06 December 2021

25.4.1 The will of Penniston Topper (1744-1804) Footman to George III

The Will of Pennistone Topper 

Transcribed by Lesly Huxley, Dec 2021. Names are highlighted in bold. Question marks represent words or letters I have been unable to read.


From image at Ancestry

Pennistone Topper

In the name of God Amen I Pennistone Topper of Ebury Street in the Parish of St George Hanover Square in the County of Middlesex Gentleman do make publish and declare this my last will and testament in manner following that is to say ffirst I desire to be buried in my own vault or burying place at or near Bayswater in the Parish of St George Hanover Square and my ffuneral to be managed and conducted at discretion of my dear wife Ann Topper and my executors hereinafter named and I direct that all my just debts ffuneral expenses and the charges of proving this my will may be duly satisfied and paid by my executors hereinafter named with all convenient speed after my decease also I give and bequeathe unto my ffriends and trustees Thomas Shefford of Old Burlington Street in the County of Middlesex Gentleman ^ [inserted in margin] and Henry Madgwick of Pimlico in the said County of Middlesex Gentleman all that my ffreehold messuage and dwelling house with the appurts situate and being in Orchard Street Westminster in the said County of Middlesex now in the occupation of Thomas Brown Ffarrier to hold to them and their heirs upon trust to permit my dear wife Ann Topper and her assigns to ?derive the rents shares? and profits thereof and every part thereof for and during the term of her natural life to and for their own use and benefit and upon further trust from and after the decease of my said wife to convey and assure my said ffreehold messuage or dwelling house with the appurtenances unto and to the use and benefit of my sons Pennistone Topper and George Topper and my daughters Diana Lintott now the wife of James Lintott Caroline Topper Mary Ann Topper and Charlotte Topper their heirs and assigns absolutely for ever equally to be divided between or amongst them share and share alike as tenants in common and not as joint tenants also I give and bequeathe unto my said dear wife Ann Topper so much and such part of my household goods ffurniture plate linen china and other my household goods and effects that I shall die possessed of as she my said wife shall make choice of at or after the time of my decease to hold to her my said wife absolutely as and for her own absolute goods chattels property and effects and whereas I am entitled to certain leasehold premises in the occupation of Mr James Stevens Hatter situate and being in St James Street Westminster aforesaid and which I have let to him at a certain yearly rent which after deducting the ground rent thereof produces me during the term of his lease clear and net yearly rent or sum of one hundred and thirty pounds per annum which I divide by half yearly payments now I give devise and bequeathe the same premises and the rent received and made payable to me by the same James Stevens {or is it Harris?) the occupier thereof when due and payable and all arrears and future payments due and to grow due thereon and all my Estate Right Reversion and interest thereon unto my said ffriends Thomas Shefford and Henry Madgwick Their executors and administrators upon trust that they or the survivor of them or the executors and administrators of such survivor shall and do from time to time lay out or invest or cause the net said yearly rent or sum of one hundred and thirty pounds payable or to be paid in respect of the said leasehold premises in Saint James Street aforesaid and all arrears and future accruing payments thereof when and as the same shall grow due and payable and be received in their own names or name in or upon some of the Parliamentary shares or ffunds or upon Real or other Government security or securities at interest upon the several trusts and to and for the several intents and purposes hereinafter expressed and ? of and concerning same and as to and for concerning all my ready monies and all other monies debts owing and which are and shall be secured or due or owing to me at my decease upon Bills Bonds notes or otherwise and all monies in the shares or ffunds or upon Government or other security or securities at interest and all and singular the rest and residue of my household goods ffurniture plate linen china and effects as shall remain after my said wife shall have made her choice as aforesaid I give devise and bequeathe the same debts monies Bills Bonds Notes Shares ffunds or securities household ffurniture goods and effects except as before excepted and bequeathed and all and singular other rest and residue and remainder of my goods chattels estate property and effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kind soever not hereinbefore already by this my will otherwise bequeathed or disposed of unto my said Ffriends Thomas Shefford and Henry Madgwick their executors administrators and assigns absolutely as and for their own absolute property according to the nature and quality thereof upon the trusts ? and to and for the intents and purposes hereinafter expressed and declared of and concerning the same respectively that is to say upon trust that they the said Thomas Shefford and Henry Madgwick or the survivor of them or the executors  or administrators of such survivor shall and do with all convenient speed next after my decease sell and absolutely dispose of my said remaining household goods ffurniture plate linen china and effects after my said wife’s having made her choisc thereof as aforesaid and subject to publick auction or by private contract as to them my said trustees shall seem most fit and beneficial to any person or persons whomsoever for the most money or best price or prices that can be had or obtained for the same and shall and do with all convenient speed next after my decease call or collect in demand interest or receive of and all and every person or persons who is are or shall be indebted to me or be liable to pay or account for the same every and all my debts and debts due and dues of money which at my decease shall be owing or secured or made payable to me upon simple contract and upon bills bonds notes or other securities whatsoever when and as soon as the same shall become due and payable or recoverable and also sell out and dispose of or otherwise continue in their names at interest all my money in the ffunds which shall be vested or laid in or upon real or government security or securities as they my said trustees shall think most advisable upon further trust that they the said trustees Thomas Shefford and Henry Madgwick and the survivor of them their executors or administrators of them and so as soon as conveniently maybe afterwards pay out and invest all the clear monies all produce to arise and be produced by and from such sale or sales and disposition and so to be called in collected recovered and received when and as the same shall be got in and received after satisfying and paying all my just debts ffuneral and testamentary expenses and deductions of all costs charges and expenses attending the execution of this my will and the performance of the trust hereby declared in their or his own names or name in or upon some of the Parliamentary shares or funds or upon real or government security or securities at interest and I do hereby voice declare and direct that they the said trustees shall stand and be possessed of and interested in as well the aforesaid that yearly rent of one hundred and thirty pounds and the notes ffunds and securities wherein the same monies

