Essex wills – W

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Some wills have been transcribed in full, whereas others are a paraphrased transcription. If they are paraphrased, they contain the names of all those mentioned in the will, with the gist of what they were (or were not!) bequeathed, but to find the full details, such as the names of property, requests as to how they were to be buried etc., please contact the relevant archive. The wills are either from the Essex Record Office (ERO), the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC), or the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA).

Wills:

Wade, Samuel William Cardinal, mariner of Wivenhoe, 1848

First, I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth my dearly beloved wife all my Household furniture Linnen China and plate. Also I give and bequeath unto my aforesaid dearly beloved wife all my part of that fishing smack known and called by the name of the Prosperous together with my part of all the sails and all other things whatsoever thereunto belonging And also I give and bequeath unto my aforesaid dearly beloved wife all the rest, residue and Remainder of Estate both personal and real whatsoever and wheresoever and of what kind or nature soever the same may be.

Lastly, I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my aforesaid deadly beloved wife Executrix and Samuel Catt of Wivenhoe aforesaid Blacksmith Executor of this my last will and testament

Witnesses: Thomas J Howard, William Jolliff, Edmund Catt

Written: 4 Oct 1847. Date of death: 17 Jan 1848. Proved: 12 Oct 1848

ERO ref: D/ACW 44/6/25

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Wade, William Cardinal, wheelwright of Tendring, 1796 


  • I give to my three Children William Gilbert Wade, Ann Elizabeth Cardinal Wade and Harriet Bearman Wade and any other my child or children to be hereafter born all my plate to be Equally divided amongst them Share and Share alike
  • Item I order and direct that all those my messuages and premises situate at Haseley in the said County of Essex Also all those my five messuages or Tenements and premises situate on a certain Green called Parsons Green in the said parish of Tendring with their and Every of their appurtenances and also all that messuage or dwelling house wherein I now live with the Shops Premises and Appurtenances thereunto belonging, may be sold and disposed of by my Executors hereinafter mentioned immediately after my decease for the most money that can be obtained for the same respectively either by public auction or private sale as to them my said Executors shall seem meet
  • I also desire that all my household furniture Linen China Stock and Utensils in Trade and all other my Effects whatsoever and wheresoever (except the plate bequeathed as aforesaid) may be likewise sold and disposed of
  • And out of monies arising by sale of my said several messuages Tenement, household furniture and Effects I order that all my Just debts funeral charges and the Expenses of proving this my will may be paid and discharged and after payment and Satisfaction thereof I desire that the surplus? may be placed out in Government or other good Security in the manner of my said Executors and the Interest and annual produce to be received by them and paid to my loving wife Ann Wade until the youngest of my said Children shall have attained its age of 21 to Enable her to Educate Cloath and bring up my said Children during their minority
  • And on the arrival of my said youngest child at the said age of 21 I devise that the
    principal money so to be placed out as aforesaid, may be Equally divided between such of my said Children as shall be then living share and share alike.
  • And my will further is that my Brother Thomas Wade may have the refusal of my Stock in Trade at a fair valuation in case he shall think proper to purchase the same, and give good Security to my said Executors for the payment of the purchase money within a reasonable time.
  • And Lastly I do hereby nominate said constitute and appoint my two friends Thomas Lewis Stone of Fingringhoe in the said County Farmer and John Finer of Tendring aforesaid Farmer Executors and do request of them to take upon themselves the burthen of the Execution thereof. I hereby giving and bequeathing unto them my said Executors the sum of Five Guineas each for their trouble.

Witnesses: John Ambrose junr Mistley Esq, Elizth Stone, Sarah Whittaker WadeWritten: 18 Mar 1796.

Codicil: 27 Mar 1796.

I give and bequeath unto my dear Mother Elizabeth Wade £10.

And where I have in my said will hereunto annexed nominated and appointed my two friends Thomas Lewis Stone of Fingringhoe and John Finer of Tendring Farmer Executors now instead of the said John Finer and in his place I do hereby nominate and appoint my friend Joseph Harris of Wix in the said County of Essex Shopkeeper with the said Thomas Lewis Stone Executors of my said will and codicil giving them the said Thomas Lewis Stone Executors and Joseph Harris the sum of five guineas each for their trouble and vesting them with the same powers as are contained in my said will and
testament.

Witnesses: John Ambrose junr, William Wood

Died at Tendring on or about 18 May 1796. Proved: 04 Jul 1796.

