Quaker Family History Society

Will of William STEEVENS, Gentleman of Chepping Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

Will 27 September 1860, Probate 11 April 1864

Summary.

Biographical Notes.

·         Parents: Joseph Steevens (1728-1801) Miller and Mealman of Chepping Wycombe and Elizabeth (nee Hawgood, 1756-1841) his wife

·         Date of birth: 15 November 1792 at Chepping Wycombe

·         Education: attended Ackworth School, Pontefract 1802-1807

·         Apprenticeship: On 14 December 1807 for 7 years to William B. Tomson, Grocer and Draper of Mepal, Cambridgeshire

·         Occupation: Grocer, druggist, fur dealer and insurance agent, Paul’s Row, Chepping Wycombe

·         Marriage: 23 February 1825 to Elizabeth (nee Coles,1797-1877) daughter of John and Ann Coles of Great Milton.

·         Meeting: Upperside Meeting, but disowned in 1825 for “marrying out”

·         Date of death: 15 March 1864 in Chepping Wycombe

·         Burial: 21 March 1864 at the Friends Burial Ground, High Wycombe

Highlights of Will

·         To his wife Elizabeth all furniture, plate, linen, china, glass, books, household goods and consumable stores

·         All his real and personal estate to be held in trust by wife Elizabeth and two sons Joseph and John Steevens

·         To his wife Elizabeth during her life the income from his estate subject to the necessary repairs and insurances

·         On the death of wife Elizabeth, the residuary estate is to be sold and equally divided between his three children Elizabeth, Joseph and John.  With conditions made relating to survivorship and children

Transcriber’s and Editor’s Notes

·         The town name of Chepping Wycombe is synonymous with the current day High Wycombe

·         His relatives were active Quakers but William was disowned for marrying out. His father also had a varied membership record but re-joined at the time of William’s birth

·         In 1820 William went into partnership with his brother James to purchase a Grocers and Tallow Chandlers in Basingstoke, it is not clear if William was active in it’s running.

·         The partnership in Basingstoke was dissolved in 1822 and William purchased a Grocers and Druggist’s business in Paul’s Row, High Wycombe which he operated until retiring in about 1858

·         His funeral and burial in the Friends Burial Ground, were arranged by the undertaker’s part of his son Joseph’s business at a cost of £18 – 19s. – 6d. including carriages

·         A detailed inventory of all furniture room by room, at his home at Easton Street High Wycombe was drawn up for probate valuation purposes on 2 April 1864

Will as transcribed from a copy of the original document

This is the last Will and Testament of me

William Steevens of the Borough of Chepping Wycombe in the County of

Buckingham, Gentleman. I direct all my just debts funeral and testamentary

expenses to be paid and satisfied as soon as conveniently may be after my

decease I bequeath All the furniture plate linen china glass books

household goods and consumable stores that may be in and about my

Dwelling house at the time of my decease unto my dear Wife Elizabeth

absolutely I devise all the real estate to which I shall be entitled at

my decease (except Estates vested in me as Trustee of Mortgagee) and I

bequeath the residue of my personal Estate (if any) to which I shall

be then entitled to my said Wife Elizabeth and my Sons Joseph Steevens

and John Steevens their heirs executors administrators and assigns

respectively Upon trust to permit my said Wife to receive the rents

interest and annual profits arising from my said real and residuary

personal estate during her life for her own benefit Subject to the necessary

repair and insurance of my said real estate And after the decease of my

said Wife then Upon trust as soon as conveniently may be to sell my

said real Estate together or in parcels by Public Auction or Private

Contract with power to make any special conditions as to title or

evidence of title or otherwise and with power to buy ibn the premises at any

Public Sale or to rescind either in terms or gratuitously and Contract, and

to resell without being answerable for any loss and for the purposes aforesaid

or any of them to execute and do all such assurances and things as may

be necessary And to convert and get in my residuary personal estate

And the money arising from the Sale of my said real estate and the

conversion of my said residuary personal estate I direct shall be equally

divided between my three children Elizabeth Steevens, Joseph Steevens and

John Steevens share and share alike but in case either of my said

children shall die in the lifetime of myself or my said Wife leaving

issue lawfully begotten the I direct that the share of him or her so

dying shall be equally divided between such issue share and share

alike if more than one, and if but one then the whole to such only child

to be paid to him her or them on attaining the age of twenty one years

But in case either of my children shall die in the lifetime of

Myself or my said Wife without leaving issue aforesaid Then I

direct that the share of him or her so dying shall be equally divided

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between the survivors of my said children share and share alike if

more than one and if but one then the whole to such only survivor I devise

all real Estates (if any) vested in me as Trustee or Mortgagee to my said Wife

Elizabeth and the said Joseph Steevens and John Steevens subject to the

equities affecting the same respectively I empower the trustees or trustee

for the time being of this my Will to give receipts for all monies and effects

to be paid or delivered to such trustees or trustee by virtue of my Will and

declare that such receipts shall exonerate the persons taking the same

from liability to see the application or disposition of the monies or effects

therein mentioned And I exempt every Trustee of my Will from liability

for losses occurring without his or her own wilful default and authorise

him or her to retain and allow to his or her Co-trustee or Co-trustees all expences

incidental to the Trusteeship I appoint my said dear Wife Elizabeth

and my said Sons Joseph Steevens and John Steevens to be Executrix and

Executors of my Will Lastly I revoke all other Wills In witness whereof

I have hereunto set my hand this twenty seventh day of September in the

Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty

William Steevens               ~                Signed by the Testator as his

Last Will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same time

Who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have

Hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses   ~      Joh Parker j’r

Sol’r, Wycombe      ~       Rob’t Durrant his Clerk

On the Eleventh day of April 1864 the Will of William

Steevens late of the Borough of Chepping Wycombe in the County

of Buckinghamshire, Gentleman, deceased, who died on the Fifteenth

day of March 1864, at the Borough of Chepping Wycombe

aforesaid was proved in the District Registry attached to her

Majesty’s Court of Probate at Oxford by the Affirmation of

Elizabeth Steevens of the Borough of Chepping Wycombe aforesaid,

Widow Relict of the Deceased, John Steevens of the City of

Bristol in the County of Somerset, Grocer Son of the Deceased,

(two of the people called Quakers) and the Oath of Joseph

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Steevens of the Borough of Chepping Wycombe aforesaid, Builder

son of the Deceased, the Executors therein named they the said

Elizabeth Steevens and John Steevens having first duly affirmed

and the said Joseph Steevens having first sworn duly to

administer.

                                  Effects under £450. No Leaseholds

Extracted by john Parker and Son Solicitors, High Wycombe, Bucks

It is hereby certified that the above is a

Correct Copy. Dated this Twenty first day of

April 1864. 

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