^[inserted in the margin: shall from time to time be ? and invested by them in their names aforesaid on the pursuance of this my will and the trusts hereinbefore declared thereof as also of and in the said ? monies so to arise and be produced by or form any sale or sales or disposition and so to be called in collected recovered or received as aforesaid the notes ffunds securities wherein the same ….

shall be so laid out and invested by them as aforesaid upon trust that they said Thomas Shefford and Henry Madgwick and the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor shall and do from time to time during the life of my said dear wife Ann Topper pay to or otherwise permit and suffer and fully authorise and empower her my said wife and her assigns to receive and take the dividends interest and annual produce of the said trust monies and securities as and when the same shall become due and payable to and for her and their own use and benefit and from and immediately after the decease of her my said wife Ann Topper then upon trust that they the said Thomas Shefford and Henry Madgwick or the survivor of them his executors or administrators shall and do thenceforth stand and are possessed of and interested in all the residue of my said trust monies shares ffunds and securities and the interest dividends and proceeds thereof in trust for ? and to pay Transfer and assign the same and every part thereof unto and amongst my said Sons and daughters namely Penniston Topper George Topper

^[inserted in the margin: Diana Lintott Caroline Topper and Mary Ann Topper]

and Charlotte Topper equally to be divided between them share and share alike as tenants in common and not as joint tenants and to for or upon no other trust intent or purpose whatsoever provided always and my will is and I do hereby expressly declare that the several ? and requests heretobefore made to or in trust for my said children or any or either of them shall not lapse or become void by the deaths or ? of the same children or any or either of them in my lifetime it being my intention and desire that the executors or administrators of such of my said children as shall happen to die in my lifetime shall as upon my decease succeed or become entitled to the share or shares of and in my said estates effects hereinbefore given and stated to or in trust for them my said children as aforesaid as fully and effectually as such child or children himself herself or themselves would have done in case he she they had survived anything to the contrary thereof not withstanding and I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint the said Thomas Shefford and Henry Madgwick trusted executors of this my last will and testament and I give and bequeath to each of them a legacy of one guinea each for mourning rings as a small acknowledgement for the trouble they will have in the execution of this my will and the trusts hereby stated and I do hereby so declare that they my said trustees and executors their executors administrators or assigns shall not be charged or chargeable with or accountable for any more of the said trust monies and premises than they respectively actually shall receive or shall come to their respective hands by virtue of this my will nor with or for any loss which shall or may happen of or to the same so as such loss happen without their respective wilful default nor the one for the other of them nor for the acts deeds receipts or disbursements of the other of them but both of them only for his own acts deeds receipts disbursements and defaults and also that it shall be careful? for my said trustees and executors and each of them and each of their executors and administrators in first place by and out of the aforesaid respective trust monies and premises to deduct and reimburse to them all such costs charges and expenses as they or any of them shall sustain or be put into for or by reason of the trusts hereby in them reposed all the management or execution thereof or any other thing in any wise relating thereto and lastly I do hereby revoke and make void of all and other wills by me at any time heretofore made and declare this only to be my last will and testament in witness whereof the said Penniston Topper have to this my last will and testament contained in this and four proceeding sheets of paper subscribed and set my hand and seal that is to say my hand to the bottom of each of the said four proceeding sheets and my hand and seal to the ffifth or last sheet of paper this 12th day of October in the year of our lord 1803 Penniston Topper signed sealed published and declared by the said Penniston Topper the testator as for 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 thereto

? Salt? Broadway Westminster ? Salt?

This will was proved at London the 19th day of March in the year of our lord 1804 before the worshipful Charles Coste doctor of laws surrogate of the right honourable sir William ? Knight also doctor of laws master keeper and commissioner of the prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully instituted by the oath of Thomas Shefford and Henry Madgwick the executors named in the said will to whom administration of all and singular the goods chattels and trusts of the deceased was granted having been first sworn duly to administer.

 

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This blog will (eventually) show the ancestry of each of my four grandparents. I've started with my paternal grandfather, James Aaron St...