ERO ref: D/ABW 113/2/39

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Wade, William Gilbert, wheelwright, late of Abberton, now residing at Colchester, 1827

  • To be buried in Fingringhoe
  • To nephew Thomas Lewis Stone: freehold tenements in Wix occupied by Benjamin Hunt and Bridget Angier; copyhold tenement in Wix occupied by John Bird
  • To niece Susannah Stone copyhold in Little Clacton occupied by William Starling and others.
  • To nephew Frederick Hicks: £200 when 21. Executors can advance up to half of this before Frederick reaches 21 in order to apprentice him or otherwise advance him in the world. Such advances made in the lifetime of Frederick’s mother (Ann, the testator’s sister – surname not given in the will) to be made with her consent. If Frederick dies before he reaches the age of 21, the remainder of the £200 to the testator’s sister, Susannah Stone.
  • Rest and residue to Isaac Brett the younger of Inworth, Essex, gardener (the testator’s
    brother-in-law)

Executors: the said Isaac Brett and the testator’s brother-in-law Thomas Lewis Stone

Witnesses: Edward Knipps, Elizabeth Fisher, Fred. Brown.

Written: 23rd March 1827, proved: 20th December 1827

ERO. Registered copy.

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Whiting, Mary, widow of Tendring, 1780

  • To niece Mary Mash, wife of John Mash of Tendring: my undivided moiety of freehold called Ilsents in Tendring, in occupation of the said John Mash, and all the rest of my real estate, for her natural life. Sums of money owning to be charged on my real estate.
  • After Mary Mash’s death, to her children: John, Mary, James and Charles. If none survive and if no lawful issue, to my sister Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Sallows
  • Ready money, securities for money, household goods, wearing apparel, linen etc to my niece Susanna Baxter, daughter of my sister Susanna Rawlinson, late wife of Giles Rawlinson of Thorpe-le-Soken, deceased.

Executor: John Mash of Tendring.

Witnesses: James Cousins, Joseph Newcomb, Daniel Chiles

Written: 15th March 1780. Died at Tendring, 30th March 1780. Proved: 22nd April 1780

ERO ref: D/ABW 107/1/44

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Whiting, Mary, spinster of St Botolph’s, Colchester, 1783

  • To cousin Robert Sach of Bradwell-juxta-Coggeshall, farmer: £20 for the sole benefit of his sister, Mary, wife of Ezra Livermore. If she dies before the £20 is spent, the remainder to be divided among her children.
  • To Mr. William Smith of Wivenhoe, Customs Officer: £5 for the benefit of his mother-in-law, Sarah Smith, widow (my cousin)
  • To my said cousin Mary Livermore and my cousin Elizabeth, wife of William Munsey
    of Wivenhoe, coal-meter, my wearing apparel and linen.
  • £1 1 shilling to whoever is minister of Red Lion Walk protestant dissenters in Colchester, at the time of my death
  • Rest and residue (apart from that which is on a sheet of paper pinned to my will to be otherwise disposed of [has not survived with will]) to my cousins Edward Sach of Coggeshall, farmer & John Lambert of Braintree, farmer, in trust for my cousins Elizabeth wife of William Munsey. Anything left over after her death to be divided between her children.

Executors: the said Edward Sach and John Lambert

Witnesses: Peter Daniell, Willm. Francis

Written: 22nd September 1777, proved: 16th January 1783

ERO ref: D/ACW 34/6/10

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Whitley, Mary, widow of Wivenhoe, 1728

  • Widow of William Whitley, late of Wivenhoe
  • Sons Ambrose Cock and Michael Cock
  • Son Abraham Whitley, under 14
  • Copyhold held of the Manor of Fingringhoe
  • Son John Whitley
  • Daughter Elizabeth Cock
  • Granddaughter Elizabeth Cock
  • Owned silver spoons marked “MM”
  • Sister Hopkins
  • Two kinswoman Joanna and Mary Munt
  • John Lee, Rector of Alresford

Executors: Son Ambrose Cooke, John Lee

Witnesses: Robert Durrell, Jno Tayler, John Potter

Written 22 Feb 1722/3, probate 1 Oct 1728

PCC

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Whitley, William, mariner and fisherman of Wivenhoe, 1722

  • Wife Mary: all household goods which were hers before their marriage, executor
  • Sons John and Abraham Whitley, both under 21
  • sons-in-law [stepsons?], Michael Cock and Ambrose Cock
  • son-in-law Jeremiah Downes
  • Son William Whitley
  • His five children: Susannah, William, Mary, John, Abraham

Witnesses: John Chandler, Elizabeth Peck, John Potter

Written 25 Nov 1721, probate 3 Feb 1721/2

ERO

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Wiles, Benjamin, labourer of Southminster, 1800

