Search billions of records on Ancestry.com
   

 

The Will of Mary Matherine Vines 
Widow of William1810 of Highworth, Wilts 
1878

This is the last will and testament of me Mary Matherine Vines of Highworth in the county of Wilts, widow. 
I bequeath to William Richard Marks, now of Oving in the county of Bucks, my watch and chain and the legacy of fifty pounds. 
I bequeath to my servant Eliza Baxter if she shall be in my service at the time of my decease all my wearing apparel and also the legacy or sum of ten pounds over and above any moneys which may be then due and owing to her by me for wages or otherwise, 
but in case she shall not be in my service at the time of my decease then I bequeath all my wearing apparel to Elizabeth Reynolds the wife of Henry Reynolds of Dauntsey in the said county of Wilts, farmer. 
I desire to be buried in the same grave as my husband in the Parish Churchyard of Highworth aforesaid and the present tombstone should be raised. 
I bequeath to the treasurer for the time being or other the proper officer of The Church Missionary Society the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds to be applied and disposed of for the benefit of the Orphan Asylum of Port Louis in Mauritius. And I declare that the receipt of such treasurer for the time being or other the proper officer of the said society shall be an effectual discharge for the same legacy. 
I bequeath to the said Henry Reynolds the sum of one hundred pounds. 
I bequeath to John Bull late of Highworth aforesaid, officer of excise, the sum of fifty pounds. I bequeath to James Bull a son of the said John Bull, the sum of one hundred pounds. 
I devise and bequeath all my messuages lands tenements hereditaments and real estate and all my monies securities goods chattells and personal estate not hereinbefore officially bequeathed including as well real and personal estate over which I have or shall have a power of appointment under or by virtue of the will of my late husband, William Vines deceased, or otherwise unto and to the use of the said Henry Reynolds, John Bull and James Bull, their heirs executors administrators and assigns respectively upon trust that they the said Henry Reynolds, John Bull and James Bull, or the survivor of them, or the executors or administrators of such survivor their or his assigns shall in such manner and under such stipulations and upon such terms and conditions in all respects as they or he shall in their or his uncontrolled discretion think fit, sell collect or otherwise convert into money (according to the value of the premises) all such parts of the same premises as shall not consist of money and may buy in or rescind or vary any contract for sale or of any other description, and resell without being answerable for loss and may for the purposes aforesaid or any of them execute and do all such assurances and things as they he or she shall think fit. 
And I hereby declare that the trustees or trustee for the time being of this my will shall stand possessed of the monies to arise from such sale and conversion and all other moneys arising from or forming part of my estate upon trust to pay thereout my funeral and testamentary expenses debts and legacies (the legacy given by me to the Church Missionary Society to be paid out of such part of my personal estate as may by law be bequeathed for charitable purposes and in priority to all other payments thereout) and also the legacy duties payable upon all the pecuniary legacies given by this my will or any codicil thereto 
And I declare that the trustee or trustees for the time being of this my will shall stand possessed of the surplus or residue which shall remain of the aforesaid trust moneys after satisfying and answering the several trusts and purposes hereinbefore declared of and concerning the same upon trust for John Vines of Pitchcott near Aylesbury in the county of Bucks, the eldest brother of my said husband. 
And I hereby declare that the receipts of the trustees or trustee for the time being of this my will for the purchase moneys of any property hereby directed or authorised to be sold and for any other moneys paid to them or him by virtue of this my will or in the execution of any of the trusts or powers hereof shall effectually discharge the person or persons paying the same therefrom and from being bound to see to the application or being answerable for the loss or misapplication thereof  
Provided always and I hereby declare that if the said several trustees hereby constituted or any of them shall die in my lifetime or if they or any of them or any trustees as hereinafter provided shall die or be abroad or refuse or become incapable to act then and in every such case it shall be lawful for the surviving or continuing trustees or trustee and for this purpose every refusing or retiring trustee shall if willing to act in the execution of this power be considered a continuing trustee or for the acting executors or executor administrator or administrators of such last surviving or continuing trustee to appoint a new trustee or new trustees in the place of the trustee or trustees as dying or being abroad or desiring to be discharged or refusing or becoming incapable to act as aforesaid and upon every or any such appointment the number of trustees may be augmented or reduced. 
I devise all estates vested in me upon any trust or by way of mortgage unto the said Henry Reynolds, John Bull and James Bull their heirs executors administrators and assigns subject to the trusts and equities affecting the same respectively. And I appoint the said Henry Reynolds, John Bull and James Bull trustees and executors of this my will. And I revoke all former wills made by me and declare this only to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of June one thousand eight hundred and seventy eight. 

