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
|
|
|