Quaker Family History Society

Will of Margaret BELL of Bromley, Middlesex

Will 7 December 1757; Codicil 12 May 1758   Probate 26 May 1759

Summary.

Biographical Notes.

·         Parents: Benjamin Ollive, Citizen Dyer of London, and Elizabeth Meakins, of Ratcliff

·         Date of Birth: 29 November 1686

·         Marriage: to John Bell on 6 October 1741 at Ratcliff Meeting

·         Meeting: Ratcliff

·         Date of Death: 12 January 1759

·         Burial: 17 January 1759 at Friends burial ground near Schoolhouse Lane, Ratcliff

Highlights of Will

·         She leaves in Trust to her brother Joseph Ollive and her nephew Thomas Talwin £200 which she has control over per her marriage contract, which they are to invest and from the interst of which they are to provide for the support and maintenance of her sister Ann Sims for her lifetime.

·         Following the death of her sister Ann Sims, her trustees are to use the interest from the above mentioned £200 for the equal support of Elizabeth Perry, wife of William Perry, and for her sister Mary Sims.

·         £10 each to Joseph Ollive and Thomas Talwin for their trouble.

·         £10 to her niece Elizabeth Wardel

·         £10 to her brother in law John Sims

·         The remainder of her estate to remain with her husband John Bell.

·         Following her husband’s death, she directs her trustees, again based on her marriage contract, she makes the further bequests from her estate equaling £565:

·         £100 each to Thomas Talwin, Benjamin Talwin and John Talwin.

·         £50 each to Joseph Talwin and to his sister Margaret Brett.

·         £50 each to Elizabeth Perry and to her sister Mary Sims.

·         £5 each to Robert Bell and his sister Margaret Dakers and to Thomas Carruthers, Reynold Carruthers and Sarah Butterfield.

·         She nominated Joseph Ollive and Thomas Talwin as her Executors.

·         Codicil

·         He brother Joseph Ollive predeceasing her and leaving her a portion of his estate, she leaves this to her husband, and following her husband’s death, to her nephew Thomas Talwin.

·         She confirms the other legacies and instructions contained in her original will.

Transcriber’s and Editor’s Notes

·         Her husband John Bell (q.v.) died in 1761 and left a will (PROB 11/862/407).

Will as transcribed from a copy of the original document

(Original line and page breaks preserved as far as possible)

Know all Men These

Presents That I Margaret Bell Wife of John Bell of Bromley

in the County of Middlesex Observing as well the Certainty of death

as the Uncertainty of the time when And being Desirous to Settle my

Concerns in this life whilst the Almighty is Graciously pleased to

continue my health and understanding for which Mercy I am

humbly thankful And I do hereby make my last Will and

Testament in manner and form following notwithstanding any

Coverture according to the Liberty Granted me by an Indenture

or Marriage Contract bearing Date on or about the thirtieth

Day of September In the year of our Lord Christ One thousand

Seven hundred and Forty one and Legally Executed before our

Intermarriage First I Give and bequeath unto my loving

Brother Joseph Ollive and my Nephew Thomas Talwin the

Sum of Two hundred pounds not for their own use but In Trust

only And my Will and Mind is And I do hereby Direct and appoint

that my said Trustees put out upon Interest the said Legacy

of Two hundred pounds left to them In Trust only and Apply

all the Interest Product and Profits arising therefrom towards

the Support and Maintenance of my Sister Ann Sims at such

times and in such Proportions as they Shall find her Occasions

do require And my Will and Mind is And I do hereby Direct

and Appoint that after the Decease of my said Sister Ann

Sims the Principal Money of Two hundred pounds left In

Trust as mentioned above be Given by the Trustees to Elizabeth

Perry Wife of Stephen Perry and her Sister Mary Sims to be

Equally Divided between them Share and Share alike And I

Give and bequeath unto my Brother Joseph Ollive and my

Nephew Thomas Talwin Ten pounds each of them for their

care and Trouble to see my Will duly Performed And I Give

and bequeath unto my Neice Elizabeth Wardel Ten pounds for

her own Particular use and Benefit and her Receipt Shall be

a Sufficient Discharge to my Executors notwithstanding her

Coverture And I Give and bequeath unto my Brother in

Law John Sims Ten pounds And these Five Legacies Given

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and bequeathed as above amounting to Two hundred and forty

