed at the Discretion of my Executors Item all the rest residue and remainder of my Goods Chattels and Personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever and of what Nature or Quality soever after and subject to the payment of my Funeral Expenses just Debts and the Legacies herein before given and bequeathed I give and bequeath the same and every part thereof unto the said Mary my Wife and Son William Bray their Executors and Administrators to be equally divided between them Share and Share alike and I hereby nominate and appoint my said Wife and Son Executors of this my last Will and Testament In witness whereof I have to ----- my will contained in two Sheets of Paper to each Sheet thereof set my Hand and Seal the twenty seventh Day of January 1766 ~ Wm Bray Senr ~ Signed sealed published and declared by the said William Bray the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his Request in his Presence and in the Presence of each other have hereunto set our Names as Witnesses These Words Upon Trust any of ----- ----- ----- ~ Thomas Morris ~ Edw Day ~
This Will was proved at London the second Day of May in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty six before the Right Worshipful George Way Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oaths of Mary Bray Widow the Relict and William Bray the Son of the deceased and Executors named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased having been first sworn by Commission duly to administer |
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The emphasis on the details of how the sum of £200 was to be administered for his daughter, Ann, is a reminder that at the time a woman's property belonged to her husband. William is careful to ensure that his daughter can decide what to do with the money and its interest. Coverture is the state of a married woman, under the protection of her husband. The harsh wording that "the said John Theobalds or any after taken husband shall not intermeddle with or have any control over the said two hundred pounds" is softened slightly by the assurance that Ann might choose to dispose of it by "such Gift or Appointment". One calculator of relative worth for sums of money in the past suggests that £200 in 1766 would be worth about £18 000 in this century.
The will confirms several family links across three generations. Particularly useful is the reference to "my Grandson William Bray Theobalds", with his very distinctive name. He is also mentioned in another will, that of William Bray the younger, proved in 1777. There he is described as "one of the sons of my late sister Ann Theobalds".
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