______M M Vines_____

Signed and acknowledged by the said Mary Matherine Vines the testatrix as and for her last will and testament in the presence of us who at her request and in her presence and in the presence of each other have have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses.  
Henry Kinneir solicitor Swindon  
Mary Whitefield Highworth. 

Proved at London 12th September 1878 by the oaths of Henry Reynolds, John Bull and James Bull (son of the said John Bull) the executors to whom admon was granted. 

On the 12th day of September 1878 the will of Mary Matherine Vines late of Highworth in the county of Wilts widow deceased who died on the 28th day of June 1878 at Highworth aforesaid was proved in the Principal Registry of the Probate Division of the High Court of Justice by the oaths of Henry Reynolds of Dauntsey in the said county farmer, John Bull of Tytherton, Officer of Excise, and James Bull of 9 Guildford Place, Russell Square in the county of Middlesex, Secretary of Recife Drainage Company Limited (son of the said John Bull), executors named in the will, they having been first duly sworn to administer. 

Effects under 600 pounds  
No Leaseholds 

__________________________________________

From the 1861 census, Mary Matherine Vines was born in Mauritius and probably married William there in the late 1840s. She apparently had no children and mentions none of her own family relations. She left her watch and chain and 50 pounds to William Richard Marks of Oving, Bucks. This is a hamlet adjacent to Pitchcott where her brother-in-law John Vines lived.

Census 1881 Oving Village , Bucks

Name
Relation
Marital
Sex
Age
Birthplace
Occupation
Richard George Marks Head m. M 38 Denham Hill, Bucks Inspector of Nuisances (Munic)
Ruth Ann Bridges Marks Wife m. F 36 Hardwick, Bucks Housewife
John Vines Marks Son unm. M 12 Denham Hill, Bucks Scholar
William Richard Marks Son unm. M 11
ditto
ditto
Henry George Marks Son unm. M 9
ditto
ditto
Alfred Ernest Marks Son unm. M 7
ditto
ditto
Melik Vines Marks Son unm. M 5 Whitchurch. Bucks
ditto
Charles Arthur Marks Son unm. M 2 Oving, Bucks
Septimus Lewis Marks Son  unm. M 3 m
ditto
George John Vines Marks Son unm. N 9 Winslow, Bucks Scholar, visitor

It can be seen that Ruth Ann Bridges was related to Mary Matherine Vines mother-in-law, Ruth Bridges of Bremhill.
Note the use of "Vines" as an additional forename in two of the sons and the nephew.
It is probable that William Richard Marks was a godson of Mary.

_____________

Census 1881 Pitchcott Rd, Pitchcott, Bucks

Name Relation Marital Sex Age Birthplace Occupation
John Vines Head m. M 78 Foxham, Wilts Farmer of 705 acres
Employing 10 men and ?4 Boys
Hannah Vines Wife m. F 66 Weedon, Bucks Housewife
Hannah Batson Vines Daughter unm. F 35 Pitchcott, Bucks Farmers Daughter
Elizabeth Ewers Servant unm. F 21 Ashendon, Bucks Dairy Maid (Ag Lab)
Eliza Grace Servant unm. F 14 Quainton, Bucks General Servant domestic

John, the eldest brother of Mary's husband William1810, was a farmer of broad acres and had obviously been at Pitchcott for a long time as his 35 year old daughter was born there.

______________


John Bull and his son James were trustees and executors of the will, with her husband's old friend Henry Reynolds. John Bull was described as an excise officer, and it makes one wonder if her generosity and reliance on the Bulls came about through association with them in Mauritius. Perhaps her husband William and his brother Jacob went to Mauritius to work for the British government? Or did they go there to farm with the cheap labour available? See the history notes.

Census 1881 Dwelling at Tytherton. Wilts

Name Relation Marital Sex Age Birthplace Occupation
John Bull Head w. M 66 Bremhill, Wilts Superannuated Excise Officer
Maria Bull  Sister unm. F 51
ditto