Pounds so I Desire may be paid by my husband John Bell if he

Survive me out of my Estate and Effects in Six Months after my

Decease And as touching and concerning All the Rest

Residue and remainder of the Goods Moneys and Effects I had

any right or Title unto before our Intermarriage whatsoever

being now become the Right and Property of my said husband

by the Law and Custom of Marriage and came into his Possession

or under his Care And my Will and Mind is after the said

Legacies of Two hundred and Forty pounds Legacys are fully

paid and discharged by my Executors that all the Rest

Residue and Remainder of my Goods Money and Effects shall

remain be and continue in my husbands Possession with all

Monies Bonds or other Security of Securitys had or taken for

the said remainder or any part thereof for and during his

natural life And also all the Interest Produce and Profits

arsing or to arise therefrom to be and continue to and for his

own proper  behoof and benefit for and during and to the

End of his Natural life according to the True Intent and meaning

of the writes Indenture of Marriage Contract And my Will

and Mind is that after the Decease of my said Husband John

Bell and out of the Residue and Remainder of the Estate and

Effects which is his Right by the Law and Custom of Marriage

But according to a Power Granted me by the said writes

Indenture I leave the following Legacies to be paid by my

Husbands Executors or Administrators in Six Months after

his Decease out of the said Residue and Remainder of my

Estate and Effects that is to say I Give and bequeath unto

Thomas Talwin Benjamin Talwin and John Talwin One hundred

pounds each of them And I Give and bequeath unto Joseph

Talwin and his Sister Margaret Brett Fifty pounds to each of

them    ˄And I give and Bequeath

            Unto Elizabeth Perry and

            to her Sister Mary      

            Sims Fifty pounds to each

            of them˄

            And I give and bequeath unto Robert Bell and Margaret

Dakers his Sister Thomas Carruthers Reynold Carruthers

and Sarah Butterfield Five pounds to each of them And I Give

and bequeath unto my Brother Joseph Ollive and Thomas

Talwin Twenty pounds to each of them for their care and Trouble

in Seeing this my Will Punctually fulfilled And my Will and

Mind is and I do hereby Order and Appoint that these last

Legacies amounting in the whole to Five hundred and Sixty

five pounds be paid by my Husbands Executors or Adm̅ors

as above Directed And all the Remainder of the said

Residue which is over and above Paying the said Legacies

as above directed I Give and bequeath unto my Husband

John Bell for his own particular use and Benefit and to

Dispose of as he thinks fit And Lastly of this my last Will

and Testament I Nominate Consitute and Appoint my loving

Brother Joseph Ollive and my Nephew Thomas Talwin

Executors for and touching every matter and thing herein

contained and hereby Intended And I do publish and declare

this only to be my last Will and Testament  In Witness whereof

I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this Seventh day of

December One thousand Seven hundred and Fifty Seven

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Margaret Bell – Signed Sealed Published and Declared by

the Testatrix Margaret Bell to be her last Will and Testament

in our presence and at her request and in her presence we

have hereunto Subscribed our names with our own hands

being Witnesses thereof Rich’d Richardson – Rhoda Lines –

By was of Codicil to my last Will and Testament dated

on or about the Seventh of December One thousand Seven hundred

and Fifty Seven made by Virtue of a Contract duly Executed

before my Intermarriage with my Dear Husband John Bell

Whereas by the last Will and Testament of my Brother Joseph

Ollive deceased dated the Second day of May One thousand Seven

hundred and Fifty and duly proved in the Prerogative Court of

Canterbury I am Intitled to one third part of the Residue of the

Estate of my said late Brother Joseph Ollive after payment of his

Debts Funeral Expences and the Legacys mentioned in his said Will

And also to One Moiety of his Household Goods Now I do hereby

Give and bequeath All and Singular the above mentioned with

my Right Title and Interest therein and other the Rest and

Residue of my Estate and Effects not before Devised by my said Will

to my Dear Husband John Bell and from and after his Decease

to my Nephew Thomas Talwin Apothecary in London And

Ratifying and confirming my said Will first above mentioned

in every respect not hereby altered I Declare this to be a Codicil

to and part of my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof

I have hereunto Subscibed my name and set my Seal this Twelfth

Day of May In the year of our Lord Christ One thousand and Seven

hundred and Fifty Eight Margaret Bell – Signed and Sealed

Published and Declared by the Testatrix Margaret Bell to be

part of her last Will and Testament in the Presence of us as

Witnesses who in her presence and at her request have Subscribed

our Names Rich’d Richardson – Rhoda Lines –

This Will was proved at London with a

Codicil annexed the Twenty Sixth day of May In the year of our

Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Fifty nine before the

Right Worshipfull William Wynne Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the

Right Worshipfull Edward Simpson also Doctor of Laws Master

Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury

lawfully constituted by the Solemn and Sincere Declaration or

Affirmation of Thomas Talwin the Surviving Executor to whom

Administration was Granted limited so far as concerns the

Sum of Two hundred pounds of Lawfull Money of Great Britain

and the Rest and Residue and Remainder of the Goods Effects and

Moneys which Margaret Bell (Wife of John Bell) has a power

to Dispose of by Virtue of certain Indentures or Articles of

Agreement but no further or otherwise he having made the

Declaration or Affirmation aforesaid duly to Administer.  Ex’d

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