The Will of Robert Wrathall 1764
 
 
In the Name of God Amen I,Robert Wrathall, of Bull Road Court, Jervin? Street, London, Wire Drawer, being of Sound and Disposing Mind, Memory and Understanding, Praised be Almighty 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 ,in manner and form following (that is to say), First and Principally I Recommend my Soul to Almighty God hoping for the remission of my Sins thro` the above Merits of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, my Body I resign to the Earth to be Devoutly? Buried at the Discretion of my Executors hereinafter named (But my Will and Desire is that my ffuneral do not exceed the Sum of Six pounds Six Shillings). And as to the worldly Estate, wherewith it hath pleased Almighty God to bless me , I Dispose thereof as follows (my Just Debts and ffuneral Expenses being thereout first duly paid and Satisfied) : Then I give to my Daughter, Eleanor Whitton, Widow, the Sum of ffive pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain for Mourning. I give to my Daughter, Elizabeth Warren, late Deceased Wife of Miles Warren, now of the Island of Jamaica, Carpenter, the Sum of five pounds of like lawful Money for Mourning. I give to my Daughter, Mary Williams, Wife of Charles Williams, Wire Drawer, the Sum of five pounds of like lawful Money for Mourning, Which said Sums to my said Daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, I Desire and Direct may be paid to them respectively without the Control of their respective husbands and their Receipts to be Sufficient discharge to my Executors, and that the same be paid to them as soon as conveniently it can after my Decease. My reason for not giving them more is they having been provided for by me at the time of their Several and respective Marriages. I give to Mr. Joseph Allen, my Executor, the Sum of ffive pounds for Mourning for his trouble in the Execution of this my Will. And whereas I am a member of a ffriendly Society held at the Queens Arms in Meregate? School, London, and as such have a right to Dispose of the Sum of ffifteen pounds by any Writing under my hand (To prevent Disputes) I Give and Dispose of the said Sum of ffifteen pounds to my Son, Richard Wrathall, together with all the rest, residue and remainder of my Goods, Working Tools, Estate and Effects of what nature or kind soever and wheresoever to me belonging or which I am any way Titled unto, to and for the only use and benefit of him, the said Richard Wrathall, his heirs and Assigns for ever. And to my Son, Richard Wrathall with friend Mr. Joseph Allen above named Do hereby Constitute and Appoint my friend Joseph Allen above named Executors of this my last Will and I do hereby revoke and make void all former and other Wills heretofor by me made, And do declare this alone to be my last Will and Testament, In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal the Sixteenth day of April One thousand Seven hundred and Sixty four – Robert Wrathall - Signed, Sealed and Published and Declared by the said Robert Wrathall, the Testator, as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who, in the presence of the Testator and of each other, and at his request, have Subscribed our names as Witnesses. John Corderoy, Charles Sampson, C. Dame?
 
Appeared personally Richard Wrathall of the parish of Saint Giles, Cripplegate, London, Wire Drawer, and Joseph Allen of the same parish, Wire Drawer, who, being Severally Sworn on the Holy Evangelists to Depose the Truth, made Oath as follows. And first this Deponent, Richard Wrathall for himself saith that he is the natural and lawful Son of Robert Wrathall late of the parish aforesaid, Deceased, That on the Twenty fourth day of this Instant Month of November, being the day on which the said Deceased died, he, this Deponent, found the last Will and Testament of the said Deceased, hereunto annexed, locked up in a Drawer in his , the Deceased’s, Bed Chamber; that upon perusing the said Will he did then observe the names Elizabeth Warren in the thirteenth line of the said Will obliterated as the name now appears, and did also take Notice of the words “late Deceased” interlined between the Twelfth and thirteenth lines thereof and the words “ to my Son, Richard Wrathall with ffriend Mr. Joseph Allen above named” interlined between the twenty eighth and twenty ninth lines thereof and also the words “Signed, Sealed and Published this 19 of April 1765” wrote on the Margin thereof, and this Deponent saith that the said Will hath received no Alteration whatsoever but is in all respects in the same Plight and Condition as when he found the same. And this Deponent, Joseph Allen, for himself Deposes that he is an Executor Appointed in the said Will of the said Deceased, that he hath often seen the said Deceased write whereby he became well Acquainted with his manner and Character of hand Writing, and having now lawfully viewed and perused the Several Interlineations in the said Will, and words wrote in the Margin thereof, Deposes to by the said Richard Wrathall, he, this Deponent, saith that he doth verily and in his conscience believe that they were all of the Deceased’s proper hand writing and this Deponent, Joseph Allen, doth further Depose that he doth verily believe the Names Elizabeth Warren were obliterated by the deceased himself as he well knows the said Elizabeth Warren Departed this life in the life time of the said Robert Wrathall deceased – Richard Wrathall, Jo. Allen – November 29 1766 – the said Richard Wrathall and Joseph Allen were duly Sworn to the Truth of this affidavit before me , And ????? D?????? Surrogate – John Clarke ??? Pub.?
 
This Will was proved at London the Second Day of December in the Year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Sixty Six before the Worshipful Andrew Coltee? Ducarel?, Doctor of Laws and Surrogate of the Right Worshipful George Hay, also Doctor of Laws, Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully Constituted by the Oaths of Richard Wrathall, the Son of the Deceased, and Joseph Allen, the Executors named in the Said Will to whom Administration was Granted of all and Singular the Goods and Chattels and Credits of the said deceased, they having been first Sworn duly to Administer.