  • copyhold in Frating called Maplestree, measuring 42 acres, in the occupation of Thomas Lake of Frating, yeoman, and brother-in-law James Norman of Great Bromley, butcher
  • nephew Thomas Norman, son of brother-in-law James Norman, to inherit half of Maplestree
  • nephew George Jaggard, son of brother-in-law George Jaggard, to inherit the other half.
  • Rest and residue to the other children of George Jaggard [unnamed in the will]

Executor: brother-in-law James Norman

Witnesses: Jno. Middleton, Samuel Bawtree

Written 3 March 1799, probate 25 Feb 1800

ERO

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Wiles, Mary, widow of Frating, 1763

  • daughter Sarah wife of Samuel Bacon of Frating, yeoman
  • All copyhold property in Wivenhoe called Tassellers, occupied by Daniel Blyth to Sarah
  • All rest and residue to Sarah

Executor: daughter Sarah

Witnesses: William Slogrove, Mary Gosling, Daniel Blyth

Written 17 June 1763, probate 16 July 1763

ERO

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Wiles [Wyles], Robert, yeoman of Great Bromley, 1737

  • Wife (unnamed in will, but Susanna Wyles in the probate]: tenement and 16 acres called Fenhouse, held of the Manor of Much Bromley, and one tenement called East Hays for life.
  • kinsman [nephew] Benjamin Wyles son of brother Benjamin Wyles lately deceased: the said copyhold after wife’s death
  • kinswoman Elizabeth Dunton: all the goods in the parlour “where I now lie”
  • kinswoman Sarah Bowell: £5
  • kinsman [nephew] Robert Wyles son of my brother Abell Wyles: £5
  • kinsman Thomas Burnham, carpenter: £10 for trouble executing will.

Executors: wife and kinsman Thomas Burnham

Witnesses: John Garrood, William Gremcy, Jo. Newton.

Written 18 Jan 1736/7, probate 5 Feb 1736/7.

ERO

Transcriber’s notes: Robert Wyles (also Robert Wiles) was born in Great Bromley, and baptised there on 25 Jan 1684/85, the eldest surviving son of Robert Wiles and his wife Mary. His marriage to Susanna has not yet been found. After his death, his wife remarried. There are two marriages (with licences) for widows called Susanna/Susan Wiles who lived in Great Bromley: one, aged about 30, married Nicholas Bundock (marriage licence dated 22 Dec 1739), and the other married Thomas Cooker of Elmstead in 1743. It seems likely that the one who married Thomas Cooker was Robert Wiles’ widow, as the one who married Nicholas Bundock was somewhat younger than Robert.

Robert’s brother Benjamin was born about four years after him. It appears that he and his wife Mary had a daughter Elizabeth baptised in Frating on 1 March 1718/9. It is possible that Robert’s brother then moved to Copford, although his wife’s name is given as Elizabeth when their children were baptised, which ryles him out – that said, a Benjamin Wiles was buried in Copford in April 1736, which would match with Robert stating that his brother was “lately deceased”. However, it seems more likely that Benjamin married and lived in Elmstead: marriages and baptisms are lost between the 1660s-1728, so if he married there, and had children baptised there, those records are now lost. However, Elmstead burials are only lost between 1661-1677, and there is a burial in Elmstead for an infant called Mary Wiles in 1718. An Elizabeth Wiles was buried in Elmstead in 1750, who could be Benjamin and Mary’s daughter baptised in Frating in 1719. Mary Wiles of Frating was buried in Elmstead in 1763 – she is the Mary Wiles, widow of Frating, whose short will leaves everything, including Tasselers in Wivenhoe, to her daughter Sarah, wife of Samuel Bacon of Wivenhoe. This implies that she had no other surviving children, however, Robert left his nephew Benjamin all his copyhold property, and nothing for his sisters, so Mary perhaps felt that Benjamin didn’t need to be left anything. When Sarah Bacon wrote her will, she left her property to her “cousin”, another Benjamin Wiles, who would have been Robert’s great-nephew (the third in a row of Benjamins), and property in Wivenhoe her “cousin” James Norman (a man by that name married Mary Wiles, a daughter of Robert’s nephew Benjamin). She left legacies (among others) to George Jaggard senior and his daughter Ruth (Ruth’s mother was Ruth Wiles, Benjamin’s daughter). Trying to find the baptism, and therefore the parents, of Benjamin Wiles, whose descendants include Jaggards and Hazells, and thanks to his granddaughter Mary Jaggard, the many Fields of Brightlingsea, has been difficult, but the wills of Robert Wyles, Mary Wiles, and Sarah Bacon demonstrate that he was the son of Robert’s brother Benjamin. The deeds for Tasselers are at the Essex Record Office and need to be examined because it might tell us where Mary Wiles got Tasselers from. She may have bought it, but equally, she or her husband could have inherited it.

Sarah Bowell is likely to be Robert’s niece. His sister Sarah married John Bowles of Frating on 11 Feb 1710/11, and there are baptisms for two daughters there: Sarah in 1718 and Elizabeth in 1719.

Then we have the mystery of Thomas Burnham and Elizabeth Dunton. The clue appears to be in the name Burnham, as Mary Burnam married Ezekiel Dunton at Lawford in 1711 – they were both of Ardleigh. There are four baptisms for their children at Ardleigh, including Elizabeth, baptised there in 1718. Mary Burnham was likely born around 1690, and there’s a marriage in 1728 for a Thomas Burnham, aged 35 (giving him a rough date of birth of 1693) to Frances More. He lived in Greenstead, which is right next door to Ardleigh. He might be the same Thomas Burnham who married Mary Tracy at Great Bromley on 31 Jan 1743/4 (no marriage statuses in the register, unfortunately), and they had four children, all baptised at Colchester St Peter’s. Perhaps it’s coincidence, or perhaps not, but a Benjamin Wiles married an Elizabeth Moore in Colchester in the same year as Thomas Burnham married Frances More.

But how are the Burnhams actually related to Robert? He uses “kinsman” and “kinswoman” to refer to nieces and nephews on his Wiles side, but it doesn’t look like he had a sister who could’ve married a Burnham, unless there’s one who was older than the children we currently know about. It’s possible that Thomas Burnham and Elizabeth Dunton were his wife’s relatives, although this isn’t stated. His mother was Mary Champneys from Frating, so there might be a some mileage in looking for connections between the Champneys and the Burnhams. A William Moore married a Margaret Champnes at Frating in 1690: Margaret might be Mary Champney’s sister.

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Wiles, William of Great Bromley, 1669

  • youngest son Robert: all copyhold in Great Bromley
  • wife Ann: £40 to satisfy a bond with Mr Thomas Seburan of Langham (amongst other legacies)
  • eldest son William: £15
  • daughter Elizabeth Siday: £45
  • grandson William Wiles, under 21

Witnesses: David Siday, James Mallet, Edward Turner

Written 4 April 1669, probate 14 Jun 1669

ERO

Transcriber’s notes: the testator is the grandfather of Robert Wiles of Great Bromley (see his will above). William’s son Robert senr stayed in Great Bromley, where he and his wife Mary had several children, including Robert junr. Robert senior died in 1700, but didn’t leave a will; letters of administration were granted to his widow Mary (“Marie”) on 17 Aug 1700 (held at ERO). William’s son William moved to Frating, where his son William was baptised in 1668. The testator married Ann Godfree, a widow, in Langham in 1665.

The testator doesn’t give the names of his copyhold in Great Bromley, but it may well be the copyhold that his grandson Robert left for his nephew (William’s great-grandson) Benjamin Wiles: Fenhouse and East Hayes. After the death of Robert senior’s widow Mary, the property likely descended to Robert junior, and without having children of his own, Robert left it to his brother’s son to keep it in the Wiles family. The manorial records for Great Bromley need to be checked.

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Winch, Catherine of Wix, widow of Samuel Winch, 1774

  • To son Samuel Winch: copyhold in Fingringhoe called variously Welmans Belsers and
    Sarkneys.
  • But if Samuel dies under 21, to go to nephew John Cardinall of Tendring.
  • Rest and residue to son Samuel.

Executors: brother Clarkson Cardinall, gent, and son Samuel Winch

Witnesses: Joseph Harris, John Read, Mary Bird x

Written: 24th March 1774, proved: 2nd May 1774

ERO ref: D/ACW 33/4/17

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Wright, George, farmer of West Bergholt, 1831

  • To son George Wright of Lexden, carpenter, £20
  • To George’s daughter Susanna Wright, who now resides with me, £10 (to put her out as an apprentice or for her advancement)
  • To my niece Susan Green who now resides with me, £20
  • Suitable mourning for Susanna Wright and Susan Green
  • Household furniture, live and dead farming stock, money, securities and other personal estate to be divided between my two sons, William Dennis Wright and John Wright
  • Also to William Dennis Wright and John Wright, my copyhold called “Little Priors”, on the road from West Bergholt heath to the church. In occupation of my tenants: Lyne Adkin, Mary Gridley, George Risbee and John Gibling
  • All rest and residue to William Dennis Wright and John Wright (they to be the executors)

Written: 1st July 1828. Died: West Bergholt, 17th August 1831.

Proved: 3rd September 1831

ERO ref: D/ABW 129/1/62

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